PWS ID# NJ1505004
Annual Drinking Water Quality Report
Berkeley Township MUA
For the Year 2011, Results from the Year 2010
We are pleased to present to you this year's Annual Drinking Water Quality Report. This report is designed to inform you about the quality water and services we deliver to you every day. Our constant goal is to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water.
We are pleased to report that our drinking water meets all federal and state safety requirements.
Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immuno-compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. EPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by cryptosporidium and other microbiological contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).
The Berkeley MUA routinely monitors for over 80 contaminants in your drinking water according to Federal and State laws. This table lists only detected contaminants, and shows the results of our monitoring from January 1st to December 31st, 2010. The state allows us to monitor for some contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants do not change frequently. Some of our data, though representative, are more than one year old.
| Test
Results |
|
|
|
|
Contaminants: |
Violation? |
Level
Detected |
Units
of Measurement |
MCLG |
MCL |
Likely
Source |
| Radioactive Contaminants: |
Gross Alpha
emitters
Test results Yr. 2006
|
No |
Range = ND – 0.8
Average = 0.4 |
pCi/L |
0 |
15 |
Erosion
of Natural Deposits |
Radium-228
Test results Yr. 2006 |
No |
Range = ND – 0.7
Average = 0.3 |
pCi/1 |
0 |
N/A |
Erosion of natural deposits |
| Inorganic Contaminants: |
Copper
Test Results
Yr. 2008 |
No |
0.2
No samples exceed the action level. |
ppm |
1.3 |
AL=1.3 |
Corrosion
of household plumbing system; erosion of natural deposits
|
Lead
Test results
Yr. 2008
|
No |
<1
No samples exceed the action level.
|
ppb |
0 |
AL=15 |
Corrosion
of household plumbing
systems, erosion of natural
deposits
|
| Disinfection By-Products |
TTHM
Total Trihalomethanes
Test results Yr. 2010 |
No |
7 |
ppb |
N/A |
80 |
By-product of drinking water disinfection |
HAA5 Haloacetic Acids
Test results Yr. 2010 |
No |
9 |
ppb |
N/A |
60 |
By-product of drinking water disinfection |
| Regulated Disinfectants |
Level Detected |
MRDL |
MRDLG |
| Chlorine |
Average = 0.3 - 0.4 |
4.0 ppm |
4.0 ppm |
For additional information: If you have any questions about this report or concerning your water utility, please contact Brian Blair, Chief of Operations at: 732-237-0100. We want our valued customers to be informed about their water utility. If you want to learn more, please attend any of our regularly scheduled MUA meetings. Meetings are held on the second and fourth Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at the Berkeley Township Town hall. Thank you.
Our water source: Our water source is wells. Our three wells draw groundwater from the Shark River Aquifer/ Piney Point Formation, over 500 feet deep. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) has completed and issued the Source Water Assessment Report and Summary for this public water system, which is available at WWW.state.nj.us/dep/swap or by contacting NJDEP’s Bureau of Safe Drinking Water at (609) 292-5550. You may also contact your public water system at 732-237-0100 to obtain information regarding your water system’s Source Water Assessment. This water system’s source water susceptibility ratings and a list of potential contaminant sources is attached.
Potential sources of contamination: The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity.
Contaminants that may be present in source water include:
- Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife.
- Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally-occurring or result from urban storm water runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming.
- Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban storm water runoff, and residential uses.
- Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are byproducts of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can, also come from gas stations, urban storm water runoff, and septic systems.
- Radioactive Contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.
In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations, which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. Food and Drug Administration regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water, which must provide the same protection for public health.
Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.
Lead: If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. The Berkeley Township MUA is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but can not control the variety of materials used in plumbing components. When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 second to 2 minutes before using water for drinking and cooking. If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water tested. Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water hotline or at http:www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.
Definitions:
In the following table you will find many terms and abbreviations you might not be familiar with. To help you better understand these terms we've provided the following definitions:
Non-Detects (ND) - laboratory analysis indicates that the constituent is not present.
Parts per million (ppm) - one part per million corresponds to one minute in two years or a single penny in $10,000.
Parts per billion (ppb) or Micrograms per liter - one part per billion corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years, or a single penny in $10,000,000.
Picocuries per liter (pCi/L) - picocuries per liter is a measure of the radioactivity in water.
Action Level - the concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow.
Maximum Contaminant Level - The "Maximum Allowed" (MCL) is the highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology.
Maximum Contaminant Level Goal -The "Goal"(MCLG) is the level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety.
Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level (MRDL) - The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants.
Maximum Residual Disinfectant Goal (MRDLG) - The level of a drinking water disinfectant, below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contamination
Waivers: The Safe Drinking Water Act regulations allow monitoring waivers to reduce or eliminate the monitoring requirements for asbestos, volatile organic chemicals and synthetic organic chemicals. Our system received monitoring waivers for asbestos and synthetic organic chemicals. To ensure the continued quality of our water we oxidize, filter, and use sodium hypo-chloride for disinfection.
Water System Security: The State of New Jersey requires all Drinking Water facilities to be fenced, locked, and alarmed. All Berkeley Township MUA storage reservoirs, production wells and treatment plants are in full compliance with this regulation. Additional, we have a 24 hours video surveillance system monitoring all facility operations. Our staff continues to meet and receive confidential intelligence from local, state, and federal emergency management and hazardous materials response officials.
We at the Berkeley MUA work hard to provide top quality water to every tap. We ask that all our customers help us protect our water sources, which are the heart of our community, our way of life and our children's future. Please call our office if you have questions
