PWS ID #NJ1505004

Annual Drinking Water Quality Report

Berkeley Township MUA
For the Year 2021, Results from the Year 2020

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, 2020. 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
Contaminant: Violation? Level Detected Units of Measurement MC LG MCL Likely Source
Radioactive Contaminants:
Combined Radium 228 & 226
Test results Yr. 2020
N 1.5 pCi/1 0 5 Erosion of natural deposits
Inorganic Contaminants:
Copper
Test results Yr. 2020 Result at 90th Percentile
N 0.1
No samples exceed the action level.
ppm 1.3 AL= 1.3 Corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits
Lead
Test results Yr. 2020 Result at 90th Percentile
N ND
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. 2020 N Range = ND - 17 Highest LRAA = 9 ppb N/A 80 By-product of drinking water disinfection
HAA5 Haloacetic Acids
Test results Yr. 2020
N Range = ND - 9 Highest LRAA = 4 ppb N/A 60 By-product of drinking water disinfection

 

For Total Halocetic Acids (HAA5s) and Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs), which are disinfection byproducts, compliance is based on a Locational Running Annual Average (LRAA), calculated at each monitoring location. The LRAA calculation is based on four completed quarters of monitoring results.

Regulated Disinfectants Level Detected MRDL MRDLG
Chlorine
Test results Yr. 2020
Range = 0.2 – 0.7 ppm Average = 0.4 ppm 4.0 ppm 4.0 ppm
Chlorine: Water additive used to control microbes

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.

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. Additionally, we have 24-hour video surveillance 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.

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 fourth Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at the MUA Building on Station Road.  Thank you.

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 cannot 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 “Test Results” table you may find some 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 Level 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.

Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring: The Berkeley Township MUA monitored for the following unregulated contaminants in 2020. The purpose of unregulated contaminant monitoring is to assist the EPA and NJDEP in determining the occurrence of unregulated contaminants in drinking water and whether regulation is warranted. Per – and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are widely found in the environment. EPA has identified a health advisory level for two PFAS analytes, PFOA and PFOS 0.070 ppb either singly or combined. NJDEP has adopted new drinking water standards (Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs)) for PFOA and PFOS of 14 ng/L (0.014 ppb) and 13 ng/L (0.013 ppb), respectively, as of 1/2021. We had non-detectable (ND) monitoring results for PFOA and PFOS.

Contaminant Level Detected Units of Measurement Likely source
(PFOS) Perfluorooctane Sulfonate ND ppb Used in the manufacture of fluoropolymers.
(PFOA) Perfluorooctanoic Acid ND ppb Used in the manufacture of fluoropolymers.

 

What are PFOA and PFOS?
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) are per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), previously referred to as perfluorinated compounds, or PFCs, that are man-made and used in industrial and commercial applications. PFOA was used as a processing aid in the manufacture of fluoropolymers used in non-stick cookware and other products, as well as other commercial and industrial uses based on its resistance to harsh chemicals and high temperatures. PFOS is used in metal plating and finishing as well as in various commercial products. PFOS was previously used as a major ingredient in aqueous film forming foams for firefighting and training, and PFOA and PFOS are found in consumer products such as stain resistant coatings for upholstery and carpets, water resistant outdoor clothing, and grease proof food packaging. Although the use of PFOA and PFOS has decreased substantially, contamination is expected to continue indefinitely because these substances are extremely persistent in the environment and are soluble and mobile in water. More information can be found at: https://www.state.nj.us/dep/wms/bears/docs/2019-4-15-FAQs_PFOS-PFOA-websites-OLA%204-24-19SDM-(003).pdf

Berkeley Township MUA - PWSID # NJ1505004

Berkeley Township MUA is a public community water system consisting of 3 wells.

This system’s source water comes from the following aquifers: Shark River / Piney Point Aquifer, Composite Confining Unit

This system can purchase water from the following water systems: Berkeley Water Company, Lacey Township MUA

Susceptibility Ratings for Berkeley Township MUA Sources

Susceptibility Ratings for Berkeley Township MUA Sources The table below illustrates the susceptibility ratings for the seven contaminant categories (and radon) for each source in the system. The table provides the number of wells and intakes that rated high (H), medium (M), or low (L) for each contaminant category. For susceptibility ratings of purchased water, refer to the specific water system’s source water assessment report.

The seven contaminant categories are defined at the bottom of this page. DEP considered all surface water highly susceptible to pathogens, therefore all intakes received a high rating for the pathogen category. For the purpose of Source Water Assessment Program, radionuclides are more of a concern for ground water than surface water. As a result, surface water intakes’ susceptibility to radionuclides was not determined and they all received a low rating.

If a system is rated highly susceptible for a contaminant category, it does not mean a customer is or will be consuming contaminated drinking water. The rating reflects the potential for contamination of source water, not the existence of contamination. Public water systems are required to monitor for regulated contaminants and to install treatment if any contaminants are detected at frequencies and concentrations above allowable levels. As a result of the assessments, DEP may customize (change existing) monitoring schedules based on the susceptibility ratings.

  Pathogens Nutrients Pesticides Volatile Organic Compounds Inorganics Radionuclides Radon Disinfection Byproduct Precursors
Sources H M L H M L H M L H M L H M L H M L H M L H M L
Wells - 3     3     3     3     3   1 2   2 1   1 2 3    

Pathogens: Disease-causing organisms such as bacteria and viruses.  Common sources are animal and human fecal wastes.
Nutrients: Compounds, minerals and elements that aid growth, that are both naturally occurring and man-made.  Examples include nitrogen and phosphorus.
Volatile Organic Compounds: Man-made chemicals used as solvents, degreasers, and gasoline components.  Examples include benzene, methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), and vinyl chloride.
Pesticides: Man-made chemicals used to control pests, weeds and fungus.  Common sources include land application and manufacturing centers of pesticides.  Examples include herbicides such as atrazine, and insecticides such as chlordane.
Inorganics: Mineral-based compounds that are both naturally occurring and man-made.  Examples include arsenic, asbestos, copper, lead, and nitrate.
Radionuclides: Radioactive substances that are both naturally occurring and man-made.  Examples include radium and uranium.
Radon:Colorless, odorless, cancer-causing gas that occurs naturally in the environment.  For more information go to http://www.nj.gov/dep/rpp/radon/index.htm or call (800) 648-0394.
Disinfection Byproduct Precursors: A common source is naturally occurring organic matter in surface water.  Disinfection byproducts are formed when the disinfectants (usually chlorine) used to kill pathogens react with dissolved organic material (for example leaves) present in surface water.

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.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT OUR DRINKING WATER

The Berkeley Township MUA Failed to Monitor for Combined Radium (226 & 228) and Gross Alpha Excl. Radon During the 2014 – 2019 Monitoring period

The Berkeley Township MUA violated a drinking water standard during the past monitoring period. Even though this was not an emergency, as our customers, you have a right to know what happened and what we did to correct these situations.

They are required to monitor your drinking water for specific contaminants on a regular basis. Results of regular monitoring are an indicator of whether, or not our drinking water meets health standards. They were required to monitor for Combined Radium (226 & 228) and Gross Alpha during the 2014 – 2019 monitoring period. They only monitor for these contaminants every six years. They inadvertently missed monitoring. They did monitor in February 2020. The test results for Combined Radium (226 & 228) are reflected in the “Table of Detections” and they had non-detectable results for Gross Alpha. They are in compliance.

Gross Alpha: Certain minerals are radioactive and may emit a form of radiation known as alpha radiation. Some people who drink water containing alpha emitters in excess of the MCL over many years may have an increased risk of getting cancer.

Combined Radium (226/228): Some people who drink water containing radium 226 or 228 in excess of the MCL over many years, may have an increased risk of getting cancer.

What should I do?

There is nothing you need to do at this time.

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.

 


 

 
  
 
     

 

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