Annual Drinking Water Quality Report for 2008

Village of Corinth

244 Main Street, Corinth, NY 12822

(Public Water Supply Identification Number NY4500164, NY4511621, and NY4511622)

 

Introduction

To comply with State regulations, the Village of Corinth, will be annually issuing a report describing the quality of your drinking water.  The purpose of this report is to raise your understanding of drinking water and awareness of the need to protect our drinking water sources.   Last year, your drinking water met all State drinking water health standards. This report is a snapshot of last year’s water quality.  Included are details about where your water comes from, what it contains, and how it compares to New York State standards. Our constant goal is and always has been, to provide to you a safe and dependable supply of drinking water.  We want you to understand the efforts we make to continually improve the water treatment process and to protect our water resources. If you have any questions concerning this report or concerning your drinking water please contact: Mr. Arthur A. Lozier III, DPW Superintendent, Village of Corinth, 421 Mill Street, Corinth, NY 12822; Telephone (518) 654-2373.  We want our valued customers to be informed about their water service. If you want to learn more, please attend any of our regularly scheduled Village Board meetings. They are held the 1^st and 3^rd Wednesday of each month, 6:00 PM at the16 Saratoga Avenue Firehouse, Telephone (518) 654-2012.

 

Where does our water come from?

The Village of Corinth draws its water from two drilled wells located on Hamilton Avenue. Well #1 represents the primary production well for the Village water supply and consists of a drilled well 71-feet in depth with an 18-inch casing.  The well was developed and first used by the Village in 1963.  Well #2 was developed in 1992 and consists of a drilled well 73-feet in depth with an 18-inch casing. Pumping capacity for each well is approximately 825 gallons per minute. Treatment of the raw water produced by the wells consists of gas chlorination, which is used for disinfection to protect against contamination from harmful bacteria and other organisms.  We have a 500,000-gallon concrete storage tank located on County Route 10 West Mountain Road to meet consumer demand and provide adequate fire protection.

 

The source water assessment performed by the New York State Health Department has rated our source water as having an elevated susceptibility to microbial contamination and nitrates. It should be noted that the SWAP looks at the untreated water only.   Our water is treated to minimize the potential sources of contamination.  The SWAP summary for our water supply is attached to this report.

 

In 2006, at the request of the NYSDOH we did extensive testing on wells.  The results of those tests led the NYSDOH to classify our raw water as Ground Water Under the Direct Influence of Surface Water, sometimes referred to as GWUIDI.  As a result of the GWUDI designation we will be required to upgrade our water system to comply with the Surface Water Treatment Rule.  The NYSDOH has indicated that these upgrades must be complete by June 2008.   We were issued a violation for not meeting the June 2008 compliance date for filtration.  As a result of the use of unfiltered surface water we are required to include the following statement in this report:

 

“Inadequately treated water may contain disease-causing organisms.  These organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites, which can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches.””

 

The Village is in the process of actively seeking funding and has hired design engineers to comply with the Surface Water Treatment Rule.  We are looking at installing a filtration system on the existing concrete pad atop of our clearwell next to our treatment plant. Considering the time to submit the final design plans to the NYSDOH, the time for review by NYSDOH, request for construction bids etc. we expect to be compliant with SWTR by 2011.  In the interim, customers will be notified quarterly as per the NYSDOH Sanitary Code Part V requirements that we are in violation of the SWTR.

 

In general, 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 activities.   Contaminants that may be present in source water include microbial contaminants; inorganic contaminants; pesticides and herbicides; organic chemical contaminants; and radioactive contaminants.  In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the State and EPA prescribe regulations, which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water, provided by public water systems.  The State Health Department’s and the FDA’s regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health.

 

 

 

Facts and figures

We provide water through 1,612 service connections to a population of approximately 4,700 people.  In 2008 the Village delivered 190,804,000 gallons of water. Our average daily demand is 522,750 gallons.   Our highest single day was 968,000 gallons.  Water services are not metered.  Customers inside the Village pay $140.00 per year while customers outside the Village pay $242.00 per year for their water.

 

Are there contaminants in our drinking water?

In accordance with State regulations, the Village of Corinth routinely monitors your drinking water for numerous contaminants. We test your drinking water for inorganic contaminants, radiological contaminants, lead and copper, nitrate, volatile organic contaminants, and synthetic organic contaminants. In addition, we test 5 samples for coliform bacteria monthly. The following table depicts which contaminants were detected in your drinking water. The state allows us to monitor for certain contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants are not expected to vary significantly from year to year.  Some of the data, though representative of the water quality, is more than one year old and is noted.  For a listing of the parameters we analyzed that were not detected along with the frequency of testing for compliance with the NYS Sanitary Code, see Appendix A.

 

It should be noted that all drinking water, including bottled drinking water, may be reasonably expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily pose a health risk.  More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791) or the New York State Department of Health Glens Falls District Office at (518) 793-3893.

 

What does this information mean?

As you can see by the table on page 3, our system had no violations. We have learned through our monitoring and testing that some constituents have been detected; however, these compounds were detected below New York State requirements. MCL’s are set at very stringent levels. To understand the possible health effects described for many regulated constituents, a person would have to drink 2 liters of water every day at the MCL level for a lifetime to have a one-in-a-million chance of having the described health effect.

 

Is our water system meeting other rules that govern operations?

During 2008, the Village of Corinth failed to comply with the surface water treatment rule.  The NYSDOH had required compliance by June 30, 2008.  The Village was unable to meet this deadline and the State issued a Treatment Technique Violation to the Village for failure to meet the Surface Water treatment result.  As a result of the use of unfiltered surface water we are required to include the following statement in this report:

 

“Inadequately treated water may contain disease-causing organisms.  These organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites, which can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches.”

 

As we previously mentioned, we are looking to install a filtration system to comply with the SWTR.  Once the design plans are finalized and approval from NYSDOH is received, requests for proposals would be sought and the construction contracts would be awarded.  Once that is done, construction could go forward.

 

Do i need to take special precautions?

Although our drinking water met or exceeded state and federal regulations, some people may be more vulnerable to disease causing microorganisms or pathogens 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 from their health care provider about their drinking water.  EPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium, Giardia and other microbiological pathogens are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).

 

Water conservation tips

There are a lot of things you can do to conserve water in your own home.  The following tips may alert you to serious water wasting habits many of us have fallen into.

 

¨        Only run the dishwasher and clothes washer when there is a full load

¨        Use water saving showerheads

¨        Install faucet aerators in the kitchen and the bathroom to reduce the flow from 4 to 2.5 gallons per minute

¨        Water gardens and lawn for only a coupe of hours after sunset

¨        Residents should report any noises of running water that they cannot find

 

 

 

 

Capital improvements

During 2008, no significant changes were made to the water system.  In 2009 we expect to start the process for design and construction of a water filtration plant to bring us in compliance with the Surface Water Treatment Rule.

 

Closing

Thank you for allowing us to continue providing your family with clean, quality water this year.  In order to maintain a safe and dependable water supply we sometimes need to make improvements that will benefit our customers. 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.

 

 

VILLAGE OF CORINTH DETECTED CONTAMINANTS Public Water Supply Identification Number NY4500164
Contaminant	Violation Y/N		Level Detected		Unit Measurement		MCLG	MCL	Likely Source of Contamination
Inorganic Contaminants (samples from 1/29/08 unless otherwise noted)
Chloride		N		25		ppm	N/A	250	Geology; Naturally occurring
Copper (samples from 6/11/08) Range of copper concentrations		N		0.541 0.09-0.67		ppm	1.3	AL=1.3	Corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits; leaching from wood preservatives
Lead (samples from 6/11/08) Range of lead concentrations		N		42 ND-10		ppb	0	AL=15	Corrosion of household plumbing systems, erosion of natural deposits
Nitrate		N		0.3		ppm	10	10	Runoff from fertilizer use; leaching from septic tanks, sewage; erosion of natural deposits
Odor		N		1		units	N/A	3	Organic or inorganic pollutants originating from municipal and industrial waste discharges: natural sources
pH		N		7.8		units		6.5-8.5
Sodium3		N		10.1		ppm	N/A	N/A	Geology
Sulfate		N		11		ppm	N/A	250	Geology
Zinc		N		10		ppb	N/A	5000	Galvanized pipe; corrosion inhibitor
Radiological Contaminants (sample from 12/20/04)
Radium 228		N		0.61		pCi/L	0	5	Erosion of natural deposits
Disinfection Byproducts (sample from 8/18/08)
TTHM[Total Trihalomethanes] Eastern Ave.WD		N		9.5		ppb	0	80	By-product of drinking water chlorination
HAA5 [Haloacetic Acids]		N		1.9		ppb	N/A	60	By-product of drinking water chlorination
Chlorine Residual  (average) (range) (based on daily samples)		N		0.60 0.26-1.09		ppm	MRDLG	MRDL	By-product of drinking water chlorination
							N/A	4
Microbiological Contaminants
Total Coliform (samples from 10/6/08, 11/19/08 & 12/8/08)		N		1 positive sample		N/A	0	2 or more positive samples4	Naturally present in the environment
FOOTNOTES- 1.       The level presented represents the 90th percentile of 20 test sites. The action level for copper was not exceeded at any of the 20 sites testedthth 2.    2.       The level presented represents the 90th percentile of 20 test sites. The action level for lead was not exceeded at any of the 20 sites tested 3.       Water containing more than 20 mg/l should not be consumed by persons on severely restricted sodium diets. 4.       A violation occurs at systems collecting less than 40 samples per month when two or more samples are total coliform positive in one month.  It was determined            that the 3 samples for coliform were collected improperly resulting in positive coliform determinations.   All resamples were negative for coliform   Non-Detects (ND) - laboratory analysis indicates that the constituent is not present. Parts per million (ppm) or Milligrams per liter (mg/l) - 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. 90th Percentile Value- The values reported for lead and copper represent the 90th percentile.  A percentile is a value on a scale of 100 that indicates the percent of a distribution that is equal to or below it.  The 90th percentile is equal to or greater than 90% of the lead and copper values detected at your water system 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. N/A-Not applicable

 

 

 

 

 

Appendix

New York State Sanitary Code Compliance Monitoring Requirements- Compounds Analyzed that were Below Limits of Detection

VILLAGE OF CORINTH TEST RESULTS Public Water Supply Identification Number NY4500164
CONTAMINANT		MONITORING FREQUENCY		CONTAMINANT	CONTAMINANT	MONITORING FREQUENCY
Asbestos		1 sample every 9 years Sample from 5/1/02 Non-Detect		POC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds)
				Benzene	Trans-1,3-Dichloropropene	Monitoring requirement is one sample annually. 1/29/08               Non-Detect   Sample from 1/29/2008
				Bromobenzene	Ethylbenzene
				Bromochloromethane	Hexachlorobutadiene
Antimony		Monitoring requirement is 1 sample every  year   Non-Detect Sample from 1/29/2008
				Bromomethane	Isopropylbenzene
Arsenic
				N-Butylbenzene	p-Isopropyltoluene
Barium
				sec-Butylbenzene	Methylene Chloride
Beryllium
				Tert-Butylbenzene	n-Propylbenzene
Cadmium
				Carbon Tetrachloride	Styrene
Chromium
				Chlorobenzene	1,1,1,2-Tetrachloroethane
Cyanide
				2-Chlorotoluene	1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane
Mercury
				4-Chlorotoluene	Tetrachloroethene
Selenium
				Dibromethane	Toluene
Thalium
				1,2-Dichlorobenzene	1,2,3-Trichlorobenzene
Fluoride
				1,3-Dichlorobenzene	1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene
				1,4-Dichlorobenzene	1,1,1-Trichloroethane
				Dichlordifluoromethane	1,1,2-Trichloroethane
				1,1-Dichloroethane	Trichloroethene
				1,2-Dichloroethane	Trichlorofluoromethane
				1,1 Dichloroethene	1,2,3-Trichloropropane
Color		Monitoring requirement is at State discretion   Non-Detect Sample from 1/29/2008
				cis-1,2 Dichloroethene	1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene
Iron
				Trans-1,2-Dichloroethene	1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene
Manganese
				1,2 Dichloropropane	m-Xylene
				1,3 Dichloropropane	o- Xylene
				2,2 Dichloropropane	p-Xylene
				1,1 Dichloropropene	Vinyl Chloride
				Cis-1,3-Dichloropropene	MTBE
						Monitoring is 5 samples a month Non-Detect
				E. coli
Turbidity Entry Point	N/A			Radiological Parameters
Turbidity Dist. System	N/A			Gross Alpha		Quarterly Samples Feb. May, Dec 04
				Radium 226
Regulated & Unregulated Synthetic Organic Chemicals
Synthetic Organic Chemicals (Group I)				Synthetic Organic Chemicals (Group II)
Alachlor	Aldicarb			Aldrin	Benzo(a)pyrene	Monitoring requirement is one sample every 18 months   Non-Detect Sample from 10/20/2008 *State waiver does not require monitoring these compounds
Aldicarb Sulfoxide	Aldicarb Sulfone			Butachlor	Carbaryl
Atrazine	Carbofuran			Dalapon	Di(2-ethylhexyl)adipate
Chlordane	Dibromochloropropane			Di(2-ethylhexyl)pthalate	Dicamba
2,4-D	Endrin			Dieldrin	Dinoseb
Ethylene Dibromide	Heptachlor			Diquat*	Endothall*
Lindane	Methoxyhlor			Glyphosate*	Hexachlorobenzene
PCB’s	Toxaphene			Hexachlorocyclopentadiene	3-Hydroxycarbofuran
2,4,5-TP (Silvex)				Methomyl	Metolachlor
				Metribuzin	Oxamyl vydate
				Pichloram	Propachlor
				Simazine	2,3,7,8-TCDD (Dioxin)*

 

Corinth Village

NY45001 64

Source Water Assessment Summary

 

 

The NYS DOH has completed a source water assessment for this system, based on available information. Possible and actual threats to this drinking water source were evaluated. The source water assessment includes a susceptibility rating based on the risk posed by each potential source of contamination and how rapidly contaminants can move through the subsurface to the wells. The susceptibility of a water supply well to contamination is dependent upon both the presence of potential sources of contamination within the well’s contributing area and the likelihood that the contamination can travel through the environment to reach the well. The susceptibility rating is an estimate of the potential for contamination of the source water, it does not mean that the water delivered to consumers is, or will become contaminated. See section “Are there contaminants in our drinking water?” for a list of thecontaminants that have been detected. The source water assessments provide resource managers with additional information for protecting source waters into the future.

 

The source water assessment has rated our water source as having an elevated susceptibility to microbials and nitrates. These ratings are due primarily to close proximity of the wells to permitted discharge facilities (industrial/commercial facilities that discharge wastewater into the environment and are regulated by the state and/or federal government) and the associated industrial activity in the assessment area. In addition, the wells are located in an area which is prone to flooding. While the source water assessment rates our wells as being susceptible to microbials, please note that our water is disinfected to ensure that that the finished water delivered into your home meets New York State’s drinking water standards for microbial contamination.

 

The county and state health departments will use this information to direct future source water protection activities. These may include water quality monitoring, resource management, planning and education programs.

 

A copy of the full Source Water Assessment, including a map of the assessment area, is available for review by contacting us at the number provided in this report.