Annual Drinking Water Quality Report for 2003

Cold Spring Water Department

85 Main Street, Cold Spring, New York 10516

Public Water Supply ID# 3903652

 

                                                             

 

The Board of Water Commissioners is pleased to present this year’s Water Quality Report. This report is designed, in compliance with state regulations, to inform you about the quality water and services we deliver to you every day. The purpose of this report is to raise your understanding of drinking water and awareness of the need to protect our drinking water resources. Our constant goal is to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water.

 

The information in this report relates to the results of tests performed in the year 2003. We are proud to state that last year, your tap water met all state drinking water health standards.

 

How to Contact Us

 

The Cold Spring Water Department is located at 200 Fishkill Road, and can be reached by phone at (845) 265-7986, by fax at 265-2695, or by e-mail at vcswater@bestweb.net. The billing and mailing address for the department is 85 Main Street, Cold Spring, NY 10516. The Water Superintendent is Gregory R. Phillips. Operating hours are 7 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. In the event of an emergency, contact may be made through the Cold Spring Police Department, at 265-3407, or 265-9551.

 

Where Does Our Water Come From?

 

We operate from a three reservoir, surface water system. That means that we rely solely on annual precipitation in the form of rain and snow to maintain our supply of approximately 14 million gallons. The upper and middle reservoirs are located on Lake Surprise Road - approximately 3.5 miles northeast of the villages. From the middle reservoir, the supply flows via the Foundry Brook to the lower reservoir along Fishkill Road. At this point, water is pumped into the Foundry Brook Water Treatment Plant, where it undergoes coagulation, filtration, pH adjustment, disinfection, and corrosion control. It is then pumped into two storage tanks, whose capacity totals approximately 500,000 gallons. From there, the distribution system is gravity fed.

 

As water flows over the surface of land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activities. Contaminants that may be present in the source water include: microbial contaminants, inorganic contaminants, pesticides and herbicides, organic chemical contaminants, and radioactive contaminants.

           

The Cold Spring Water Department supplies potable and fire supply waters to the residents of the villages of Cold Spring and Nelsonville.  The distribution system serves approximately 2,800 residents through 860 service connections

 

Monitoring

 

As the state regulations require, the Cold Spring Water Department routinely monitors for contaminants in your drinking water. Sampling sites include: residences, restaurants, public facilities, as well as the reservoir and filtration plant. The following table shows the results of our monitoring for the period of January 1st through December 31st 2003.

 

All drinking water, including bottled water, may be reasonably expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. It is important to remember that the presence of these contaminants does not necessarily pose 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 800-426-4791 or the Putnam County Health Department at 845-278-6130.

 

Terminology

 

In this 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) - lab analysis indicates that the contaminant 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 (ug/l) - one part per billion. Corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years, or a single penny in $10,000,000.

 

Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) - the level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected health risk. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety.

 

Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) - the highest level of a contaminant allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology.

 

Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU) – Measurement of the clarity of water. Turbidity in excess of 5.0 NTU is just noticeable to the average person.

 

                                                                                   

TEST   RESULTS

 

 

Contaminant

 

Violation

      Y/N

 

    Level

Detected

 

   Unit of

  Measure

 

  MCLG

 

   MCL

 

Likely Source of Contamination

  

Microbiological Contaminants - 3 x Monthly (Turbidity monitored daily)

 

 

1. Total             Coliform       Bacteria

 

 

      NO

 

 

     ND

 

        

Presence/

Absence

 

 

      0

 

Presence

of coliform

bacteria in

5% of

Monthly

Samples

      

 

 

Naturally present in the environment

 

2. Fecal             Coliform

    & E. coli

 

 

      NO

 

 

     ND

 

 

Presence/

Absence

 

 

      0

 

a routine

sample & repeat sample are total coliform positive and one is fecal coliform, or E. Coli, positive

 

Human and Animal fecal waste

 

3. Turbidity –     Filter             Effluent

 

      NO

 

    3.00*

  9/05/03

 

     NTU

 

     n/a

 

not to exceed 0.50 NTU in more than 5% of samples at entry point to the system

 

Soil runoff

 

*The highest reported turbidity for the year (total of 1,103 measurements) was 3.00 NTU, which occurred on 09/05/03.  It was one of three measurements in excess of 0.50 NTU for the entire year. The other two incidents were 0.89 on 1/16 and 0.70 on 4/16. There was no MCL violation, as 98.9% of samples were acceptable for the month of September (98.93% for January and 98.9% for April).

Inorganic Contaminants - Annually

 

 

Contaminant

 

Violation

      Y/N

 

    Level

Detected

 

   Unit of

  Measure

 

  MCLG

 

   MCL

 

Likely Source of Contamination

 

4. Sulfate

 

      NO

 

     11.0

 

      ppm

 

     n/a

 

    250

 

Naturally occurring

 

5. Phosphate     Ortho, as P

 

      NO

 

     0.28

 

      ppm

 

     n/a

 

     n/a

 

Additive used for corrosion control

 

 

Disinfection Byproducts -Total Trihalomethanes - TTHM – Quarterly

 

 

Contaminant

 

Violation

      Y/N

 

    Level

Detected

 

   Unit of

  Measure

 

  MCLG

 

   MCL

 

Likely Source of Contamination

 

6. TTHM

    1st Qtr.

 

      NO

 

    44.25

 

      ppb

 

      0

 

    100

 

By product of drinking water chlorination

 

7. TTHM           2nd Qtr.

 

      NO

 

    43.25

 

      ppb

 

      0

 

    100

 

By product of drinking water chlorination

 

8. TTHM

     3rd Qtr.

 

      NO

 

    65.75

 

      ppb

 

      0

 

    100

 

By product of drinking water

chlorination

 

9. TTHM

     4th Qtr.

 

      NO

 

      61

 

      ppb

 

      0

 

    100

 

By product of drinking water chlorination

 

Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether - MTBE - Annually

 

 

10. Ketones /        MTBE

 

      NO

 

     ND

 

      ppb

 

     50

 

     n/a

 

Releases from gasoline storage tanks. An octane enhancer in unleaded gasoline

 

 

Other Parameters

 

Additional chemicals - which were tested for, but Not-Detected (ND): Principal Organic Contaminants (POCs), and Synthetic Organic Contaminants. A complete listing of those chemicals is available by phoning the Water Department – (845) 265-7986.

 

 

Do We Fluoridate the Drinking Water?

 

A frequently asked question, usually by the parents of infants and young children: The answer is no. The proper dose of Fluoride can be administered more effectively with supplements.

 

 

 

Lead & Copper

 

Infants and young children are typically more vulnerable to lead in drinking water than the general population. It is possible that lead levels at your home may be higher than at other homes in the community as a result of materials used in your home’s construction. If you are concerned about elevated lead levels in your home’s water, you may wish to have your water tested and/or flush your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using tap water. Additional information is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).

 

 

 

What does all of this mean?

 

As you can see by the table, our system had no violations. We’re proud that your drinking water meets or exceeds all federal and state requirements. We have learned through our monitoring and testing that some contaminants have been detected. The EPA has determined that your water IS SAFE at these levels.

 

Who Is Most Vulnerable?

 

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 gave undergone organ transplants, people living 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. Environmental Protection Agency /Center for Disease Control 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).

 

Things You Can Do to Protect Your Investment

 

Most people take for granted the idea that turning on a faucet will yield an ample supply of water. Increased pressures in the distribution system can place excess wear on piping and fixtures in the home, if not protected. The following are some precautionary actions that can be taken:

 

ü      Have a licensed plumber check the pressure in your building, and if necessary, install a pressure-regulating valve, as well as a dual check valve. Both items are relatively inexpensive, yet provide a great amount of protection to your plumbing.

 

ü      You should also have your plumber assess the quality of the piping as it enters your building. If the line is constructed of any material other than copper tubing (i.e. – galvanized pipe, iron pipe, etc.), you should make plans to have the line replaced. The cost and inconvenience of replacing a line in July is markedly less expensive than one replaced in January.

 

Weakened joints and fixtures will eventually fail and may result in high water bills – or expensive repair costs.

 

Conservation Is The Key

 

As we enter the hot months of summer, it is important to remember that our water resources are limited. The practice of conservation is one to pass on to our children and community by example. The following are some suggestions:

 

ü      When turning on a hot water tap – don’t waste the first few gallons down the drain, waiting for the hot water. Put a container near the faucet, and use it to water plants, etc.

 

ü      Water outdoor plants and gardens after dusk. When watering during the day, much of the water is lost to evaporation.

 

ü      Use a pressure washer to clean automobiles, vinyl siding, etc. You will use a fraction of the water and get a better result.

 

 

Final Thought

 

The Cold Spring Water Department works very hard to provide top quality water to every tap. We ask that all of our customers help us to protect and conserve our water resources, which are the heart of our community, our lives and our children’s future.