2006 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report

We're pleased to present to you this year's Annual Quality Water 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 want you to understand the efforts we make to continually improve the water treatment process and protect our water resources. We are committed to ensuring the quality of your water. Our water sources are five wells and Rainbow Lake. We are currently using 150,000 gallons per day from our surface water supply. The well usage varies with demand, which averages around 323,000 gallons per day. The surface water is mixed with wells #3, #4, and #5, and processed through the filtration plant. We also have wells #1 and #2, which go into the filtration plant and are disinfected and PH adjusted just prior to entering the storage tanks. I am also very pleased to announce that we made it through an entire year without a violation, with the new plant. With the new plant the water quality should be much better.

We have a source water protection plan available from our office that provides more information such as potential sources of contamination. This report shows our water quality and what it means.

The Town of Emmitsburg routinely monitors for contaminants in your drinking water according to Federal and State laws. This table shows the results of our monitoring for the period of January 1st to December 31st, 2006. As water travels over the land or underground, it can pick up substances or contaminants such as microbes, inorganic and organic chemicals, and radioactive substances. All drinking water, including bottled drinking water, may be reasonably expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. It's important to remember that the presence of these contaminants does not necessarily pose a health risk.

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:

Read 2005 water quality report

Microbiological Contaminants:

(1) Total Coliform. Coliforms are bacteria that are naturally present in the environment and are used as an indicator that other, potentially harmful, bacteria may be present. Coliforms were found in more samples than allowed and this was a warning of potential problems. 

(2) Fecal coliform/E.Coli. Fecal coliforms and E. coli are bacteria whose presence indicates that the water may be contaminated with human or animal wastes. Microbes in these wastes can cause short-term effects, such as diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. They may pose a special health risk for infants, young children, and people with severely compromised immune systems.

Inorganic Contaminants: 

(7) Antimony. Some people who drink water-containing antimony well in excess of the MCL over many years could experience increases in blood cholesterol and decreases in blood sugar. 

(8) Arsenic. Some people who drink water-containing arsenic in excess of the MCL over many years could experience skin damage or problems with their circulatory system, and may have an increased risk of getting cancer. 

(14) Copper. Copper is an essential nutrient, but some people who drink water containing copper in excess of the action level over a relatively short amount of time could experience gastrointestinal distress. Some people who drink water-containing copper in excess of the action level over many years could suffer liver or kidney damage. People with Wilson's Disease should consult their personal doctor. 

(17) Lead. Infants and children who drink water-containing lead in excess of the action level could experience delays in their physical or mental development. Children could show slight deficits in attention span and learning abilities. Adults who drink this water over many years could develop kidney problems or high blood pressure. 

(19) Nitrate. Infants below the age of six months who drink water-containing nitrate in excess of the MCL could become seriously ill and, if untreated, may die. Symptoms include shortness of breath and blue-baby syndrome.  

(73) TTHMs [Total Trihalomethanes]. Some people who drink water-containing trihalomethanes in excess of the MCL over many years may experience problems with their liver, kidneys, or central nervous systems, and may have an increased risk of getting cancer.  

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 plumbing. If you are concerned about elevated lead levels in your home’s water, you may wish to have your water tested and 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).  Some people who drink water containing trihalomethanes in excess of the MCL over many years experience problems with their liver, kidneys, or central nervous systems, and may have increased risk of getting cancer. MCL’s are set at very stringent levels. 

To understand the possible health effects described for many regulated contaminants, 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. Lead: Lead in drinking water is rarely the sole cause of lead poisoning, but it can add to a person's total lead exposure. All potential sources of lead in the household should be identified and removed, replaced or reduced. Copper: Copper is an essential nutrient, but some people who drink water-containing copper in excess of the action level over a relatively short amount of time could experience gastrointestinal distress. 

Some people who drink water-containing copper in excess of the action level over many years could suffer liver or kidney damage. People with Wilson’s Disease should consult their personal physician.  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).  If you have any questions about this report or concerning your water utility, please contact Daniel R. Fissel at 301-447-3141. 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 meetings. They are held on the first and third Monday of every month at the Town Hall beginning at 7:30 PM.  

We at the TOWN OF EMMITSBURG work around the clock 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. 

WE ALSO ASK OUR CUSTOMERS TO REPORT ANY SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITIES TO THE TOWN HALL@301-600-6300. DURING THESE TIMES OF HEIGHTENED SECURITY, IF IT DOES NOT SEEM RIGHT PLEASE CALL IT IN! If no one is available please call 911