CUMMINGTON WATER SYSTEM

PWS' ID#1069001

33 MAIN STREET

CUMMINGTON, MA. 01026

TEL. 413-634-5358

CONTACT: DENNIS W. FORGEA

2000 DRINKING WATER

QUALITY REPORT

YOUR DRINKING WATER SOURCE

Three elected Water Commissioners govern the Cummington Water System. The Commission meetings are held at the Community House the first Monday of the Month at 7:00 P.M.

Water quality and reliability has been the primary commitment of the Commission. We believe the best way to assure you that your drinking water is safe and reliable is to provide you with accurate facts. This Consumer Confidence Report will explain where your water comes from and the treatment process. The chart contained in this report shows that all contaminants detected in your water are within EPA guidelines.

Cummington’s public water supply system consists of two supply sources. The main source is a gravel packed well located at the ballfield Water is pumped from this well, treated and then delivered through 8 inch mains to both storage tanks. (Dodwells Road Tank and Route 9 Tank)

Treatment consists of adding a controlled amount of potassium hydroxide to increase the PH of the water in order to make it less corrosive in reacting with the copper pipes, fixtures and solder in all the pipe joints. This treatment is necessary to reduce the amount of lead and copper in your water caused by low PH.

The secondary source (Fanny Rodgers Spring is currently disconnected from the system at the request of the DEP. We continue to work with HCDC and DEP to design a system to treat the Spring water and bring it into compliance with the lead and copper rule.

The average daily consumption is 30,000 gallons, and over the last year we are pleased to report that the Department has not had a violation of a contaminant level or any other water quality standard.

The bottom line is, our water meets, and often is better than, State and Federal Standards for quality and safety.

We continue to work on obtaining the property, which abuts the well within 250 feet. We would like to thank Peter and Francis Kipp for donating a portion of their property, which abuts our main source at the ballfield. This is a DEP requirement to protect the well and eliminate possible pollution sources near the well. ALL THIS FOR LESS THAN A PENNY A GALLON

Substances found in tap water

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 mineral arid, 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 agricultural, urban storm water runoff; and residential uses

Organic chemical contaminants -including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are by-products 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 ~s production and mining activities.

In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink; the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (FDA) prescribes regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water that must provide the same protection for public health. All 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 water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800~42~791.

Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water that the general population. Immuno-compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIVIADS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and some infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. EPA/Centers for Disease Control guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotlirie at 8O(~2&4791.

IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS

Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) -. the highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking

Maximum Contaminants Level Goal (MCLG) - the level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health.

Treatment Technique (TI') - A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.

Action Level (AL) - The concentration of a contaminant, which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements, which a water system must follow.

Variances and Exemptions - State or EPA permission not to meet an MCL or a treatment technique under certain conditions

WATER QUALITY TESTING RESULTS

CONTAMINANT	HIGHEST	MCL	MCLG	VIOLATION	POSSIBLE SOURCE
BARIUM	0.01	2.0	2.0	N	EROSION OF NATURAL DEPOSITS
FLUORIDE	0.01	4.0	4.0	N	EROSION OF NATURAL DEPOSITS
SODIUM	3.5	None	None	N	GEOLOGY
ALPHA EMMITTERS (pCi/L)	1.2	15	0	N	EROSION OF NATURAL DEPOSITS
BETA ACTIVITY (pCi/l)	17	50	0	N	DECAY OF NATURAL AND MAN MADE DEPOSITS
NITRATE	0.74	10.0	10.0	N	RUNOFF FROM FERTILZER USE AND EROSION OF NATURAL DEPOSITS

LEAD AND COPPER

Substance	Action Level	MCLG	90^TH Percentile	# Sites Above AL	Sources
Lead (ppb)	15	0	2	0	Corrosion of plumbing system
Copper (ppm)	1.3	1.3	.66	1	Corrosion of plumbing system

Lead and Copper

Potential adverse health effects for copper and lead are listed as follows:

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 and kidney damage. People with Wilson's Disease should consult their personal doctor. Only one site exceeded the acceptable limits due to water remaining stationery in the service lines for prolonged period. We are retesting this site.

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. 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 the 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).

The Cummington System shown on the next page received a monitoring waiver for synthetic organic compounds and volatile organic compounds for the 1999-2001 compliance period, due to no defects found in the previous monitoring. We also received a monitoring waiver for inorganic compounds through December 31, 2001. Our last test was on 9-2-98 for IOC's, which are shown on the previous chart.

Cummington Village Water System