Department of Environmental Protection
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Bureau of Safe Drinking Water
Tower City Borough Authority
PWSID #3540045
Andrew Mione / Corry Tschopp
2023 Annual Water Quality Report
Este informe contiene información importante acerca de su agua potable. Haga que alguien lo traduzca para usted, ó hable con alguien que lo entienda. (This report contains important information about your drinking water. Have someone tranlsate it for you, or speak with someone who understands it.)
WATER SYSTEM INFORMATION:
This report shows our water quality and what it means. If you have any questions about this report or concerning your water utility, please contact Tower City Borough Authority at 717-647-4483. We want you to be informed about your water supply. If you want to learn more, please attend any of our regularly scheduled meetings. They are held First Monday of the month at 6:00 pm in the Authority Office, 219 E Colliery Avenue, Tower City, PA 17980.
SOURCE (S) OF WATER
Our waters source (s) is/are:
Well #1 Located near Muir.
Well #3 Located near Tower City.
Well #5 Located near Sheridan
Well#6 Located near Clarks Valley
A Source Water Assessment of our source (s) was completed by the PA Department of Environmental Protection (PA. DEP). The Assessment found that our source(s) is/are potentially most susceptible to {insert potential Sources of Contamination listed in the Source Water Assessment summary}. Overall our sources have little/moderate/high risk of significant contamination. A summary report of the Assessment is available on the Source Water Assessment Summary Reports eLibrary web page: www.elibrary.dep.state.us/dsweb/view/collection-10045. Complete reports were distributed to the municipalities ,water supplier, local planning agencies and PADEP offices. Copies of the complete report are available for review at the PA DEP at 717-705-4700
Regional Office, Records Management Unit at (570)-327-3636
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).
MONITORING YOUR WATER:
We routinely monitor for contaminants in your drinking water according to federal and state laws. The following tables show the results of our monitoring for the period of January 1 to December 31. 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 is from prior years in accordance with the Safe Drinking Water Act. The date has been noted on the sampling results table.
DETECTED CONTAMINANTS HEALTH EFFECTS LANGUAGE AND CORRECTIVE ACTIONS:
None
OTHER VIOLATIONS:
None
EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION:
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 run-off, 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 by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban stormwater 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 and DEP prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. FDA and DEP 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 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 (800-426-4791).
INFORMATION ABOUT 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. Tower City Borough Authority is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but it 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 seconds to 2 minutes before using water for drinking or 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 or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.
In the following table, you will find many terms and abbreviations you might not be familiar with. To help you better understand these terms we have provided the following definitions:
Action Level (AL) - The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow.
Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) - The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCL’s are set as close to the MCLG’s as feasible using the best available treatment technology.
Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG)- The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLG’s 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 contaminants.
Minimum Residual Disinfectant Level (MinRDL) - The minimum level of residual disinfectant required at the entry point to the distribution system.
Level 1 Assessment - A Level 1 assessment is a study of the water system to identify potential problems and determine (if possible) why total coliform bacteria have been found in our water system.
Level 2 Assessment - A Level 2 assessment is a very detailed study of the water system to identify potential problems and determine (if possible) why E. coli MCL violation has occurred and/or why total coliform bacteria have been found in our water system on multiple occasions.
Treatment Technique (TT) - A treatment technique is a required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.
Mrem/year = millirems per year ( a measure of radiation absorbed by the body)
ppm = parts per million, or milligrams per liter (mg/L)
pCi/L=picocuries per liter ( a measure of readioactivity)
ppq = parts per quadrillion, or picograms per liter
ppb = parts per billion, or micrograms per liter (ug/L)
ppt = parts per trillion, or nanograms per liter
Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU) - Nephelometric turbidity unit is a measure of the clarity of water. Turbidity in excess of 5 NTU is just noticeable to the average person.
Not Applicable (N/A) - Not applicable
Non-Detects (ND) - Laboratory analysis indicates that the contaminant is not present at a detectable level.