The Peru Gazette

The Peru Water Department has requested that the Peru Gazette publish this notice:

VIOLATION NOTICE
The Town of Peru has to sample quarterly for total trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids to comply with the disinfection by-products rule for E.P.A. and New York State. Test results for the 4th quarter of 2008 exceeded the allowable maximum contaminant levels. Results are calculated by averaging the previous 4 quarters’ results. The current results represent the average of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th quarters 2008 and the 4th quarter of 2007. The 1st quarter 2008 results were not used because we missed sampling during that quarter.

Haloacetic acids are a group of chemicals that includes mono-, di- and trichloroacetic acids and mono- and dibromoacetic acids. Haloacetic acids are formed in drinking water during treatment by chlorine, which reacts with certain acids that are in naturally-occurring organic material (ie- decomposing vegetation such as tree leaves, algae or other aquatic plants) in surface water sources such as rivers and lakes. The amount of haloacetic acids in drinking water can change from day to day, depending on the temperature, the amount of organic material in the water, the amount of chlorine added, and a variety of other factors. Drinking water is disinfected by public water suppliers to kill bacteria and viruses that could cause serious illnesses. Chlorine is the most commonly used disinfectant in New York State. For this reason, disinfection of drinking water by chlorination is beneficial to public health.

Some studies of people who drank chlorinated drinking water for 20 – 30 years show that long term exposure to disinfection by products (possibly including haloacetic acids) is associated with an increased risk for certain types of cancer. However, how long and how frequently people actually drank the water as well as how much haloacetic acids the water contained is not known for certain. Therefore, we do not know for sure if the observed increased risk for cancer is due to haloacetic acids, other disinfection by-products, or some other factor. The individual haloacetic acids dichloroacetic acid and trichloroacetic acid cause cancer in laboratory animals exposed to high levels over their lifetimes. Dichloroacetic acid and trichloroacetic acid are also know to cause other effects in laboratory animals after high levels of exposure, primarily on the liver, kidney and nerous system an don their ability to bear health offspring. Chemicals that cause effects in animals after high levels of exposure may pose a risk to humans exposed to similar or lower levels over long periods of time.
Trihalomethanes are a group of chemicals that includes chloroform, bromoform, bromodichloromethane, and chlorodibromomethane. Trihalomethanes are formed in drinking water during treatment by chlorine, which reacts with certain acids that are in naturally-occurring organic material (e.g., decomposing vegetation such as tree leaves, algae or other aquatic plants) in surface water sources such as rivers and lakes. The amount of trihalomethanes in drinking water can change from day to day, depending on the temperature, the amount of organic material in the water, the amount of chlorine added, and a variety of other factors. Drinking water is disinfected by public water suppliers to kill bacteria and viruses that could cause serious illnesses. Chlorine is the most commonly used disinfectant in New York State. For this reason, disinfection of drinking water by chlorination is beneficial to public health.

Some studies suggest that people who drink chlorinated water (which contains trihalomethanes) or water containing elevated levels of trihalomethanes for long periods of time may have an increased risk for certain health effects. For example, some studies of people who drank chlorinated drinking water for 20 to 30 years show that long term exposure to disinfection by-products (including trihalomethanes) is associated with an increased risk for certain types of cancer. A few studies of women who drank water containing trihalomethanes during pregnancy show an association between exposure to elevated levels of trihalomethanes and small increased risks for low birth weights, miscarriages and birth defects. However, in each of the studies, how long and how frequently people actually drank the water, as well as how much trihalomethanes the water contained is not known for certain. Therefore, we do not know for sure if the observed increases in risk for cancer and other health effects are due to trihalomethanes or some other factor. The individual trihalomethanes chloroform, bromodichloromethane and dibromochloromethane cause cancer in laboratory animals exposed to high levels over their lifetimes. Chloroform, bromodichloromethane and dibromochloromethane are also known to cause effects in laboratory animals after high levels of exposure, primarily on the liver, kidney, nervous system and on their ability to bear healthy offspring. Chemicals that cause adverse health effects in laboratory animals after high levels of exposure may pose a risk for adverse health effects in humans exposed to lower levels over long periods of time.

The Town of Peru has been moving forward with disinfection byproduct compliance monitoring and working with the department of health and the town engineer on a plan to complete an upgrade at the water filtration plant. When this upgrade is complete it will reduce the level of organics that help form trihalomethane and halocetic acids. Other methods of filtration are being researched to see if this can be avoided but the answer will not be conclusive until completed.

If you have any questions please contact the w/s dept @: 643-8125 or Greg Timmons @ 726-6230.
Sincerely,
Greg Timmons
W/S Superintendent