IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER

CHEMICAL MAXIMUM CONTAMINANT LEVEL (MCL) EXCEEDANCE

ESTE INFORME CONTIENE INFORMACIÓN IMPORTANTE ACERCA DE SU AGUA POTABLE. HAGA QUE ALGUIEN LO TRADUZCA PARA USTED, O HABLE CON ALGUIEN QUE LO ENTIENDA.

Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County Has Levels of Haloacetic Acids
Above Drinking Water Standards

Our water system recently violated a drinking water standard. Although this incident was not an emergency, as our customers, you have a right to know what happened and what we did to correct this situation.

We routinely monitor for drinking water contaminants. Testing results we received on October 26, 2022 show that our system exceeds the maximum contaminant level (MCL), for Haloacetic Acid 5 (HAA5). The Annual Running Average MCL or standard for HAA5 5 is 60 parts per billion. HAA5s are sampled for throughout the water system. The Annual Running Average for HAA5 was at a level of 65 parts per billion at one individual location in the Indian Creek Water Treatment Plant drinking water system.

What should I do?

• There is nothing you need to do. You do not need to boil your water or take other corrective actions. However, if you have specific health concerns, consult your doctor.
• If you have a severely compromised immune system, have an infant, are pregnant, or are elderly, you may be at increased risk and should seek advice from your healthcare providers about drinking this water.

You do not need to use an alternative (e.g., bottled) water supply. However, if you have specific health concerns, consult your doctor.

What does this mean?

This is not an immediate risk. If it had been, you would have been notified immediately. However, some people who drink water containing HAA5s in excess of the MCL over many years may have an increased risk of getting cancer.

What happened? What was done?

On October 26, 2022, the Annual Running Average for HAA5s 5 was exceeded at one individual location, all other samples met their Annual Running Average MCLs. While only one location exceeded the MCL, regulations mandate that we alert the entire system served by the Indian Creek Water Treatment Plant.

The system will be flushed, and MAWC is switching the disinfectant used in the system from free chlorine to chloramines on December 1. Chloramines reduce the formation of disinfection byproducts like HAA5s.  MAWC is resampling the area, and will initiate flushing throughout the distribution system to facilitate the chloramine distribution in the system.

For more information, please contact MAWC customer service at 724 755-5800.

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.

This notice is being sent to you by the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County.

PWS ID#: 5260036                                                                         

Date distributed: November 15, 2022