Just how clean is our drinking water?

Some area residents have expressed concerned about the quality of local drinking water after reading a series in The New York Times in recent weeks about “toxic water.â€

The series said that towns across the country had violated clean drinking water regulations and as a result cancer was on the rise and people were losing teeth as the chemicals in the water stripped off their protective dental enamel.

One story in the series included a chart with data provided by the federal Environmental Protection Agency. Readers of the online version of the story could click on their home town or  state to see how many violations the agency had listed there. Several area towns, including Winsted, Sharon and Salisbury, were listed as having violations.

Area health officials interviewed this week said unanimously that the Northwest Corner’s drinking water is clean, and that no one is losing the enamel on their teeth or developing terminal illnesses because of those violations.

They all explained that drinking water in Connecticut is tested at least four times a year. The violations were, for the most part, caused by such problems as turbidity in the drinking water (meaning that the water has been stirred up and is not perfectly clear) or naturally occuring minerals or metals in the water.

One official also noted that, in Connecticut, violations for drinking water and waste water are combined in the same charts. For readers of raw statistics, the information can be misleading and distressing.

Safe Drinking Water Act

The New York Times series coincided with the beginning of a hearing in the United States Congress on the Safe Drinking Water Act. The hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works began Dec. 8. Statements were made on the opening day of the hearing about both the importance of having clean drinking water and the importance of financially supporting the testing agencies, so they can continue testing and pursue violators. The hearing is called the “oversight hearing on federal drinking water programs.â€

The most recent story in the Times series was published Dec. 16. There is a chart online that shows data collected for the story. In northwest Connecticut, residents who don’t have well water mainly get their water through a company called Aquarion. The results shown on the chart at the Times Web site shows that in 2006, two tests showed an elevated level of lead in the water. No test results were included from Aquarion from 2008 or 2009.

The towns in this region that get their water from Aquarion are Norfolk, North Canaan, Salisbury, Cornwall and Kent, according to John Herlihyn, who is the company’s director of water quality.

“There’s nothing for Aquarion customers to be concerned about,†Herlihyn said. “All of our water meets the standards of the Safe Drinking Water Act regulations on the state and federal levels. There are no violations in any of our systems. Every year we send our customers a water quality report, they can see what has been detected and whether their water is in compliance. And we are in compliance.

“Everything is fine,†he stressed. “There’s nothing to worry about. The water is safe to drink.â€

He added that any water customers who have questions or concerns can call Aquarion at 203-445-7341.

Health official: no problems

In Winsted, and Winchester, for those not using well systems, water comes from the Crystal Lake Water Treatment Plant on Route 263. Coming from a source regarded as clean from the beginning, the water is treated and stored on the premises before being piped into downtown Winsted and throughout town. The water treatment facility has consistently received high marks from the state for the quality of its end product.

Jim Rokos, director of the Torrington Area Health District said toxic drinking water is not a problem in the state.

“Here in the Northwest Corner of Connecticut we have lots of public water supplies and all are required to do quarterly monitoring. There is a whole section of the state Department of Public Health that reviews those tests. Once in a while you’ll get some coliform or a metal. Those articles in The New York Times are talking about toxic chemicals. To the best of my knowledge, none of our water systems in northwest Connecticut have any of those problems.â€

He said that his agency has definitely not seen a rise in terminal illnesses caused by toxic water or damage to teeth from chemicals in drinking water.

“There is definitely not a problem,†he said.

Some towns, including Sharon and Falls Village, get water from their own wells and reservoirs. Falls Village doesn’t have a water filtration plant. Sharon’s water filtration plant was built in 1998, under the leadership of retired pediatrician Malcolm Brown (who also retired, in November, after two terms as the town’s first selectman).

What’s tested for, and when

William Gerrish at the state’s Department of Public Health sent a summary of some of the tests referred to by The New York Times.  

They are: 1) monthly water samples from the distribution system (customers’ tap) for coliform bacteria, turbidity, pH, color, odor and chlorine residual  2)  quarterly water samples from a location where the source water enters the distribution system for radionuclides (this can be reduced to once every three years subject to state discretion) 3) quarterly water samples from a location where the source water enters the distribution system for organic chemicals (this can be reduced to annually at state discretion) 4) quarterly water samples from a location where the source water enters the distribution system for pesticides, herbicides and PCBs (this can be reduced to once every three years at state discretion) 5) annual water samples from a location where the source water enters the distribution system for nitrate and nitrite 6) water samples from a location where the source water enters the distribution system for inorganic chemicals every three years 7) water samples from the distribution system for asbestos every nine years.

He also sent an Excel  chart showing water quality violations over the past three years in Sharon, Salisbury, North Canaan, Falls Village, Cornwall, Kent and Winsted. The chart can be found online at tcextra.com. The violations are mainly for problems such as water that is not the optimal color or clarity. In some cases, coliform bacteria was found.

Dennis Schain, a spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Protection, said that his agency does not test drinking water. That testing is done by the Department of Public Health.

“We’re fortunate in Connecticut to have many sources of drinking water,†he said. “There is ground water,  streams and aquifers. The public water supplies are all highly regulated.â€

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