2023 ANNUAL DRINKING WATER QUALITY REPORT
Girard Borough Water Department
PWSID #: 6250049
Este informe contiene información muy importante sobre su agua de beber. Tradúzcalo ó hable con alguien que lo entienda bien. (This report contains very important information about your drinking water. Translate it or speak with someone who understands it.)
WATER SYSTEM INFORMATION: This report shows our water quality and what it means. I am pleased to report that our drinking water meets federal and state requirements. If you have any questions about this report or concerning your water utility, please contact Robert A. Stubenbort at (814)774-9683. Borough Council meetings are the third Monday of each month at 7:00 PM at the Borough Building, 34 Main Street, Girard, PA
SOURCES OF WATER:
Our water sources are 3 municipal wells. Two of these wells are northeast of the Borough and one well is southeast of the Borough.
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 microbial 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, 2023. The State allows us to monitor 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.
DEFINITIONS AND ABBREVIATIONS:
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. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs 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. MCLGs 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 – The minimum level of residual disinfectant required at the entry point to the distribution system.
Treatment Technique (TT) – A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.
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 an E. coli MCL violation has occurred and/or why total coliform bacteria have been found in our water system on multiple occasions.
Mrem/year = millirems per year (a measure of radiation absorbed by the body)
pCi/L = picocuries per liter (a measure of radioactivity)
ppb = parts per billion, or micrograms per liter (μg/L)
ppm = parts per million, or milligrams per liter (mg/L)
ppq = parts per quadrillion, or picograms per liter
ppt = parts per trillion, or nanograms per liter
DETECTED SAMPLE RESULTS
| Chemical
Contaminant |
MCL in CCR units | MCLG | Highest Level Detected | Range of Detections | Units | Sample Date | Violation
Y/N |
Sources of Contamination | ||||
| Chlorine
(Distribution) |
4 | 4 | 1.14
(March 2023) |
0.92 – 1.14 | ppm | 2023 | N | Water additive used to control microbes. | ||||
| Barium | 2 | 2 | 0.161 | 0.085-0.161 | ppm | 3/2/21 | N | Discharge of drilling wastes: Discharge from metal refineries; Erosion of natural deposits | ||||
| Fluoride | 2* | 2* | 0.158 | 0.00-0.158 | ppm | 3/2/21 | N | Erosion of natural deposits; Water additive which promotes strong teeth; Discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories | ||||
| Nitrate | 10 | 10 | 2.98 | 0.00 – 2.98 | ppm | 7/11/23 | N | Runoff from fertilizer use. | ||||
| Trihalomethanes | 80 | N/A | 14.80 | N/A | ppb | 7/11/23 | N | By-product of drinking water chlorination | ||||
| Haloacetic Acids (HAA) | 60 | N/A | 2.83 | N/A | ppb | 7/11/23 | N | By-product of drinking water disinfection | ||||
| *EPA’s MCL for fluoride is 4 ppm. However, Pennsylvania has set a lower MCL to better protect human health.
|
||||||||||||
| Entry Point Disinfectant Residual | ||||||||||||
| Contaminant | Minimum Disinfectant
Residual |
Lowest
Level Detected |
Range of Detections | Units | Lowest Sample Date | Violation Y/N | Sources of Contamination | |||||
| Chlorine (2023)
Entry Point 100
Entry Point 102
Entry Point 104
|
0.80
0.40
0.80 |
0.60*
0.52
0.83
|
0.60* – 1.54
0.52 – 1.18
0.83 – 1.94 |
ppm
ppm
ppm |
4/13/23*
7/25/23
4/27/23 |
N
N
N |
Water additive used to control microbes. | |||||
*Although this Lowest Level Detected is below the Minimum Disinfectant Residual the required level was reached within the required 4-hour time frame.
| Contaminant | Action Level (AL) | MCLG | 90th Percentile Value | Units | # of Sites Above AL of Total Sites | Violation of TT Y/N | Sources of Contamination | |||||||||
| Lead (2022) | 15 | 0 | 0 | ppb | 0 out of 20 | N | Corrosion of household plumbing; erosion of natural deposits. | |||||||||
| Copper (2022)
|
1.3
|
1.3
|
0.19
|
ppm
|
0 out of 20
|
N
|
Corrosion of household Plumbing; erosion of natural deposits; leaching from wood preservatives. | |||||||||
“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. Girard Borough is responsible for providing high quality drinking water but 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 Hotline or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead
Violations: In November of 2023 we monitored for Entry Point Chlorine at EP’S 102 and 104 but reported the results to the PA Department of Environmental Protection as the wrong Entry Point #’s, resulting in record keeping violations. These violations were corrected in February of 2024.
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, may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife.
- Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, can be naturally-occurring or result from urban stormwater 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 stormwater runoff, and residential uses.
- Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, 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).