June 18, 2007

Trumbauersville Municipal Waterworks has been supplying the residents of Trumbauersville and some outlying areas with municipal water since 1938.  The primary purpose of the Municipal Waterworks is to provide the highest quality drinking water safely and reliably to its’ customers.

Spanish translation:  Este informe contiene informacion muy importante sobre su agua potable.  Traduzcalo o hable con alguien que lo entienda bien.

There are currently three (3) ground wells supplying the water for Trumbauersville customers.  Wells #1 & #2 are located adjacent to the Borough Building on Evergreen Drive and well #3 is located on East Creamery Road.  Well #1 was drilled in 1938, well #2 in 1941 and well #3 in 1976.

Our three wells use submersible pumps to draw water from the ground. As water is drawn from the ground, chlorine is added as a disinfectant to kill any bacteria.  Water is then pumped to the distribution system, the one hundred thousand gallon storage tank and ultimately to you the customer.

The Trumbauersville water storage tank was put into service in 1938.  The structure is a steel tank having a height of 165 feet and a diameter of 25 feet.  The tank is located adjacent to the Trum Tavern on the corner of Broad and Main Streets.

Trumbauersville Municipal Waterworks diligently monitors your drinking water according to Federal and State laws.  The table below shows the results of our monitoring for the period 1 January thru 31 December 2004.  In the below table, you will find many terms and abbreviations you might not be familiar with.  To help you understand these terms, we have provided the following definitions:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA – Federal) and Department of Environmental Protection (DEP – State)

Parts per billion (ppb) or micrograms per liter - one part per billion corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years or a single penny in $10,000,000.00.

Action level - the concentration of a contaminant, which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements, which a water system must follow.

Treatment Technique (TT) - a treatment technique is a required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water.

Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) - the goal is the level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health.

Picocuries per liter (pCi/l) - measure of radioactivity in water.

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.  MRDLG’s do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contamination.

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:

1.     Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations and wildlife.

2.     Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally- occurring or result from urban stormwater runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining or farming.

3.     Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff and residential uses.

4.     Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are byproducts of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can, also come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff and septic systems.

5.     Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas productions and mining activities.

In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems.  Food and Drug Administration regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water, which must provide the same protection for public health. 

2006 WATER QUALITY REPORT

MONTHLY ANALYSIS                   VIOLATION              MCL               RESULT

Total Coliform Bacteria

            Counts/100 ml                                     No                    Less than 1       Less than 1

Non-Coliform Bacteria

            Counts/100ml                                       No                   Less than 1       Less than 1

Chlorine Residual                                              No                   MRDL = 4       Range 0.6-0.7

ANNUAL ANALYSIS:                     

Gross Alpha                                           No                      15 pCi/l         8.28 pCi/l           Erosion of natural deposits

Uranium                                                 No                           15 ppb          8.14 ppb                                          

Tetrachloroethylene                            No                             5 CCR        3.7 CCR

Ethylbenzene                                        No                           700 CCR      0.5 CCR

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER

*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 April 3, 2006 from Well #3 showed that the well exceeds the standard, or maximum contaminant level (MCL), for Arsenic.  The standard for Arsenic is 0.010 mg/l.  Arsenic was found at 0.0153 mg/l.

You do not need to use an alternative (e.g., bottled) water supply.  Well #2 is handling the water needs of the Borough and is below the MCL for Arsenic.  However, if you have specific health concerns, consult your doctor.

This is not an immediate risk.  If it had been, you would have been notified immediately.  However, some people who drink water containing Arsenic in excess of the MCL over many years could experience skin damage or problems with their circulatory system, and may have an increased risk of getting cancer.

Additional testing was done for several regulated contaminants.  The MCL’s for these contaminants ranged from 2 ppb to 10,000 ppb.  Each test result was well within the Maximum Contaminant Level.

As you can see by the table, our system has had only one violation.  We are very proud that your drinking water meets and exceeds all State and Federal requirements.  The Trumbauersville Municipal Waterworks has received many Certificates of Recognition from DER for meeting or exceeding all MCL, Monitoring and Treatment Technique Performance Requirements under the Safe Drinking Water Program.

OTHER WATER INFORMATION

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 EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791)

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 provider.  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 (1-800-426-4791).

WATER COMMITTEE

STAFF

PROFESSIONAL CONSULTATANTS

Gregory S. Ghen, Esquire serves as legal counsel to Trumbauersville Borough and the Municipal Waterworks.

The engineering firm Cowan Associates, Inc. of Quakertown serves as water engineer for Trumbauersville, with Mr. William Kee serving as the primary representative.

GENERAL FACTS & INFORMATION

CCR Reports - Residents of Trumbauersville will receive a Consumer Confidence Report annually.

During 2003, the inside of your Water Tower was recoated.  Life expectancy of the new coating is between 10 – 15 years.

Trumbauersville customers use, on average, 100,000 gallons of water per day.

A total of approximately three (3) miles of new waterline has been installed in Trumbauersville since 1976 with the vast majority being installed during the Broad and Main Street renovation.

Bill Payments - customers have thirty (30) days to pay their bills or a penalty is charged.  Failure to pay bills could lead to the discontinuance of services.  If you are having trouble making your quarterly water/refuse payments, please contact the Borough office and notify us of your situation.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q:  How many water customers does Trumbauersville currently serve?

A:  Trumbauersville has approximately 345 customers.

Q:  When are the Trumbauersville Council meetings?

A:  Council meetings are held the 1^st Thursday of each month at 7:30 PM in the Borough Municipal Building.

Q:  What period of time does my water bill cover?

A:  Customers are billed the month following each calendar quarter.  Bills received in April represent services provided in January, February and March.

Q:  How does Trumbauersville calculate my quarterly water bill?

A:  Your water bill is comprised of two parts, a service charge and a usage charge.  The service charge is a fixed rate of $15.00 per quarter for single-family dwellings and $25.00 per quarter for multi-family dwellings, industrial and commercial.  The usage rate is based on gallons consumed with a rate schedule of $3.43 per thousand gallons up to 24,000 gallons.  Each thousand gallons used over and above 24,000 is charged at $4.67 per thousand.  An average usage of 20,000 gallons per quarter for a single-family dwelling would translate into a quarterly bill of $83.60.

Q:  Where can I pay my water/refuse bill?

A:  Payments can be made at the Borough office Monday thru Thursday 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.  There is a “drop-box” that can be utilized after hours or you can pay by mail.

Q:  What is my responsibility as a homeowner if the water line servicing my home develops a leak?

A:  Trumbauersville Borough is responsible for the water service line from the water main to the service connection.  The homeowner is responsible for the water service line from the service connection to the home.

Q:  Does Trumbauersville add fluoride to the drinking water?

A:  No

Q:  Does Trumbauersville purchase water from neighboring facilities?

A:  We do not purchase water from other facilities, but we do have emergency interconnects with Milford Township and Richland Township.

If you have any questions concerning this report, please call Mr. Larry Smock at the Borough office (215-536-1761) or stop by between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM, Monday thru Thursday.