Tips to Protect the Environment

HWC Waterline / Summer 2012
HWC Waterline
Newsletter of The Hazardville Water Company / Summer 2012

Preventing drinking water contamination at the source makes good public health and environmental sense. You can be aware of the challenges of keeping the drinking water safe and take an active role in protecting the drinking water. The following are ways that you can get involved in drinking water protection activities and help prevent the contamination of ground water sources:

Do not dispose of toxic or objectionable liquids or other wastes on the ground, down storm drains or in sewers.
Do not dispose of prescription or over the counter medications on the ground, down storm drains or in sewers.
Dispose of leftover gasoline and used oil at a recycling or collection center.
Dispose of unwanted hazardous products (solvents, cleaning agents, etc.) at hazardous waste collection centers.
Use fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides sparingly. Never exceed manufacturers’ recommended application rates. Take unwanted quantities to a waste collection center.
Regularly inspect septic systems and underground fuel storage tanks.
Do not use hazardous products if safer alternatives are available.
If hazardous products are to be used, only purchase enough to do the job at hand.
Attend public hearings on drinking water and related issues.
Support your local water purveyor on issues that protect our environment and our drinking water quality.

Water Conservation

Water is a limited resource so it is vital that we all work together to maintain it and use it wisely. Here are a few tips you can follow to help conserve:

Check for leaky toilets (put a drop of food coloring in the tank, after 20 minutes if the water in the bowl turns color, you have a leak). A leaking faucet or toilet can dribble away thousands of gallons of water a year.
Consider replacing your 5-gallon per flush toilet with an efficient 1.6 gallon per flush unit. This will permanently cut your water consumption by 25%.
Run only full loads in dishwashers and washing machines. Rinse all hand washed dishes at once.
Turn off the faucet while brushing teeth, or shaving.
Store a jug of ice water in the refrigerator for a cold drink.
Water lawn and plants in the early morning or evening hours to avoid excess evaporation. Don’t water on a windy, rainy or very hot day.
Water shrubs and gardens using a slow trickle around the roots. A slow soaking encourages deep root growth, reduces leaf burn or mildew and prevents water loss. Select low-water demanding plants that provide an attractive landscape without high water use.
Apply mulch around flowers, shrubs, vegetables and trees to reduce evaporation, promote plant growth and control weeds. Shrubs and ground covers require less maintenance, less water and provide year-round greenery.
Be sure that your hose has a shut-off nozzle. Hoses without a nozzle can spout 10 gallons of water or more per minute.
When washing your car, wet it quickly, turn on the spray, wash it with soapy water from the bucket, rinse quickly.
Be sure sprinklers water only your lawn, not the pavement.
Never use the hose to clean debris off your driveway or sidewalk. Use a broom.

Cross Connection Information

A cross connection is a connection between a drinking water pipe and a polluted source. The pollution can come from your own home. For instance, you’re going to spray fertilizer on your lawn. You hook up your garden hose to a sprayer that contains the fertilizer. If the water pressure drops (say because fire hydrant use) when the hose is connected to the fertilizer sprayer, the fertilizer may be drawn back into the drinking water pipes of your home through the hose. The use of a backflow prevention device can prevent this problem. The Hazardville Water Company recommends the installation of backflow prevention devices, such as a low cost hose bib vacuum breaker, for all inside and outside hose connections. You can purchase these at a hardware or plumbing supply store. This is a great way for you to help protect the water in your home as well as the drinking water system. For additional information on cross connections and the status of our cross connection program, please contact The Hazardville Water Company @ 860 749-0779

HAZARDVILLE WATER CO.

CUSTOMER RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBLILITIES

RIGHTS RE: BILL COMPLAINTS

Any customer who has a question or complaint or who disputes all or part of his/her bill should contact the Main Office of the Company by calling 860 749-0779. In accordance with the Connecticut Department of Public Utility Control Regulation Section 16-3-100 and the Company’s Rules and Regulations Section E, if a customer has filed an unresolved complaint or dispute with the Company and or the Department of Public Utility Control, service may not be terminated. Such complaint must be made to the Company within seven days of his/her receipt of a Termination Notice. If the customer does not contact the Company before the termination date shown on the Termination Notice, the customer’s service will be terminated. If the customer is unsatisfied with the Company’s resolution of his/her dispute, the customer may request that the Company’s Review Officer consider the problem. The Review Office may be reached by calling 763-7420. However, service will be terminated if the customer does not contact the Review Office prior to the original termination date or within seven (7) days after the customer receives notification from the Company concerning their dispute, whichever is later. If the customer is unsatisfied after they receive a written decision from the Review Officer, the customer may request a further hearing and investigation by the Connecticut Department of Public Utility Control. However, if the customer does not request such an investigation within 10 days after the mailing or delivery of the Review Officer’s written decision, his/her service will be terminated.

RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS ONLY “IMPORTANT NOTICE” – “RIGHTS TO RESIDENTIAL UTILITY SERVICE DURING SERIOUS ILLNESS”

In accordance with The Company’s Rules and Regulations Section E 3 b and the Connecticut Department of Public Utility Control Section 16-3-100(b)(3)(C): The company will not terminate residential service to the home of any customer during such time as any resident therein is seriously ill or in a life threating situation, as certified to the utility company by a registered physician in accordance with the procedures prescribed in Section 16-3-100 (e). to a customer if there is known to be a serious illness in the home of a residential customer.

The company must be notified by a registered physician within thirteen days of the customer’s receipt of a termination notice.
The registered physician must complete a registered physician certification form within a week after the verbal notification, and such registered physician certification form is renewed every 15 days if the registered physician has not specified the length of illness.

The Company has the right to contest before the Connecticut Department of Public Utility Control the validity of any serious illness certificate it receives from a physician.

CUSTOMER RESPONSIBLITIES

No customer shall supply water to other persons or permit any connection to be made on his/her premises for supply to other premises.

Customers are responsible for keeping their service pipe, home (internal) plumbing and fixtures in good working order and protected from freezing. Failure to do so may result in costly repairs for which the Company is not liable.

All piping and internal plumbing at all premises supplied by the Company must be in compliance with all local and state building, public health and plumbing codes and sanitary regulations, if any, of the town in which the premise to be serviced is located. It is the customer’s obligation to install piping and valves for meter installations, including an approved backflow device, in accordance with Company specifications. Any device required for regulation of pressure, such as an expansion tank or pressure reducing valve, shall be furnished, installed, owned and maintained by the customer at his/her own expense.

The customer of record, either it be owner or tenant, shall be liable for all charges for water service until such service has been discontinued by the Company pursuant to written instructions from the customer providing a final service date.

Meters will be maintained by the Company, but all damage due to but not limited to fire, freezing, vandalism, hot water, external causes or customer mishap or negligence shall be paid for by the customer with appropriate labor charges inclusive. The customer is requested to notify the Company promptly of any deficiency or damage to the meter or its connections.

The Company will, upon written request of a customer, test the accuracy of a meter in use at subject premise provided the meter has not been tested at this location by the Company within the past year and the owner or the customer’s representative (must be adult, 18 years of age or older) is present at the meter location when the meter is removed to be tested.

Bills will be rendered for each premise monthly or quarterly depending on the nature and location of the premise and the service classification. All bills are payable upon receipt. Failure to receive a bill by a customer does not relieve the customer’s obligation to pay the bill or the consequences of non-payment. If a bill remains unpaid, the Company may terminate service in accordance with the provisions of Section E of the Company’s Rules and Regulations. All monthly bills unpaid after 33 days of the mailing date and quarterly bills unpaid after 63 days of the mailing date will be assessed a 1½% late charge; a minimum $0.67 late fee will be applied to monthly bills and a $2.00 minimum late fee to quarterly bills.

As a condition to continuing service, the customer agrees that the Company has the right of access to the customer’s premise for the following reasons:

To read, inspect, repair, replace, alter or service meters and accessory equipment, or shut off a tenant’s water service.
In situations where the tenant is the customer, the owner must provide, at his expense, a written access agreement allowing company personnel entry to the meter location.
To inspect for possible cross-connections between the customer’s equipment and facilities and the public water supply and for any other condition which might be hazardous or detrimental to its equipment or service to others or to meet the requirements of the Standards for Quality of Drinking Water, (Section 19-13-B102) of Public Health Regulations.

If a leak develops in a customer’s service line, the customer shall repair it within 30 days of written notification by the Company. If the leak creates an unhealthy or unsafe condition or nuisance to neighboring properties as determined by the Company, the customer is required to repair the leak immediately. Failure to do so will initiate termination procedures. If such repair work is not completed within a reasonable period specified by the Company in writing to the customer, the Company may discontinue service in accordance with Section 16-3-100 of Connecticut Regulations until the leak is repaired. The customer shall pay all costs incurred by theCompany or the Company’s designated agent.

Water Quality Report

Reporting Period: January 1, 2011 - December 31, 2011

The Hazardville Water Company is pleased to provide you with this year’s Annual Water Quality Report. This report is designed to inform you about the quality of your drinking water and the services we deliver to you daily. Our goal is to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water. We are hopeful this report will help you better understand the efforts we expend to optimize the water treatment processes and to protect our water resources. We are committed to ensuring that you have the highest quality of drinking water.

In order to provide customers with the highest quality of drinking water possible, all HWC’s water treatment facility personnel are certified at or above the required level of classification set by the State of Connecticut for the HWC system. To become certified, our employees must obtain experience in the field of water treatment and pass a written examination administered by the State Department of Public Health.

Customers of the Hazardville Water Company receive their drinking water from eleven underground wells that are located throughout the Enfield area. Because groundwater is naturally filtered through soil, it does not usually require additional filtration. However, water from the Avery wells is filtered to remove manganese, a mineral that can cause staining of plumbing fixtures, laundry and dishwashers. The HWC also adds chlorine to its water as a precautionary measure to protect against waterborne diseases. HWC’s Rye Hill customers receive their drinking water from the Connecticut Water Company’s Enfield areawells, which are also chlorinated. We are pleased to report that all of our drinking water is considered safe for consumption by State and Federal drinking water standards.

In order to prevent contamination from occurring in our source water supplies, the HWC utilizes an active source water protection plan that is reviewed and updated annually to account for system and regulatory changes. This plan includes regular inspections of critical areas which influence or have the potential to influence the quality of the Company’s source water, continuous water quality monitoring of the source and distribution water, and regular sanitary surveys of all well fields.

Water Quality

All drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants -- no drinking water is pure. As water travels through the ground, it can dissolve naturally occurring minerals and naturally occurring radioactive material and maintain these substances in solution. Animal and human activity may also influence the quality of drinking water. Leaking underground storage tanks, failing septic systems, accidental chemical spills, and agricultural runoff are examples of contamination by human activity.

To ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prescribes regulations that limit the amount of harmful contaminants in drinking water provided by public water systems. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water. It is important to remember that the presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk, provided that the contaminants found are at extremely low levels  levels lower than the limits established by the State and Federal agencies. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.

HWC Waterline / Summer 2012

Based upon EPA primary (health related) water quality standards, HWC water has been deemed safe for consumption.

HWC Waterline / Summer 2012

The State of Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) in cooperation with the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) completed assessments of the Hazardville Water Company’s source waters in 2003. These assessments are intended to provide HWC’s consumers with information about where their public drinking water comes from, sources of potential contamination that could impact it, and what can be done to help protect it. The source water assessment results for the HWC wells indicate that there is an overall moderate to high risk of contamination from identified potential sources of contamination. It should be noted that this rating does not necessarily imply poor water quality or violations of the Connecticut Public Health Code. The entire assessment report can be viewed on the DPH’s website at

WATER QUALITY TABLE

The following table lists the results of over 110 different substances that the Hazardville Water Company tests for regularly. Substances not listed in the table were not found in the treated water supply. Please note that the results indicated represent only the highest levels found during the sampling period unless otherwise noted. Because the HWC uses many wells, some variability exists throughout the system due to blending; therefore, most homes will experience lesser amounts of contaminants in their drinking water than those reported. Private state certified drinking water laboratories are utilized to ensure that the water supplied to you meets all state and federal drinking water standards. During the sampling period covered in this report, the HWC is pleased to announce that your drinking water meets all federal and state standards and requirements. Although, from time to time, some contaminants have been detected, the EPA has determined that your water IS SAFE at these levels.

TERM / ABBREVIATION / DEFINITION
Al = Action Level / The concentration of a contaminant that if exceeded, triggers a treatment or other requirement, which a water system must follow
MCL = Maximum Contaminant Level / The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCL’s are set as close to the MCLG’s as feasible using the best available treatment technology. Exceeding the MCL triggers mandatory actions such as customer notification and remediation
MCLG = Maximum Contaminant Level Goal / The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLG’s allow for a margin of safety
MRDL = Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level / 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
MRDLG = Maximum Resisdual Disinfectant Level
Level Goal / 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 contaminants
Notification Level / The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, the water utility must notify its customers
pCi/l = Picocuries per liter / A measure of radioactivity in water
TT = Treatment Technique / A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water
HAA5 = Haloacetic Acids ppb = Parts per billion
N/A = Not applicable, does not exist ppm = Parts per million
ND = Not detected TTHMs = Total Trihalomethanes
NT = Not Tested
HWC Waterline / Summer 2012
WATER QUALITY RESULTS - 2011
Enfield / Rye Hill
Somersville / Somers
East Windsor
Amount / Range of / Amount / Range of / Violation / Possible Sources
Contaminants / (Units) / Detected / Detections / Detected / Detections / MCL / MCLG / Y/N / of Contamination
Alpha emitters / (pCi/l) / 6.3 / 0.7 – 6.3 / 8.0 / ND –8.0 / 15 / 0 / N / Erosion of natural deposits
Arsenic / (ppb) / 2.2 / ND –2.2 / ND / - / 10 / 10 / N / Erosion of natural deposits,
runoff from orchards, glass and electronics production wastes
Barium / (ppm) / 0.26 / 0.05-0.26 / 0.20 / ND - 0.20 / 2 / 2 / N / Discharge of drilling waste
Chloride / (ppm) / 82 / 18 - 82 / 110 / 22 - 110 / 250 / N/A / N / Natural deposits, road salting
Chlorine / (ppm) / 0.90 / 0 – 0.90 / 0.90 / 0.21-0.90 / MRDL / MRDLG / N / Water additive used to
4 / 4 / control microbes
Copper2 / (ppm) / 0.20* / 0.01-0.37 / 0.07* / 0.03-0.07 / AL=1.3 / 1.3 / N / Corrosion of household piping
Fluoride / ppm / ND / ND / 1.10 / - / 4 / 4 / N / Erosion of natural deposits
HAA5 / (ppb) / 2.8 / ND – 2.8 / ND / - / 60 / 0 / N / Byproduct of drinking water
chlorination
Lead2 / (ppb) / 1* / ND - 1150 / 1.5* / ND –1.5 / AL=15 / 0 / N / Corrosion of household piping
Nitrate / (ppm) / 7.0 / ND –7.0 / 7.1 / 0.3 – 7.1 / 10 / 10 / N / Fertilizer run-off, leaking septic
tanks, sewerage, natural
deposits
Nitrite / (ppm) / ND / - / 0.01 / ND-0.01 / 1 / 1 / N / Fertilizer run-off, leaking septic
tanks, sewerage, natural
deposits
Radium3 / (pCi/l) / 0.8 / 0.2 –0.8 / 1.6 / ND –1.6 / 5 / 0 / N / Natural deposits
Sodium / (ppm) / 34.4 / 10.6–34.4 / 27 / 11 - 27 / 28 1 / N/A / N / Natural deposits, road salting
Sulfate2 / (ppm) / 93 / 17 - 93 / 61 / 14 - 61 / N/A / N/A / N / Natural deposits
TTHM's / (ppb) / 11.1 / 0 – 11.1 / 11.7 / 3.4 – 11.7 / 80 / 0 / N / Byproduct of drinking water
chlorination
Trichoroethene / (ppb) / 0.8 / ND - 0.8 / 1.0 / ND – 1.0 / 5 / 0 / N / Cleaning Solvents
Turbidity / (ntu) / 0.92 / ND – 0.92 / 0.57 / ND –0.57 / TT / N/A / N / Soil run-off, sedimentation
Uranium / (ppb) / ND / - / 3.22 / ND – 3.22 / 30 / 0 / N / Erosion of natural deposits
Tetrachloro -
ethylene / (ppb) / ND / - / 0.6 / ND – 0.6 / 5 / 0 / N / Discharge from factories and
dry cleaners
* Calculated result for compliance purposes
Footnotes:
1. Notification level, MCL does not exist.
2. Sampled in 2009 – monitoring required every 3 years
3. Radium = radium 226 + radium 228

Nitrate: The highest nitrate result found during the sampling period was 7.1 ppm which is lower than the MCL of 10 ppm and is considered safe to drink by state and federal health agencies. However, nitrate in drinking water at levels above 10 ppm is a health risk for infants less than six months of age. High nitrate levels (in excess of the MCL 10 ppm) in drinking water can cause blue baby syndrome. Nitrate levels may rise quickly for short periods of time because of rainfall or agricultural activity. If you are caring for an infant and nitrate levels exceed 10 ppm, you should ask advice from your health care provider. As a precaution, the HWC will immediately notify physicians and health care providers in this area along with its customers if the nitrate limit is ever exceeded.