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UCMR Page for Needham: 2014
Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
Research for New Regulations
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) periodically requires water systems across the country to conduct monitoring for substances that may be present in drinking water to help understand their national occurrence as part of the process of deciding whether to regulate them. Under the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments, EPA is required once every five years to develop a list of up to 30 new contaminants that must be monitored by public water systems.
Needham collected samples during 2014 at locations throughout the community. Even with the extremely sensitive test methods used capable of detecting some substances at parts per trillion levels, Needham expected to find very few of the substances that we were required to test for due to well protected watershed and reservoirs. Only 4 of the 28 tested for in 2014 were detected, and all were at extremely low levels.
2014 UCMR Test Results for Needham
Here is the complete list of 21 substances plus 7 hormones:
| Substances (21) | |
|---|---|
| 1,2,3-trichloropropane | strontium |
| bromomethane | total chromium |
| chloromethane | hexavalent chromium |
| bromochloromethane | chlorate |
| chlorodifluoromethane | perfluorooctanesulfonic acid |
| 1,3-butadiene | perfluorooctanoic acid |
| 1,1-dichloroethane | perfluorobutanesulfonic acid |
| 1,4-dioxane | perfluorohexanesulfonic acid |
| vanadium | perfluoroheptanoic acid |
| molybdenum | perfluorononanoic acid |
| cobalt | |
More information on these substances and UCMR3 can be found at at on the US EPA web site.
Only the substances discussed below were detected. All other substances listed in the UCMR3 were not detected.
| Substance | Measurement Units | Average | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Chromium | parts per billion (ppb) | 0.36 | 0.33 - 0.42 |
| EPA already regulates total chromium with a Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of 100 ppb and a Maximum Contaminant Level Goal of 0. It is found at low levels in most water as it is an abundant element in the Earth’s crust. MWRA regularly tests for it and does not detect it with the normally required detection limit of 1 ppb. Total chromium was included in the UCMR3 testing with a more sensitive detection level to help understand hexavalent chromium occurrence data. Results for total chromium were all below the normal detection limit, and far below the MCL of 100 ppb. | |||
| Substance | Measurement Units | Average | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hexavalent Chromium | ppb | 0.04 | ND - 0.12 |
| Hexavalent chromium is one form of chromium. It is not currently regulated by EPA, by Massachusetts, or any other state other than California. In June 2014, California issued a maximum contaminant level standard of 10 ppb. It is commonly found in the environment, from both natural and human-made sources. MWRA levels are well below this California standard. | |||
| Substance | Measurement Units | Average | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlorate | ppb | 109.3 |
105 - 112 |
| Chlorate is a byproduct of disinfection with chlorine, and is commonly found in most waters in the US that use chlorine. EPA and Massachusetts do regulate a number of disinfection by-products, and MWRA is well below those standards, but chlorate is not regulated at this time. The World Health Organization has a provisional guideline value of 700 ppb, Health Canada has a guideline value of 1,000 ppb, and several years ago California proposed a standard (which was never finalized) of 500 ppb. EPA has not set a standard but has a provisional safe daily reference dose of 210 ppb for lifetime exposure. MWRA levels are below all of these proposed or finalized standards. | |||
| Substance | Measurement Units | Average | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strontium | parts per million (ppm) | 0.07 | 0.04 - 0.14 |
| Strontium is a metal that is common in nature, and small amounts are found in air, dust, soil, foods, and drinking water, though it is more commonly found at higher levels in ground water. EPA has developed a non-regulatory lifetime health advisory of 4 ppm for strontium levels in drinking water. MWRA levels are well below this health advisory. | |||
How will this data be used?
EPA will collect and analyze data for all three years and from systems all across the country to develop an understanding of the occurrence, level and distribution of these substances in drinking water. That data, along with information on potential health effects and water treatment effectiveness will be used by EPA to determine if any new regulations are needed.
Posted May 26, 2015