Annual Drinking Water Quality Report

                                                                 for

                   The Municipal Authority of the Borough of Derry

                                   Public Water System I.D. 5650049                                    

05/09

Este informe contiene informacion muy importante sobre su agua de beber. Traduzcalo o hable con alguien que lo entienda bien. (This report contains very important information about your drinking water. Translate it, or speak to someone who understands it.)

Last year, as in years past, your tap water met all U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Pennsylvania drinking water health standards.  Derry Municipal Authority vigilantly safeguards its water supplies and once again we are proud to present you with our Annual Drinking Water Quality Report.  We are pleased to report that our system has not violated a maximum contaminant level or any other water quality standard.

Our water sources are the McGee Run Dams. These are surface water sources located on Chestnut Ridge where we collect water from rainfall and snowmelt.  Water then flows by gravity to Ethel Springs Reservoir and then to our filter plant.  Our back-up source of water is a well on Chestnut Ridge, which draws water from the Mauch Chunk/Burgoon Aquifer. Well water, when used, is piped to the McGee Run Dams then to Ethel Springs Reservoir.  When the water is drawn from Ethel Springs Reservoir, treatment steps are initiated to purify the supply of tap water.  These steps are aeration, chlorination, coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation and filtration.  In addition, we adjust the pH of the water leaving the plant.  Finally, post filtration chlorine is added to ensure sufficient disinfection  in the distribution system which will protect your water from potential biological contaminants as it is pumped to your home, school or business.  The levels of these activities used in our treatment process are monitored daily to insure that proper dosages are being added.  This is done according to strict regulatory procedures.

A Source Water Assessment of the Ethel Springs Reservoir, which supplies water to the Derry Borough Water Filtration Plant, was completed in 2003 by Spotts, Stevens and McCoy Inc. for the PA Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP).  The Assessment has found that the Ethel Springs Reservoir is potentially most susceptible to accidental spills along roads and storm runoff.  Overall, the Ethel Springs Reservoir has little risk of significant contamination.  Summary reports of the Assessment are available by writing to Richard Thomas, 620 N. Chestnut Street, Derry, PA. 15627 and will be available on the PA DEP website at www.dep.state.pa.us (Keyword: “DEP source water").  Complete reports were distributed to Municipalities, Water Supplier, local planning agencies and PA DEP offices.  Copies of the complete report are available for review at the PA DEP Greensburg Regional Office, Records Management Unit at 724-925-5400.

If you have any questions about this report or concerning your water utility, please contact Richard K. Thomas, Manager at (724-694-2305) daily from 7:30 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. You may also e-mail us at: manager@derrywater.com. We want our valued customers to be informed about their water utility. If you want to learn more, please attend any of our regularly scheduled meetings. They are held on the second Wednesday of each month at 7:00 P.M. at the Authority office complex located at 620 North Chestnut Street, Derry, PA  15627

The Municipal Authority of the Borough of Derry routinely monitors for constituents in your drinking water according to Federal and State laws. This table shows the results of our monitoring for the period of January 1^st to December 31^st, 2008. All drinking water, including bottled drinking water, may be reasonably expected to contain at least small amounts of some constituents.  It's important to remember that the presence of these constituents does not necessarily pose a health risk.

In the following table you will find many terms and abbreviations you might not be familiar with. To help you better understand these terms we have provided the following definitions:

Non-Detects (ND) - laboratory analysis indicates that the contaminant is not present at a detectable level. 

Parts per million (ppm) or Milligrams per liter (mg/l)    

Parts per billion (ppb) or Micrograms per liter 

Picocuries per liter (pCi/L) - picocuries per liter is a measure of the radioactivity in water.

Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU) - nephelometric turbidity unit is a measure of the clarity of water. Turbidity in excess of 5 NTU is just noticeable to the average person.

Action Level (AL) –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 in drinking water.

Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL)- The “Maximum Allowed” (MCL) is the highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water.  MCL’s are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology.

Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) - The “Goal”(MCLG) is 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 in 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 contamination.

Footnotes:

(a)   Only one sample required.

(b) The lowest monthly percentage of samples meeting the turbidity limits of .3 as specified in 141.73.

(c) These are the 90^th percentile results.  All samples collected were below the action level

• As you can see by the preceding table, our system had no violations.

• We had no detections of Volatile Organic Compounds, Inorganic Compounds or Synthetic Organic Compounds.

• The Authority has learned that some reports experienced reporting delays or were not submitted in combination with other reports.

             These had no negative health effects.

All sources of drinking water are subject to potential contaminants that are naturally occurring or man made.  Those contaminants can be microbes, organic or inorganic chemicals, or radioactive materials.  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 the 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 at 1-800-426-4791.

Additional information on lead:

   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.  The Municipal Authority of the Borough of Derry is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components.  When you 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 the steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

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 materials, 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, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife.
• Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally-occurring or result from urban storm water runoff, 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 storm water runoff, and residential uses.
• Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are byproducts of industrial process and petroleum production and mining activities.
• 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.

Make it a family effort to reduce next month's water bill

In our continuing effort to maintain a dependable water supply, we often find it necessary to make improvements to your water system. The costs of these improvements are sometimes reflected in the rate structure.  This year, the Municipal Authority is replacing the 35 year old booster station in Derry Borough with a new more efficient booster station.  The new station will have the capability to deliver water to a wider area and monitor customer usage throughout the higher elevations of our community.

The Staff and Management of our locally owned and operated Municipal Authority have been working hard to consistently provide top quality water to every tap. Our certified and licensed water plant operators continually upgrade their skills by participating in continuing education seminars and courses to maintain certifications by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and are dedicated to maintaining the highest water quality possible. The Authority still continues to comply with all Maximum Contaminant Levels, monitoring and treatment procedures required under the Safe Drinking Water Program. In addition, the Authority is a member of the Partnership for Safe Water, which further establishes and fosters the highest goals for drinking water.  Please visit our Web Site at www.derrywater.com for more information.  We ask that all our customers help us protect and conserve our water sources which are vital to our community, our way of life and our future regional growth.

                                                                                                      Richard K. Thomas

                                                                                                              Manager

2008 Water Report