The Wilkinsburg-Penn Joint Water Authority (WPJWA) will begin to chloraminate beginning January 6th, 2011. WPJWA usually chloraminates only during the summer months to control trihalomethane formation, a byproduct of the disinfection process. Due to the sudden increase in Bromide concentration in the Allegheny River, all water suppliers are beginning to have a problem controlling this trihalomethane formation. Therefore, to keep the WPJWA’s water in compliance with DEP and EPA standards, WPJWA has determined that this treatment change to counteract this trihalomethane formation is necessary at this time. All water purveyors on the Allegheny River System are working together to try and find out the source of the elevated bromide levels.

CHLORAMINATION – the combining of Ammonia with Chlorine to form chloramines. Chloramines act as a disinfectant while not forming disinfection by-products called trihalomethanes.

TRIHALOMETHANES – by-products of the chlorine disinfection process when chlorine reacts with naturally occurring organics like humic and fulvic acids.

Trihalomethanes are regulated by the EPA which has set the maximum contaminant level (MCL) @ 80 parts per billion (ppb)