IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER
CHEMICAL MAXIMUM CONTAMINANT LEVEL (MCL) EXCEEDANCE
ESTE INFORME CONTIENE INFORMACION IMPORTANTE ACERCA DE SU AGUA POTABLE. HAGA QUE ALGUIEN LO TRADUZCA PARA USTED, O HABLE CON ALGUIEN QUE ENTIENDA.
The Monroeville Municipal Authority (MMA) Has Levels of Haloacetic Acids above Drinking Water Standards
Our water system recently violated a drinking water standard. Although this incident was not an emergency, as our customers, you have the right to know what happened, what you should do, and what we are doing to correct this situation.
We are required to monitor your drinking water for the presence of disinfection byproducts (DBPs) on a quarterly basis throughout the MMA water distribution system. The DBPs test results received on October 26, 2022, show that our system exceeded the maximum contaminant level (MCL) for Haloacetic Acid 5 (HAA5) at one individual location in the MMA water distribution system. HAA5 is calculated based on locational running annual averages (LRAA) of samples collected from the last four (4) quarters. The LRAA for HAA5 was at a level of 61.7 parts per billion. This concentration exceeds the MCL for HAA5 of 60 parts per billion.
What should I do?
At this time, no alternative water supply is necessary. You do not need to boil your water or take other corrective actions. However, if you have specific health concerns, consult your doctor.
What does this mean?
This is not an emergency. If it had been, you would have been notified immediately. Some people who drink water containing HAA5s in excess of the MCL over many years may have an increased risk of getting cancer.
What happened?
The MMA purchases treated drinking water from the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County (MAWC). MAWC uses disinfectants in the treatment of the purchased drinking water. Disinfectants react with naturally occurring organic and inorganic matter present in water to form DBPs. On October 26, 2022, the drinking water purchased from MAWC contained concentrations of HAA5s in excess of the MCL prior to entering the MMA distribution system. As a result, a sample collected within the MMA distribution system also exceeded the MCL. The MAWC distribution and treatment system caused and/or contributed to the MCL exceedance in the MMA distribution system.
What is being done?
The MMA is working with the MAWC to correct the problem. Control strategies implemented include increased system flushing, resampling, and switching the disinfectant used in the MAWC / MMA distribution systems from free chlorine to chloramines on December 1, 2022. Chloramines reduce the formation of DBPs like HAA5s, while continuing to provide adequate protection against pathogens.
For more information, please contact the MMA Office at 412-372-2677 or on the web at www.monroevillewater.org.
Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.
This notice is being sent to you by the Monroeville Municipal Authority, 219 Speelman Lane, Monroeville, PA 15146.
PWS ID#: 5020027
Date distributed: November 8, 2022
