Hudson – The Town of Hudson has issued the following advisory after a water sample tested positive for contaminants:
DRINKING WATER NOTICE
To all users of the Town of Hudson Water Supply Division located in Hudson, Massachusetts:
This is an important notice – please have it translated for anyone who does not understand English.
We routinely monitor for the presence of drinking water contaminants to ensure the safety of the water supply. On July 15, 2011 our water system was notified that a water sample collected on July 14, 2011 from Chestnut Street Well #3 tested positive for E.coli, which is a fecal indicator. Fecal indicators are used to detect ground water sources that may be susceptible to fecal contamination which may contain harmful viruses or bacteria. When we learned of the fecal positive sample, THE WELL WAS IMMEDIATELY TAKEN OFFLINE.
The water delivered to your taps through the distribution system is disinfected with chlorine to kill viruses and bacteria, including E.coli. It is important to note that treated samples collected in the distribution system did NOT detect any fecal contaminants.
This source is one of six active sources that supplies drinking water to our system. Even though none of the chlorinated samples tested positive, our chlorine disinfection system has not been certified by MassDEP as 4-log compliant for 99.99% virus inactivation. In accordance with the new federal Ground Water Rule (GWR) requirements, we are notifying you of the situation and conducting additional sampling to evaluate the extent of potential fecal contamination and will take further actions as necessary.
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO? WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
This is not an emergency, you do not need to boil your water or take other corrective actions at this time.
The USEPA requires us to provide you with this notice and the following information on fecal indicators, even though the well with the fecal indicator is no longer in use: “Fecal indicators are microbes whose presence indicates that the water may be contaminated with human or animal wastes. Microbes in these wastes can cause diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. They may pose a special health risk for infants, young children, some of the elderly, and people with severely compromised immune systems.” These symptoms can also be caused by issues unrelated to drinking water. If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, or, if you have specific health concerns, you may want to discuss such concerns with your doctor. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791 or online at http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/basicinformation/pathogens.cfm.
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.
WHAT IS BEING DONE?
We continue to maintain chlorine levels throughout our system and monitor for the presence of fecal contaminants in the sources and distribution system to ensure the safety of the water supply. The well will remain offline for further evaluation. Our system is undergoing repeat testing and evaluation to determine if the current level of treatment is adequate or if additional corrective actions are necessary to reduce the risk of potential fecal contamination in our drinking water supply.
We are in contact with MassDEP during this process who will evaluate the effectiveness of the steps taken and determine if any further action is required. If necessary, you will be notified again if you need to take any corrective actions. This notice does not affect persons using private drinking water wells.
For more information and further updates, please contact Anthony Marques, Director of Public Works at 1-978-562-9333 or visit http://www.townofhudson.org/.
