ALERTS:
PAY YOUR WATER BILL ONLINE WITH A CREDIT
CARD
Attention All Passaic Valley Water
Commission Customers
Posted: May 20, 2008
PVWC customers can now pay
their water bills online. Visit our
homepage and click on the Pay Your Account Online link.
Posted March 10, 2008
The Passaic Valley Water Commission is committed to protecting our public water
system and we want to assure our consumers that we have been – and will
continue to be - proactive in protecting public health, and that our finished
water supply is in compliance with State and Federal drinking water
regulations.
PVWC recently upgraded the
main water treatment facility to include sedimentation, ozone, advanced
oxidation and carbon filtration. These processes provide one of the best,
multi-barrier approaches, for the removal and destruction of pharmaceutical
compounds.
We
also have participated in studies in partnership with the New Jersey Department
of Environmental Protection, United States Geological Services (USGS) and the
American Water Works Association Research Foundation (AwwaRF)
to evaluate the occurrence of these types of compounds in raw water sources,
the removal through drinking water treatment processes and in the finished
(potable) water supplies.
The detection of these
compounds has improved with advances in technology where these compounds can
now be measured at very minute, or trace, concentrations. The fact that a
substance is detectable does not mean that the substance is harmful to
humans.
We pledge to continue to do
all we can encourage those responsible to keep our source waters clean and to
protect public health.
Information About Lead in Drinking
Water
Posted
December 12, 2007
SOME HOMES IN THE
CLIFTON, PASSAIC, PATERSON AND PROSPECT PARK SERVICE AREAS HAVE ELEVATED LEAD
LEVELS IN THEIR DRINKING WATER. LEAD CAN POSE A SIGNIFICANT RISK TO YOUR
HEALTH. PLEASE READ THE ENCLOSED NOTICE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.
The United States
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Passaic Valley Water Commission are
concerned about lead in your drinking water.
Although most homes have very low levels of lead in their drinking
water, some homes in the community have lead levels above the EPA action level
of 15 parts per billion (ppb), or 0.015 milligrams of lead per liter of water
(mg/L). Under Federal law we have a
program in place to minimize lead in your drinking water. The program was modified on December 20,
2005. Additional improvements will be
implemented in 2008.
This program includes:
1. Corrosion control treatment (treating the water to make it less
likely that lead will dissolve into the water);
2. Source water treatment (removing any lead that is in the water at
the time it leaves our treatment facility); and
3. A public education program.
We are also required to
replace the portion of each lead service line that we own if the line
contributes lead concentrations of more than 15 ppb after we have completed the
comprehensive treatment program. If you
have any questions about how we are carrying out the requirements of the lead
regulation please give us a call at 973-340-4300. This brochure also explains the simple steps
you can take to protect yourself by reducing your exposure to lead in drinking
water.
HEALTH EFFECTS OF
LEAD
Lead is a common metal found throughout the environment in
lead-based paint, air, soil, household dust, food,
certain types of pottery porcelain and pewter, and water. Lead can pose a significant risk to your
health if too much of it enters your body.
Lead builds up in the body over many years and can cause damage to
the brain, red blood cells and kidneys.
The greatest risk is to young children and pregnant women. Amounts of
lead that won’t hurt adults can slow down normal mental and physical
development of growing bodies. In
addition, a child at play often comes into contact with sources of lead
contamination - like dirt and dust - that rarely affect an adult. It is important to wash children’s hands and
toys often, and to try to make sure they only put food in their mouths.
LEAD IN DRINKING
WATER
Lead in drinking water, although rarely the sole cause of lead poisoning, can significantly increase a person’s total lead
exposure, particularly the exposure of infants who drink baby formulas and
concentrated juices that are mixed with water.
EPA estimates that drinking water can make up 20% or more of a person’s
total exposure to lead.
HOW LEAD ENTERS OUR WATER
Lead is unusual among drinking water contaminants in that it
seldom occurs naturally in water supplies like rivers and lakes. Lead enters drinking water primarily as a
result of the corrosion, or wearing away, of materials containing lead in the
water distribution system and household plumbing. These materials include lead-based solder
used to join copper pipe, brass and chrome-plated brass faucets, and in some
cases, pipes made of lead that connects your house to the water main (service
lines). In 1986, Congress banned the use
of lead solder containing greater than 0.2% lead, and restricted the lead content
of faucets, pipes and other plumbing materials to 8.0%.
When water stands in lead pipes or plumbing systems containing
lead for several hours or more, the lead may dissolve into your drinking
water. This means the first water drawn
from the tap in the morning, or later in the afternoon after returning from
work or school, can contain fairly high levels of lead.
STEPS TO REDUCE
EXPOSURE TO LEAD IN DRINKING WATER
Despite our best efforts mentioned earlier to control water corrosivity and remove lead from the water supply, lead
levels in some homes or buildings can be high.
To find out whether you need to take action in your own home, have your
drinking water tested to determine if it contains excessive concentrations of
lead. Testing the water is essential
because you cannot see, taste, or smell lead in drinking water. Some local laboratories that can provide this
service are listed at the bottom of this brochure. For more information on having your water
tested, please call 973-340-4300.
If a water test indicates that the drinking water drawn from a tap
in your home contains lead above 15 ppb, then you should take the following
precautions:
1.
FLUSH YOUR SYSTEM.
To flush, let the water run from the tap before using it for
drinking or cooking any time the water in a faucet has gone unused for more
than six hours. The longer water resides
in your home’s plumbing, the more lead it may contain.
To conserve water, fill a couple of bottles for drinking water
after flushing the tap, and whenever possible use the first flush water to wash
dishes or water plants.
If you live in a high-rise building, letting the water flow before
using it may not lessen your risk from lead. This is because high rise plumbing
systems have more and sometimes larger pipes than smaller buildings. Ask your
landlord for help in locating the source of the lead and for advice on reducing
the lead level.
2. USE ONLY COLD WATER FOR COOKING AND
DRINKING.
Try not to cook with, or drink water from the hot water tap. Hot water can dissolve more lead more quickly
than cold water. If you need hot water, draw water from the cold tap and heat
it on the stove.
3. REMOVE LOOSE SOLDER AND DEBRIS FROM
PLUMBING MATERIALS.
Remove loose solder and debris from the plumbing materials
installed in newly constructed homes, or homes in which the plumbing has
recently been replaced. To do this,
remove the faucet strainers from all taps and run the water from 3 - 5
minutes. Thereafter, periodically remove
the strainers and flush out any debris that has accumulated over time.
4. IDENTIFY AND REPLACE LEAD SOLDER.
If your copper pipes are joined with lead
solder that has been installed illegally since it was banned in 1986, notify
the plumber who did the work and request that he or she replace the lead solder
with lead-free solder. Lead solder looks
dull gray, and when scratched with a key looks shiny. In addition, notify The
NJ DEP Bureau of Safe Drinking Water at 609-292-5550 about the violation.
5. FIND OUT WHETHER YOUR SERVICE LINE IS
MADE OF LEAD.
Determine whether or not the service line that connects your home
or apartment to the water main is made of lead.
The best way to determine if your service line is made of lead is by
either hiring a licensed plumber to inspect the line or by contacting the
plumbing contractor who installed the line. You can identify the plumbing
contractor by checking the city’s record of building permits which should be
maintained in the files at your local building department.
A licensed plumber can at the same time check to see if your
home’s plumbing contains lead solder, lead pipes, or pipe fittings that contain
lead. The public water system that
delivers water to your home should also maintain records of the materials
located in the distribution system. If the service line that connects your
dwelling to the water main contributes more than 15 ppb to drinking water,
after our comprehensive treatment program is in place, we are required to
replace the portion of the line we own.
If the line is only partially owned by Passaic Valley Water Commission,
PVWC is required to provide the owner of the privately-owned portion of the
line with information on how to replace the privately-owned portion of the
service line, and offer to replace that portion of the line at the owner’s
expense. If we replace only the portion
of the line that we own, we also are required to notify you in advance and
provide you with information on the steps you can take to minimize exposure to
any temporary increase in lead levels that may result from the partial
replacement; to take a follow-up sample at our expense from the line within 72
hours after the partial replacement; and to mail or otherwise provide you with
the results of that sample within three business days of receiving the
results. Acceptable replacement
alternatives include copper, steel, iron, and plastic pipes.
6. HAVE AN ELECTRICIAN CHECK YOUR WIRING.
If grounding wires from the electrical system are attached to your
pipes, corrosion may be greater. Check with a licensed electrician or your
local electrical code to determine if your wiring can be grounded elsewhere. DO NOT attempt to change the wiring yourself
because improper grounding can cause electrical shock and fire hazards.
IF LEAD LEVEL
PERSISTS
The steps described above will reduce the lead concentrations in
your drinking water. However, if a water test indicates that the drinking water
coming from your tap contains lead concentrations in excess of 15 ppb after
flushing, or after we have completed our actions to minimize lead levels, then
you may want to take the following additional measures. You may want to purchase or lease a home
treatment device. Home treatment devices
are limited in that each unit treats only the water that flows from the faucet
to which it is connected, and all of the devices require periodic maintenance
and replacement. Devices such as reverse
osmosis systems or distillers can effectively remove lead from your drinking
water. Some activated carbon filters may
reduce lead levels at the tap. However, all lead reduction claims should be
investigated. Be sure to check the actual
performance of a specific treatment device before and after installing the
unit. You also may want to purchase
bottled water for drinking and cooking.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
You can consult a variety of sources for additional information:
Your family doctor or pediatrician can
perform a blood test for lead and provide you with information about the health
effects of lead.
State and local government agencies that can be contacted include:
Passaic Valley Water Commission at
973-340-4300 can provide you with information about your community’s water
supply, and a list of local laboratories that have been certified by EPA for
testing water quality.
Your local building/code department can provide you with information about building permit records
that should contain the names of plumbing contractors that plumbed your
home. Please call the following numbers:
Residents of
Clifton Building Department at 973-470-5809
Residents of
Residents of Paterson:
Paterson Building Department at 973-321-1232
Residents of Prospect Park:
Prospect Park Construction Department at 973-790-1393
The NJ DEP Bureau of Safe Drinking Water at 609-292-5550 or the
Passaic County Department of Health at 973-881-4396 can provide you with
information about the health effects of lead and how you can have your child’s
blood tested.
The following is a list of some State approved laboratories in
your area that you can call to have your water tested for lead.
1525 Main Avenue
Clifton, NJ 07011
973-340-4300
- All-Test
Laboratories, Division of QC, Inc.
East
201-288-6511
