News:

ATTENTION RESIDENTS ON NELSON ST

BETWEEN BROAD ST & MAPLEWOOD AVE, CLIFTON

INVOLVED IN THE MAIN BREAK ON JUNE 2, 2009

Posted: June 3, 2009

Customers of Passaic Valley Water Commission, in the Nelson St between Broad St and Maplewood Ave/Clifton, were notified on June 02, 2009 of a problem with our drinking water due to a water main break and were advised to boil the water before using as a precautionary measure. We are pleased to report that the repairs have been completed and subsequent water quality testing shows the water quality to be safe.

THE BOIL WATER ADVISORY IS LIFTED and it is no longer necessary to boil your water before using.

The following measures are strongly encouraged at this time:

* Run your water faucets for 3-5 minutes to flush your service connection and interior plumbing with water from the service main.

* Empty and clean your automatic ice makers and water chillers.

* Drain and refill your hot water heater if the temperature is set below 113 degrees Fahrenheit.

* Service connections with a water softener should be run through a regeneration cycle.

* Water reservoirs in tall buildings should be drained and refilled.

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.

We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience.

As always, you may contact Passaic Valley Water Commission’s Customer Service Department at 973-340-4300 with any comments or questions.

This notice is being sent to you by Passaic Valley Water Commission. State Water System ID# NJ1605002

Date distributed: June 03, 2009

BOIL WATER ADVISORY

Attention Residents of Nelson St

between Broad St & Maplewood Ave, Clifton

involved in the Water Main Break on 6/2/2009

Posted: June 2, 2009

Due to a water main break on Nelson St in Clifton, your water supply was temporarily interrupted.

All water that is to be used for consumption should be boiled, in a covered pot, for 5 minutes prior to use as a precautionary measure. This practice should continue until you are further advised.

If you have any questions or concerns, please call our Customer Service Department at 973-340-4300.

LEAD IN DRINKING WATER

Attention All PVWC Customers

Posted February 20, 2009

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 and additional improvements were implemented in August 2008.

This program includes:

1. Corrosion control treatment (treating the water to make it less likely that lead will dissolve into the water).

2. A public education program.

3. Lead Service Line Replacement.

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.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT LEAD IN YOUR DRINKING WATER

Passaic Valley Water Commission found elevated levels of lead in drinking water in some homes/buildings. Lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Please read this information closely to see what you can do to reduce lead in your drinking water.

HEALTH EFFECTS OF LEAD

Lead can cause serious health problems if too much enters your body from drinking water or other sources. It can cause damage to the brain and kidneys, and can interfere with the production of red blood cells that carry oxygen to all parts of your body. The greatest risk of lead exposure is to infants, young children, and pregnant women. Scientists have linked the effects of lead on the brain with lowered IQ in children. Adults with kidney problems and high blood pressure can be affected by low levels of lead more than healthy adults. Lead is stored in the bones, and it can be released later in life. During pregnancy, the child receives lead from the mother’s bones, which may affect brain development.

SOURCES OF LEAD

Lead is a common metal found in the environment. Drinking water is one possible source of lead exposure. The main sources of lead exposure are lead-based paint and lead-contaminated dust or soil, and some plumbing materials. In addition, lead can be found in certain types of pottery, pewter, brass fixtures, food, and cosmetics. Other sources include exposure in the work place and exposure from certain hobbies (lead can be carried on clothing or shoes).

New brass faucets, fittings, and valves, including those advertised as “lead-free,” may contribute lead to drinking water. The law currently allows end-use brass fixtures, such as faucets, with up to 8 percent lead to be labeled as “lead free”. However, plumbing fixtures labeled National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) certified may only have up to 2 percent lead. Consumers should be aware of these options when choosing fixtures and take appropriate precautions to minimize the potential of household plumbing contributions to drinking water.

Lead has not been detected in Passaic Valley Water Commission’s finished water sources. When water is in contact with service lines and plumbing 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. Homes built before 1986 are more likely to have plumbing containing lead. New homes may also have lead; even “lead-free” plumbing may contain some lead.

EPA estimates that 10 to 20 percent of a person’s potential exposure to lead may come from drinking water. Infants who consume mostly formula mixed with lead-containing water can receive 40 to 60 percent of their exposure to lead from drinking water.

Don’t forget about other sources of lead such as lead paint, lead dust, and lead in soil. Wash your children’s hands and toys often as they can come into contact with dirt and dust containing lead.

STEPS YOU CAN TAKE TO REDUCE YOUR EXPOSURE

TO LEAD IN YOU DRINKING WATER

1. Run your water to flush out lead.

Run water for 15-30 seconds or until it becomes cold or reaches a steady temperature before using it for drinking or cooking, if it hasn’t been used for several hours. This flushes lead-containing water from the pipes. Flushing usually uses less than one or two gallons of water and costs less than 30 cents per month.

2. Use cold water for cooking and preparing baby formula.

Do not cook with or drink water from the hot water tap; lead dissolves more easily into hot water. For example do not use water from the hot water tap to make baby formula.

3. Do not boil water to remove lead.

Boiling water will not reduce lead.

4. Look for alternative sources or treatment of water.

You may want to consider purchasing bottled water or a water filter. Read the package to be sure the filter is approved to reduce lead or contact NSF International at 800-NSF-8010 or http://www.nsf.org/ for information on performance standards for water filters. Be sure to maintain and replace a filter device in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions to protect water quality.

5. Test your water for lead.

Call PVWC at 973-340-4300 to find out how to get your water tested for lead. Some local State approved laboratories that can provide this service are listed at the end of this brochure.

6. Get your child tested.

Contact your local health department or healthcare provider to find out how you can get your child tested for lead, if you are concerned about exposure.

7. Identify if your plumbing fixtures contain lead.

New brass faucets, fittings, and valves, including those advertised as “lead-free,” may contribute lead to drinking water. The law currently allows end-use brass fixtures, such as faucets, with up to 8% lead to be labeled as “lead-free.” Visit the National Sanitation (NSF) Web site at http://www.nsf.org/ to learn more about lead-containing plumbing fixtures.

Find out if your home plumbing has lead.

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.

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.

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.

WHAT HAPPENED?

WHAT IS BEING DONE?

Tap water monitoring results from our most recent monitoring study, which took place during September and October of 2008, revealed elevated lead levels in some homes/buildings in Clifton, Passaic, Paterson and Prospect Park.

We are taking steps to correct the problem, such as:

· Continuing to monitor the system twice per year through voluntary public involvement in accordance with EPA/NJDEP requirements.

· Replacement of over 60,000 commercial/residential meters with “lead free” models between 1997 and 2007.

· Replacement of 124 lead service lines in 2008.

· Retained an outside Consultant in 2007 to evaluate immediate optimization steps to reduce the corrosion rates and initiated a change in a primary treatment chemical in August 2008 at a cost of over $1 million per year.

· Initiated the design phase of an additional recommendation to stabilize other water quality parameters, such as free chlorine residual, in the distribution system.

· Continue to work with an outside Consultant to develop a long-term Corrosion Control Treatment strategy to be submitted to NJDEP in 2009.

For additional copies of this pamphlet please

contact PVWC at 973-340-4300.

PASSAIC VALLEY WATER COMMISSION

PWS ID NJ1605002 – FEBRUARY 2009

FOR MORE INFORMATION

For more information, call us at 973-340-4300, or visit our website at http://www.pvwc.com/. For more information on reducing lead exposure around your home/building and the health effects of lead, visit EPA’s website at http://www.epa.gov/lead or contact your health care provider.

Your family doctor or pediatrician can perform a blood test for lead and provide you with information about the health effects of lead.

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.

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:

Clifton Building Department at 973-470-5809

Residents of Passaic:

Passaic Code Enforcement at 973-365-5549

Residents of Paterson & Prospect Park:

Paterson Building Department at 973-321-1232

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. The following is a list of some State approved laboratories in your area that you can call to have your water tested for lead.

· Passaic Valley Water Commission

800 Union Blvd, Totowa, NJ 07512

973-340-4300

· All-Test Laboratories, A Division of QC Laboratories

196 Paterson Avenue, East Rutherford, NJ 07073

201-288-6511

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER

Tests Showed Coliform Bacteria in High Crest Lake Water Attention High Crest Lake Residents

Posted October 1, 2008

Our water system recently violated a drinking water standard. Although this incident was not an emergency, as our customers, you have a right to know what happened and what we did to correct this situation.

We routinely monitor for drinking water contaminants. We took five samples to test for the presence of coliform bacteria during September. Two of our samples showed the presence of total coliform bacteria. The standard is that no more than 1 sample per month may do so.

What should I do?

You do not need to boil your water or take other corrective actions. However, if you have specific health concerns, consult your doctor.

People with severely compromised immune systems, infants, and some elderly may be at increased risk. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.

What does this mean?

This is not an emergency. If it had been you would have been notified immediately. Coliform bacteria are generally not harmful themselves. Coliforms are bacteria which are naturally present in the environment and are used as an indicator that other, potentially-harmful, bacteria may be present. Coliforms were found in more samples than allowed and this was a warning of potential problems.

Usually, coliforms are a sign that there could be a problem with the system’s treatment or distribution system (pipes). Whenever we detect coliform bacteria in any sample, we do follow-up testing to see if other bacteria of greater concern, such as fecal coliform or E.coli, are present. We did not find any of these bacteria in our subsequent testing.

What is being done?

Subsequent coliform sampling shows this problem has been resolved. We will continue to target collection of five coliform samples per month where only 2 samples per month are required.

For more information, please contact our customer service department at 973-340-4300.

This notice is being sent to you by Passaic Valley Water Commission-High Crest Water System PWSID NJ1615003 Date distributed: September 29, 2008

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.

IMPOSTER REPAIRMEN SCAMS

Residents are urged to protect themselves against thieves posing as a water repairman:

Always ask to see credentials from anyone trying to enter your house, but beware that burglars posing as utility workers sometimes carry fake identification.

Make sure repairmen are driving a utility-company vehicle before you allow them in your house. When in doubt, call the police before letting anyone in your home.