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Providing a State and Federally Mandated Report on Water Quality

This report is intended to provide you with important information about your drinking water and the efforts made by the water system to provide safe drinking water.

(Union Bridge Consumer Confidence Report)

Town of Union Bridge

Public Water System ID: MD0060013

 

Annual Water Quality Report for the period of January 1 to December 31, 2024

For more information regarding this report, contact Dawn Metcalf (Clerk Treasurer) at 410-775-2711

 

We are pleased to present to you the Annual Water Quality Report (Consumer Confidence Report) for the year, for the period of January 1 to December 31, 2024. This report is intended to provide you with important information about your drinking water and the efforts made by the water system to provide safe drinking water.

 

Este informe contiente informacion muy importante sobre el agua que usted Bebe.

Traduzcalo o hable con alguien que lo entienda bien.

 

Town of Union Bridge is ground water under the direct influence of surface water.

A source water assessment was performed by the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) and is available on their website,

https://mde.maryland.gov/programs/Water/water_Supply/Source_Water_Assessment_Program/Pages/by_county.aspx

Source Water Information

Sources of Drinking Water
TOWN OF UNION BRIDGE is Groundwater UDI Surfacewater

Our water source(s) and source water assessment information are listed below:

Source Water Name                                                  Type of Water                  Report Status                             Location

UNION BRIDGE TOWN HALL NO PERMIT GU    Ground water under                                                     Town Hall Property

                                                                               direct influence of

                                                                               surface water

WHYTE ST WELL (FIRE DEPT)                           Ground water under                                                Fire Department Property

CL940608 GU     CL940608                                  direct influence of

                                                                               surface water

The sources of drinking water (both tap and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, spring, and wells. As water travels over the surface of land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally-occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity.

Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791. Contaminants that may be present in source water include:

Microbial Contaminants - such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife.

Inorganic Contaminants - such as salts and metals, which can be naturally-occurring or result from urban stormwater runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining or farming.

Pesticides and Herbicides - which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff and residential uses.

Organic Chemical Contaminants - including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff and septic systems.

Radioactive contaminants - which can be naturally-occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.

In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. FDA regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health.

 

Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Contaminants may be found in drinking water that may cause taste, color, or odor problems. These types of problems are not necessarily causes for health concerns. For more information on taste, odor or color of drinking water, please contact the system's business office.

Immuno-compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. EPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800) 426-4791.

 

Lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. The Town of Union Bridge is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, and removing Lead pipes, but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components in your home. You share the responsibility for protecting yourself and your family from the lead in your home plumbing. You can take responsibility by identifying and removing lead materials within your home plumbing and taking steps to reduce your family's risk. Before drinking tap water, flush your tap for several minutes by running your tap, taking a shower, doing laundry or a load of dishes. You can also use a filter certified by an American National Standards Institute accredited certifier to reduce lead in drinking water. If you are concerned about lead in your water, and wish to have your water tested, contact the Town of Union Bridge, Dawn Metcalf, Town Clerk (410) 775-2711Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

 

Nitrate in drinking water at levels above 10 ppm is a health risk for infants or less than six months of age. High nitrate levels in drinking water can cause blue baby syndrome. Nitrate levels may rise quickly for short periods of time because of rainfall or agricultural activity. If you are caring for an infant, you should ask for advice from your health care provider.

An initial Service Line Inventory was submitted to the Maryland Department of the Environment on 10/16/2024. As a result, the Service Line Inventory requirement was fulfilled. The report is available at the Town Office upon request.

Source water assessment has been performed by the Maryland Department of the Environment and is accessible on their website at:

https://mde.maryland.gov/programs/Water/water_Supply/Source_Water_Assessment_Program/Pages/by_county.aspx

DEFINITIONS

In the tables below, you will find many terms and abbreviations you might not be familiar with. To help you better understand these terms, we've provided the following definitions:

Action Level (AL): The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow.

Action Level Goat (ALG): The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. ALG's allow for a margin of safety.

Avg: Regulatory compliance with some MCLs are based on running annual average of monthly samples.

Level 1 Assessment: A level 1 assessment is a study of the water system to identify potential problems and determine (if possible) why total coliform bacteria have been found in our water system.

 

Level 2 Assessment: A Level 2 assessment is a very detailed study of the water system to identify potential problems and determine (if possible) why an E. coli MCL violation has occurred and/or why total coliform bacteria have been found in our water system on multiple occasions.

LRAA: Location Running Annual Average.

Maximum Contaminant Level or MCL: The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology.

Maximum Contaminant Level Goal or MCLG: The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety.

Maximum residual disinfectant levelgoal of MRDLG: The level of a drinking water disinfectant below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits to the use of disinfectants to control microbial contaminants.

Maximum residual disinfectant level of MRDL: The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants.

mrem: millirems per year (a measure of radiation absorbed by the body).

NA/na: not applicable.

ppb: micrograms per liter or parts per billion - or one ounce in 7,350,000 gallons of water.

ppm: milligrams per liter or parts per million - or one ounce in 7,350 gallons of water.

ppt: nanograms per liter or parts per trillion - or one once in 7,350,000,000 gallons of water.

picocuries per liter (pCi/L): picocuries per liter is a measure of the radioactivity in water.

Treatment Technique or TT: A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.

Variances and Exemptions: State or EPA permission not to meet an MCL or a treatment technique under certain conditions.

Our water system tested a minimum of 1 sample(s) per month in accordance witht eh Total Coliform Rule for microbiological contaminants. With the microbiological samples collected, the water system collects disinfectant residuals to ensure control of microbial growth.

Chlorine.jpg

Regulated Contaminants

In the tables below, we have shown the regulated contaminant that were detected. Chemical Sampling of our drinking water may not be required on an annual basis; therefore, information provided in this table refers back to the latest year of chemical sampling results.

Regulated.jpg

UCMR5 began testing for 29 PFAS compounds and lithium in 2023. The UCMR5 should test all community water systems with populations of at least 3300 people. Three randomly selected systems in Maryland with populations less that 3300 people will also be tested under the UCMR5. Detections greater than the minimum reporting levels for each constituent should be reported in the CCR. UCMR5 sampling occurred for the Town Of Union Bridge water system in 2024: the results are below.

 Unregulated Comtaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR)                           Collection Date   Highest Value   Range of Sampled                             Unit           

                                                                                                                                          (HV)                 Results(s)

PFBS                                                                                                         1/24/24                   2.8                 2.5 - 2.8                                       ng/L

PFHxS                                                                                                       4/19/24                   7.9                 4.9 - 7.9                                       ng/L

PFHxA                                                                                                       1/24/24                   3.2                 2.1 - 3.2                                       ng/L

PFOA                                                                                                         4/19/24                   3.8                 3.1 - 3.8                                      ng/L

PFOS                                                                                                         7/23/24                   18                  8.7 - 18                                       ng/L

WHAT IS PFAS?

"PFAS – short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – refers to a large group of more than 4,000 human-made chemicals that have been used since the 1940's in a range of products, including stain- and water-resistant fabrics and carpeting, cleaning products, paints, cookware, food packaging and fire-fighting foams. These uses of PFAS have led to PFAS entering our environment, where they have been measured by several states in soil, surface water, groundwater and seafood. Some PFAS can last a long time in the environment and in the human body and can accumulate in the food chain.

 

The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) conducted a PFAS monitoring program for Community Water Systems from 2020 to 2022. The results are available on MDES's website: https://mde.maryland.gov/PublicHealth/Pages/PFAS-Landing-Page.aspx.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized regulations for 6 PFAS compounds in drinking water in April 2024. The MCL's for PFOA and PFOS are proposed to be 4.0 parts per trillion (ppt). The MCLs for PFNA, PFHxS, and HFPO-DA (GenX chemicals) are each  10 ppt. Additionally, a mixture of two or more of the following chemicals (PFNA, PFHxS, HFPO-DA and PFBS) will be regulated with a Hazard Index of 1 (unitless) to determine if the combined levels of these PFAS pose a risk and require action.

Turbidity

Turbidity is a measurement of the cloudiness of the water caused by suspended particles. We monitor it because it is a good indicator of water quality and the effectiveness of our filtration.

turbidity.jpg

 

Total Organic Carbon

The percentage of Total Organic Carbon (TOC) removal was measured each month and the system met all TOC removal requirements set, unless a TOC violation is noted in the violations section.

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