Water Quality

Update on Total Trihalomethane (TTHM) Levels

In October, 2006 the Newport Water Division issued a notice that the EPA standard for TTHM was exceeded as reported for the fourth quarter of 2006. The standard for TTHMs is 80 parts per billion (ppb) for a four quarter running average. Compliance for TTHM is based on an arithmetic average, computed quarterly, of quarterly averages of the eight samples that Newport Water analyzes.

The four quarter average of TTHM levels for the period of January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2006 reported in October , 2006 was 81.96 ppb. Please note that Newport Water is required to analyze the water samples for TTHM levels within the first two weeks of each quarter.

The four quarter average for TTHM levels improved for the period April 1, 2006 to March 31, 2007 with a reported level of 78.86 ppb which is in compliance with the standard of 80 ppb. The following are the reported levels for 2007 and 2008

Source Water Assessment Report

The Source Water Assessment Report for Newport Waters water supply is now available. The assessment was conducted by the URI Cooperative Extension, Nonpoint Education for Municipal Officials Program in cooperation with the RI Department of Health, with funding from the USEPA.

As required under the Safe Drinking Water Act, all public water supplies in Rhode Island were evaluated. The focus of the assessments is on identifying threats from land use so that it can be used to plan source protection efforts by the City. The results of the assessments show that Newport Waters Aquidneck Island and Mainland supplies are at Moderate Risk to contamination. Protection efforts are important to assure continued water quality.

Summary fact sheets of the assessments are available on the URI website. The direct link is www.uri.edu/ce/wq/RESOURCES/dwater/Assessments/index.htm#summary. The full report is available for review at Newport Water's office at 70 Halsey Street.

Manganese

Customers of the Newport Water Division may at times receive water with a yellow to brown color. This is occasionally due to the level of the naturally occurring mineral manganese in the water. This occurs mainly in the summer and fall. At times the water in the reservoirs of our system has elevated levels of manganese which do not respond to treatment at the water treatment facilities.

The EPA has not established requirements for Manganese as a primary drinking water regulation. The EPA has established secondary drinking water regulations for contaminants such as manganese which are recommended goals. The secondary drinking water regulations are related to contaminants that primarily affect the aesthetic qualities (taste, color, and odor) of drinking water.

The Water Division must balance the treatment processes to meet both the enforceable levels of the primary drinking water regulations with the goals of the secondary drinking water regulations.

When we experience elevated levels of manganese leaving the treatment facilities, the operating staff adjusts treatment processes as much as possible and changes the reservoir water source. In order to remove the treated water with the elevated levels the staff flushes the distribution system.

The Water Division regrets the inconvenience of the colored water and works diligently to avoid these situations by maintaining all drinking water standards and goals. The following EPA website is provided for additional information.

www.epa.gov/safewater/mcl.html