Consumer Confidence Report for 2021

THE TOWN OF CENTREVILLE 101 LAWYERS ROW CENTREVILLE, MD 21617

410-758-1180 FAX 410-758-4741 WWW.TOWNOFCENTREVILLE.ORG

ANNUAL DRINKING WATER QUALITY REPORT FOR 2021

TOWN OF CENTREVILLE

PWSID # 0170001

APRIL, 2022

We're pleased to present to you this year's Annual Water Quality Report. This report is designed to inform you about the water quality and services we deliver to you every day. Our constant goal is to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water. We want you to understand the efforts we make to continually improve the water treatment process and protect our water resources. We are committed to ensuring the quality of your water. The Town’s water

source is located in the Aquia formation.

The Maryland Department of the Environment’s Water Supply Program completed a Source Water Assessment for the Town of Centreville in 2003. A copy of that assessment can be reviewed at City Hall. For more information call 1-800-633-6101.

https://mde.maryland.gov/programs/Water/water_supply/Source_Water_Assessment_Program/Pages/by_county.asp x Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. 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 microbiological contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).

We want our valued customers to be informed about their water utility. If you want to learn more, please attend any of our regularly scheduled town meetings held on the first and third Thursday of each month at 7:00 pm at the Liberty building, 107 North Liberty Street.

If you have any questions about this report or have questions concerning your water quality, please call Kip Mathews Director of Public Works at 410-758-1180.

The Town of Centreville routinely monitors for contaminants in your drinking water according to Federal and State laws. This table shows the results of our monitoring for the period of January 1st to December 31st, 2021. As water travels over the land or underground, it can pick up substances or contaminants such as microbes, inorganic and organic chemicals, and radioactive substances. All drinking water, including bottled drinking water, may be reasonably expected to

contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. It's important to remember that the presence of these contaminants does not necessarily pose a health risk.

In this table 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:

Parts per million (ppm) or Milligrams per liter (mg/l) - one part per million corresponds to one minute in two years or a single penny in $10,000.

Parts per billion (ppb) or Micrograms per liter - one part per billion corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years, or a single penny in $10,000,000.

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

Action Level - the concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow.

Maximum Contaminant Level - The “Maximum Allowed” (MCL) is 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 - The “Goal” (MCLG) is 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.

TEST RESULTS

Contaminant Violation Level Unit MCLG MCL Likely Source of Contamination Y/N Detected Measurement Radioactive Contaminants Beta/photon emitters N 10.4 pCi/l 0 50 Decay of natural and man-made (2021) deposits Inorganic Contaminants Copper (distribution) N 0.1003 ppm 1.3 AL=1.3 Corrosion of household plumbing (2021) systems; erosion of natural deposits;

leaching from wood preservatives Chlorine (2021) N 0.6 ppm 4 4 Water Additive used to control microbes Barium (2020) N 0.134 ppm 2 2 Discharge of drilling wastes;

discharge from metal refineries;

erosion of natural deposits Note: Test results are for year 2021 or as indicated; not all contaminants are required to be tested for annually. These are our most recent results.

NOTE: lead, which is tested for triennial (every 3 years) in accordance with Federal and State Regulations in Centreville’s distribution system, was not detected in our most recently collected samples.

If present, elevated levels of 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 Centreville is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components. When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize

the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking. If you are concerned about lead in your drinking water, you may wish to have your water tested. Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791 or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

MCL’s are set at very stringent levels. To understand the possible health effects described for many regulated contaminants, a person would have to drink 2 liters of water every day at the MCL level for a lifetime to have a one-in-a-million chance of having the described health effect.

While your drinking water meets EPA’s standard for arsenic, it does contain low levels of arsenic. EPA’s standard balances the current understanding of arsenic’s possible health effects against the cost of removing arsenic from drinking water. EPA continues to research the health effects of low levels of arsenic, which is a mineral known to cause cancer in humans at high concentrations and is linked to other health effects such as skin damage and circulatory

problems. We are continuing to monitor arsenic on a quarterly basis. We currently monitor for this contaminant on a quarterly basis.

PFAS – short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances- refers to a large group of more than 4000 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 firefighting foams. These uses of PFAS have led to PFAS entering our environment, where they have been measured by several states in the 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.

Currently, there are no federal regulations (i.e. Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for PFAS in drinking water. However, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a health advisory level (HAL) of 70 parts per trillion (PPT) for the sum of PFOA and PFOS concentrations in drinking water. While not enforceable regulatory standard, when followed, the EPA HAL does provide drinking water customers, even the most sensitive populations, with a

margin of protection from lifetime exposure to PFOA and PFOS in drinking water. Beginning in 2020, the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) initiated a PFAS monitoring program. In 2020, results from samples taken at the Town of Centreville’s drinking water treatment system showed a ND (non/detect) for PFOA and PFOS concentration. No additional actions are planned at this time. MDE anticipates that EPA will establish an MCL for PFOA and

PFOS in the near future. This would entail additional monitoring. Additional information about PFAS can be found on the MDE website: mde.maryland.gov All sources of drinking water are subject to potential contamination by substances that are naturally occurring or man-made. These substances can be microbes, inorganic or organic chemicals and radioactive substances. All 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 Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.

MCL’s are set at very stringent levels. To understand the possible health effects described for many regulated contaminants, a person would have to drink 2 liters of water every day at the MCL level for a lifetime to have a one-in-a-million chance of having the described health effect.

Violation: Lead and Copper Rule Follow-up or Routine Tap M/R (LCR) 10/01/2021- 12/10/2021: We failed to test the drinking water for the contaminant and the period indicated.

Because of this failure, we cannot be sure of the quality of our drinking water during the period indicated.

Thank you for allowing us to continue providing your family with clean, quality water this year.

In order to maintain a safe and dependable water supply we sometimes need to make improvements that will benefit all of our customers. These improvements are sometimes reflected as rate structure adjustments. Thank you for understanding.