Comment
1. Without predrilling data, it is not possible to comment
on the cause for any water quality problems.
2. Where possible, I have noted situations where elevated
levels of a water quality parameter exists in Pennsylvania .
3. If duplicate analysis provided, I attempted to use the
highest reported value.
5. This is not about cause and effect; it is about a review
of the data.
Well – HW-06
With the exception of the following parameters, the
remaining values were reported as NOT Detected (U) and duplicate (Z)
Total Coliform –
< 1 colony forming units (Ok)
Ethylene glycol – the reported value is < 10 mg/L – there is
no standard, but the EPA has a guidance limit of < 7 mg/L. Other states have lower and higher standards:
At a minimum, I would recommend retesting for ethylene
glycol and related glycol compounds using a method that is more sensitive or
conducting some type of standard additions analysis.
Chloride – 3.42 mg/L
(OK) – drinking water standard is < 250 mg/L – this does not suggest any specific
impact.
Fluoride – 0.63 mg/L
(OK) – drinking water standard is < 2 mg/L- PADEP drinking water standard is
2 mg/L.
Sulfate –9.24 mg/L (OK) – drinking water standard is < 250 mg/L – this does not suggest any specific impact.
Aluminum – 2.02
mg/L (Total) and < 0.030 mg/L (D)- drinking water standard ranges from 0.05
to 0.2 mg/L. This parameter is
regulated as a secondary drinking water standard, because of aesthetic
reasons. Because the total content is
high and so is the Total Suspended
Solids Results (see below), this would suggest two possible causes:
a. Sample contains particles or colloids in the water that
when acid was applied the aluminum leached from the colloids (See Total
Suspended Solids Results).
b. Aluminum is high because of corrosion. Since the methane level is also elevated, it
could be possible there is come chemical corrosion of leaching.
c. Since the iron is also high this could suggest an
elevated level of aluminum may be related to MIC – microbiologically induced
corrosion.
The issues
a. the well could have been over pumped,
b. the well produces water that is highly turbid and may
suggest a poor well casing,
c. if drilling, earth moving, or blasting was occurring,
this well could be highly vulnerable to these activities, and/or
d.if it was raining, this would suggest a connection between
surfacewater and groundwater.
Arsenic – 0.0076 mg/L (Total) and 0.0063 mg/L (D) – drinking water standard is < 0.010 mg/L – this does not suggest any specific impact and arsenic is a common problem in NEPA – about 6 % of private wells have arsenic above 0.010 mg/L. It would be advisable to monitor the arsenic level of the well on an annual basis. (OK)
Barium - 0.164mg/L (Total) and 0.0924 mg/L (D) – drinking water standard is < 2 mg/L – this does not suggest any specific impact and barium is typically detectable in non-saline impacted water at a level of less than 1 mg/L. (OK)
Boron – 0.325 mg/L (Total) and 0.321 mg/L (D) – no specific drinking water standard drinking water standard is available. EPA appears to have a long-term health advisory of 2.0 mg/L, but other states have limits that range from 0.6 to 1 mg/L. Therefore, this does not appear to suggest any form of impact. (OK)
Source:
Note: In the US ,
the concentration is less than 0.1 mg/L, but 10% may be above 0.4 mg/L.
Calcium- 2.570
mg/L (Total) and 2.370 mg/L (D) – no specific drinking water standard drinking
water standard is available. (OK) - to
be honest this value seems low for the region.
Chromium- 0.0108
mg/L (Total) and 0.002 mg/L (D) and the EPA/ PADEP primary drinking water
standard is < 0.100 mg/L (OK).
Cobalt - 0.0013
mg/L (Total) and < 0.001 mg/L (D) – there is no drinking water standard, but
the PADEP has a medium-specific standard for low TDS water (< 2500 mg/L) of
0.011 mg/L and the EPA documents indicate a trigger level of 0.0047 mg/L. Since the concentration is below the guidance
limits, the level would appear OK.
Copper – 0.0072
mg/L (Total) and < 0.002 mg/L (D)- Copper is regulated as a primary standard
(EPA and PA) and secondary drinking water standard in Pennsylvania . Primary standard 1.3 mg/L and secondary
standard 1.0 mg/L. (OK)
Iron – 2.97mg/L
(Total) and < 0.1mg/L (D) – Iron is regulated as a secondary drinking water
standard in Pennsylvania
and the action limit is 0.3 mg/L.
Therefore, the total iron content exceeds the secondary drinking water
standard. Since the total value exceeds
the limit and not the dissolved, this suggests that the primary recommendation
would be to install a water treatment system to filter the iron colloids or
particles from the water. Before installing treatment, the standard plate count and
the presence/concentration of iron-related bacteria may be necessary.
Action is
Recommended, because of an aesthetic issue.
Lead – 0.0018
mg/L (Total) and < 0.001 mg/L (D)- Lead is regulated as a primary standard
(EPA and PA) at 0.015 mg/L, but the action level in PA for source water is
0.005 mg/L. Because of the hits for copper, iron, and lead, it is possible that the nuisance
bacteria may be causing some corrosion related problems – Call MIC –
Microbiologically Induced Corrosion – Problem recommend inspection of the well,
camera survey, shock disinfection, and retesting. This is a common problem in NEPA. (Action Needed may be a warning sign of corrosion)
Lithium – 0.236
mg/L (Total) and 0.228 mg/L (D) – no specific drinking water standard drinking
water standard is available, but EPA has recommend a level be below 0.7
mg/L (OK)
Magnesium- 0.799
mg/L (Total) and < 0.50 mg/L (D) – no
specific drinking water standard drinking water standard is available. (OK) Again this level appears low.
Manganese– 0.0653
mg/L (Total) and 0.089 mg/L (D) – Manganese is regulated as a secondary
drinking water standard in Pennsylvania
and the action limit is 0.05 mg/L.
Therefore, the total manganese content exceeds the secondary drinking
water standard. Since the manganese is
in a dissolved form, the water could become browner in color over time. Because the water coming out of the well has
dissolved manganese, the water treatment system would require either chemical
oxidation or some type of ion exchange system. Elevated level of manganese is a
common water quality problem in Northeastern Pennsylvania . Action
is Recommended, because of an aesthetic issue and it could be related to
Iron-Related Bacteria and MIC.
Nickel - 0.0068
mg/L (Total) and < 0.001 mg/L (D) –
no specific drinking water standard drinking water standard is
available, but the EPA has suggest a MCL of 0.1 mg/L. (OK)
Potassium – 2.1
mg/L (Total) and < 2 mg/L (D) – no
specific drinking water standard drinking water standard is available (Ok)
Sodium – 83.7 mg/L (Total) and 83.3
mg/L (D) – no specific drinking water
standard drinking water standard is available, but the EPA has added it to the
Candidate List to provide more analysis.
The EPA’s initial value of 20 mg/L has been clearly identified as not
realistic. When chloride (salt is sodium
chloride) is present at a concentration of over 250 mg/L, the water can have an
“off” taste. At 400+ mg/L chloride, the water will taste definitely salty.
(Source- Dr. Brian Redmond, Professional Geologist). (OK)
Strontium – 0.229 mg/L (Total) and 0.212 mg/L (D) – no specific drinking water standard
drinking water standard is available, but it is on the EPA Candidate List. The EPA recommends that drinking
water levels of nonradioactive strontium should not be more than 4 mg/L. The report limit is consistent with
background levels in Northeastern Pennsylvania . If the background level was above 4 mg/L, it
would be advisable to test for radiological parameters, especially
alpha/beta. (OK)
Thallium- < 0.001 mg/L (Total) and
< 0.001 mg/L (D) – Thallium is
regulated as a primary drinking water standard by the EPA and PADEP in
Pennsylvania and the action limit is 0.002 mg/L. (OK)
Uranium – 0.0021 mg/L (Total) and 0.0019 mg/L (D) – Uranium is regulated as a primary drinking
water standard by the EPA and PADEP in Pennsylvania
and the action limit is 0.030 mg/L. (OK)
Zinc
–0.0337 mg/L (Total) and 0.0150 mg/L (D) – Zinc is regulated as a secondary drinking
water standard by the PADEP in Pennsylvania
and the action limit is 5.0 mg/L. (OK)
Ethane – 0.820 mg/L – No specific drinking water standard (OK)
Methane – 23 mg/L – No specific drinking water standard, but
the level indicates supersaturated conditions.
This means the well pump is pulling in water that is not in equilibrium
with the atmosphere. The well is above
the new action limit of 7 mg/L and methane gas mitigation measures should be
employed. These measures not only
include venting the well, but also potentially modifying the well, installing
treatment, or taking other action. For
more details, go to http://www.water-research.net/methanegas.htm
There
are places in PA were baseline levels of methane gas are at or above 7 mg/L. In
general, I would estimate that 1 to 3 % of private wells may have elevated
levels of methane. In addition to
modifying the well, it would be advisable to conduct isotopic analysis. Based on the ratio of methane to ethane, the
ratio is 28. Since a ratio of methane to ethane of over 1000 typically suggests a biogenic source and a value of under 100 suggests a thermogenic source, the available information would suggest a thermogenic source for the gas. As a guide, it may be possible to use a ratio to suggest the source of the gas- “ if the ratio of methane to ethane is 25, the source is thermogenic, but if the ratio is over 2500, then it is biogenic" (Mr. Bob Pirkle, President of Microseeps, Inc.), but between 25 and 2500 this is where isotopic analysis is critical.
No specific health concern, but a health risk associated with the potential for a flammable environment.
Action needed to properly vent gas from the well, perhaps modifying the well, water treatment to reduce methane level in the water to < 7 mg/L or more, and isotopic analysis recommended.
No specific health concern, but a health risk associated with the potential for a flammable environment.
Action needed to properly vent gas from the well, perhaps modifying the well, water treatment to reduce methane level in the water to < 7 mg/L or more, and isotopic analysis recommended.
May be advisable to check the level of
other gases, such as propane.
Total Dissolved Solids –112 mg/L
– Total Dissolved Solids is regulated as a secondary drinking water
standard by the PADEP in Pennsylvania
and the action limit is 500 mg/L. (OK)
Total Suspended Solids- 44 mg/L (high)
– may be associated with the presence of corrosion by-product, soil separates,
or oxided forms of iron, manganese, etc.
Treatment needed – possibly wholehouse particle filter. (Action
required).
Butyl benzyl phthalate – the reported
level was 0.00009 mg/L – “Benzylbutylphthalate, also called n-butyl benzyl
phthalate (BBP) or benzyl butyl phthalate, is a phthalate, an
ester of phthalic acid, benzyl alcohol and n-butanol.” The health based screening level appears to
be 0.100 mg/L and the EPA Human Health Equivalent is 1.4 mg/L. Butyl
benzylphthalate is an industrial solvent and additive used in adhesives, vinyl
flooring, sealants, car-care products and some personal care products. (OK)
Caprolactam- the reported level was
0.00019 mg/L -Based on a maximum exposure
limit is 35 mg/d/2 liters/d (adult) – this is equivalent to 17 mg/L. EPA cites a limit of 7.7 mg/L, but NJ cites a
limit of 3.5 mg/L for groundwater. (OK)
Fluoranthene (Benzo(j, k)fluorene) was reported at a level of 0.03 ug/L or 0.00003 mg/L and there is a trigger level reported at 0.63 mg/L. It has been suggested that the EPA has set for total PAHs of 0.2 ug/L or 0.0002 mg/L and I can not find an EPA reference that confirms this statement, but
Note: “Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are a group of chemicals that occur naturally in coal, crude oil, and gasoline. PAHs are also present in products made from fossil fuels, such as coal-tar pitch, creosote, and asphalt. Fluoranthene adsorbs strongly to soil and would be expected to remain in the upper layers of soil. However, it has been detected in groundwater samples which demonstrates that it can be transported there by some process(es). It slowly degrades in soil (half-life ca 5 mo to 2 yr).” Based on the reported trigger level and the standard used for
Fluorene was reported at 0.010 ug/L or 0.00001 mg/L and the reported EPA trigger level is 0.220 mg/L, but has a DWEL of 1.00 mg/L.
Still researching- “Fluorene is
a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) released from the incomplete combustion
of fuels including oil, gasoline, coal and wood, as well as waste materials; it
is an intermediate in production of dyes and other chemicals”- The reported
health based standard was 0.3 mg/L or 300 ug/L.
http://www.ewg.org/tap-water/chemical-contaminants?file=contaminant&contamcode=2264
n-Nitrosodimethylamine
(NDMA)
- the reported value was
< 0.005 mg/L and the EPA indicates that there is “Trigger Level” at 0.00004 mg/L. It appears this could be a by-product of
chlorination. NDMA can be produced and
released from industrial sources through chemical reactions, such as those that
involve alkylamines with nitrogen oxides, nitrous acid, or nitrite salts.
Potential industrial sources include byproducts from tanneries, pesticide and
rocket fuel manufacturing plants, rubber and tire manufacturers, alkylamine
manufacture and use sites, fish processing facilities, foundries, and dye manufacturers (ATSDR 1989). In 2011, Health Canada
Therefore, the primary recommendation would be to resample and use a method with a lower detection limit.
Note:
10-4 Cancer Risk: The
concentration of a chemical in drinking water corresponding to an excess
estimated lifetime cancer risk of 1 in 10,000.
Pryene - the reported value was 0.00004
mg/L and the reported trigger limit is 0.087 mg/L. Florida has a health
advisory level of 0.210 mg/L for Pryene.
(OK)
T. Phosphorous –
0.10 mg/L – no EPA or PADEP standard.
Summary
1. Total Aluminum
and Total Suspended Solids very high – this suggests a problem with turbid
water, corrosion, or suggests a vulnerability to contamination.
2. Calcium and
Magnesium seem very low for the region – because of the high sodium and
potassium with a low chloride this may suggest a well that is partially influence
by alkaline water, but no alkalinity or pH was provided. The primary recommendation would be to
document the level of alkalinity and conduct a geochemical analysis and this
could suggest the well water is slightly influenced by saline water. It would be interesting to conduct a
conductivity surface for this well
3. Iron and
Manganese were high and above the SMCL (Seconday maximum contaminant level) –
set for aesthetic reasons, in addition Lead, Copper, Zinc, Nickel, Cobalt, and Cobalt were measurable, but not
above recommended standard levels. It may also be advisable to check for iron related or nuisance related bacteria because of concerns related to corrosion.
4. Methane level
is high and at a level were action is recommended.
5. n-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) - the reported value was < 0.005 mg/L and the EPA
indicates that there is “Trigger Level”
at 0.00004 mg/L. Recommend resampling
using a lower detection limit.
Reference
EPA
Water Quality Criteria 1986 -http://water.epa.gov/scitech/swguidance/standards/criteria/aqlife/upload/2009_01_13_criteria_goldbook.pdf
Document
can not be copied in whole or part without the expressed written permission of
Mr. Brian Oram, B.F. Environmental Consultants Inc. http://www.bfenvironmental.com
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