Dimock HW-24 boron fluoride methane lithium barium glycols

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.

4. New Document - http://water.epa.gov/action/advisories/drinking/upload/dwstandards2011.pdf

5. This is not about cause and effect; it is about a review of the data.

6. A Well by Well - Review of the Data for Dimock, PA collected by EPA

Well – HW-24

With the exception of the following parameters, the remaining values were reported as NOT Detected (U)

Anionic Surfactants – < 0.01 mg/L – the secondary drinking water standard for foaming agents is 0.5 mg/L.  (OK)

http://www.chemetrics.com/products/pdf/detergents.pdf

Barium – 0.139 mg/L – the primary drinking water standard for barium is 2.0 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 – 0.251 mg/L (Total) – 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: http://www.epa.gov/ogwdw/ccl/pdfs/reg_determine2/healthadvisory_ccl2-reg2_boron_summary.pdf

http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/boron.pdf

Calcium- 1.31 mg/L (Total)– no specific drinking water standard drinking water standard is available.  (OK) – the value seems low.

Chloride – 6.63 mg/L (OK) – drinking water standard is <  250 mg/L – this does not suggest any specific impact.

Chromium- < 0.002 mg/L (D) and the EPA/ PADEP primary drinking water standard is < 0.100 mg/L (OK).

Copper –< 0.002 mg/L (OK)- the secondary drinking water standard is 1.0 mg/L and the primary drinking water standard is 1.3 mg/L. (OK)

Ethane – < 0.0012 mg/L  – No specific drinking water standard (OK)

Fluoride – 0.359 mg/L (OK) – drinking water standard is < 2 mg/L- PADEP drinking water standard is 2 mg/L.

Lithium – 0.204 mg/L (Total) – no specific drinking water standard drinking water standard is available, but EPA has recommend a level be below 0.7 mg/L    (OK)

Methane –  0.740 mg/L  – No specific drinking water standard. (OK).

The well water is not above the new action limit of 7 mg/L.   For more details, go to http://www.water-research.net/methanegas.htm

Magnesium- < 0.500 mg/L (D)– no specific drinking water standard drinking water standard is available.  (OK)

Manganese– 0.0038 mg/L (Total)– 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 does not exceed the secondary drinking water standard.   (OK)

Nickel – < 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)

http://www.epa.gov/ogwdw/pdfs/factsheets/ioc/tech/nickel.pdf

Sodium –88.0 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)

Sulfate – 1.46 mg/L (OK) – drinking water standard is <  250 mg/L – this does not suggest any specific impact.

Total Dissolved Solids  – 189 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. 

Uranium – < 0.001 mg/L (Total) – 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  – < 0.002 mg/L (Total) – Zinc is regulated as a secondary drinking water standard by the PADEP in Pennsylvania and the action limit is 5.0 mg/L.  (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:

New Jersey 0.300 mg/L (300 ppb)

Arizona 5.5 mg/L (5500 ppb)

New Hampshire 7.0 mg/L (7000 ppb)

Florida, Massachusetts, and Minnesota14.0 mg/L (14,000 ppb)

Minnesota

At a minimum, I would recommend retesting for ethylene glycol other other glycol compounds using a method that is more sensitive or conducting some type of standard additions analysis.

No major problems

1. No major problem, but the presence of boron, lithium, and higher sodium without a spike in an anion, suggests that there may be a source of alkaline water.  It would be interesting to see the actual laboratory results that include total hardness, alkalinity, and pH.

2. Retesting for glycols using a more sensitive technique is recommended.

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

Do you want to make a positive change in PA - that will cost you NO Money?
Help Support the Citizens Groundwater and Surfacewater Database and Submit Your Baseline Data !

 Free Information on Drinking Water Quality - http://www.water-research.net