HW- 5 EPA Dimock Iron methane barium well water PA

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-5

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 – 0.254 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)

http://www.water-research.net/barium.html

Boron –< 0.050 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- 35.3 mg/L (Total)– no specific drinking water standard drinking water standard is available.  (OK) – the value seems low.

Chloride –7.47 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 – 0.0025 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 – 0.011 mg/L  – No specific drinking water standard (OK)

Fluoride – < 0.1 mg/L (OK) – drinking water standard is < 2 mg/L- PADEP drinking water standard is 2 mg/L.

Iron – 0.620 mg/L (Total) and < 0.1 mg/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.  The water probably has a reddish or brown appearance. Elevated level of iron is a common water quality problem in Northeastern Pennsylvania.  Action is Recommended, because of an aesthetic issue. 

http://www.water-research.net/iron.htm

Lithium – < 0.200 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 –  2.00 mg/L  – No specific drinking water standard. (OK).

The well water  is not above the new action limit of 7 mg/L, but above an advisory limit set by us of 2.0 mg/L.  At or above 2.0 mg/L, the well should have a passive venting system and more frequent monitoring for methane. For more details, go to http://www.water-research.net/methanegas.htm

Magnesium-6.82 mg/L (D)– no specific drinking water standard drinking water standard is available.  (OK)

Manganese– 0.0316 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 – 0.0012 mg/L (T ) – 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 –13.2 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 –10.2 mg/L (OK) – drinking water standard is <  250 mg/L – this does not suggest any specific impact.

http://www.water-research.net/sulfur.htm

Strontium – 0.720 mg/L   – 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)

Total Dissolved Solids  – 25 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.  This value seems low, based on the data that was provided.

Total Suspended Solids - < 10 mg/L – no standard, but would recommend retesting to obtain a lower detection limit.

Uranium – < 0.0045 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)

http://www.water-research.net/radonwater.htm

http://www.water-research.net/radionuclides.htm

Zinc  –0.0055 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)

Nitrate+Nitrite- N – 0.699 mg/L, this is well below the EPA / PADEP drinking water limit of 10mg N/L for nitrate-N and would also be below the limit of 1.0 mg N/L for nitrite-N. (OK)

http://www.water-research.net/nitrate.htm

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. Methane meets our suggested action level of 2 mg/L.

2. Iron is above the secondary drinking water limit and the value for total dissolved solids appears low.

3. Retesting for glycols and total suspended solids 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

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