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-18 (1/30/2012)
With the exception of the following parameters, the remaining values were reported as NOT Detected (U)
Heterotrophic Bacteria – 73 colonies per 100 ml ( I do not understand the J value). The drinking water limit is < 500 colonies per 100 ml (OK).
Total Coliform < 1 colony per 100 ml (OK)
Aluminum – 0.0346 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. The treated water level of aluminum is < 0.030 mg/L. (OK)
Anionic Surfactants –< 0.01 mg/L – the secondary drinking water standard for foaming agents is 0.5 mg/L. (OK)
Arsenic – 0.0022 mg/L – 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. The treated water level of arsenic was 0.0021 mg/L and treated and filtered 0.0026 mg/L. (Ok – monitoring recommended)
Barium – 0.276 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. After treatment, the concentration is 0.309 mg/L. (OK)
Bromide – < 0.5 mg/L - In freshwater, bromide is typically less than 0.05 mg/L. Therefore, it would be advisable to retest using a method with a lower detection limit.
Other References
Boron –0.186 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- but monitoring advisable)
Calcium- 16.0 mg/L (Total)– no specific drinking water standard drinking water standard is available. After treatment, the level of Calcium is 18.3 mg/L.(OK)
Chloride –2.84 mg/L (OK) – drinking water standard is < 250 mg/L – this does not suggest any specific impact. After treatment, the reported value was 5.05 mg/L (OK).
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 (Untreated) - the secondary drinking water standard is 1.0 mg/L and the primary drinking water standard is 1.3 mg/L. (OK) At the tap the level was 0.0078 mg/L – this suggests there is some level of corrosion and leaching of copper in the plumbing for the home.
Ethane –< 0.0012 mg/L – No specific drinking water standard (OK)
Fluoride – 0.117 mg/L (OK) – drinking water standard is < 2 mg/L- PADEP drinking water standard is 2 mg/L. After treatment, the reported value was 0.26 mg/L (OK).
Iron – < 0.100 mg/L (Total)) – 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 does not exceed the secondary drinking water standard. (OK)
Lead – < 0.001 mg/L (Total) - 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. (OK)
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 – 0.190 mg/L – No specific drinking water standard. The well water is below the new action limit of 7 mg/L. After treatment, the level of methane is 0.160 mg/L. For more details, go to
http://www.water-research.net/methanegas.htm
Magnesium-2.73 mg/L– no specific drinking water standard drinking water standard is available. (OK) The treated water level of magnesium was 3.07 mg/L.
Manganese– 0.0062 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. After treatment the level is 0.0078 mg/L. (OK)
Nickel – < 0.001 mg/L – no specific drinking water standard drinking water standard
is available, but the EPA has suggest a MCL of 0.1 mg/L. (OK)
Potassium – < 2.0 mg/L (Total– no specific drinking water standard drinking water standard is available (Ok)
Sodium –45.6 mg/L – 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). After treatment, the level was 37.0 mg/L. (OK)
Sulfate –7.53 mg/L (OK) – drinking water standard is < 250 mg/L – this does not suggest any specific impact.
Strontium – 0.954 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) After treatment, the level is 1.09 mg/L.
Total Dissolved Solids – 138 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. After treatment the level was 73 mg/L- this value seems to be low (OK).
Total Suspended Solids - < 10 mg/L – no standard, but would recommend retesting to obtain a lower detection limit.
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 – 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 – < 0.05 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)
Acetone - the reported value was < 0.002 mg/L. PADEP has a Medium Specific Concentration (MSC) for aquifers with a TDS of < 2500 mg/L of 33.0 mg/L and Massachusetts appears to have a drinking water standard of 6.3 mg/L. (OK) The value in the treated water was < 0.0033 mg/L (Not your why the detection limit changed).
Bromoform – < 0.0005 mg/L – the Total Trihalomethane Group has a limit of 0.08 mg/L, but bromoform should be less than 0.004 mg/L. (OK)
Methyl ethyl ketone – < 0.002 mg/L in the treated water and untreated water. (OK)
Methyl ethyl ketone is a colorless volatile liquid that is soluble in water. The odor threshold for methyl ethyl ketone is 5.4 parts per million (ppm), with an acetone-like odor reported. Methyl ethyl ketone is also referred to as 2-butanone. The EPA and PADEP has not set a drinking water standard, but it appears that Massachusetts has set a level of 4 mg/L.
http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/hlthef/methylet.html
Ethylene glycol – the reported value is < 10 mg/L – there is not 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:
a. retesting for ethylene glycol other and glycol-type compounds using a method that is more sensitive or conducting some type of standard additions analysis;
b. retesting total dissolved solids; and
c. monitoring arsenic, retesting bromide to a lower level, and monitoring strontium
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This 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
arsenic, bromide, strontium, glycols, uranium, barium, aluminium, standard plate count, Dimock PA Well Water
