Water Quality FAQ Where does the campus drinking water come from? The Purchase Campus is served by Westchester Joint Water Works which is a public water supplier regulated pursuant to the requirement of the USEPA’s Safe Drinking Water Act and the NY State Sanitary Code. All public water suppliers publish an annual report, which in NY State is known as an Annual Water Quality Report. Many basic questions about this public water supplier, as well as a summary of their water quality testing data for the most recent year can be found online at: http://www.wjww.com/water‐quality/pages/water‐quality‐report‐2015 How do we know if your water is safe to drink? Because the drinking water on campus is regarded to be substantially the same as that from a public water supplier known to be operating in conformance with the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act and NY State Sanitary Code regulations, we regard the water to be safe, and unlikely to result in acute health effects. As we have seen, those water quality problems that have been identified are not regarded to be representative of water quality throughout the campus, but are likely to reflect on plumbing issues confined to individual fixtures, or to deficiencies in the sample collection event. Additional sample collection is anticipated at these locations, and we expect that our engineering consultants will address issues involving sample site selection and sampling protocol as well as operational and maintenance improvements. What type of analysis was performed on the drinking water samples collected in February and March this year? Samples were analyzed for Coliform and E. Coli, and copper and lead. Where were these samples collected from? Samples were collected from cold water at many faucets and fixtures where water might be used for drinking or cooking purposes. This includes residential, academic and administrative private and public bathrooms, kitchens and water fountains. Why were these substances selected? People often assume that water quality at a point of use (drinking water faucet) should be unchanged from the water supply that leaves the water treatment plant. Water suppliers face increasing challenges related to condition, operation, and maintenance (O & M) of distribution systems. Water quality monitoring is one way to measure the effectiveness of distribution system condition, O&M. The three selected substances reflect changes that may occur in distribution systems. What is Coliform Bacteria? Since the early 1900s coliform bacteria analysis has served as the basis for ensuring the sanitary quality of drinking, beach, and shellfish waters, and in the sanitary protection of milk and other food products. Contaminated drinking water can transmit many types of pathogenic (disease‐causing) germs, including bacteria, viruses, and parasites like Cryptosporidium. Many known pathogens are both difficult and expensive to detect reliably through water sampling and testing, so it is simply not practical to monitor for every microorganism that might occur in a drinking water source. For this reason, and for more than a century, US public health personnel have relied on an “indicator organism approach” to assess the microbiological quality of drinking water. Coliform, and the E. coli subgroup are the currently accepted microorganisms used in evaluating a water distribution system for possible deficiencies. Coliform bacteria can also be found in soil and throughout the environment. They comprise a large and mostly harmless group of bacteria that can also occur naturally in large numbers in the intestines. The presence of the E. coli subgroup is a more significant finding in a water analysis as that subgroup is distributed exclusively in warm blooded animals, including humans, mammals, and birds. Because of the sensitivity of the analysis coliform has value when it is found to occur at some accepted frequency from representative sample locations. Generally, detection of coliform from an individual sample point would normally warrant a response which would include further evaluation of the sample site itself, the protocols and procedures of sample collection and handling, and the collection of confirmatory samples at the original sample site and adjacent sampling points. The approved drinking water analytical methods for these two indicator groups are either positive or negative (i.e. the method does not report the number of organisms in the sample). A “positive” sample report reflects that there was at least one organism in the 100 ml. sample collected. Why are Copper and Lead Tested Parameters? Copper and lead are almost never found in water supply sources or water leaving a public water supply treatment plant. When found in water samples, both are normally regarded to be the product of corrosion of plumbing fixtures‐ typically copper from copper pipes, copper and lead from brass and bronze faucets, and lead from lead solder flux and (in older housing) lead water service lines. Copper Copper is a metal that occurs naturally throughout the environment, in rocks, soil, water, and air. Copper is an essential element in plants and animals (including humans), which means it is necessary for us to live. Therefore, plants and animals must absorb some copper from eating, drinking, and breathing. For the regulation of public water, finding copper concentrations more than 1.3 parts per million (referred to as the Action Level) in more than 10% of first‐draw samples collected from a selected sample pool would prompt a public water supplier to review and possibly revise corrosion control treatment processes. The copper Action Level is also a concentration which would produce significant off‐taste, and possible gastrointestinal upset, although the ingestion of such levels is unlikely due to the taste imparted at this concentration. Wilson’s disease is a genetic disorder that prevents the body from getting rid of extra copper. A small amount of copper obtained from food is needed to stay healthy, but too much copper is poisonous. In Wilson’s disease, copper builds up in the liver, brain, eyes, and other organs. People with Wilson’s Disease should consult their personal doctor. Lead Lead is a common, naturally occurring metal found throughout the environment. Like copper, lead enters drinking water primarily as a result of corrosion or wearing away of materials in the water distribution system and household plumbing that contain lead. Despite concerns about drinking water, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency notes that “the greatest exposure to lead is swallowing or breathing in lead paint chips or dust.” Children are more vulnerable to lead because their bodies are smaller, and because they are still developing. Pregnant women and their unborn babies are also at higher risk for negative health effects associated with lead exposure. Exposure concerns are best addressed by consulting with your family doctor or pediatrician. Can We Manage Lead and Copper in Water? If you’re concerned about lead in your drinking water, you can take several steps to limit possible exposure. These steps are useful at home as well as on‐campus. Use only cold water for cooking or drinking. Lead leaches more easily into hot water than cold water. Flush your tap water. Flushing the tap is particularly important when the faucet has gone unused for more than a few hours. It takes time for lead to dissolve into water, so the first water drawn from the tap in the morning or after a long period of non‐use can contain higher levels of lead. Flushing clears standing water from the cold‐water plumbing. After long periods of non‐use let the cold water run from the tap until it is noticeably colder (this may take up to two minutes or more) before using it for cooking or drinking. Brushing teeth and bathing are not normally considered to result in significant exposure to these corrosion products. Boiling water DOES NOT remove lead or copper. After moving into a new home, remove faucet strainers and rinse them to remove any debris. This can be done periodically to remove accumulated debris as well. Since 2014, new plumbing and fixture installations must use materials meeting a new “lead free” definition. This has been campus policy since the change in the regulation, and continues to be the case. Make sure lead‐free materials are used in any new plumbing in your home, or in new fixtures. We are confident that we have no cold‐water pipes made of lead on‐campus. At home, find out if your house has a lead service line. If so, consider replacing it. Find out from a certified plumber or your public water suppler if your home has lead service lines, because these pipes can be a source of lead at the tap. A service line is the pipe between the curb stop and the water meter. It is typically at least partly under the control/ownership of the homeowner. Are There Treatment and Removal Devices that are Effective in Removal of Lead and Copper? Some home treatment devices remove lead, but not all do. If you choose to have a treatment unit, in order to make a well‐informed and cost‐effective decision, consider identifying a device that has been independently certified to remove lead. NSF International, the Water Quality Association, Underwriters Laboratories, and CSA International all certify home treatment products for removal of contaminants. If a home treatment device is used, it is very important to follow the manufacturer's operation and maintenance instructions carefully to make sure the device functions properly. Why is distribution system condition O & M a campus concern? We are responsible for the operation and maintenance of water mains on our campus and that of the plumbing systems within campus buildings. To that end we have been periodically flushing the water mains on‐site. You may occasionally see staff flushing fire hydrants. This allows us to minimize stagnation of water in the mains, which should generally help improve water taste. This also allows us to observe that the hydrants are in working order. Flushing of mains is also a common practice of public water suppliers in areas of water mains under their control. Pending completion of the review of recent water tests, we are prepared to work with our consulting engineers to evaluate further steps.