Trenton Water Works has announced that it has detected levels of Haloacetic Acid (HAA5) above the drinking water standards.
Trenton Water services areas including in Hopewell Township: Brandon Farms, Wellington Manor, Hopewell Grant, Twin Pines, Four Seasons, Freedom Village, Hopewell Gardens, Hopewell Ridge, Capital Health Hopewell, Princeton Business Park at Hopewell, Hopewell Crossing Shopping Center Arthur Sypek School and some individual residences surrounding those areas that were tied in as the system expanded, according to Hopewell Township.
The following notice was distributed by Trenton Water Works on January 5, 2018 by way of letter dated December 26, 2017:
Our water system recently violated a drinking water standard.
Although this incident was not an emergency, as our customers, you have a right to know what happened and what we are doing to correct this situation.
We routinely monitor for the presence of drinking water contaminants. Testing results from November 14, 2017 show that our system exceeds the standard or maximum contaminant level (MCL), for HAA5. The standard for HAA5 is 60ug/L. It is determined by averaging all the samples collected at each sampling location for the past 12 months. The levels of HAA5 averaged at two of our system’s locations for November 14, 2017 were 62 and 62 ug/L.
What should I do?
- There is nothing you need to do. You do not need to boil your water or take other corrective actions. If a situation arises where the water is no longer safe to drink, you will be notified within 24 hours.
- If you have a severely compromised immune system, have an infant, are pregnant, or are elderly, you may be at increased risk and should seek advice from your health care providers about drinking this water.
What does this mean?
This is not an emergency. If it had been an emergency, you would have been notified within 24 hours. HAA5 are five haloacetic acid compounds which form when disinfectants react with natural organic matter in the water.
Some people who drink containing haloacetic acids in excess of the MCL over many years may have an increased risk of getting cancer.
What is being done?
We are conducting a more thorough and systemic flushing of the distribution system and evaluating the operation treatment components at the Water Filtration Plan to try to reduce natural organic matter prior to disinfection. We are also evaluating the potential impact that the early November low water pressure event may have had on the HAA5 formation. Based on actions taken by Trenton Water Works to address the problem, it is anticipated that it should be resolved shortly.
For more information, please contact the Water Filtration Plant Laboratory at 609-989-3379 or Trenton Water Works, 333 Cortland Street, PO Box 528, Trenton, NJ 08604.
