- • in drinking water at levels above 10 ppm is a health risk for infants of less than six • in drinking water at levels above 10 ppm is a health risk for infants of less than six months of age. High nitrate levels in drinking water can cause blue baby syndrome. Nitrate levels may rise quickly for short periods of time because of rainfall or agricultural activity. If you are caring for an infant, you should ask for advice from your health care provider.

###### VIOLATION NOTIFICATION:

*Could not collect EP 109 Village Well nitrate samples for the second quarter 2018 since well pump was under repair. The Nitrate result was reported as a violation since we were unable to collect sample. *May chlorine sampling was reported incorrectly. The chlorine sampling was corrected not within the allowed timeframe. There were not any water quality problems with the sampling.

###### EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION:

The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally-occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity. Contaminants that may be present in source water include:

- • contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage • contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife.
- • contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally-occurring or • contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally-occurring or result from urban stormwater run-off, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming.
- • and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, • and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and septic systems.
- • contaminants, which can be naturally-occurring or be the result of oil and gas • contaminants, which can be naturally-occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.

If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. Shrewsbury Municipal Water Company is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components. When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking. If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water tested. Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead. In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA and DEP prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. FDA and DEP regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health.

Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).

Please call our office if you have questions.

We at the Shrewsbury Municipal Water Company work around the clock to provide top quality water to every tap. We ask that all our customers help us protect our water sources, which are the heart of our community, our way of life and our children’s future.