Friday, July 27, 2007

Saranac Lake Water Supply: Is It Safe?

An article in todays Adirondack Daily Enterprise says the Village of Saranac Lake may be required to filter its water or find a new source of water other than McKenzie Pond.
The village currently uses liquid chlorine to disinfect the water and kill microorganisms. Byproducts of chlorination are haloacetic acids (HAA5). A 2004 Environmental Protection Agency law said that water sources can have a maximum of 60 parts per billion microliter of HAA5 in the water supply and still be considered safe. McKenzie Pond was found to have 61.1ppb MCL in March. That level has since fallen to 58.8ppb MCL for June.

Because of the one-time violation, the village will now have to either filter its water or find another water source within 18 months of the department’s final decision.

Currently, the Village chlorinates its water to kill microorganisms. The problem with this is that the chlorination process can result in the formation of haloacetic acids when the chlorine reacts with organic materials found in unfiltered water. This is also called formation of disinfection by-products (DBP). Haloacetic acids are a group of chemical compounds based on the acetic acid molecule (CH3COOH) where one or more hydrogen atoms attached to carbon atoms are replaced by a halogen (chlorine).

Although the EPA sets very stringent allowable levels of HAA's there really is not much evidence that HAA's pose a significant risk. There is evidence in mice and rats and in in vitro studies that exposure to HAA causes increased risk of problems in embryos. But this recent study on pregnancy loss finds no correlation between pregnancy loss and DBP exposure (including HAA). Here is another finding that HAA exposure does not result in significantly increased preterm births. A long term study on the effects of HAA exposure on the incidence of leukemia has recently been reported. The incidence of chronic myloid leukemia increased in those with high exposure to HAA. But the incidence of other leukemias actually went down.

All this being said, I am surprised that the Village does not filter its water. There is nothing more important than a safe, clean and pure water supply except perhaps an effective sewage system in protecting a population from disease.

An exposure summary of HAA's can be found here. HAA exposure of 70 ppb results in a 1:10,000 risk of getting cancer during ones lifetime.

A classification and assessment of HAA can be found here.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

I thought that in your latest post "I really don't understand why people have to walk around with bottles of water. I guess people dehydrate more easily these days." You seem to be what the kids these days call a "fool". You don't understand, yet you had previously posted your thoughts on the bad water of SL. Your thoughts and reasoning are not clear, thus your blogging is an unreliable read.

Anon

PCS said...

You go on vacation for a week and the trolls show up. And a troll that can't even string 2 thoughts together.

What does carrying bottled water have to do with SL safe water. Let me help you save some money. Instead of paying for a bottle of tap water, something more expensive than gasoline.....take a drink before you go somewhere (oh yeah, and be sure and go pee too).

Anonymous said...

"There is nothing more important than a safe, clean and pure water..."
PCS 2007

Anon

Anonymous said...

If SL water is not 100% safe, why not pay $1 and drink to your health. That is my point and the one that you seemed lost on when you questioned why people buy bottled water in the first place.

PCS said...

Anonymous, what part of there really is not much evidence that HAA's pose a significant risk do you not understand? People buy bottled water because it is being marketed to them, not because local water supplies are not safe.

Anonymous said...

There is evidence in mice and rats and in in vitro studies that exposure to HAA causes increased risk of problems in embryos. PCS 2007

PCS said...

Just examining both sides of the issue for the "common" people or should that be the masses. Ever hear of risk/benefit ratios?

Anonymous said...

I don't believe in them. I rely on my own common sense.

Anon

PCS said...

Common sense may be useful when there is no data available on which to make a decision. Common sense is also what resorts to when they cannot explain or justify their opinions.

Anonymous said...

I thought that was faith.

PCS said...

A lot of so-called "common sense" is based only on faith.

Anonymous said...

fair enough

Sara said...

Really glad I read this AFTER drinking SL water all week long, lol