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The October chill is in the air while the leaves are beginning to fall and just like that summer is over in New England. This is the month that we celebrate Halloween with sweet treats, costumes, gatherings and hot beverages to help keep the blood flowing! Before we know it the snow will be falling - this is the best time of the year to ensure that your well is free of debris and your cap/cover is securely in place.
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3rd Annual Toys For Tots Toy Drive
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Polar Express Free Movie Morning!
November 10, 2018 at 9:00 AM
We are proud to announce that we are an official Toys for Tots toy drop off site again this year. Simply bring a new unwrapped toy to 155 Center Street, Building C in Auburn and place it in the official Toys for Tots drop box. In December the toys will be distributed to children in need over the holiday season.
We are also hosting our third annual Free Movie Morning featuring The Polar Express at Flagship Cinema in Auburn on November 10th doors open at 9:00 am, the movie starts promptly at 10:00 am. Admission is free if you bring in a new unwrapped toy or monetary donation! There will also be door prizes and a 50/50 Raffle!! Help us fill more boxes than last year to put smiles on children's faces around Maine on Christmas morning.
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Business Donors - Toys for Tots
Are you a business and would like to participate in our Toys for Tots fundraising campaign? We are currently accepting raffle items for our free movie morning. Before and after the movie, we will be raffling off door prizes, hoping to attract more people to our event. Popular items include gift certificates, toys or other items.
Every company who donates will be listed on our website, Facebook page and all of our promotional materials that we will be distributing. We ask that donations are received by November 2, 2018. They can be dropped off at our location: Riverview Plaza, 155 Center St, Building C, Auburn, Maine or mailed to P.O. Box 1507, Auburn, ME 04211. We are also able to pick them up in person at your business if you call our office at 207-784-5354 and schedule a pick-up.
We thank you in advance for supporting this great cause that has become near and dear to our hearts at A & L Laboratory. Let's help put smiles on the faces of children on Christmas morning throughout Maine, children who might not otherwise have a reason to smile without the help of the wonderful citizens of our community and state!
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Total dissolved solids (TDS) represent the total concentration of dissolved substances in water. These substances are made up of organic matter (anions, negatively charged ions) and inorganic salts (cations, positively charged ions) such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, nitrates, bicarbonates, chlorides, carbonates, and sulfates. The total dissolved solids concentration is the sum of the anions and cations in the water.
TDS gets into our drinking water in several different ways; naturally depending on the region, agricultural and urban run-off, chemicals used in water treatment, industrial wastewater and discharge, and salts used to treat icy roads. It is important to monitor TDS because it can be an early indicator in determining if something is happening to the water quality. The United States guideline for TDS is 500 parts per million and is a secondary drinking water standard; this means that there are no health risks associated with elevated levels of TDS rather a measure of aesthetics (taste, color, odor, etc.)
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Mercury in Drinking Water
Mercury is a toxic heavy metal which is found in small amounts naturally in soil and rocks. Larger amounts are found through manufacturing and industrial production processes that release mercury gas into the air only to come back down during weather events such as rain and snow. Once it reaches the water, it is converted into the highly toxic form of mercury, methylmercury. Mercury does not breakdown in the environment, it accumulates so animals and fish that consume the mercury become highly toxic for human consumption causing neurological and reproductive disorders.
The Safe Drinking Water Act set a Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) of 2 parts per billion because it is believed that at this level mercury does not cause health effects. Also, given the technology of today, this is the lowest level that public water systems can reasonably remove this contaminant should it be found in drinking water supply.
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A & L Laboratory, a Division of Granite State Analytical Services | 207-784-5354 | rlabranche@granitestateanalytical.com | www.allaboratory.com
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