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Summer is here! The temperatures are rising and the grass is turning green. It's time to get yourself outside and enjoy all that the northeast has to offer. Go to the beach or an outdoor festival, explore nature with a hike through the woods, or visit some of the quaint towns that define us as New Englander's.
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What Makes Water "Drinkable"?
Our clients often ask us to test their water to find out if it's "drinkable". What defines drinkable water to our clients? Are there already preconceived ideas on what makes it drinkable? Are they just looking to test for bacteria? There are many questions we, as a laboratory, need to ask to find out exactly what we should be testing.
There are many analytes that are primary drinking water standards that could cause your water to fail "drinkability" however there are several analytes that we test for that are commonly found in New England. Primary drinking water standards set levels of contaminants that may pose a health risk when they are present in a drinking water supply. The standards are divided into inorganic chemicals, organic chemicals, radionuclides, disinfectants, disinfectant bi-products and microorganisms.
Testing for every analyte would be prohibitively expensive but we have put together a comprehensive test package which covers common problems that make water fail drinkability; copper, fluoride, arsenic, lead, uranium, bacteria, nitrate and nitrites are all included in this package.
Click here for a complete list of primary drinking water standards regulated by the EPA
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The EPA's PFAS Action Plan
PFAS (Per- and polyfluoroakyl substances) have been a big part of the news for quite some time. It can be confusing and worrisome, especially if you live in an area with known exposure. PFAS have been in use in consumer and industrial products since the 1940s; they are a group of persistent synthetic chemicals used in the United States for a variety of applications including firefighting foam, non-stick coating and many others. There is evidence that long-term exposure causes health effects.
What is the EPA doing to fix this ever growing problem? The EPA has developed a PFAS Action Plan written to address short-term goals, long-term goals, and regulatory approaches that would reduce the risks associated with PFAS in the environment. Through this action plan the EPA will work with many different agencies, tribes, states, and local communities to help better understand PFAS and the risks to human health as well as ways to reduce/eliminate PFAS from the environment. The priority is for short-term exposure prevention and long-term cleanup goals.
There are 4 specific short/long term goals being focused on now:
- What are the human health and ecological effects of exposure to PFAS?
- What are the significant sources, fate and transport pathways, and exposure to humans and ecosystems?
- What are the costs and effectiveness of different methods for removing and remediating PFAS in the natural and built environment?
- How does the EPA support stakeholders in using science to protect public health and the environment?
Click here to read the full Action Plan covering the full details of each goal.
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Mother Nature has certainly shown her true colors this winter; with a mixed bag of heavy rain, snow, ice, sleet, and freezing rain we have definitely had to deal with some tricky weather conditions. Once the cold weather moves in the ground begins to freeze. Once the ground is frozen the heavy rains have nowhere to go and often we see flooding.
Flooding can cause an array of problems such as closing roads because of unsafe travel and washing out bridges but it can also cause problems at home such as wet basements and flooded wells. Swiftly moving flood water can carry large debris that could loosen well hardware, dislodge well construction materials or distort casing. Coarse sediment in the flood waters could erode pump components. If the well is not tightly capped, sediment and flood water could enter the well and contaminate it. Wells that are more than 10 years old or less than 50 feet deep are likely to be contaminated, even if there is no apparent damage. Floods may also cause some wells to collapse.
After the flood waters have returned to normal levels and the electrical system to your pump has dried out be sure to have an electrician inspect the wiring before the pump is turned on to prevent electric shock.
If your well has been flooded then it is likely contaminated with potentially harmful bacteria; it is important to test your water to ensure you don't get sick. It is suggested to have at least a safety test done or you can choose a more comprehensive water test. If there is bacteria present do not drink the water until you have gone through the chlorination process and retested your water.
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A & L Laboratory, a Division of Granite State Analytical Services | 207-784-5354 | [email protected] | www.allaboratory.com
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