Updated: September 12, 2024
This is NOT an emergency situation, and you may continue to drink the water, if you DO receive your drinking water from BCWSA in the Middletown Township portion of the BCWSA Main Lower South Water System.
BCWSA works diligently to deliver the highest quality drinking water to its customers. We invest in replacing and upgrading aging infrastructure and continuously make improvements to ensure that we meet upcoming water regulations. Sometimes circumstances beyond our control may affect the quality of the drinking water. One such situation occurred in the Middletown Township portion of the BCWSA Main Lower South Water System.
Why was a public notice issued?
Laboratory results from the second quarter of 2024 indicated levels of a particular haloacetic acids (HAA) was above acceptable levels. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) requires us to collect HAA samples on a quarterly basis, however BCWSA collects these samples on a monthly basis to give us a better idea of the levels of these compounds in our system, as they are constantly changing.
Because we collect these samples on a monthly basis, the results for each month of the quarter are averaged to obtain a number to use for quarterly compliance. Compliance is based on a locational running annual average (LRAA) of the quarterly results.
During the second quarter of 2024, monthly samples were collected and analyzed. When the LRAAs were calculated, two locations had an LRAA for Trichloroacetic acid (TCAA) that exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Lifetime Health Advisory Level (HAL) of 20ppb. Public notice was issued on August 28, 2024 for this exceedance. A copy of the public notice can be found here.
This is not an emergency situation, and you may continue to drink the water.
Am I in the area affected by this public notice?
If you receive water from BCWSA and reside in the area of Middletown Township near the intersection of Woodbourne Road and Lincoln Highway and the area north towards Big Oak Road then you are within the affected area.
If you are unsure if this notice applies to you, please call us at 215-343-2538 to determine if you are within the service area affected by this notice.
Why is there a drinking water violation?
Chlorine is used in the water supply to kill harmful bacteria and viruses. When the chlorine is added to the water, it combines with naturally occurring organic and inorganic materials present in the source water and forms chemicals called disinfection byproducts (DBPs). The EPA sets standards for controlling the levels of these DBPs, including total trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs). The regulations require us to test for THMs and HAAs on a quarterly basis and report a Locational Running Annual Average (LRAA), meaning the results from the four previous quarters are averaged for each location and this number must not exceed the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL). So one high result can affect the yearly average even if results from the three other quarters are lower.
What is the Health Advisory Level (HAL) for Trichloroacetic acid (TCAA) and what was the level in my water that exceeded this number?
The HAL for TCAA is 20ppb. The TCAA results for the two locations that exceeded the HAL are shown in the table below:
What is TCAA?
Trichloroacetic acid (TCAA) is one of five haloacetic acids (HAA) commonly found in drinking water. TCAA is a carboxylic acid where three chlorine atoms replace three hydrogen atoms. The five HAAs monitored in drinking water are monochloroacetic acid, dichloroacetic acid, trichloroacetic acid, monobromoacetic acid, and dibromoacetic acid. They are formed as disinfection by-products (DBPs) when chlorine is added to kill bacteria and other pathogenic microorganisms. The chlorine reacts with naturally-occurring organic material in the source water to produce DBPs. Although they are called acids, HAAs in water are at least partially in non-acidic states. The amount of HAAs in drinking water changes from day to day and is dependent on the season, water temperature, water age, amount of disinfectant added, the amount of organic materials in the source water, and a variety of other factors.
What are the health effects of TCAA?
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers TCAA to be a potential human carcinogen. In animal studies, it has increased the incidence of liver cancer. Human studies have yet to confirm that TCAA exposure increases the risk of cancer.
Human exposure to TCAA directly occurs through consumption. It is slightly absorbed through the skin and does not vaporize into the air at bathing water temperature. Therefore, the potential health hazard is mainly from water that is used for drinking and cooking.
People who consume large volumes of drinking water containing any of the haloacetic acids (HAA) in excess of the maximum contaminant level (MCL) over many years may have an increased risk of cancer. The MCL for HAAs is 60ppb and is based on long-term exposure from drinking two liters (about two quarts) of water every day for seventy years. It is important to note that for this exposure to have significant effects, two things must occur: the MCL must be over the limit and a person must consume a steady amount at the high level over many years. HAAs are eliminated from the body completely one day to two weeks after ingestion depending on the specific acid.
Short-term effects are not likely due to HAA exposure. When concentrated, HAAs have irritant and corrosive properties to the skin and eyes. However, the concentrations that form from disinfection of drinking water are dilute. For example, the concentration of TCAA found is about one million times weaker than the concentration of TCAA used in products for cosmetic skin peels.
What should I do?
There is nothing you need to do. You do not need to use an alternative or bottled water supply. You do not need to boil your water. However, if you have specific health concerns, consult your doctor.
What is BCWSA doing about this?
Our source for the water in this portion of the system is supplied by Lower Bucks County Joint Municipal Authority (LBCJMA). There have been violations due to disinfection byproduct (DBP) exceedances from the water supplied by LBCJMA in prior years, and the problem was addressed with no violations since 2022. BCWSA will be addressing the issue with LBCJMA to see what changes they have made to their treatment process and potentially proceed with an alternate water supply.
What should I do if I have more questions?
If you’d like to do some research on the web, the American Water Works Association has a website at www.drinktap.org that has some information on DBPs. You can also find information on EPA’s website at www.epa.gov.
Information specific to Pennsylvania’s drinking water regulations can be found on PA DEP’s website under the Bureau of Safe Drinking Water at
https://www.dep.pa.gov/Business/Water/BureauSafeDrinkingWater/Pages/default.aspx.