Water Quality Report

​AUTHOR: VILLAGE OF MORRIS DPW 
VILLAGE OF MORRIS
P.O. BOX 448 MORRIS, NY 13808
(607) 263-5400 OR (607) 263-5556

2017 WATER QUALITY REPORT

We’re pleased to present to you this year’s Annual Water Quality Report. This report is designed to inform you about the quality water and services we deliver to you every day. Our constant goal is to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water. We want you to understand the efforts we make to continually improve the water treatment process and protect our water resources. We are committed to ensuring the quality of your water.

Why am I receiving this report?

Congress passed the Safe Drinking Water Act in 1974 and gave the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the job of making rules ,National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWR), to ensure safe drinking water in the US. In 1996, Congress passed amendments that require drinking water systems to give consumers important information about their water, including where it comes from, and how your water quality compares with federal standards.

The Village of Morris services a population of 642 people from our Water Department located at 39 Grove Street. This report covers the period January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2017. If you have any questions about this report or concerning your water utility, please contact Russell (Rusty) Nichols at (607) 263-5556 or the local Department of Health Office at (607) 432-3911. We want our valued customers to be informed about their water utility. If you want to learn more, please attend any of our regularly scheduled meetings. They are held on the first Tuesday of every month at 7:00 pm in the Townhouse.

The sources of drinking 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 radioactive material and can pick up substances resulting from human or animal activity.
Where does our water come from?
Our water source is a spring located at the end of Meadow Lane. From the spring, water is pumped throughout the water system as well as to a brand new water storage tank. When the tank is full the pump shuts off and the water is gravity fed back from the tank into the distribution system. Our water is treated with Chlorine for disinfectant and a phosphate blend as a corrosion inhibitor. Our water operator is NYS Certified and attends ongoing educational classes.

This report shows our water quality and what it means.

Contaminants that may be present in raw or source water before it is treated are : microbial contaminants, inorganic contaminants, pesticides and herbicides, radioactive contaminants, and organic chemical contaminants. Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria , may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife. Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, can be naturally – occurring or result from urban storm water runoff, industrial or domestic waste water discharges, oil and gas production, mining or farming. Pesticides and herbicides may come from a variety of sources, such as agricultural and residential uses. Radioactive contaminants are usually naturally occurring. Organic chemical contaminants , including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, are byproducts of industrial processes and petroleum production and can also come from gas stations, urban water runoff and septic systems.

The Village of Morris routinely monitors for contaminants in your drinking water according to Federal and State laws. This table shows the results of our monitoring for the period of January 1st to December 31st , 2016. All drinking water, including bottled water, may be reasonably expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. It is important to remember that the presence of these contaminants does not necessarily pose a health risk. In the table at the bottom of this page you will find many terms and abbreviations you might not be familiar with. To help you better understand these terms we’ve provided definitions below.

a)*Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) – The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCL’s are set as close to the MCLG’s as feasible using the best available treatment technology.

b)*Maximum Contaminant Level Goal(MCLG) – The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health . MCLG’s allow for a margin of safety.*

c)*Action Level(AL) – The concentration of a contaminant, which if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements, which a water system must follow.

d)*Treatment Technique(TT) – A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.

e)*Variances and Exemptions – State or EPA permission not to meet an MCL or treatment technique under certain circumstances.

f) *ppm – parts per million or milligrams per liter (mg/l)

g)*ppb – parts per billion or micrograms per liter (mcg/l)

h)*NTU – Nephelometric Turbidity Units (a measure of turbidity)

i)*pCi/l – Picocuries per liter( a measure of radium 228)

Mathematical Conversions
*1mgl/l = 1 ppm
*1mcg/l = 1ppb
*1ppm X 1000 = 1ppb

The amounts of a contaminant allowed in drinking water are so small they are measured in ppm – equivalent to one penny in $10,000: or ppb – equivalent to one penny in $10,000,000.

Along with the previously mentioned our water has also been tested for 140 other substances that were undetectable.

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 the 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 at 1-800-426-4791.

Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immuno – compromised person such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk from infections, These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. EPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by cryptosporidium and other microbiological contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791)

What does this mean?

Some customers have an elevated copper level in their water. In an effort to combat this situation the Village is injecting a phosphate blend compound. This compound coats the inside of the pipes preventing lead and copper from entering the water.

We’re proud that your drinking water meets or exceeds all Federal and State requirements or we have be determined to be doing everything possible. We have learned through our monitoring and testing that some contaminants have been detected. The EPA has determined that your water IS SAFE at these levels.

We at the Village of Morris 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. Please call our office if you have questions. Russell (Rusty) Nichols at (607) 263-5556

Landlords and owners of multiple family dwellings should contact the Village for additional copies of this report for your tenants. Village Office (607) 263 – 5400 or Village Barn (607) 263 – 5556

Morris Village Water System
NY3800153

AWQR Summary

The NYS DOH has completed a source water assessment for this system, based on available information. Possible and actual threats to the drinking water sources were evaluated. The state source water assessment includes a susceptibility rating based on the risk posed by each potential source of contamination and how easily contaminants can move through the subsurface to the wells.

The susceptibility rating is an estimate of the potential for contamination of the source water, it does not mean that the water delivered to consumers is , or will become contaminated. While nitrates (and other inorganic contaminants) were detected in our water, it should be noted that all drinking water, including bottled drinking water, may be reasonably expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants from natural sources. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk. The nitrate levels in our sources are not considered high in comparison with other sources in this area. See section “Are there contaminants in our drinking water?” for a list of the contaminants that have been detected.

As mentioned before, our water is derived from a spring. The source water assessment has rated the spring as having a high susceptibility to microbials and nitrates. These ratings are due primarily to the close proximity of permitted discharge facilities (industrial/commercial facilities that discharge waste water into the environment and are regulated by the state and/or federal government) and pasture within the assessment area. In addition, the spring draws from an unconfined aquifer of unknown hydraulic conductivity. While the source water assessment rates our spring as being susceptible to microbials, please note that our water is disinfected to ensure that the finished water delivered into your home meets New York State’s drinking water standards for microbial contamination. A copy of the assessment, including a map of the assessment area, can be obtained by contacting us as noted below.

Call Russell (Rusty) Nichols, Superintendent at 607 – 263 – 5556 or stop at the Village Barn at 39 Grove Street.

Future plans

We intend to maintain the quality of water and the integrity of our water system and with our  meter reading equipment keep close track of where our water is used. This will help us discover leaks inside residences.
Ground Water Under the Direct Influence of Surface Water Study

The New York State Department of Health, after reviewing data collected for a year, has determined that there is no evidence of surface water intrusion into the spring. “Therefore, the Spring is not considered GWUDI and no additional action is required at this time.”

WHY SAVE WATER AND HOW TO AVOID WASTING IT?

Although our system has an adequate amount of water to meet present and future demands, there are a number of reasons why it is important to conserve water:

Saving water saves energy and some of the costs associated with both of these necessities of life;

Saving water reduces the cost of energy required to pump water and the need to construct costly new wells, pumping systems and water towers; and saving water lessens the strain on the water system during a dry spell or drought, helping to avoid severe water use restrictions so that essential fire fighting needs are met.

You can play a role in conserving water by becoming conscious of the amount of water your household is using, and by looking for ways to use less whenever you can. It is not hard to conserve water. Conservation tips include:

Automatic dishwashers use 15 gallons for every cycle, regardless of how many dishes are loaded. So get a run for your money and load it to capacity.

Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth.

Check every faucet in your home for leaks. Just a slow drip can waste 15 to 20 gallons a day. Fix it up and you can save almost 6,000 gallons per year.

Check your toilets for leaks by putting a few drops of food coloring in the tank, watch for a few minutes to see if the color shows up in the bowl. It is not uncommon to lose up to 100 gallons a day or more from one of these otherwise invisible toilet leaks. Fix it and you save more than 30,000 gallons a year.

Use your water meter to detect hidden leaks. Simply turn off all taps and water using appliances, then check the meter after 15 minutes. If it moved, you have a leak.

Thank you for allowing us to continue to provide your family with quality drinking water this year. In order to maintain a safe and dependable water supply we sometimes need to make improvements that will benefit all of our customers. The costs of these improvements may be reflected in the rate structure. Rate adjustments may be necessary in order to address these improvements. 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. Please call the Village Superintendent if you have any questions, at 607-263-5556.

​THANK YOU. THE VILLAGE CREW.