Town Of Dedham: Follow-Up To DWWD Update Re: TTHM MCL Violation

Press release from the Town of Dedham:

12/08/2021 10:01 AM

The Dedham-Westwood Water District (DWWD) shared an update with Dedham and Westwood residents on Monday, December 6, 2021 regarding the recent Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) Maximum Contamination Level Tier 2 Violation. As a follow-up to this update, the DWWD has provided the following information to answer some questions and to help explain the monthly sampling data shared:

Status of the TTHM Tier 2 Violation

The status of the TTHM Tier 2 Violation remains unchanged at this time. Although the elevated levels of TTHMs are of concern, this is not an emergency, and an alternative source of water is not necessary. If this were an emergency, each resident and customer would have been notified immediately. 

This was the first exceedance of the drinking water regulation for total trihalomethanes for the Dedham–Westwood Water District. If you have a severely compromised immune system, have an infant, are pregnant, or are elderly, you may be at increased risk and should seek advice from your health care providers about drinking this water.

TTHM are four volatile organic chemicals that form when disinfectants react with natural organic matter in the water. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection advises that “There is nothing you need to do. You do not need to boil your water or take other corrective actions. If a situation arises where the water is no longer safe to drink, you will be notified within 24 hours. People who drink water containing trihalomethanes in excess of the MCL over many years may experience problems with their liver, kidneys, or central nervous system, and may have an increased risk of getting cancer.”

Monthly Sampling Data 

The DWWD implemented monthly sampling at a series of locations, including the two locations with the highest results for TTHMs in the final quarter of 2021; Far Reach Pump Station and Dedham Medical Associates. The data that is collected through this additional sampling provides the DWWD with information to determine if they need to make further adjustments to the treatment process. The monthly samples are collected to measure the impact of the DWWD corrective actions and determine their next steps. The monthly samples are not regulatory samples; and are not an indication that we are no longer in violation of the maximum contamination level for TTHM.

The DWWD will perform another round of monthly sampling in December, and perform regulatory sampling in January that will determine compliance for TTHMs in accordance with the Massachusetts Drinking Water Regulations, 310 CMR 22.00.

Contact Information and Inquiries

The DWWD has set up a specific website to post updates and share data with the public. Please visit www.dwwd.org/tthm to find a record of notifications, updates, and data shared by the DWWD since the initial detection. Anyone with questions or concerns is asked to call the DWWD water quality hotline at 800-279-8810. The hotline is staffed with live representatives Monday through Friday, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., and are available to answer your questions about this information. An email address has also been set up to submit your questions directly to the team at DWWD: waterquality@dwwd.org

The Dedham-Westwood Water District (DWWD) shared an update with Dedham and Westwood residents on Monday, December 6, 2021 regarding the recent Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) Maximum Contamination Level Tier 2 Violation. As a follow-up to this update, the DWWD has provided the following information to answer some questions and to help explain the monthly sampling data shared:

Status of the TTHM Tier 2 Violation

The status of the TTHM Tier 2 Violation remains unchanged at this time. Although the elevated levels of TTHMs are of concern, this is not an emergency, and an alternative source of water is not necessary. If this were an emergency, each resident and customer would have been notified immediately. 

This was the first exceedance of the drinking water regulation for total trihalomethanes for the Dedham–Westwood Water District. If you have a severely compromised immune system, have an infant, are pregnant, or are elderly, you may be at increased risk and should seek advice from your health care providers about drinking this water.

TTHM are four volatile organic chemicals that form when disinfectants react with natural organic matter in the water. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection advises that “There is nothing you need to do. You do not need to boil your water or take other corrective actions. If a situation arises where the water is no longer safe to drink, you will be notified within 24 hours. People who drink water containing trihalomethanes in excess of the MCL over many years may experience problems with their liver, kidneys, or central nervous system, and may have an increased risk of getting cancer.”

Monthly Sampling Data 

The DWWD implemented monthly sampling at a series of locations, including the two locations with the highest results for TTHMs in the final quarter of 2021; Far Reach Pump Station and Dedham Medical Associates. The data that is collected through this additional sampling provides the DWWD with information to determine if they need to make further adjustments to the treatment process. The monthly samples are collected to measure the impact of the DWWD corrective actions and determine their next steps. The monthly samples are not regulatory samples; and are not an indication that we are no longer in violation of the maximum contamination level for TTHM.

The DWWD will perform another round of monthly sampling in December, and perform regulatory sampling in January that will determine compliance for TTHMs in accordance with the Massachusetts Drinking Water Regulations, 310 CMR 22.00.

Contact Information and Inquiries

The DWWD has set up a specific website to post updates and share data with the public. Please visit www.dwwd.org/tthm to find a record of notifications, updates, and data shared by the DWWD since the initial detection. Anyone with questions or concerns is asked to call the DWWD water quality hotline at 800-279-8810. The hotline is staffed with live representatives Monday through Friday, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., and are available to answer your questions about this information. An email address has also been set up to submit your questions directly to the team at DWWD: waterquality@dwwd.org

This press release was produced by the Town of Dedham. The views expressed here are the author’s own.