Annual Drinking Water Quality Report for 2023
The Village of Millbrook Water System
Merritt Avenue, Millbrook, New York 12545

(Public Water Supply ID# 1302770)

 

Introduction

To comply with State regulations, Village of Millbrook Water will be annually issuing a report describing the quality of your drinking water. The purpose of this report is to raise your understanding of drinking water and awareness of the need to protect our drinking water sources. Last year, your tap water met all State drinking water health standards. We are proud to report that our system did not violate a maximum contaminant level. This report provides an overview of last year’s water quality. Included are details about where your water comes from, what it contains, and how it compares to State standards.

If you have any questions about this report or concerning your drinking water, please contact VRI Environmental Services at (845) 677-3839. We want you to be informed about your drinking water.

 

Where does our water come from?

In general, the sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled 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, in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activities. Contaminants that may be present in source water include: microbial contaminants; inorganic contaminants; pesticides and herbicides; organic chemical contaminants; and radioactive contaminants. In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the State and the EPA prescribe regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. The State Health Department’s and the FDA’s regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health.

Our water supply consists of three infiltration galleries, located just outside the Village. The ground water infiltrates into the galleries and is gravity fed into the pump house. The ground water source supplying the Village was determined to be “Ground Water Under the Direct Influence” of surface water. This means that the ground water source is receiving direct surface water recharge.

In January of 2021 a new water filtration system was put into service. This filtration system consists of 2 filter trains. Each train houses one set each of 20-micron filters, 5-micron filters, and 1-micron absolute filters. Prior to this filtration system the water is disinfected with sodium hypochlorite. Zinc orthophosphate and sodium hydroxide are used for corrosion control and pH adjustment in the distribution system and are added after filtration. No other chemicals are used in the treatment process. Alternating pumps send the water through the filtration system and then into the distribution system, excess water is sent to the 500,000-gallon water storage tank.

 

Facts and Figures

Our water system serves 1450 people through 720 service connections. The total amount of water produced in 2023 was 53,644,000 gallons. The daily average of water treated and pumped into the distribution system was 147,000 gallons per day. Our highest single day was 242,600 gallons.

 

Are there contaminants in our drinking water?

As the State regulations require, we routinely test your drinking water for numerous contaminants. These contaminants include: total coliform, turbidity, inorganic compounds, nitrate, lead and copper, volatile organic compounds, total trihalomethanes, total haloacetic acids, synthetic organic compounds, and radiologicals. The table presented below depicts which compounds were detected in your drinking water. The State allows us to test for some contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants do not change frequently. Some of our data, though representative, are more than one year old.

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. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800) 426-4791 or the Department of Behavioral and Community Health at (845) 486-3404.

Table of Detected Contaminants
Contaminant	Violation Yes/No	Date of Sample	Level Detected (Avg/Max) (Range)	Unit Measurement	MCLG	Regulatory Limit (MCL, AL or TT)	Likely Source of Contamination
Nitrate	No	Quarterly 2023	0.555 (Range = 0.25 – 1.14)	mg/L	10	10	Runoff from fertilizer use; Leaching from septic tanks; Sewage; Erosion of natural deposits.
Copper *	No	September 2023	0.557 (Range = 0.150 – 0.795)	mg/L	1.3	1.3	Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits; leaching from wood preservatives.
Total Trihalomethanes	No	9/19/2023	13.80	ug/L	n/a	80	By-product of drinking water chlorination needed to kill harmful organisms. TTHMs are formed when source water contains large amounts of organic matter.
Total Haloacetic Acids	No	9/19/2023	8.4	ug/L	n/a	60	By-product of drinking water disinfections needed to kill harmful organisms.
Gross Alpha	No	9/12/2019	3.46	pCi/L	0	15	Erosion of natural deposits.
Uranium	No	9/12/2019	2.38	ug/L	0	30	Erosion of natural deposits.
Barium	No	5/16/2023	0.006	mg/L	2	2	Discharge of drilling wastes; Discharge from metal refineries; Erosion of natural deposits.
Nickel	No	5/16/2023	0.0009	mg/L	n/a	n/a
Hardness	No	8/8/2018	100	mg/L	n/a	n/a
Zinc	No			mg/L	n/a	5	Naturally occurring; mining waste
3266 Franklin Ave		1/10/2023	0.827
5 Bennett Commons		4/11/2023	0.645
Tennis Courts		7/11/2023	0.517
5 Bennett Commons		10/11/2023	0.617

 

The following tests were sampled in 2023 and were non-detected:

• PFOA
• PFOS
• 1,4 Dioxane
• Table 8B – Arsenic, Cadmium, Chromium, Thallium, Selenium, Beryllium, Antimony, Mercury, Fluoride, Cyanide
• POC’s
• Lead  

 

Footnotes:

* The level presented represents the 90th percentile of the 10 sites tested. A percentile is a value on a scale of 100 that indicates the percent of a distribution that is equal to or below it. The 90th percentile is equal to or greater than 90% of the copper values detected at your water system. In this case, 10 samples were collected at your water system and the 90th percentile value is the reported value. The action level for copper was not exceeded at any of the sites tested.

 

Definitions:
Non - Detects (ND) - Laboratory analysis indicates that the constituent is not present.

Milligrams per liter (mg/l) – Corresponds to one part of liquid in one million parts of liquid (parts per million – ppm).

Micrograms per liter (ug/l) – Corresponds to one part of liquid in one billion parts of liquid (parts per billion – ppb).

Action Level (AL) - The concentrations of a contaminant, which, if exceeded, triggers treatment, or other requirements, which a water system must follow.

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.

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.

Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level (MRDL) – The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants.

Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal (MRDLG) – The level of a drinking water disinfectant below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contamination.

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

Picocuries per liter (pCi/L) – A measure of the radioactivity in water.

 

What does this information mean?

As you can see by the table, our system had no sampling violations. We have learned through our testing that some contaminants have been detected; however, these contaminants were detected below the level allowed by the State. We are required to present the following information on lead in drinking water.

Lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. Village of Millbrook Water is responsible for providing high quality drinking water and removing lead pipes, but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components in your home. You share the responsibility for protecting yourself and your family from the lead in your home plumbing. You can take responsibility by identifying and removing lead materials within your home plumbing and taking steps to reduce your family’s risk. Before drinking tap water, flush your pipes for several minutes by running your tap, taking a shower, doing laundry or a load of dishes. You can also use a filter certified by an American National Standards Institute accredited certifier to reduce lead in drinking water. If you are concerned about lead in your water and wish to have your water tested, contact VRI Environmental Services for Village of Millbrook Water at 845-677-3839. Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

 

Is our water system meeting other rules that govern operations?

In 2023, The Millbrook Village Water system was in compliance with all applicable State drinking water operating, monitoring and reporting requirements.

 

Do I Need to Take Special Precautions?

Some people may be more vulnerable to disease causing microorganisms or pathogens in drinking water than the general population. Immuno-compromised persons 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 from their health care provider about their drinking water. EPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium, Giardia and other microbial pathogens are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).

 

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
• Check every faucet in your home for leaks. Just a slow drip can waste 15 to 20 gallons a day. Fix it 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 It is not uncommon to lose up to 100 gallons a day from one of these otherwise invisible toilet leaks. Fix it and you save more than 30,000 gallons a year.

 

Closing

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. Please call our office if you have any questions.