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1.12.02 M.U.D. disputes study: Water is safe to drink Last week, the Environmental Working Group and U.S. Public Interest Group, issued a report, ranking Omaha eighth among 50 cities they deemed to be at increased risk of miscarriages and birth defects, based on state and federal data they analyzed. They say that when treatment systems use chlorine to kill water-borne diseases, trace amounts of other toxic chemicals, called trihalomethanes (THMs), are left in the drinking water. M.U.D. has never been in violation of the Safe Drinking Water Act's regulation for THMs. To ensure our water is always safe to drink, we monitor for trihalomethanes (THMs) every month, however only the four-quarter averages are reported as "official." Quarterly samples have, on occasion, exceeded 100 parts per billion (ppb), however the four-quarter averages have not. Our THM average is 74 ppb. When we change our water treatment process to chloramines in the Fall of 2002, we anticipate the THM level will drop approximately 50 percent. The cost to design and build the chloramination facilities at the Florence and Platte Water Treatment Plants is estimated at $3.7 million. Annual cost of operation after the change will be approximately $200,000. Health effects: The Environmental Working Group Report talks about effects of THMs on pregnant women. M.U.D. is not an expert on health effects. We rely on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and its scientific research. EPA says, "Some people who drink water containing THMs in excess of the 100 maximum contaminant level over many years could experience problems with their liver, kidneys or central nervous systems, and may have an increased risk of getting cancer." EPA does not say anything specific about pregnant women, so in our opinion, it's safe to say the Environmental Working Group assertions are speculative. The Environmental Working Group Report calls for funds to help water systems make improvements. According to Jack Daniel, Nebraska Health & Human Services, the State of Nebraska receives $7.8 million a year in "state revolving funds," to help water systems make improvements. M.U.D. is eligible for these funds for the chloramination project, however because we are not in violation of Safe Drinking Water Standards, we would not receive a high rating for this money. The state currently is using this money to help 25 small water systems in Nebraska with nitrate problems, which are in violation of other regulations. The Environmental Working Group Report also calls for surface water protection. Surface water protection (everything that is dumped into the Missouri River) falls under the authority of the EPA (Bill Rice, acting regional director in Kansas City, EPA, Region VII). In Nebraska, the Department of Environmental Quality is charged with overseeing surface water quality. |
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