Annual Drinking Water Quality Report

Report Year: 2023

Municipal Authority of Buffalo Township (PWS ID: 5030019)

 

Este informe contiene información importante acerca de su agua potable. Haga que tradúzca para usted,

ó hable con alguien que lo entienda. (This report contains important information about your drinking

water. Have someone translate it for you, or speak with someone who understands it.)

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We are pleased to present our annual water quality report, which covers all testing completed from January through December 2023. This report is designed to inform you about the quality of 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. In addition, we want you to understand the efforts we make to continually improve the water treatment process, protect our water resources, and our commitment to ensuring the quality of your drinking water. If you do not understand the information and have questions concerning these results, or wish to request a hard copy of this report, please contact Kristy Donaldson, Authority Manager, at (724) 295-2703. If you would like to learn more about the Authority, public meetings are held on the third Thursday of each month, 7:00 p.m., at 707 South Pike Road.

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Source Water Information

The Allegheny River is the main source of supply for the Municipal Authority of Buffalo Township’s service area.

The Stanley K. Swank Freeport Filter Plant is capable of producing 1.25 million gallons of water per day (MGD).

An interconnection with Harrison Township Water Authority also exists in the event of an emergency.

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A Source Water Assessment of the Allegheny River near our intake was completed by the PA Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP).  The Assessment found that the contributing watersheds to the Allegheny River intake are potentially susceptible to contamination by roads, bridges, railroads, boating, barge traffic, auto repair, utility substations/power plants, combined sewer outfalls, pipelines and runoff from non-point sources such as residential developments.  A summary report of the Assessment is available online at the Source Water Assessment Summary Reports eLibrary web page: http://www.depgreenport.state.pa.us/elibrary/GetFolder?FolderID=4493.  Copies of the complete report are available for review by calling the PA DEP Northwest Regional Office at (814) 332-6945.

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Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immunocompromised

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 about drinking water from their health care providers. EPA/Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.

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Definitions of Terms Used in This Report

AL (Action Level): The concentration of a contaminant, which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other

requirements, which a water system must follow.

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MCL (Maximum Contaminant Level): The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water.

MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology.

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MCLG (Maximum Contaminant Level Goal): The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is

no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety.

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MRDL (Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level): The highest level of disinfectant allowed in drinking water.

There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants.

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MRDLG (Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal): The level of 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 contaminants.

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MinRDL (Minimum Residual Disinfectant Level): The minimum level of residual disinfectant required at the entry point to

the distribution system.

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NA: Not applicable

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NTU (Nephelometric Turbidity Units): Measurement of the clarity, or turbidity, of the water.

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ppb: parts per billion, or micrograms per liter.

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ppm: parts per million, or milligrams per liter.

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SS: Single sample

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

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Turbidity - The measurement of the clarity of the water.  Results were below the treatment technique requirement of 0.3 NTU in 95% of all samples taken for compliance on a monthly basis throughout 2022.

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%: means percent.

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90th Percentile: The highest concentration of lead or copper in tap water that is exceeded by 10 percent of the sites

sampled during a monitoring period. This value is compared to the lead and copper action level (AL) to determine

whether an AL has been exceeded.

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Water Quality Results

The Municipal Authority of Buffalo Township routinely monitors for contaminants in your drinking water according

to federal and state laws. The following tables show the results of our monitoring for the period of January

1st to December 31st, 2023.  The State allows us to monitor for some contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants do not change frequently.

Turbidity

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Results were below and exceeded the treatment technique requirement of 0.3 NTU in 95% of all samples taken for compliance on a monthly basis.

 

 

Entry Point Disinfectant Residual - Measured on Water Leaving the Treatment Plant

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Detected Regulated Substances - Measured on Water Leaving the Treatment Plant

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Disinfectant Residual - Measured in the Distribution System

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Range represents the calculated monthly average of the results for the routine individual samples.

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Detected Regulated Substances - Measured in the Distribution System

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Average results are the highest running annual average for individual sampling points.  Range represents sampling at individual sample points.

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Lead & Copper - Measured in the Distribution System

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If present, elevated levels of 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.  The Municipal Authority of Buffalo Township is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components.  When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking.  If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water tested.  Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at https://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

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Educational Information

 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 materials, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or human activity. Contaminants that may be present in source water include:

 

• Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations and wildlife.

• Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally occurring or result from urban stormwater run-off, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming.

• Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater run-off and residential uses.

• Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban stormwater run-off and septic systems.

• Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities. 

 

In order to assure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA and DEP prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems.  FDA and DEP regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health. 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 EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.

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