IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER
To all users of the Millville Elementary School located in Millville, Massachusetts
Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) and Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
are Above Drinking Water Standards
This is an important notice - please translate it for anyone who does not understand English.
This notice is to advise our customers that our water system is in noncompliance with the drinking water
standards for Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) and Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) which are by-products of
chlorination. Although this is not an emergency, you have a right to know what happened, what you
should do, and what we are doing to correct this situation.
We are required to monitor the drinking water for HAA5 and TTHM levels on a routine basis. Previous
notifications were issued reporting that the sample results of Q2, Q3 of 2022 and Q1, Q2 of 2023 showed
that our system exceeded the standard or maximum contaminant level (MCL) for HAA5s during those
compliance periods. The results of the Q3 2023 July through September compliance period also exceeded
the MCL for HAA5s. The standard for HAA5 is 60 parts per billion (ppb), and compliance is determined on a
quarterly basis by averaging all samples collected at each location for the last 12 months (Locational
Running Annual Average). The range of individual HAA5 results during the annual period was reported
between 18 and 250 ppb. The locations and those averages are as follows (averages above the MCL have
been highlighted):
HAA5 Locational Running Annual Average (LRAA) (ppb)
Location
Q2
Apr-Jun
2022
Q3
Jul-Sep
2022
Q4
Oct-Dec
2022
Q1
Jan-Mar
2023
Q2
Apr-Jun
2023
Q3
Jul-Sep
2023
HAA5
MCL
DBP1 – Room 111 64 65 57 71 82 80 60
DBP2 – Room 308/322 59 60 59 71 67 69 60
The results of the Q3 2023 July through September compliance period exceeded the MCL for Total
Trihalomethanes (TTHMs). The standard for TTHMs is 80 parts per billion (ppb), and compliance is
determined on a quarterly basis by averaging all samples collected at each location for the last 12 months
(Locational Running Annual Average). The range of individual TTHM results during the annual period was
reported between 14 and 160 ppb. The locations and those averages are as follows (averages above the
MCL have been highlighted):
TTHM Locational Running Annual Average (LRAA) (ppb)
Location Q3 Jul-Sep
2023
THM
MCL
DBP1 – Room 111 92 80
DBP2 – Room 308/322 90 80
What does this mean?
This is not an immediate risk. If it had been, you would have been notified right away.
Some people who drink water containing haloacetic acids (HAA5s) in excess of the MCL over
many years may have an increased risk of getting cancer.
Some people who drink water containing trihalomethanes (TTHMs) 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.
In addition, young children (including infants), pregnant women or those who may become pregnant may
be potentially more susceptible to risks from exposures to chemicals, such as TTHMs and HAA5s.
What happened?
HAA5s and TTHMs are byproducts of chlorine which form when chlorine (a disinfectant and oxidant)
combines with natural organic matter commonly found in surface and ground water supplies. Levels can
vary depending on a number of factors including the amount of chlorine used, amount of organic plant
material in water sources, temperature, water age and seasons. We must control these by-product levels
while also maintaining appropriate levels of chlorine in the water necessary to remove contaminants (iron
and manganese) and to avoid bacterial issues. Our water system has been required by MassDEP to submit
a plan containing immediate short-term and long-term actions to correct the issue.
What is being done?
We are evaluating our treatment system and other corrective action options.
What can you do to reduce exposure?
Use bottled water for drinking, preparing formula, beverages, or food that retains water (e.g., hot
cereals, rice, or pasta). While actions are being implemented to lower the by-product water
concentrations, bottled water (or bottled water stations) are being made available at locations
throughout the facility.
Where to find more information?
A question and answer document for consumers about HAA5 and TTHM by-products has been
provided by MassDEP and is available at
https://www.mass.gov/doc/factsheet-haloacetic-acids-and-total-trihalomethane-in-drinking-
water-information-for-consumers/download
You can also contact the US EPA Safe Drinking Water Hot Line at 1-800-426-4791.
Additional Information
For more information please visit our website at millvillema.org or contact Peter Caruso, Town
Administrator at townadmin@millvillema.org or 508-883-1186.
If you have questions about your water system’s operation, water quality monitoring, or response to this
issue, please contact the system operator directly. If you have questions about the drinking water
regulations or health risks posed by these contaminants,
you can contact the MassDEP Drinking Water
Program at: program.director-dwp@mass.gov or (617) 292-5770. If you have questions about specific
symptoms, you can contact your doctor or other health care provider. If you have general questions about
public health, you can contact the Massachusetts Department of Public Health at 617-624-5757.
Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may
not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and
businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.
This notice is being sent to you by: Town of Millville PWS ID#: 2188004 Date distributed: 11/2/2023