Last year, as in years past, your tap water met all U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state drinking water health standards. Local Water vigilantly safeguards its water supplies and once again we are proud to report that our system has not violated a maximum contaminant level or any other water quality standard.

Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants 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 about drinking water from their health care providers. EPA/Centers 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 Water Drinking Hotline (800-426-4791).

The Town of Berlin pumps your drinking water from three separate wells in town.  The source of this water is the Pocomoke aquifer, which is ground water drawn from about 125 feet below the earth's surface.  An aquifer is somewhat like an underground sponge composed of rocks, sand and of course water.  The area between the surface and the water helps to filter and purify the water before it actually reaches the aquifer and pumped into our system.

The Town of Berlin has completed its well head protection report and passed anb ordinance establishing protection areas and criteria.  A copy of the well head protection program and ordinance is available at town hall.

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 water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791). 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 activity:

microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, that 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 runoff, 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 runoff, 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 runoff, and septic systems; and radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.  In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems.  Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health.

We want our valued customers to be informed about their water utility.  If you want to learn more, please feel free to attend any of our regularly scheduled, Berlin Utility Commission meetings.  They are held typically on the third Tuesday of every month in Berlin Town Hall at 5:30pm or you may contact Marvin Smith, Superintendent of Water at 410-641-2414

The table below lists all of the drinking water contaminants that we detected during the calendar year of this report. The presence of contaminants in the water does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk.  Unless otherwise noted, the data presented in this table is from testing done in the calendar year of the report.  The EPA or the State requires us to monitor for certain contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants do not change frequently.

Arsenic (ppb)

0

10

2.4

2.4

2006

No

Erosion of natural deposits; Runoff from orchards; Runoff from glass and electronics production wastes

Barium (ppm)

2

2

0.46

0.4

0.46

2006

No

Discharge of drilling wastes; Discharge from metal refineries; Erosion of natural deposits

Chromium (ppb)

100

4.7

1.1

4.7

2006

No

Discharge from steel and pulp mills; Erosion of natural deposits

Nitrate [measured as Nitrogen] (ppm)

10

10

4.2

3.9

4.2

2006

No

Runoff from fertilizer use; Leaching from septic tanks, sewage; Erosion of natural deposits

Nitrite [measured as Nitrogen] (ppm)

1

1

0.011

0.011

2003

No

Runoff from fertilizer use; Leaching from septic tanks, sewage; Erosion of natural deposits

Sodium (optional) (ppm)

MPL

15

11

15

2006

No

Erosion of natural deposits; Leaching

Alpha emitters (pCi/L)

0

15

2

2

2005

No

Erosion of natural deposits

Beta/photon emitters (pCi/L)

0

50

10

10

2005

No

Decay of natural and man-made deposits. The EPA considers 50 pCi/L to be the level of concern for Beta particles.

Radium (combined 226/228) (pCi/L)

0

5

0.2

0.2

2005

No

Erosion of natural deposits

Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (ppb)

0

6

2.5

1.3

2.5

2006

No

Discharge from rubber and chemical factories

Copper - action level at consumer taps (ppm)

1.3

1.3

0.24

2006

0

No

Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits

Lead - action level at consumer taps (ppb)

0

15

0.006

2006

0

No

Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits

As part of an on-going evaluation program the EPA has required us to monitor some additional contaminants/chemicals. Information collected through the monitoring of these contaminants/chemicals will help to ensure that future decisions on drinking water standards are based on sound science.

MTBE (ppb)

3.3

0.6

3.3

ppm

ppm: parts per million, or milligrams per liter (mg/L)

ppb

ppb: parts per billion, or micrograms per liter (µg/L)

pCi/L

pCi/L: picocuries per liter (a measure of radioactivity)

NA

NA: not applicable

ND

ND: Not detected

NR

NR: Monitoring not required, but recommended.

MCLG

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.

MCL

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.

TT

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

AL

AL: Action Level: The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow.

Variances and Exemptions

Variances and Exemptions: State or EPA permission not to meet an MCL or a treatment technique under certain conditions.

MRDLG

MRDLG: Maximum residual disinfection level goal. 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 contaminants.

MRDL

MRDL: Maximum residual disinfectant level. 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.

MNR

MNR: Monitored Not Regulated

MPL

MPL: State Assigned Maximum Permissible Level

Marvin Smith
10 William Street
Berlin, MD 21811
Phone: 410-641-2414
Fax: 410-641-3576
email: msmith@townofberlinmd.com