The sources of water of the Mantua Township MUA consist of (7) wells supplied by two ground water aquifers. Four (4) of these wells have an average depth of 322 feet and draw their water from the Upper Aquifer of the Potomac-Raritan-Magothy (PRM) while the remaining three have an average depth of 191 feet and draw their water from the Wenonah-Mt. Laurel Aquifer.

To date the Bureau of Safe Drinking Water has not completed an assessment for our sources of drinking water. Source water assessments will be completed for all sources of public drinking water by May 2003.

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 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 (1-800-426-4791).

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 systems 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/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lesson the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Hotline (1-800-426-4791).\

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 materials, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from 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 storm water runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas projection, mining, or farming.

Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban storm water runoff, and residential uses.

Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are byproducts of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban storm water runoff, 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 ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the EPA prescribes regulations, which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. The Food and Drug Administrations regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water, which must provide the same protection for public health.

We, at the Mantua Township MUA are proud to inform you your drinking water meets or exceeds all Federal and State enforceable requirements. Although through our monitoring and testing we've learned that some constituents have been detected, the EPA has determined that your water IS SAFE at these levels.

For you to better understand these constituents we've attached a table called the "Table of Detected Contaminants" which lists the constituents, their levels and MCL's. To help you understand this table we also provided a list of terms and definitions:

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

Color Units (CU)

Maximum Contaminant Level - The "Maximum Allowed" (MCL) is the highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCL's are set as close to the MCLG's as feasible using the best available treatment technology.

Maximum Contaminant Level Goal -The "Goal"(MCLG) is 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.

Parts per billion (ppb) or Micrograms per liter - one part per billion corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years, or a single penny in $10,000,000.

Parts per million (ppm) or Milligrams per liter (mg/l) - one part per million corresponds to one minute in two years or a single penny in $10,000.

                    Pico-curies per liter (pCi/L) - Pico-curies per liter is a measure of the radioactivity in water.

Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level - (SMCL) Federal drinking water measurements for substances that do not have an impact on health. These reflect aesthetic qualities such as odor, taste or appearance. Secondary standards are recommendations, not mandates.

The Safe Drinking Water Act regulations allow monitoring waivers to reduce or eliminate the monitoring requirements for asbestos, volatile organic chemicals and synthetic organic chemicals. Our system received monitoring waivers for all of these types of contaminants.

Following is a brief description of MCL's, how they are determined and what they mean to you as well as a list of possible health effects of the constituents we detected.

MCL's (Maximum Contaminant Level's)- MCL's are set at very stringent levels. To understand the possible health effects described for many regulated constituents, a person would have to drink 2 liters of water every day at the MCL level for a lifetime to have a one-in-a-million chance of having the described health effect.

Special Considerations Regarding Children, Pregnant Women, Nursing Mothers and Others:

Children may receive a slightly higher amount of a contaminant present in the water than do adults, on a body weight basis, because they may drink a greater amount of water per pound of body weight than do adults. For this reason, reproductive or developmental effects are used for calculating a drinking water standard if these effects occur at lower levels than other health effects of concern. If there is insufficient toxicity information for a chemical (for example, lack of data on reproductive or developmental defects), an extra uncertainty factor may be incorporated into the calculations of the drinking water standards, thus making the standards more stringent, to account for additional uncertainties regarding these effects. In the cases of lead and nitrate, effects on infants and children are the health endpoints upon which the standards are based.

Infants and young children are typically more vulnerable to lead in drinking water than the general population. It is possible that lead levels at your home may be higher than at other homes in the community as a result of materials used in your home plumbing. If you are concerned about elevated lead levels in your home water, you may wish to have your water tested and flush your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using tap water. Additional information is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791)

Nitrate in drinking water at levels above 10 ppm is a health risk for infants of less than six months of age. High nitrate levels in drinking water can cause blue baby syndrome. Nitrate levels may rise quickly for short periods of time because of rainfall or agricultural activity. If you are caring for an infant, you should ask for advice from your health care provider.

Alpha emitters - Certain minerals are radioactive and may emit a form of radiation known as alpha radiation. Some people who drink water containing alpha emitters in excess of the MCL over many years may have an increased risk of getting cancer.

Barium - Some people who drink water-containing barium in excess of the MCL over many years could experience an increase in their blood pressure.

Copper - Copper is an essential nutrient, but some people who drink water containing copper in excess of the action level over a relatively short amount of time could experience gastrointestinal distress. Some people who drink water-containing copper in excess of the action level over many years could suffer liver or kidney damage. People with Wilson's Disease should consult their personal doctor.

Fluoride - Some people who drink water containing fluoride in excess of the MCL over many years could get bone disease, including pain and tenderness of the bones. Children may get mottled teeth.

Lead - Infants and children who drink water-containing lead in excess of the action level could experience delays in their physical or mental development. Children could show slight deficits in attention span and learning abilities. Adults who drink this water over many years could develop kidney problems or high blood pressure.

Mercury (inorganic) - Some people who drink water containing inorganic mercury well in excess of the MCL over many years could experience kidney damage.

Nickel - N/A

Nitrate - Infants below the age of six months who drink water-containing nitrate in excess of the MCL could become seriously ill and, if untreated, may die. Symptoms include shortness of breath and blue-baby syndrome.

Selenium - Selenium is an essential nutrient. However, some people who drink water-containing selenium in excess of the MCL over many years could experience hair or fingernail losses, numbness in fingers or toes, or problems with their circulation.

Sulfate - Sulfate tends to (1) form scale on boilers and heat exchangers (2) cause taste effect and (3) can cause a laxative effect with excessive intake.

TTHM's [Total trihalomethane's] - Some people who drink water containing trihalomethane's in excess of the MCL over many years may experience problems with their liver, kidneys, or central nervous systems, and may have an increased risk of getting cancer.

Sodium - Less than 10% of your sodium intake comes from drinking water. For healthy persons, the sodium content of water is unimportant because the intake from salt is so much greater, but for persons placed on a low sodium diet because of heart, kidney, circulatory ailments, or complications in pregnancy, sodium in water must be considered.

Following is a list of contaminants monitored by the Mantua Township MUA: