8/4/2019 Perch Lo Rate Warning
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DRINKING WATER WARNING
Important information about your drinking water
Please read or have someone translate it for you
TESTS SHOW PERCHLORATE IN WATER
Town of Ipswich, MA
WATER SHOULD NOT BE CONSUMED BY PREGNANT WOMEN, NURSING
MOTHERS,
INFANTS, CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 12, AND PEOPLE WITH
HYPOTHYROIDISM
A routine sample collected from the Ipswich Water Division s
surface water treatment plant on August 25, 2011 showed
a perchlorate concentration of 2.2 parts per billion (ppb). The
Massachusetts Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for
perchlorate is 2.0 ppb. Ipswich was notified by the laboratory
today that a confirmation sample contained 2.3 ppb ofperchlorate.
Ipswich turned off the surface water treatment plant yesterday and
is presently using only well water. Water
from the Town s wells was also tested on August 25, 2011 and did
not contain harmful levels of perchlorate. Testing is
being done at several locations in the Ipswich municipal water
main system, and the public will be notified when the
water is considered safe for all consumers. A round of samples
is being taken throughout the Town today with resultsexpected
during the afternoon tomorrow. Based on the results from those
samples, the Massachusetts Department of
Environmental Protection will evaluate whether or not the Do Not
Drink Order for sensitive subpopulations needs to
remain in effect.
Possible Health Effects
Perchlorate interferes with the normal function of the thyroid
gland and thus has the potential to affect growth and
development and could cause brain damage and other adverse
effects, particularly in fetuses and infants.
What should I do?
1. Pregnant women, nursing mothers, infants, children up to the
age of 12, and individuals with hypothyroidism shouldnot consume
drinking water containing concentrations of perchlorate that exceed
the Maximum Contaminant Level of2.0 ppb. The samples discussed in
this public notice exceed that level, so persons in the listed
groups should not
consume the water. The Town of Ipswich will notify the public
when the levels have been reduced to below 2.0
ppb.2. Ice cubes, juices, baby formula, and other beverages
prepared using the tap water should be discarded.3. The general
population is advised not to drink the water if levels exceed 18
ppb. The samples discussed in this
public notice do not exceed that level, and therefore the
remaining portion of the general public (see #1 above)
can drink the water.4. The water can be used for showering and
bathing, although incidental ingestion of bath water by young
children
should be minimized.
5. Water should not be used for cooking foods (for the sensitive
subpopulations described above) that absorb a lot ofwater (e.g.,
pasta, rice).
6. If you are concerned about effects of previous exposure to
perchlorate on your thyroid functions, you should contactyour
primary health care provider.
What happened? What is being done?
Perchlorate is an inorganic chemical widely used as an oxidizer
in fireworks, blasting agents and in other industriaproducts. It
also occurs in some hypochlorite solutions used to disinfect
drinking water. The results of previous samples
collected from the surface water treatment plant showed no
detection of perchlorate. The treatment plant will remain off-
line until further notice. We are investigating the source of
the contamination and evaluating next steps in cooperation
with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental
Protection.
For more information and updates on the situation, please
contact , Ipswich Utilities, at (978) 356-6635.
