City of Bloomington Officials Report November 2016 Disinfectant Byproduct Levels and New Water Treatment Plant Superintendent

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 29, 2016

For more information please contact: Vic Kelson, City of Bloomington Utilities Director, 812-349-3650, kelsonv@bloomington.in.gov

City of Bloomington Officials Report November 2016 Disinfectant Byproduct Levels and New Water Treatment Plant Superintendent

Bloomington, Ind. - The monthly disinfection byproduct (DBP) test results for November have been released, and show a steep decline from October, with the contaminant levels continuing to be lower than the 2015 results.

According to Utilities Director Vic Kelson, "Our November samples continued the seasonal downward trend in DBP concentrations we saw in October. These values are the lowest concentrations we have observed since 2011."

For November 2016, the most recent month, findings revealed the concentration of haloacetic acid (HAA5) levels at the eight testing sites ranged from 18.7 parts per billion (ppb) to 22.7 ppb and the trihalomethane (THM) levels were between 28.8 and 34.2 ppb. In October 2016, results indicated the concentration of HAA5 ranged from 28.0 ppb to 32.0 ppb, and the THM levels were between 41.7 ppb and 46.0 ppb.

Regarding the report, Mayor John Hamilton said, "November water testing results reflect the improved outcomes of our ongoing attention to every detail of our water treatment processes. The monthly testing we initiated in January has made it possible to monitor and measure our efforts more often, which I believe has helped CBU achieve the improved water quality we are seeing in this report. We continue, and will continue, to take our water quality very seriously."

Monthly water testing was initiated in January of this year in an effort better to track water quality, specifically DBPs. Over the January-November 2016 period, no individual sample has exceeded the maximum contaminant level (MCL). In 2015, while there were no violations of the annual average standards, 8 of the 32 samples taken in the distribution system individually exceeded the THM standard and 12 of 32 exceeded the HAA5 standard. The graphs below show the 2016 results in comparison to prior years.

Testing of CBU water is conducted by a private, independent laboratory. All water quality test results are available online at data.bloomington.in.gov under "Utilities."

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