City of Bloomington Officials Report January 2017 Disinfection Byproduct Levels and New Water Treatment Plant Superintendent

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 9, 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 January 2017 Disinfection Byproduct Levels and New Water Treatment Plant Superintendent

Bloomington, Ind. - The monthly disinfection byproduct (DBP) test results for January have been released. Concentrations of DBPs increased slightly compared to the very low levels in December. DBP levels are slightly less than in January 2016.

According to Utilities Director Vic Kelson, "In late December, we began pre-chlorinating in the coagulation basins again for the first time since April. This was necessary because disinfection of colder water requires more contact time with the chlorine disinfectant." In April 2016, CBU ceased chlorination in the basins in an effort to reduce DBPs. Kelson added, "When the water warms up again in the spring, we will be able to eliminate pre-chlorination."

For January 2017, the measured concentration of haloacetic acid (HAA5) levels at the eight testing sites ranged from 32.0 parts per billion (ppb) to 40.0 ppb, the maximum allowed is 60 ppb. The trihalomethane (THM) levels were between 31.0 and 33.4 ppb, the maximum allowed is 80 ppb. In January 2016, results indicated the concentration of HAA5 ranged from 37.0 ppb to 43.0 ppb, and the THM levels were between 31.7 ppb and 41.0 ppb.

Regarding the report, Mayor John Hamilton said, "The proactive approach our Utilities staff has taken to maintain reasonable DBP levels continues to be effective. We will continue to monitor this situation on a monthly basis to best measure our progress."

Monthly water testing was initiated in January 2016 in an effort to better track water quality, specifically DBPs. Since January 2016, 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 January 2017 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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