Special Statement
Information Regarding Recent Channel 7 News
Report on THMs in Drinking Water
November 8, 2006
A recent news story reported
on the presence of Trihalomethanes – commonly called THMs – in drinking
water. THMs, which are present in most drinking waters, are formed when
drinking water is disinfected. Most source waters, like the Potomac River
or Occoquan Reservoir, contain some natural organic matter. THMs are formed
when chlorine, a disinfectant, reacts with the natural organic matter
found in water.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates drinking water and requires
that all drinking water be disinfected. EPA also sets a standard for the
allowable limit of THMs in drinking water. The Maximum Contaminant Limit (MCL)
for Trihalomethanes is set at 80 parts per billion (1 part per billion is
equivalent to about 1 second in 32 years) and measured by reporting an annual
running quarterly average.
Fairfax Water's annual running quarterly average for THMs in 2006 is 30 parts
per billion for the southern portion of Fairfax County and 16 parts per billion
for the northern portion of Fairfax County. As you can see, these THM levels
are well below EPA's limit. The highest level of THMs found in a sample collected
in Fairfax County in 2006 was 40 parts per billion.
For more information regarding water quality, please visit our website at
http://www.fairfaxwater.org/water/index.htm.
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Fairfax County Water Authority
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