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UCMR Page for Bedford
Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
Research for New Regulations
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) periodically requires water systems across the country to conduct monitoring for substances that may be present in drinking water to help understand their national occurrence as part of the process of deciding whether to regulate them. Under the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments, EPA established the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule and is required once every five years to develop a list of up to 30 new contaminants that must be monitored during a three year period by public water systems that meet the criteria for sampling. This monitoring is used by EPA to understand the frequency and level of occurrence of unregulated contaminants in the nation’s public water systems (PWSs).
EPA will collect and analyze data for all three years and from systems all across the country to develop an understanding of the occurrence, level and distribution of these substances in drinking water. That data, along with information on potential health effects and water treatment effectiveness will be used by EPA to determine if any new regulations are needed.
2019 UCMR Test Results for Bedford
| Substance | Measurement Units | Average | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manganese | parts per billion (ppb) | 9.2 | 4.1 - 20 |
Manganese is a common mineral that naturally occurs in rocks and soil, and is commonly found in ground and surface waters in New England. It may also be present due to underground pollution sources. Manganese is an essential mineral for proper digestion, bone development, and immune function. Primary sources in the diet include grains, beans, nuts and teas. At excessively high levels, however, manganese can have adverse neurological effects. EPA has a secondary, aesthetic standard of 50 ppb. Above the 50 ppb level, consumers may notice a gray or black coloring in their water and/or fixture staining. To be protective of public health, EPA has a lifetime health advisory (HA) of 300 ppb, and an acute HA at 1.0 mg/l for manganese. Manganese results for Bedford were well below the state and EPA health and aesthetic standards. |
|||
| Substance | Measurement Units | Average | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| HAA5 | ppb | 4.88 | 0 - 25.2 |
| HAA6Br | ppb | 0.56 | 0 - 3.59 |
| HAA9 | ppb | 5.56 | 0 - 28.8 |
| Bromochloroacetic Acid | ppb | 0.38 | 0 - 2.13 |
| Bromodichloroacetic Acid | ppb | 0.21 | 0 - 1.10 |
| Chlorodibromoacetic Acid | ppb | 0.39 | 0.36 - 0.44 |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA) are a group of disinfection byproducts that form when chlorine compounds that are used to disinfect water react with other naturally occurring material in the water. There are five significant HAAs potentially found in disinfected drinking water and their combined concentration is referred to as HAA5. HAA5s are already regulated by the EPA and MassDEP and have a Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) standard of 60 ppb as a locational running annual average. Bedford’s HAA5 levels are below this 60 ppb standard. HAA9 and HAA6Br include four more HAA compounds that are not currently regulated by EPA or MassDEP. Tribromoacetic acid was not detected in Bedford water. If all 9 species in the HAA9 group were combined, Bedford would still be well below the current HAA5 MCL of 60 ppb with an average around 5.56 ppb. | |||
How will this data be used?
EPA will collect and analyze data for all three years and from systems all across the country to develop an understanding of the occurrence, level and distribution of these substances in drinking water. That data, along with information on potential health effects and water treatment effectiveness will be used by EPA to determine if any new regulations are needed.