The City of Martinsville Water Utility is pleased to present to you this year’s Annual Quality Water Report. This report is designed to inform you about the quality of water we’re delivering to you every day. Our #1 goal is to provide you with safe and dependable drinking water and we are delivering on that commitment!
This report shows the quality of our water and what it means. I am pleased to report that our drinking water is safe and meets federal & state requirements.
Your Martinsville Water Utility routinely monitors for constituents in your drinking water according to Federal & State Laws. The following table shows the results of our monitoring for the period of January 1st to December 31, 2019 unless otherwise noted. All drinking water, including bottled drinking water, may be reasonably expected to contain at least small amounts of some constituents. It’s important to remember that the presence of these constituents does not necessarily pose a health risk.
In this table you will find many terms and abbreviations that you might not be familiar with. To help you better understand these terms, we’re providing the following definitions:
Parts per million (ppm) or Milligrams per liter (mg/l) – one part per million corresponds to one minute in two years or a single penny in $10,000.
Parts per billion (ppb) or Micrograms per liter – one part per billion corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years, or a single penny in $10,000,000.
Action Level (AL) – the concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow. Maximum Contaminant Level – The “Maximum Allowed” (MCL) is the highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) as feasible using the best available treatment technology.
Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) is the level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety.
Below Detection Level (BDL)
Not Detected (ND) The constituent was not detected at or above the analytical method detection level.
Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level (MRDL) is the highest level of disinfectant allowed in drinking water.
Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal (MRDLG) is the level of drinking water disinfectant below which there is no known or expected risk to health.
2019 Regulated Contaminants Detected
Lead and Copper
If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. We are responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but we cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components. When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking. If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water tested. Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.
| Lead and Copper | Date Sampled | MCLG | Action Level (AL) | 90th Percentile | # Sites Over AL | Units | Violation | Likely Source of Contamination |
| Copper | 8/2/17 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 0.348 | 0 | ppm | N | Erosion of natural deposits; Leaching from wood preservatives; Corrosion of household plumbing systems. |
| Lead | 8/2/17 | 0 | 15 | 3 | 0 | ppb | N | Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits. |
Water Quality Test Results
Definitions:
The following tables contain scientific terms and measures, some of which may require explanation.
Avg:
Regulatory compliance with some MCLs are based on running annual average of monthly samples.
Maximum Contaminant Level or MCL:
The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology.
Level 1 Assessment:
A Level 1 assessment is a study of the water system to identify potential problems and determine (if possible) why total coliform bacteria have been found in our water system.
Maximum Contaminant Level Goal or MCLG:
The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for margin of safety.
Level 2 Assessment:
A Level 2 assessment is a very detailed study of the water system to identify potential problems and determine (if possible) why an E. coli MCL violation has occurred and/or why total coliform bacteria have been found in our water system on multiple occasions.
Maximum residual disinfectant level or MRDL:
The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants.
| Disinfectants and Disinfection By-Products | Collection Date | Highest Level Detected | Range of Levels Detected | MCLG | MCL | Units | Violation | Likely Source of Contamination | |||||||||
| Chlorine | 2019 | 1 | 1-1 | MRDLG = 4 | MRDL = 4 | ppm | N | Water additive used to control microbes. | |||||||||
| Halo acetic Acids(HAA5) | 2019 | 4 | 0 – 23.1 | No goal for the total | 60 | ppb | N | By-product of drinking water disinfection. | |||||||||
| Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) | 2019 | 31 | 3.1 – 74 | No goal for the total | 80 | ppb | N | By-product of drinking water disinfection. |
| Inorganic Contaminants | Collection Date | Highest Level Detected | Range of Levels Detected | MCLG | MCL | Units | Violation | Likely Source of Contamination | |||||||||
| Barium | 1/3/17 | 0.0613 | 0.0613 – 0.0613 | 2 | 2 | ppm | N | Discharge of drilling wastes; Discharge from metal refineries; Erosion of natural deposits. | |||||||||
| Nitrate (measured as Nitrogen) | 2019 | 4 | 3.654 – 3.654 | 10 | 10 | ppm | N | Runoff from fertilizer use; Leaching from septic tanks, sewage; Erosion of natural deposits. | |||||||||
| Selenium | 1/3/17 | 1.4 | 1.4 – 1.4 | 50 | 50 | ppb | N | Discharge from petroleum and metal refineries; Erosion of natural deposits; Discharge from mines. | |||||||||
| Radioactive Contaminants | Collection Date | Highest Level Detected | Range of Levels Detected | MCLG | MCL | Units | Violation | Likely Source of Contamination |
| Gross alpha excluding radon and uranium | 11/9/15 | 4.1 | 4.1 – 4.1 | 0 | 15 | pCi/L | N | Erosion of natural deposits. |
Annual Water Quality Report for the period of January 1 to December 31, 2019.This report is intended to provide you with important information about your drinking water and the efforts made by the Martinsville Water Utility Department to provide safe drinking water.
Martinsville Water Utility is Ground Water
For more information regarding this report contact:
Scotty Manley
(765)342-2449
In 2002, one of Martinsville’s three Water Utility wells was found to be contaminated with a toxic chemical called tetrachloroethylene, also known as perchloroethylene or PCE. This compound is used extensively in the dry cleaning business and as a degreasing solvent. Inappropriate handling can lead to water contamination and human exposure. The City along with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) subsequently performed a preliminary assessment and site inspection which resulted in the initiation of a clean-up or remediation process. The process is headed up by the EPA and is ongoing. In the interim, a new 1.5-million-dollar water treatment plant was constructed, which now houses four 20,000-pound activated carbon filtration units. This plant went into operation in 2005. All water from all three city wells is filtered through the activated carbon filtration system and further treated with chlorine, phosphate and fluoride before being distributed to the customer.
Certified laboratory testing of the water is required by IDEM to ensure the filtration system is in fact operating appropriately and that contaminants are being effectively removed. Water samples used for these required tests are taken after water filtration and treatment, prior to the water leaving the plant. Thus far all sample testing results have shown the contaminant to be well below the MCL and the water is certified safe for human consumption.
In addition to the required testing of water by IDEM, the City has implemented a back-up testing schedule for further validation and assurance that our water is and remains safe for our customers. These additional measures include not only more frequent testing than is required but also involves testing and certification by a second, independent laboratory.
