IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER
PERFLUOROOCTANE SULFONATE (pfos) / PERFLUOROOCTANOIC ACID (pFOA) mAXIMUM cONTAMINANT lEVEL (mcl) eXCEEDANCE
Este informe contiene información importante acerca de su agua potable. Haga que alguien lo traduzca para usted, o hable con alguien que lo entienda.
The Collegeville Trappe Joint Public Works Department Has Levels of PFOA
Above Drinking Water Standards
Our water system recently exceeded a drinking water standard. Although this incident was not an emergency, as our customers you have a right to know what happened and what we did to correct this situation.
We routinely monitor for drinking water contaminants. Testing results we received on December 13, 2023 show that our system exceeds the standard or maximum contaminant level (MCL) for PFOA. The standard for PFOS is 18 parts per trillion (18 ng/L) and for PFOA is 14 parts per trillion (14 ng/L). PFOA was found in one of our sources exceeding the MCL at a level of 14.5 ng/L.
What should I do?
You do not need to use an alternative (e.g., bottled) water supply. However, if you have specific health concerns, consult your doctor.
What does this mean?
This is not an immediate risk. If it had been, you would have been notified immediately. However, exposure to PFOS and PFOA over certain levels may result in adverse health effects, including developmental effects to fetuses during pregnancy or to breastfed infants (e.g. low birth weight, accelerated puberty, skeletal variations), cancer (e.g. testicular, kidney), liver effects (e.g. tissue damage), immune effects (e.g. antibody production and immunity), thyroid effects and other effects (e.g. cholesterol changes).
What are PFOS and PFOA?
PFOS and PFOA are chemicals that are part of a larger group referred to as perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These are man‑made chemicals and do not occur naturally in the environment. They have been used to make items that are resistant to water, grease, or stains such as cookware, carpets, and packaging. They are also used in industrial processes and in firefighting foams. Since these substances are resistant to heat, water, and oil they persist in the environment and in the human body. Due to the prevalence of PFAS in consumer products, it is likely that most people have been exposed to these substances at some point.
What happened? What was done?
We are monitoring all of our sources quarterly and are looking into alternative water sources and treatment of existing sources to remove these contaminants from the water system.
Additional information is available at the Boroughs’ web sites: www.collegeville-pa.gov and www.trappeborough.com.
For more information, please call Joe Hastings of the Collegeville Trappe Joint Public Works Dept. at 610-489-2831.
Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.
This notice is being sent to you by the Collegeville Trappe Joint Public Works Department.
PWS ID#: 1460022 Date distributed: January 16, 2024
