Annual Drinking Water Quality Report for 2024
North Country School
P O Box 187
Lake Placid, NY 12946
(Public Water Supply ID# NY1518736)
INTRODUCTION
To comply with State regulations, North Country School will be annually issuing a report describingthequalityofyour drinking water. The purpose of this report is to raise your understanding of drinking water andawarenessoftheneedto protect our drinking water sources. Last year, your tap water met all State drinking water health standards. This report provides an overview of last year’s water quality. Included are details about where your water comes from, what it contains, and how it compares to State standards. Ifyouhaveanyquestionsaboutthisreportorconcerningyourdrinking water, please contact Chris Wood, (518) 523-9329. We want you to beinformedaboutyourdrinkingwater. Ifyouwant tolearnmore,wewouldbepleasedtodiscussanydrinkingwaterissuesinperson.
WHERE DOES OUR WATER COME FROM?
In general, the sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolvesnaturally occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activities. Contaminants that may be present in source water include microbial contaminants, inorganic contaminants, pesticides andherbicides,organicchemicalcontaminants,andradioactivecontaminants. Inorder to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the State and the EPA prescribe regulations which limit the concentration of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems The State Health Department’s and the FDA’s regulationsestablishlimitsforcontaminantsinbottledwaterwhichmustprovidethesameprotectionforpublichealth
Our watersystemservesapproximately90people Wehavetwosourcesofdrinkingwater Themainschoolbuildingand residences are provided water from two drilled wells The water is disinfected with chlorine before distribution The farmhouseandthebarnareprovideddrinkingwaterfromadrilledwell ThewaterisdisinfectedwithUltra-violetunits
The NYS Dept of Health has completed a source water assessment for this system based on availableinformation The source water assessment has rated these wells as having an elevated susceptibility No significant sources of contamination were identified The wells draw water from an unconfined aquifer and overlying soils are not known to provide adequate protection from potential contamination Please note that our water supplyisdisinfectedtoensurethat the finished water delivered to your home meets the New York State’s drinking water standards for microbiological contamination
ARE THERE CONTAMINANTS IN OUR DRINKING WATER?
As the State regulations require, we routinely test your drinking water for numerous contaminants These contaminants include total coliform, turbidity, inorganic compounds, nitrate, nitrite, lead and copper, volatile organiccompounds,total trihalomethanes, haloacetic acids, radiological and synthetic organic compounds. The table presented below depicts which compounds were detected in your drinkingwater. TheStateallowsustotestforsomecontaminantslessthanonce per year because the concentrations of these contaminants do not change frequently. Some of our data, though representative,aremorethanoneyearold.
It should be noted that all drinkingwater,includingbottleddrinkingwater,maybereasonablyexpectedtocontainatleast small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling theEPA’sSafe DrinkingWaterHotline(800-426-4791)ortheNewYorkStateHealthDepartment(518)891-1800.
Contaminant
InorganicContaminants Barium (Farmhousewell)
TableofDetectedContaminants
LikelySourceofContamination
Dischargeofdrillingwastes;Dischargeformmetal refineries;Erosionofnaturaldeposits Nitrate (MainWell)
(FarmhouseWell)
(MountainWell)
(Farmhousewell)
(Mainwell)
(Farmhousewell)
Runofffromfertilizeruse;Leachingfromseptictanks, sewage;Erosionofnaturaldeposits
Dischargeofdrillingwastes;Dischargeformmetal refineries;Erosionofnaturaldeposits
Dischargeofdrillingwastes;Dischargeformmetal refineries;Erosionofnaturaldeposits
strongteeth
Corrosionofhouseholdplumbingsystems
frommunicipal&industrialwastedischarges
frommunicipalandindustrialwastedischarges
Naturallyoccurring Sulfate (Mainwell)
(Farmhousewell)
(Mainwell)
(Farmhousewell)
(Mainwell)
Disinfection Byproducts – Main System
Notes:
of drinking water chlorination
1–Thelevelpresentedrepresentsthe90thpercentileofthesitestested. Apercentileisavalueonascaleof100thatindicatesthepercentofa distributionthatisequaltoorbelowit. The90th percentileisequaltoorgreaterthan90%oftheleadandcoppervaluesdetectedatyourwater system. Inthiscase,5sampleswerecollectedfromtheMainwellsystemandthe90th percentilevaluewastheaveragebetweenthehighestand secondhighestvalue.Two(2)sampleswerecollectedfromtheFarmhousewellsystem.
2–Thelevelpresentedrepresentsarangeoftheleadandcoppersamplescollected. Theactionlevelforleadandcopperwasnotexceededatthe mainwellsystem. TheactionlevelforleadandcopperwasnotexceededattheFarmhousewellsystem.
3- Watercontainingmorethan20mg/lofsodiumshouldnotbeusedfordrinkingbypeopleonseverelyrestrictedsodiumdiets.Watercontaining morethan270mg/lofsodiumshouldnotbeusedfordrinkingbypeopleonmoderatelyrestrictedsodiumdiets.
Definitions:
Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL):Thehighestlevelofacontaminantthatisallowedindrinkingwater MCLsaresetascloseto theMCLGsasfeasible.
Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG):Thelevelofacontaminantindrinkingwaterbelowwhichthereisnoknownor expectedrisktohealth MCLGsallowforamarginofsafety
Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level (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
Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal (MRDLG): The level of a drinking water disinfectant below which there is no known or expected risk to health MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contamination
Action Level (AL):Theconcentrationofacontaminantwhich,ifexceeded,triggerstreatmentorotherrequirementswhichawater systemmustfollow
TreatmentTechnique(TT): A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water
Non-Detects(ND): Laboratory analysis indicates that the constituent is not present
Milligrams per liter (mg/l):Correspondstoonepartofliquidinonemillionpartsofliquid(partspermillion-ppm)
Micrograms per liter (ug/l):Correspondstoonepartofliquidinonebillionpartsofliquid(partsperbillion-ppb).
Picocuries per liter (pCi/L):Picocuriesperliterisameasureoftheradioactivityinwater
?
As you can see in Table 1: Detected Contaminants, our water system had no violations. We have learned through our testingthatsomecontaminantshavebeendetected;however,thesecontaminantsweredetectedbelowthelevelallowedby the State. Although our lead and copper levels were well below the Action Limits, we are required to provide the following statement: Lead can cause serious health effects in people of allages,especiallypregnantpeople,infants(both formula-fed and breastfed), and young children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and parts used in service lines and in home plumbing. The North Country Schoolisresponsibleforprovidinghighqualitydrinkingwater and removing lead pipes but cannot control the variety of materials used in the plumbing in your home. Because lead levelsmayvaryovertime,leadexposureispossibleevenwhenyourtapsamplingresultsdonotdetectleadatonepointin time. You can help protect yourself and your family by identifying and removing lead materials within your home plumbing and taking steps to reduce your family's risk Using a filter, certified by an American National Standards Institute accredited certifier to reduce lead, is effective in reducing lead exposures Followtheinstructionsprovidedwith the filter to ensure the filter is used properly Use only cold water for drinking, cooking, and making baby formula Boiling water does not remove lead from water Before using tap water for drinking, cooking, or making baby formula, flush your pipes for several minutes You can do this by running your tap, taking a shower, doing laundry or a load of dishes If you have a lead service line or galvanized requiring replacementserviceline,youmayneedtoflushyourpipes for a longer period. If you are concerned about lead in your water and wish to have your water tested, contact Chris Wood, Water Operator, at (518) 523-9329 Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.
IS OUR WATER SYSTEM MEETING OTHER RULES THAT GOVERN OPERATIONS?
LastyeartheNorthCountrySchoolwasincompliancewithallapplicableStatedrinkingwateroperating,monitoringand reportingrequirements,includingthepreparationofaleadservicelineinventory Thisinventoryispubliclyavailableand canbeaccesseduponrequestattheNorthCountrySchool’sOffice
INFORMATION ON LEAD SERVICE LINE INVENTORY
The North Country School recently completed a Lead Service Line Inventory (LSLI) and submittedittotheNYS Department of Health on October 16, 2024, as required A Lead Service Line (LSL) is defined as any portion of pipe that is made of lead which connects the water main to the building inlet. An LSL may be owned by thewater system, owned by the property owner, or both. The inventory includes both potable and non-potable service lines within a system In accordance with the federalLeadandCopperRuleRevisions(LCRR)oursystemhasprepareda lead service line inventory and hasmadeitpubliclyaccessibleuponrequestattheNorthCountySchoolOffice The LSLI is an ongoing effort and will beupdatedannually.Oursystemhasatotalof28activeserviceconnections. We haveidentifiedallknownservicelinesandnoleadlinesorgalvanizedlinesrequiringreplacementwereidentified.
DO INEED TO TAKE SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS?
Althoughourdrinkingwatermetorexceededstateandfederalregulations,somepeoplemaybemorevulnerableto diseasecausingmicroorganismsorpathogensindrinkingwaterthanthegeneralpopulation. Immuno-compromised personssuchaspersonswithcancerundergoingchemotherapy,personswhohaveundergoneorgantransplants,people withHIV/AIDSorotherimmunesystemdisorders,someelderly,andinfantscanbeparticularlyatriskfrominfections. Thesepeopleshouldseekadvicefromtheirhealthcareproviderabouttheirdrinkingwater. EPA/CDCguidelineson appropriatemeanstolessentheriskofinfectionbyCryptosporidium,Giardiaandothermicrobialpathogensareavailable fromtheSafeDrinkingWaterHotline(800-426-4791).
Although our system has an adequate amount of watertomeetpresentandfuturedemands,thereareanumberofreasons whyitisimportanttoconservewater:
♦ Savingwatersavesenergyandsomeofthecostsassociatedwithbothofthesenecessitiesoflife;
♦ Saving water reduces the cost of energy required to pump waterandtheneedtoconstructcostlynewwells,pumping systemsandwatertowers;and
♦ Saving water lessens the strain on the water system during a dry spell or drought, helping to avoid severe water use restrictions
You can play a role in conserving water by becoming conscious of the amount of water your household isusing,andby lookingforwaystouselesswheneveryoucan Conservationtipsinclude:
♦ Automatic dishwashers use 15 gallons for every cycle, regardless of how many dishes are loaded So get a run for yourmoneyandloadittocapacity
♦ Turnoffthetapwhenbrushingyourteeth
♦ Checkeveryfaucetinyourhomeforleaks Justaslowdripcanwaste15to20gallonsaday
♦ Check your toilets for leaks by putting a few drops of food coloring inthetank,watchforafewminutestoseeifthe color shows up in the bowl. It isnotuncommontoloseupto100gallonsadayfromoneoftheseotherwiseinvisible toiletleaks. Fixitandyousavemorethan30,000gallonsayear.
CLOSING
Thank you for allowing us to continuetoprovideyouwithqualitydrinkingwaterthisyear Weaskthatallourcustomers helpusprotectourwatersources,whicharetheheartofourcommunity. Pleasecallourofficeifyouhavequestions.
