2021 ConsumerWater Quality Report (2020 Data)

Overview

In 2020, Brick Utilities continued participation in the Partnership for Safe Drinking Water, a national initiative to help achieve operational excellence in surface water treatment. The Partnership is a voluntary cooperative effort between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, AWWA and other drinking water organizations, with more than 200 surface water utilities throughout the United States.

Brick Utilities maintains a laboratory that is certified by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. The laboratory, which has operated continuously since 1975, is a key component of Brick Utilities Comprehensive Water Quality Monitoring Program. The Authority conducts monitoring of its source water treatment process and finished water in excess of the number and types of tests that are required by state or federal regulations. The Authority believes that a comprehensive source water testing program is essential, considering that 74% of the water that is treated comes from the Metedeconk River. The river is fed by a 70-square mile watershed that is subject to both natural and manmade contamination, which can cause the quality of the source or untreated water to change.

Water Source

Brick Utilities treats approximately 3.0 billion gallons of water each year. In addition to water from the Metedeconk River and Brick Reservoir, the Authority draws water from high volume wells that tap into the Potomac-Raritan-Magothy Aquifer. These wells are nearly 2,000 feet deep and are not influenced by surface phenomena. The Authority also draws a relativelysmall amount of water from the Cohansey Aquifer.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) has completed and issued the Source Water Assessment Report and Summary for the Brick Township MUA which is available at http://www.nj.gov/dep/watersupply/swap/index.html, or by contacting the NJDEP, Bureau of Safe Drinking Water at (1-609–292-5550) or watersupply@dep.nj.gov.

2021 WATER QUALITYREPORT (2020 Data) – BRICK TOWNSHIP MUA – PWSID# NJ1506001

1. Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness of the water. We monitor turbidity because it is a good indicator of water quality. High turbidity can hinder the effectiveness of disinfectants.
2. Lead and copper were tested in 2020, in accordance with permit requirements.
3. This testing is part of the fourth unregulated contaminant monitoring rule (UCMR4). The UCMR4 will provide baseline occurrence data for EPA to make decisions about potential future drinking water regulations.

Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immuno-compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. EPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800–426-4791).

Required Additional Health Information

To ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes limits on the amounts of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. FDA regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water. Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least 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 the Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.

The sources of drinking water (both tap 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 dissolves naturally occurring minerals and radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity. Contaminants that may have been present in source water include:

(A) Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife.

3. Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, storm water runoff, and residential uses.
4. Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organics, which are by-products of industrial processes

and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban storm water runoff, and septic systems.

(E) Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.

(F) Radon, which is a colorless, odorless, cancer-causing gas that occurs naturally in the environment. For more information go to http:// www.nj.gov/dep/rpp/radon/index.htm or call 1-800-648-0394.

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.

Special Considerations Regarding Children, Pregnant Women, Nursing Mothers and Others

Children may receive a slightly higher amount of a contaminant present in the water than do adults, on a body weight basis, because they may drink a greater amount of water per pound of body weight than do adults. For this reason, reproductive or developmental effects are used for calculating a drinking water standard if these effects occur at lower levels than other health effects of concern. If there is insufficient toxicity information for a chemical (for example, lack of data on reproductive or developmental effects), an extra uncertainty factor may be incorporated into the calculation of the drinking water standard, thus making the standard more stringent, to account for additional uncertainties regarding these effects. In the cases of lead and nitrate, effects on infants and children are the health endpoints upon which the standards are based.

concerned about elevated lead levels in your home water, you may wish to have your water tested and flush your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using tap water. Additional information is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.

National Primary Drinking Water Regulation Compliance and Other Monitoring

Brick Utilities is active in protecting the environment and community, and the health and safety of customers is this Authority’s highest priority. This Authority welcomes questions residents may have about Brick Utilities and the quality of water. For more information, call Joseph Maggio, P.E., Director of Water Quality at 1-732-458-7000 Ext. 4226. Water quality data for community water systems throughout the United States is available on the internet at www.waterdata.com.

This report contains important information about your drinking water. If you do not understand it, please have someone translate it for you.

Este informe contiene información importante sobre su agua potable si no comprendes por favor, pídale a alguien que la traduzca para usted.