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Office (724-274-8028)
Municipal Authority Of The Township Of Harmar
The Municipal Authority of Harmar (Authority), a body corporate and politic, was organized October 9, 1951 under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, pursuant to the Municipal Authorities Act of 1945, approved May 2,1945, P.L. 382, 
as ammended, by the Township of Harmar(Township). The Authority was created to acquire, hold, construct, improve, maintain, and operate a water distribution system to serve the Township and its contiguous areas, to borrow money, to make and issue negotiable bonds, and to secure the payment of such bonds or any charter of the Authority has been extended to December 31, 2024.
2009 ANNUAL DRINKING WATER QUALITY REPORT
PWSID #: 5020009 Harmar Water Authority ___________________________________________
Este informe contiene información muy importante sobre su agua de beber. Tradúzcalo ó hable con alguien que lo entienda bien. (This report contains very important information about your drinking water. Translate it, or speak with someone who understands it.)
This report shows our water quality and what it means. If you have any questions about this report or concerning your water utility, please contact Joe McCollum, Office Administrator at 724.274.7383. We want you to be informed about your water supply. If you want to learn more, please attend any of our regularly scheduled meetings. They are held on the third Tuesday of each month at 6:30pm at the Authority office located at
SOURCE OF WATER:
The source of our water is three wells that draw from the alluvial deposits in the Allegheny Valley Aquifer, a glacial deposit of sand and gravel along the present day banks of the
The PA Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP),
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 (800-426-4791).
Action Level (
Maximum Contaminant Level (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.
Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) - 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.
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 contaminants.
Treatment Technique (TT) – A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water. pCi/L - picocuries per liter (a measure of radioactivity) ppb - parts per billion, or micrograms per liter (μg/L)
ppm - parts per million, or milligrams per liter (mg/L)
Harmar Water Authority routinely monitors for contaminants in your drinking water according to federal and state laws. The following tables show the results of our monitoring for the period of January 1 to December 31, 2009. The State allows us to monitor for some contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants do not change frequently. Some of our data is from prior years in accordance with the Safe Drinking Water Act. The date has been noted on the sampling results table.
DETECTED SAMPLE RESULTS:
Chemical Contaminant | MCL
| MCLG
| Highest Level Detected | Units
| Year Sampled
| Violation Y/N | Sources of Contamination | ||||||||
Nitrate
| 10 | 10 | .82 | (a) | ppm | 8/18/2009 | N | Runoff from fertilizer use; leaching from septic tanks, sewage; erosion of natural deposits. | |||||||
Trihalomethanes | 80 | N/A | 7.1 | (a) | ppb | 2006 | N | Byproduct of drinking water chlorination. | |||||||
Chlorine | MRDL =4 | MRDLG =4 | .5 | .1-.5 | ppm | 2009 | N | Water additive used to control microbes. | |||||||
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| Contaminant
| Action Level ( | MCLG
| 90th Percentile Value | Units
| # of Sites Above
| Violation Y/N
| Sources of Contamination | |||||||
| Lead | 15 | 0 | 2 | ppb | 1 out of 13 | N | Corrosion of household plumbing systems, Erosion of natural deposits. | |||||||
| Copper | 1.3 | 1.3 | .581 | ppm | 0 out of 13 | N | Corrosion of household Plumbing Systems, Erosion of natural deposits; Leaching from wood preservatives. | |||||||
Footnote; (a) Only one sample required.
Lead: "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. Harmar Water Authority is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but 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.”
Microbial Contaminants | MCL
| MCLG
| Highest # or % of Positive Samples | Violation Y/N | Typical Sources of Contamination |
Total Coliform Bacteria | For systems that collect <40 samples/month: · 1 positive monthly sample For systems that collect ≥40 samples/month: · 5% of monthly samples are positive | 0 | 1 5/19/2009 | N | Naturally present in the environment. |
VIOLATIONS: As you can see by the table, our system had no MCL violations. We’re proud that your drinking water meets or exceeds all Federal and State requirements. However we did have a reporting violation for the 2009 calendar year.
We failed to report our chlorine residual in a timely manner. All tests were completed on time and met the State requirements.
All sources of drinking water are subject to potential contaminants that are naturally occurring or man made. These contaminants maybe microbes, organic or inorganic chemicals or radioactive materials. 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 dissolves naturally-occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity. Contaminants that may be present in source water include:
· Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife.
· Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally-occurring or result from urban storm water run-off, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming.
· Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban storm water runoff, and residential uses.
· Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban storm water runoff, and septic systems.
· Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally-occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.
In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA and DEP prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. FDA and DEP regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health.
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 (800-426-4791).
Thank you for allowing us to continue providing your family with clean, quality water this year. In order to maintain a dependable water supply we sometimes need to make improvements that will benefit all of our customers. These improvements are sometimes reflected as rate structure adjustments. Thank you for understanding.
We at Harmar Water Authority work around the clock to provide top quality water to every tap. We ask that all our customers help us to protect our water sources, which are the heart of our community, our way of life and our children’s future.