Remerton’s water supply under scrutiny

By Kelli Hernandez

May 06, 2008 12:01 am

— REMERTON — Safe drinking water is something Americans expect from their city governments, and despite a recent EPD consent order regarding chlorine byproduct contaminants in the city’s water supply, the city of Remerton says that citizens do not have to worry about their health or seek alternate water sources.
Disinfection byproducts can be caused by a number of things, the most common being the reaction of organic matter in the water with the chlorine used for disinfection, according to Ashley Aspinwall with the Georgia EPD drinking water program. The levels of contamination are not an indication that the system is inadequate or in ill repair.
A consent order, issued to and signed by the city of Remerton April 21, addresses the city’s violation of the maximum contaminant levels as laid out in the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1977. The maximum contamination level is set by the law as 0.06 milligrams per liter. Remerton exceeded that amount during the fourth quarter of 2006, and the first three quarters of 2007 at rates of 0.069, 0.071, 0.079 and 0.076 milligrams per liter respectively.
Since testing for such disinfection byproducts began by the EPD in 2006, Remerton City Manager, Brian McDougal, stated that the city has only been non-compliant four times, and it just so happened that those were four consecutive quarters. However, McDougal added that the public has been properly notified according to the law and that the city has passed its latest round of EPD testing.
“There is absolutely nothing to hide here,” McDougal said. “Organics get into the ground water from the earth. We try to purify it with chlorine. Mixing with organics from the aquifer HAA5 (a type of disinfection byproduct) sometimes results. It is something EPD is testing for and it is something everyone has to comply with.”
When asked whether this byproduct is something that could negatively affect the health of citizens, McDougal stated, “In very large doses, yes. But, this is in very trace amounts that shouldn’t worry citizens.”
The city is currently working with Camp, Dresser & McKee, Inc. out of Jacksonville, Fla. on a water study that will determine what the city’s plan of action should be to improve the quality of its water. The study, which is expected to be presented at the council’s June meeting, should reveal what the city can do about the water’s odor and taste issues and should ultimately determine whether the problem lies in its distribution or treatment.
McDougal stated that to date there have been no discussions about Remerton hooking up to the city of Valdosta’s water system.