GALION – The city of Galion says it’s taking steps to improve the quality of its drinking water after it was recently notified of a containment level violation.
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently notified Galion that the city water system had violated the maximum contaminant level for trihalomethanes (TTHM), a disinfection byproduct common in the water treatment process. Galion utility customers will be receiving the same notice in their December utility bills.
Galion Communications Director Matt Echelberry explained that public water supplies are required to have different treatment levels in their respective waters.
Ohio EPA Byproducts Fact Sheet
“Sometimes when those chemicals are combined with inorganic or organic material already in the water, it produces disinfection byproducts,” Echelberry stated. “TTHM is one of those byproducts.”
According to the Ohio EPA, public drinking water is required to be treated with disinfectants in order to kill germs. Disinfection byproducts form when disinfectants, such as chlorine, react with organic and inorganic substances present in raw water.
“Typically what happens is the chlorine in the water contacts what’s called ‘total organic carbon’ and that mixture oxidizes, creating the TTHM,” Echelberry explained.
The average level of TTHM in Galion drinking water over the past four quarters of the year was 0.081 mg/L. The EPA drinking water standard for TTHM is 0.080 mg/L.
Echelberry noted the raised levels of TTHM are not connected to the higher percentages of Chromium-6, or Hexavalent Chromium, recently detected in Crawford County’s public utilities’ drinking water by the Environmental Working Group.
“Chromium-6 is in a different category and the TTHM would not have resulted from any differences in treating the water,” he said.
The TTHM levels detected do not pose an immediate health risk. However, some people who drink water containing trihalomethanes in excess of the maximum contaminant level over many years may experience problems with their liver, kidneys, or central nervous systems, and may have an increased risk of getting cancer.
To Echelberry’s knowledge, Galion residents have not been drinking water with excess trihalomethanes over an extended period of time. In fact, in the early 2000’s upgrades were made to the Galion Water Treatment Plant specifically to treat for TTHM and similar byproducts.
The Galion Water Treatment Plant has already begun working to reduce the TTHM level. In the meantime, residents do not need to use an alternative water supply.
“We are circulating the water more and keeping a very close eye on our chlorine levels,” Echelberry said. “That’s what will help moving forward.”
If Galion residents have specific health concerns, they are encouraged to contact their doctor. Information on home water treatment units can be obtained through the National Sanitation Foundation’s website at www.nsf.org.
