Let’s dig deeper into local water quality

Regina Gandolfo
Lambertville
    I must say I am more than a little concerned about The Beacon article describing an algae bloom at the Lambertville reservoir, as well as United Water’s diversion of canal water into our water supply.
   While United Water continues to boast about the quality of local water, they are not presenting the bigger picture. I am sure algae toxins are not part of United Water’s scorecard. Yet, we know now algae toxins can trigger neurological damage in humans, such as Lou Gehrig’s syndrome or ALS..
   And the treatment for algae is as dangerous as the organism itself. According to the NJ Department of Environmental Protection, when algae are present in large amounts, water treatment must increase the use of disinfectants to treat the algae. This increased use of disinfection byproducts such as trihalomethanes is unsafe. The EPA lists trihalomethanes as likely carcinogens.
   You can bet the algae bloom at the Lambertville reservoir resulted in part from human activity, such as sewer overflows and stormwater runoff. And where would the reservoir receive this kind of wastewater? Well, imagine this — our drinking water is being taken from the Delaware and Raritan Canal, which is filled with runoff and who knows what else that floats down the Delaware River, which feeds the canal.
   Moreover, only 91 contaminants are regulated in the United States and they form United Water’s scorecard for local water quality. However, more than 60,000 chemicals are used within the United States, according to Environmental Protection Agency. Hundreds are associated with cancer and other diseases at small concentrations in drinking water.
   The algae bloom should serve as a catalyst for us to dig deeper into local water quality. Taste and odor problems aside, we must know more about the drinking water in Lambertville and whether we are being exposed to neurotoxins and carcinogens on a regular basis.
   If the reservoir were properly managed, the algae bloom would have been discovered and stemmed before complaints by residents about the taste and odor of their tap water. Experienced monitoring personnel would have been making visual observations during weekly visits and documenting these visits on a log sheet.
   I urge everyone who is a United Water customer to call or write United Water. Ask about whether the local treatment plant is capable of removing algae particles. Probe to see whether United Water has tested our drinking water for known dangerous chemicals, which fall outside the 91 they are required to report on. Insist that United Water consider using ozone — similar to other municipalities — to treat local water to avoid the number of chemical byproducts that form when chlorine is the primary disinfectant.
   Act to ensure your own health and well being.