1999 Annual Water Quality Report
Harwich's Water Source
 The
Town of Harwich is supplied by groundwater from fourteen(14) gravel packed
wells. Our wellfield are located in South, East and North Harwich, which
draw water from the Monomoy Lens Aquifer. The Main Station tubular wellfield
and Stations One (1) through Four (4) are located off of Chatham Road, behind
the Water Departments main office and garages. Station Five (5), Six (6)
and Seven (7) are located off of Depot Road in South Harwich, next to the
bike path. Stations Eight (8) and Nine (9) are off of Bay Road in East Harwich,
Station Ten (10) is in North Harwich off of North Westgate Road on the Brewster
Town line and Station number Eleven (11) is located off of Pleasant Bay
Road in East Harwich.
During 1998, a source-water assessment plan (SWAP) was completed for The
Harwich Water Department by The Department of Environmental Protection (D.E.P.)
agency, which shows the surrounding areas of the zones of contribution to
the Town wells. Copies of this report are available from D.E.P., One Winter
Street, Boston MA. 02108, or by telephone at 1-617-292-5500.
General Water Chemistry
In 1999 Harwich Water Department personnel collected over 500 samples for
general water chemistry and over 75 for regulated contaminants. The following
results are averages for general water chemistry samples taken in the field:
Calcium - 3.1 ppm No MCL
Sodium - 14.4 ppm AL = 20 ppm
Managanese - 0.06 ppm MCL = 0.015 ppm
Iron - 0.48 ppm MCL = 0.30 ppm
Potassium - 16.7 ppm No MCL
Hardness - 20.0 ppm No MCL
WATER CONSERVATION TIPS
Water Conservation is important for all to practice both outside
and inside. Some tips are:
- Check all outside faucets for leaks,
they are silent culprits, most often caused
by worn washers.
- Check toilets, they may have silent leaks that can't be detected.
Water dept. can provide test kits for toilet leaks.
- Use automatic
dish and clothes washing machines with full loads only.
- Outside;
watering two or three times a week in the early morning (5-8
am) or evening (6-9 pm) is all that is needed.
Concerning Lead
in Our Water
Infants and young children are typically more vulnerable to
lead in drinking water than the general population. It
is possible that lead levels at your
home may be higher than at other homes in the community as a result
of materials used
in your home's plumbing. If you are concerned about elevated lead levels
in your home's water, you may wish to have your water tested. The longer
water
resides
in your home's plumbing the higher the lead level may be. Flushing
your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using tap water also
helps in reducing
levels. Additional info is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline
(800-426-4791).
Unregulated Contaminants
During testing, our water showed a radon level of
1 picocuries per liter (pCi/l). The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) is preparing
a regulation which
will specify a Maximum Contaminant Level for radon. Radon is a
radioactive gas that occurs naturally in ground water and
is released from water
into the air
during household use. At high exposure levels it can cause lung
cancer. Radon readings in our water are low and should not
cause concern.
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