2000 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.
Also, 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. The water department is waiting for DEP's comments before
it is released to the public.
General Water Chemistry
The quality of drinking water is a subject that is frequently discussed,
but more often misunderstood. Just a few years ago we seldom questioned
the water we drank. In the past few years technology has given
us the ability to measure small amounts of contaminates. Along with technology
comes public
awareness and more Federal and State regulations. Even with today's
technology some people still question the safety of the water and turn to
alternative
sources for drinking water. Sources of 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: (A) Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria,
which may came from sewage treatment plants septic systems agricultural
livestock
operations, and wildlife. (B) Inorganic Contaminants, such as salts
and metals, which can be naturally-occurring or result from urban stormwater
runoff, industrial, or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and
gas production,
mining, and farming. (C) Pesticides and herbicides, which may come
from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban runoff, and residential
uses. (D) 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 stormwater
runoff,
and septic systems. (E) 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, the Department
of Environmental Protection (DEP) and U. S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) prescribe regulations that limit the amount of certain
contaminants
in water provided by public water systems. The Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) and Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH)
regulations
establish
limits for contaminants in bottled water that must provide the
same protection for public health. All 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 EPA's Safe Drinking Water
Hotline (800-426-4791).
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 some infants can be particularly at risk from infections.
These people should
seek advice about drinking water from their health agents. EPA/Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) quidelines on lowering
the risk of
infection by microbial contaminants are also available from the
Safe Drinking Water Hotline.
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