DPW releases water advisory

EAST LONGMEADOW The Water Department announced last week that it will begin treating the town's drinking water with ammonia in order to disinfect it.

The Department advises residents who are kidney dialysis patients or those who own aquariams to read this notice especially well.

Upcoming Improvements

In mid-September, the East Longmeadow Department of Public Works will make important changes to enhance treatment of the town's drinking water supply.

The improvements will involve the addition of very small amounts of ammonium sulfate, an odorless, colorless compound, to water at the Chestnut Street Pumping Station.

Ammonium sulfate will combine with low levels of chlorine already added to the water at the station to form chloramine, a disinfectant that functions very similar to chlorine but has disinfection properties that last longer in the distribution system.

This change will improve protection against harmful waterborne bacteria and reduce the potential for formation of undesirable disinfection byproducts.

Use of this disinfectant is not new; it has been used by a number of communities in western Massachusetts for years including Amherst and Holyoke and is used by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, which supplies 2.2 million people in 47 communities in the greater Boston area.

This switch to chloramine disinfection is intended to improve overall public health by lowering disinfection byproducts. Following the conversion most water customers will not notice any change in taste or odor.

Water containing chloramines is no different than chlorinated water for most normal uses and is perfectly safe to drink the digestive system neutralizes the chloramines before they can be absorbed into the bloodstream. Although people and animals can safely drink chloraminated water, water for special uses such as kidney dialysis, pond water for fish and amphibian pets, and water used by some business and industrial customers must have chloramine removed or neutralized.

Chloramines must be removed from water before it is used in aquariums or fishponds. Chloramines do not effectively dissipate in the air and are not efficiently removed by boiling or aerating the water.

There are basically two methods for removing chloramines:

1. Adding specific agents that remove chloramines, and

2. Using a high-grade granular activated carbon filter. (This can be effective but requires more contact time for large volumes of water).

It is important to remember that a dechlorinating agent will only neutralize the chlorine portion of the chloramines, not the ammonia portion.

Additional steps must be taken to remove the ammonia. There are commercial products available to be used as dechloraminating agents that remove both chlorine and ammonia.

Keep In Mind

Regardless of the method you use, it is essential that your aquarium or fishpond water be regularly tested to ensure that the particular method being used is effective. Consult your local pet store professional for the test kit and treatment method that is best for you.

Water users who would be sensitive to chloramines or to changes in levels of pH, alkalinity or sodium, such as kidney dialysis patients, should consult with their physician or health care provider.

For additional information on these water treatment changes and chloramines, contact the East Longmeadow Department of Public Works at (413) 525-5400, extension 133.

Background

The town does not have its own source of drinking water, rather it purchases treated water from the Springfield Water & Sewer Commission.

Water originates at the Cobble Mountain Reservoir in Blandford and is treated at the West Parish Filtration Plant in Westfield.

Prior to reaching the Town of East Longmeadow, the treated water flows through many miles of pipes in Westfield, Agawam, West Springfield and Springfield.

As the treated water flows through these pipes, levels of chlorine, which is added at the West Parish Filtration Plant to protect customers from bacteria, viruses and other microbes that can be found in water, gradually decline.

For a number of years, to provide additional protection to water customers throughout the town, the East Longmeadow Department of Public Works has supplemented treatment provided at the West Parish Filtration Plant by the addition of small amounts of chlorine to water at the Chestnut Street Pumping Station. This supplemental treatment has helped to insure that the quality of the town's drinking water supply is adequately protected to the furthest extents of the town's water system.