Town officials: Bethany water is safe and legal

By M. Patricia Titus
Staff Reporter

While many may have already made that assumption, the combination of two happenstances — 1) recent problems with the water in Millsboro and Dagsboro, and 2) notification that the town has been in violation of one standard — could raise concerns, and Bethany Beach officials wanted to nip that in the bud.

In accordance with the mandates of the state Office of Drinking Water, the town was set to notify customers this week of a violation that occurred between Sept. 2, 2004, and June 7, 2005, via a letter sent to them individually and through newspaper advertisements.

The violation was in the level of a group of four substances called trihalomethanes (THMs) — notably not the same as trichloroethylene (TCE), which is the toxic substance involved in the problems in Millsboro and Dagsboro. It’s a difference town officials want to make sure is clear.

THMs include trichloromethane (chloroform), dibromochloromethane, bromodichloromethane and tribromomethane (bromoform). The substances are produced when chlorine interacts with naturally occurring organic matter in water or when using chlorine-based products (such as dishwasher detergents or bleach) in the home or as a disinfectant for swimming pools. They can be in liquid or gaseous form, depending on the circumstances.

There is no immediate health risk from exposure to THMs, according to the Bethany Beach Town Manager Cliff Graviet, but some who drink water containing THMs in excess of the standard for many years may experience problems with their liver, kidneys or central nervous system, as well as having an increased risk of cancer. Some studies also indicate there might be reproductive effects related to high levels of THMs.

“Scientists are very consistent on one point, though: the health risks from trihalomethane are extremely small compared to risks associated with inadequate disinfection of our drinking water,” Graviet said.

Residents were not required to avoid the town’s water in any way, so bottled water sources or filtration with activated carbon filters (one end-user solution) were not needed. (Graviet did suggest anyone with individual health concerns should consult with their doctor, however.)

But in the case of the Bethany Beach violation, the period and amount of the THM violation is small. It was first detected in a Sept. 2, 2004, test that showed 112 parts per billion (ppb) — above both the current 80 ppb standard and the former (pre-2004) 100 ppb standard. Previous tests had shown 23 ppb of total trihalomethanes (TTHM), Graviet noted.

He emphasized that the town was never informed of any violation until Jan. 24, 2005, and then it was of a Dec. 14, 2004, follow-up test that showed 148 ppb. By then, due to the first set of high test results, the town was already on a “watch status” with state authorities, mandating quarterly follow-up tests — the first of which was the Dec. 14, 2004, test.

The average of four quarterly tests would have to average less than the 80 ppb standard in order for the town to avoid being cited for a Tier 2 violation of the state drinking water standards.

So the town began to work on correcting the problem, enlisting engineers and consultants to devise a long-term solution, which can be as simple as increasing filtration to help remove the organic “precursors” that are the basis of the chemical reaction that produces THMs.

Indeed, the town’s own March test showed a level of only 60 ppb — within the standard and indicating a solution might have been found.

“It should be noted that every attempt to correct a problem of this nature in a system of our size takes a substantial amount of time,” Graviet stated. “From the time a solution is engineered, implemented, allowed to react with our entire system, samples are collected and results obtained, 60 to 90 days can easily pass.”

That was not the case in March, with results obtained only a few days later.

But summer brought higher TTHM test results once again, as warmer waters increased the chemical reaction that produces THMs, and the July quarterly test showed the town was in violation again, with a level of 101 ppb.

Engineers then recommended what was expected to be a long-term solution — since widely announced in the town, in a Sept. 8 mailing and discussion at a town council meeting — with change of the water system disinfecting agent from chlorine to chloramines.

Since that change, the town’s testing and that of the state have confirmed that the solution worked, indicating 47.5 ppb in the state test of Sept. 29. Tests performed Sept. 10 also indicated the town is in compliance with all state and federal drinking water quality standards, as well as the standards for TTHM, Graviet emphasized. And the results indicate it will stay there, he added.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t get the town off the hook with the state, since the July test results meant the town’s four quarterly tests averaged 89.5 ppb — above the standard and putting the town over the limit and in line for an official notice of violation.

As of Oct. 29, the town’s water supply was therefore officially cited for violation of a Tier 2 drinking water standard and will remain in violation status until the next quarterly test, in December or January.

Graviet insisted that the town would never be in the predicament if it had received notification from the state about the Sept. 2, 2004, test results prior to Jan. 24, 2005 — a delay of some 22 weeks, he pointed out.

If notified immediately upon discovery of the violation in September 2004, he said, the problem would have been resolved before the summer and kept the test averages below the citation limit.

As it stands, tests indicate the problem has been rectified Still, Graviet said that anyone with questions about the situation should contact Bethany Beach Town Hall at (302) 539-8011 or environmental health specialist Anita Beckel at (302) 741-8630.