Abington Rockland Joint Water Works

Quality First: We are pleased to present our annual municipal water quality report. Our company remains dedicated to delivering the highest-quality water possible to our community. We continue to meet the challenges of new regulations, protect our water sources, promote conservation, and engage in community education while serving the needs of all our customers.

Thank you for trusting us to provide your water service. We value your thoughts on the information in this report—informed customers are our greatest allies.

Essential Health Information: Certain individuals may be more vulnerable to water contaminants than the general population. Those with compromised immune systems—such as cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, organ transplant recipients, people with HIV/AIDS, elderly individuals, and infants—may face increased health risks. These individuals should seek advice from healthcare providers regarding their water consumption. Guidelines from the EPA/CDC on reducing infection risks from Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available through the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791 or http://water.EPA.gov/drink/hotline.

Community Participation: We invite you to participate in our public meetings where you can voice concerns or become involved in decisions affecting your municipal water. Please check town hall bulletin boards or contact our office at (781) 878-0901 for meeting schedules.

Lead in Home Plumbing: Elevated lead levels can cause serious health issues, particularly for pregnant women and young children. Lead primarily enters water through materials used in service lines and household plumbing. While we provide high-quality water, we cannot control plumbing component materials. When water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking. If concerned, you may wish to have your water tested. Information about lead in water, testing methods, and exposure reduction is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at www.epa.gov/lead.

Understanding Water Sources: To ensure safe tap water, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and EPA establish regulations limiting contaminant levels in public water systems. The FDA and Massachusetts Department of Public Health set similar limits for bottled water. All drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably contain small amounts of some contaminants, which doesn't necessarily indicate a health risk.

Water sources (both tap and bottled) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over land or underground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material, and may pick up substances from animal or human activity.

Potential contaminants include:

• Microbial Contaminants: Viruses and bacteria from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural operations, or wildlife
• Inorganic Contaminants: Salts and metals occurring naturally or resulting from urban runoff, industrial/domestic wastewater, oil/gas production, mining, or farming
• Pesticides & Herbicides: From agriculture, urban runoff, and residential uses
• Organic Chemical Contaminants: Industrial process byproducts, petroleum production, gas stations, urban runoff, and septic systems
• Radioactive Contaminants: Naturally occurring or from oil/gas production and mining

For more information about contaminants and potential health effects, call the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791.

Water Source Information: Abington and Rockland receive water from three sources. One groundwater source on Myers Avenue in Abington consists of four gravel-packed wells. The combined output receives chlorine disinfection and filtration to remove iron and manganese. The remaining supply comes from two surface water bodies: John F. Hannigan Memorial Reservoir in northeast Rockland and Great Sandy Bottom Pond in Pembroke. These sources undergo conventional filtration where chemical treatment allows particles to bond together and settle out. The remaining particles pass through sand and gravel filters for final purification and taste improvement. Chlorine disinfection is the final step. Together, these three sources can produce 2.67 million gallons daily.

Professional Water Treatment: Delivering quality water involves much more than just moving water through pipes. Our licensed water professionals have extensive knowledge of mathematics, biology, chemistry, and physics. Their daily responsibilities include operating treatment equipment, monitoring instruments, conducting tests, maintaining proper water chemistry, and serving the community through education and outreach. These skilled experts ensure every drop of water meets safety standards.

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