Bellefontaine City PWS

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Common Questions About Your Water Service

1. How do I handle billing questions? You can contact the District office at 508-398-3351, send a fax to 508-398-6799, or email customerservice@denniswater.org.
2. When are payments due? Water bills must be paid within thirty (30) days from issue date. Property owners remain responsible for all water charges regardless of whether they receive the bill.
3. What's in our water supply? A common inquiry concerns water hardness and mineral content, especially when purchasing new appliances. Our water undergoes regular testing for volatile organic compounds, synthetic organics, inorganic compounds, radionuclides, lead, copper, nitrates, sodium, bacteria, and general quality indicators.

Our comprehensive testing covers more than 150 individual parameters, with very few contaminants detected. Current water quality testing shows excellent results with no detectable contamination.

Pure water is colorless, odorless, and tasteless. As water travels through soil, it naturally dissolves small quantities of minerals. Our supply contains varying levels of iron, manganese, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sodium - all naturally occurring minerals typical to Cape Cod. While these don't pose health risks, they can cause nuisance issues like sediment deposits in water mains (necessitating annual system flushing) and occasional complaints about staining, taste, or odor.

Water hardness primarily comes from calcium and magnesium content, measured as calcium carbonate (CaCO3) equivalent. The American Water Works Association scale classifies water as: very soft (0-75 mg/l), moderately hard (75-150 mg/l), hard (150-300 mg/l), and very hard (above 300 mg/l). Our average hardness measures at 14 mg/l or 1 grain per gallon (multiply mg/l by 0.06), categorizing our supply as very soft.

We also monitor sodium levels (which can increase from road salting) and nitrates. While current nitrate levels remain well below the 10 ppm limit, we aim to maintain levels under 5 ppm, noting that readings have increased tenfold over the past thirty years. Ongoing monitoring helps us address resident questions and explain common water quality concerns.