2022 Drinking Water Quality Report

Overview

The Bellwood Borough Authority (BBA) has released its 2022 Drinking Water Quality Report. The report confirms that the water supply meets all federal and state health standards. The BBA purchases treated water from the Altoona Water Authority (AWA) and distributes it to customers in Bellwood.

Water Source and Treatment

• Source: The primary source is the Bellwood Reservoir, located at the base of Blandburg Mountain in Antis Township.
• Treatment Process: Raw water is treated with ozone to destroy bacteria (such as Giardia and Cryptosporidia) and reduce organic materials. It is then filtered through sand to remove sediment, treated with a corrosion inhibitor, and finally disinfected with chlorine.
• Interconnection: The BBA system is connected to the AWA system, allowing for emergency water supply from other AWA sources if necessary.

Contaminant Monitoring Results

The report details the results of monitoring conducted between January 1 and December 31, 2022.

Detected Regulated Contaminants

• Turbidity: A level of 0. 14 NTU was detected at the AWA entry point (highest). This is well below the limit of 0. 3 NTU.
• Chlorine: Levels ranged from 0. 27 ppm to 1. 31 ppm, used to control microbes.
• Disinfection Byproducts:
  • Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM): 31. 2 ppb detected (Limit: 80 ppb).
  • Haloacetic Acids (HAA5): 9. 07 ppb detected (Limit: 60 ppb).
• Inorganic Contaminants:
  • Barium: 0. 0569 ppm detected (Limit: 2. 0 ppm).
  • Bromate: 1. 09 ppb detected (Limit: 10 ppb).
  • Copper: 0. 032 ppm detected (Action Level: 1. 3 ppm).
  • Lead: 1. 55 ppb detected (Action Level: 15 ppb).
• Violation: The report notes a violation for Thallium, with 5. 72 ppb detected against a Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of 2 ppb. The likely source is leaching from ore-processing sites.

Unregulated Contaminants

• Manganese: 204 ppb detected.
• HAA5, HAA6Br, HAA9: Detected in the 2020 monitoring cycle.
• TOC (Total Organic Carbon): 2320 ppb detected.

Health Advisory

Certain groups may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. These include:

• Immuno-compromised persons (e. g. , cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, organ transplant recipients).
• People with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders.
• Some elderly individuals and infants.

These groups should seek advice from their health care providers regarding drinking water. The EPA/CDC guidelines on reducing infection risk from Cryptosporidium are available via the Safe Drinking Water Hotline.

Contact Information

For questions or to attend meetings:

• Address: Bellwood Borough Authority, 516 Main Street, Bellwood, PA 16617.
• Meetings: Held on the third Monday of each month at 6 PM in the Bellwood Borough Municipal Building.
• Contact Person: Mr. Rick Caswell.
• Phone: (814) 742-8591.
• Email: rcaswell@bellwoodborough. com