Before we begin to design your system, TrueWaterQuality always researches the quality of your city or town water so we can optimize the filtration of your home’s water. If you have your own well we suggest comprehensive testing. Here are a couple useful resources to explore for those homeowners on Town Water who want to know what’s in their drinking water:
Do You Know Your Town's Water Quality?
Where your Drinking Water Comes From
The Gloucester Public Water System consists of the following:
East Gloucester System: Babson Water Treatment Plant; Babson & Goose Cove Reservoirs; and Klondike Water Treatment Plant & Reservoir (provides a lesser supplemental water supply).
West Gloucester System: West Gloucester Water Treatment Plant; Dykes, Haskell, and Wallace Reservoirs; and Wallace & Haskell Pump Stations transfer water to Dykes Reservoir.
Distribution System: 125 miles of water main with the majority older unlined cast iron pipe; Water Storage Facilities at Bond Hill Tank 6 million gallon (MG), Plum Cove Tank 0.75 MG, and Blackburn Tank 0.6 MG (supplies the high service area fed from the Fuller Pump Station).
Neither the East (island side) nor the West Gloucester systems have the capacity alone to supply the City’s water needs continuously, thus we alternate operation between the Babson and West Gloucester plants. The operation of the water treatment plants, pump stations, and distribution system sampling is performed by Veolia Water North America (Veolia), the City’s contract operator since November 1, 2009, under the supervision of the Environmental Engineer. The Department of Public Works (DPW) operates the distribution system under the supervision of the DPW Operations Manager – Joe Lucido, the Environmental Engineer, and the Director.
EWG: Tap Water Database
The Environmental Working Group is a non- profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to protecting human health and the environment.
Since 2010, water utilities’ testing has found pollutants in Americans’ tap water, according to an EWG drinking water quality analysis of 30 million state water records.
The site features research and news about pollutants found in drinking water, Drinking Water Standards and Consumer Reports. What is interesting about the EWG database is that for each type of contaminant found in your town’s water the site shows the “goal” target level in addition to the Federal government’s Maximum allowable level.
Click here to see EWG’s report on Gloucester water: click here https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/system.php?pws=MA3206000
The law requires water utilities to communicate specific information to consumers in an annual report by July 1st of each year. This report is known by various names such as a Consumer Confidence Report (CCR), “water quality report,” or “drinking water quality report.”
The CCR provides a wealth of information, including:
The SOURCE of your drinking water (e.g., lake, river, aquifer)
The LEVELS of any contaminants found in your drinking water, and for comparison, the maximum level permitted by the EPA (the EPA’s health-based standard called the “maximum contaminant level”) The POTENTIAL health effects of any contaminant detected at levels higher than the health standard.