Westford Town Office Water Test Results by VT Dept of Health


Letter to Westford Town Officials from Vermont Health Engineer Tom DeBell

April 28, 2023

After looking over the test results I am encouraged to see no major issues. Bacteria is by far the most common contaminant we see in wells and springs across Vermont, and I am glad to see none were found in your sample. Attached I am including a factsheet explaining or recommended testing schedule, which includes bacteria testing annually and inorganics and gross alpha testing every 5 years. I am also including a form that explains the different headings and sections of the lab report.  (click to read more)

However, a couple minor things I noticed was that your chloride and hardness levels were higher than I would naturally see. This is typically caused by a malfunctioning water softener, or potentially some road salt contamination. This is usually not considered a health concern, but those on low sodium diets may wish to use an alternate source. Any efforts to secure the area around the well from salting, and ensure the well head is secure will help to prevent salt intrusion. 

I don’t see your Iron and Sodium results (they would have been mailed directly from Endyne) but judging from your manganese level, I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a slight dark or rust colored rings deposited on water fixtures. This sometimes can give a slight metallic taste to the water but at these levels are not a health concern.   

You will notice that lead is tested for twice, one sample being a first draw and the other being a flush sample. Your flush sample showed no detection, however the first draw reported 0.008 mg/L. This is fairly common, with the first draw result representing the worst-case scenario as far as lead exposure. No amount of lead in drinking water is considered safe. However, given that your flush sample shows no detection, an effective temporary remediation strategy to reduce lead exposure is to flush the pipes, letting the water run for several minutes, before it is used for drinking. A more long term approach would be to install an NSF certified carbon filtration system that can remove lead. More information can be found on our website here: https://www.healthvermont.gov/environment/drinking-water/lead-drinking-water

 

Outside of this, the rest of the results look good, with the majority of analytes testing below our detection levels. With the exception of the first draw lead, we did not identify any other results that suggest a potential health concern. 

Best,

Tom DeBell | Environmental Health Engineer

VT Department of Health|Environmental Health


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