Date: 09/27/10
Drinking Water Public Notice for Kirksville Customers:
Exceedance of Chlorite Maximum Contaminant Level
Este informe contiene información muy importante sobre su agua potable.
Tradúzcalo o hable con alguien que lo entienda bien.
The Kirksville public water system (PWS ID# M020 10429, Adair County) uses chlorine dioxide to kill microbiological contaminants. Chlorine dioxide kills microbes such as Cryptosporidium, which chlorine alone cannot do. A breakdown product of chlorine dioxide is the chemical chlorite. The maximum contaminant level (MCL) for chlorite is 1.0 milligrams per liter or 1.0 part per million (ppm). The average of three samples collected on August 16, 2010 was 3.65 ppm; since this exceeds the MCL, a violation of Missouri’s Safe Drinking Water Law has occurred.
Infants and young children who drink water containing chlorite in excess of the MCL could experience nervous system effects. Similar effects may occur in fetuses of pregnant women who drink water containing chlorite in excess of the MCL. Some people may experience anemia.
A summary of recent results is given below:
|
August 16, 2010
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August 19, 2010
|
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Plant Tap/Street Shed
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1.62
|
0.07
|
|
City Hall
|
1.98
|
0.04
|
|
Days Inn
|
7.35
|
0.99
|
|
Average
|
3.65
|
0.37
|
Units: parts per million
The problem is believed to have been caused by a malfunction of the chlorine dioxide generator, which fed too much chlorine dioxide to the system for a short time, or application a feed rate set higher than required for the raw water being treated. Use of chlorine dioxide was stopped on August 16th and will not resume until additional checks and improved operating procedures are in place. The equipment has been cleaned and recalibrated, a revised maximum feed rate has been set, and additional measuring devices have been ordered to provide a second measurement of the amount of chemical being used.
For more information, please contact water system staff indicated below:
Jack Schuster or Brian Carter at (660)627-1291 or 201 S. Franklin, Kirksville, MO 63501
You may also contact the department’s Northeast Regional Office at 660-385-8000 or Public Drinking Water Branch in Jefferson City at 573-751-5331.
Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.
This notice is provided to you by: PWS ID# M02010429, Kirksville, Adair Co.
Chlorite Fact Sheet
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