We routinely monitor for the presence of drinking water contaminants to ensure the safety of the water supply. On June 3, 2015, our water system was notified that a raw (untreated) water sample collected on June 2, 2015 from the municipal Morses Pond Well tested positive for E.coli, which is a fecal indicator. Fecal indicators are used to detect ground water sources that may be susceptible to fecal contamination which may contain harmful viruses or bacteria. The well was pumped briefly to collect the June 2 sample. When we learned of the fecal positive sample result, THE WELL WAS ALREADY OFFLINE.
The water delivered to your taps through the distribution system is disinfected with chlorine to kill viruses and bacteria, including E.coli. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT TREATED SAMPLES COLLECTED IN THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM DID NOT DETECT ANY FECAL CONTAMINANTS.
The Morses Pond Well is one of the ten sources that supply drinking water to our system. Even though none of the chlorinated samples tested positive, our chlorine disinfection system at this source has not been certified
by the MassDEP as 4-log compliant for 99.99% virus inactivation. In accordance with the federal Ground Water Rule (GWR) requirements, we are notifying you of the situation and conducting additional sampling to evaluate the extent of potential fecal contamination and will take further actions as necessary.