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| Round Pond supplies 40% of Ridgefield's "town" (BHC) water. Excessive bacteria in Round Pond has forced the water company to advise customers not to drink the water without boiling it first. -- Aerial photo by Jones & Nichols |
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| Since it's unsure whether its water is safe to drink, BHC is supplying bottled water for townspeople at the Yanity Gym. |
[The following is the text of a notice distributed today to BHC Ridgefield Customers today -- June 29, 2000]
BHC
An Aquarion Company
June 29, 2000
IMPORTANT NOTICE FROM BHC COMPANY
BOIL WATER BEFORE CONSUMPTION
TOWN OF RIDGEFIELD
Dear Ridgefield Customer:
We are writing to inform you that recent routine test results of untreated water samples from BHC's Round Pond Reservoir indicate the presence of coliform bacteria, in violation of untreated water standards of the Connecticut Public Health Code. Additionally, follow up test results today confirmed the presence of non-fecal coliform bacteria in treated water in Ridgefield's main distribution system, which means that some of these bacteria are surviving our chlorine treatment.
As a result of these tests, BHC and the Connecticut Department of Public Health advise you to rapid boil your tap water for at least one minute or use bottled water for drinking, cooking or otherwise ingesting, until further notice. BHC is providing bottled water at the Yanity Gym, 66 Prospect Street, which is adjacent to the Town Hall Annex. We are working diligently to solve the problem quickly.
Immune-compromised persons who are being treated for cancer or have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, elderly persons and infants, should seek additional advice from their doctors and also use boiled or bottled water for consumption purposes.
While coliform bacteria is naturally occurring in soil and the environment, its presence in untreated water supplies and treated water indicate that the quality of your tap water may be affected. Because we are unsure of the safety of your tap water, we and state health officials advise, as a precautionary measure, that you boil your tap water or use bottled water for consumption. State health department officials note that your tap water is safe for bathing, swimming and garden watering. It is also safe for your pets to drink.
As short-term solutions, we are killing the bacteria by treating the Round Pond Reservoir with copper sulfate and increasing the amount of chlorine that we add to the water. We are also working to install ultraviolet light treatment to help improve the effectiveness of the chlorine disinfection. For the long term, on July 5, we will begin building a 25,000-foot-long pipeline to bring water from our filtered Bridgeport distribution system to Ridgefield. The pipeline will be finished in the spring of 2001, and allow us to discontinue using Round Pond entirely.
State health department regulations require BHC to test treated Ridgefield system samples for coliform bacteria eight times a month; BHC is currently conducting daily tests on our untreated and treated water. We will continue to regularly monitor your drinking water and advise you as soon as the water is safe to consume. We sincerely regret this inconvenience, and will post a $25 credit on your next billing statement. Please call us at 337-59I0 or visit our web site at www.bhcco.com if you have any questions about this notice, or if you would like more water quality information.
John J. Herlihy
Director
Water Quality and Environmental Management
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