Water Quality

The sources of drinking water (both tap and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring materials and in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animal or human activity. Treatment processes, such as filtration and chlorination, minimize the levels of dissolved minerals and other foreign materials.

Contaminants that maybe present in source water include: microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife; inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally occurring or result from urban storm water runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming; pesticides and herbicides, which come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban storm water runoff, and residential uses; organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are byproducts of industrial processes and petroleum production and can come from gas stations, urban storm water runoff and septic systems; and radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.

In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Connecticut Department of Health prescribes regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water, which must provide the same protection for public health.

Each year the Wallingford Water Division performs nearly 50,000 water quality analyses for approximately 125 different contaminants in order to verify the safety and quality of our drinking water. These analyses are performed around the clock, 365 days a year, and include samples collected from our "raw" water sources, treatment facilities, and "finished" water within our distribution system. In all respects our water is safe to drink and meets or exceeds the standards required. Our modern water treatment plants and vigilant maintenance of our distribution system help us to assure the high quality of water today and in the future.

In addition to the required testing we are also taking a proactive approach to assuring a safe drinking water supply for the future. This is assured by monitoring for a variety of unregulated contaminants in addition to those required by the State and Federal government. Other programs administrated by the Wallingford Water Division to protect water quality include annual watershed inspections, aquifer inspections and a vigorous cross-connection inspection and testing program.

Each year the Water Division prepares a Consumer Confidence Report/Annual Water Quality Report summarizing the results of the prior year's water quality monitoring.

To obtain a copy of the most recent Consumer Confidence Report or for more information regarding our water quality, call (203) 949-2666.