Malmstrom residents: Important information about your drinking water

  • Published
  • By 341st Medical Group Bioenvironmental Flight
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  The Malmstrom AFB water system recently violated the EPA Stage 1 Disinfection and Disinfection Byproducts Rule (Stage 1DBPR) drinking water standards. Samples for Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) are required for this ruling. This rule requires that four quarters of sampling be averaged and compared to the EPA Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL). The EPA requires reporting when a running average of four consecutive quarters is over 60 parts-per-billion (ppb) for HAA5. Malmstrom results over the last four quarters exceeded the HAA5 MCL with a value of 63 ppb.

Although this incident is not an emergency, as our consumers, you have the right to know what happened and what we are doing to correct the situation.

What does this mean?
This is not an emergency. If it had been you would have been notified immediately.
· The term 'Total Haloacetic Acids' (HAA5) refers to the sum of the concentrations of dichloroacetic acid, trichloroacetic acid, monochloroacetic acid, monobromoacetic acid and dibromoacetic acid in a water sample. HAA5s can be present in chlorinated drinking water, as chlorinated water disinfectant byproduct forms when the chlorine reacts with natural organic matter and/or bromide ions in raw water supplies.

· Some people who drink water containing HAA5 in excess of the MCL over many years may have an increased risk of getting cancer.

What should I do?
You do not need to boil your water or take any other corrective actions. However, if you have specific health concerns please consult your physician.

What happened? When? What was done?
The Bioenvironmental Engineering Flight routinely monitors the drinking water for contaminants. Stage 1DBPR requires sampling on a quarterly basis, and that a running four quarter average of the results be compared to the EPA established MCLs. Throughout the year of 2008 technicians collected the required four samples for HAA5. Two samples out of the last four quarters were over the MCL for HAA5. Consequently these results caused the monitoring average for the year to exceed the established MCL; which prompted this notice. 

Verification monitoring was accomplished on Feb. 5 and the base is awaiting results. Future monitoring will be conducted to determine the scope of the problem. A new waterline project is scheduled to start in the spring of 2009 to improve water quality. In addition short term mitigation includes increased waterline flushing to remove HAA5.

For more information, please contact Capt. Aaron Weaver, Chief of Bioenvironmental Engineering, at 731-4406.