State Says Monongahela River Exceeds OK Levels for Drinking Water
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
7 August 2009
The state Department of Environmental Protection announced today that
levels of total dissolved solids, or TDS, in the Monongahela River have
fluctuated above the water quality standard for taste, exceeding
acceptable levels for drinking water established by state and federal
authorities.
"Since elevated levels of TDS were detected last year on the
Monongahela River, the department has closely monitored the situation
and has taken necessary action to reduce these levels," said EPS John
Hanger. "Water treatment plants are not equipped to remove TDS from
drinking water, and therefore the increased levels may cause drinking
water to taste salty.
The tainted water has not caused any illness and it is safe to drink,
but if TDS levels are high, it may taste salty or brackish, and it
could cause spotting on glassware or damage in automatic dishwashers.
"Concerned residents may opt to use bottled water for drinking and
preparing food until the levels of TDS decrease to normal levels."
TDS is a measure of all elements dissolved in water and can include
carbonates, chlorides, sulfates, nitrates, sodium, potassium, calcium
and magnesium. While none of these elements have exceeded its
respective stream limit, sulfate, at 191 milligrams per liter, is
approaching its limit of 250 milligrams per liter.
Sources of TDS can include sewage treatment plants, stormwater runoff,
metal mining, mining, abandoned mine drainage, meat packing plants,
vegetable processing plants, grain milling plants, bakeries, beverage
processing facilities, agricultural chemical manufacturing, oil and gas
drilling, petroleum refining, leather processing, primary metal
industries, fabricated metal products, electric services, refuse
systems, scrap and waste material industries.
The department, as well as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
have established secondary maximum contaminant levels of 500 parts per
million of TDS for the commonwealth's drinking water and waterways.
Lab analysis of the Monongahela River water at Point Marion, where West
Virginia borders Pennsylvania, and near Elizabeth, Allegheny County,
showed TDS levels ranging from 500 to 600 milligrams per liter. Recent
rains have caused the TDS levels to fluctuate daily.
Since elevated levels were first detected last year, DEP has taken a
number of steps to address them.
DEP has been closely monitoring TDS levels in the river since October
2008 using both U.S. Geological Survey gauges and conducting
confirmatory sampling for lab analysis.
In June, DEP granted $75,000 to the River Alert and Information
Network, or RAIN, to develop a monitoring network and source water
protection program. The grant provided for a computer network and
installation of water quality probes that will allow RAIN to remotely
monitor the quality, including conductivity, pH and the temperature of
the water at 11 locations along the Monongahela River. The network is
being installed and, once in place, data will be available for the
public to access through the department's Web site.
After high TDS levels were detected in October 2008, DEP directed
certain sewage treatment plants, which discharge to the Monongahela
River or its tributaries, to limit their discharges.
In April 2009 DEP released a proposed strategy for new discharges of
high TDS wastewater to meet an effluent standard of 500 milligrams per
liter by January 2011. New regulatory standards will be considered by
the Environmental Quality Board on Aug. 18 and will be available for
public comment.
Finally, the department and EPA will meet with West Virginia officials
to determine the scope of the problem throughout the watershed and to
identify potential solutions where TDS is entering the commonwealth
from West Virginia at elevated levels.
In upcoming weeks, DEP will host one or more public meetings within the
Monongahela Basin to provide detailed information and a status report
to residents.
Specifics about the public meeting will be announced at least two weeks
in advance.