The city of Parsons sent out a public notice recently about haloacetic acids being found in drinking water samples at levels greater than the state allows. The water was sampled on Nov. 13 and tests showed that the water exceeded the Kansas Department of Health and Environment standard for the HAA5s, a group of five haloacetic acids. The standard for any one HAA is 60 ug/L. Results for samples the city collected showed that Parsons’ water plant exceeded the standard or maximum contaminant level (MCL) for HAA. Three of the samples were 72 ug/L, 79 ug/L, and 71 ug/L, respectively, according to the city notice. Derek Clevenger, director of utilities for Parsons, said this was the third notice about the city exceeding HAAs and likely will not be the last notification the city sends out on this issue. The city has been working with KDHE to resolve the matter. The city ordered a new carbon feeder, which KDHE believes will solve the problem. For now, city workers are manually feeding carbon into the water to try to reduce HAA5s, he said. When disinfection (such as the use of chlorine) is used in the treatment of drinking water, disinfectants combine with organic and inorganic matter in water to form compounds called disinfection byproducts (DBP). The U.S. EPA sets standards for controlling the levels of DBP in drinking water, including haloacetic acids (HAA). Compliance is based on the four-quarter average of sample results for each location where HAA samples are collected, called a locational running annual average (LRAA). Clevenger has updated city commissioners about the issue periodically and said he is working with KDHE to resolve it.
Source: Parsons Sun
