Before we begin to design your system, TrueWaterQuality always researches the quality of your city or town water so we can optimize the filtration of your home’s water. If you have your own well we suggest comprehensive testing. Here are a couple useful resources to explore for those homeowners on Town Water who want to know what’s in their drinking water:
Do You Know Your Town's Water Quality?
Where your Drinking Water Comes From
Andover’s Drinking Water comes from Haggetts Pond (PWS3009000‐01S) and the surrounding 1,422 acres of watershed
area. The pond is also supplemented with additional waters from Fish Brook (PWS3009000‐02S) and the Merrimack River
(PWS3009000‐03S). The Merrimack River is the fourth largest watershed in New England, encompassing over 5,000 square
miles, or 3,200,000 acres. A combination of the three surface water sources is used to produce up to 18 million gallons of
drinking water per day and approximately 2 billion gallons of drinking water per year. Andover retains 14 million gallons of
water storage in the distribution system. This storage helps maintain consistent water pressure throughout the 250 miles
of underground pipes that deliver drinking water to homes and businesses.
EWG: Tap Water Database
The Environmental Working Group is a non- profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to protecting human health and the environment.
Since 2010, water utilities’ testing has found pollutants in Americans’ tap water, according to an EWG drinking water quality analysis of 30 million state water records.
The site features research and news about pollutants found in drinking water, Drinking Water Standards and Consumer Reports. What is interesting about the EWG database is that for each type of contaminant found in your town’s water the site shows the “goal” target level in addition to the Federal government’s Maximum allowable level.
Click here to see EWG’s report on Andover water: click here https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/system.php?pws=MA3206000
The law requires water utilities to communicate specific information to consumers in an annual report by July 1st of each year. This report is known by various names such as a Consumer Confidence Report (CCR), “water quality report,” or “drinking water quality report.”
The CCR provides a wealth of information, including:
The SOURCE of your drinking water (e.g., lake, river, aquifer)
The LEVELS of any contaminants found in your drinking water, and for comparison, the maximum level permitted by the EPA (the EPA’s health-based standard called the “maximum contaminant level”) The POTENTIAL health effects of any contaminant detected at levels higher than the health standard.