2/21/2025
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February 21, 2025 1114 am EST
West Danby water leak prompts BWA for 265 residents in Tompkins County
Tompkins County: The hamlet of West Danby experienced a loss of pressure in the water lines on Wednesday evening. A system-wide boil water advisory was immediately issued by the Town of Danby and Tompkins County Health for all customers in the distribution system. According to the Ithaca Voice news reporting yesterday, the utility crew was still searching for the line break.
As contamination can enter the water system through a leaking water main, a BWA is automatically issued, mandatory to ensure public health until the repaired line has been flushed and sanitized, and lab tests confirm the potability, or safety of the water supply once again. This BWA is expected to last through Saturday. Continue to boil all water intended for consumption and oral hygiene until official notice is given that the order is lifted.
Officials further advise customers not to rely on home water filters because they do not remove bacteria. Water should be brought to a rolling boil, maintained for at least one minute to sanitize the water from possible microbiological contamination.
West Danby Water District serves 265 residential customers in the hamlet, within the Town of Danby. Raw water is sourced from groundwater wells, part of the Susquehanna River watershed. See the front page map with watershed layer and directional arrows enabled for the topographical map. The last sanitary survey completed by NYS was Dec 2022, with no issues, no deficiencies noted and no recommendations offered. The facility has a clean compliance record with the US EPA with no violations identified in 12 consecutive quarters, this information is current as of the most recently verified quarter, ended Sept 30, 2024.
Boil Water Advisories resolved
Wyoming County: Varysburg Water District #1 supplies drinking water for 350 residential customers within the Town of Sheldon from a groundwater well source. Sheldon Town Clerk confirmed the BWA announced Feb 12 for a low residual chlorine level was remedied in short order, the BWA was lifted last week. According to the posting on the Town of Sheldon website, all was right again by Thursday mid-afternoon, Feb 13.
According to the US EPA, Varysburg WD#1 facility was last inspected in December 2021, the complete sanitary survey records a minor deficiency in management and operator compliance, with recommendations made for finished water storage and pumps. A single violation is recorded in the last three years, Jan 1 - Dec 31, 2021 concerning the monitoring and reporting of by-products of disinfection, haloacetic acids - HAA5. This violation has been resolved.
The 2022 Annual Water Quality Report for Varysburg WD#1 is available on the Town of Sheldon website, here. Scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page.
See our recent article regarding a meta-analysis of studies on the by-products of disinfection, including HAA5, here.
The new WTNY.us Serious Violator list is here.
The Safe Drinking Water Act protects public health through the administration and delivery of quality drinking water supplies across the USA. The US EPA establishes standards for drinking water, monitors and enforces treatment techniques for surface water and groundwater, sets maximum limits for around 100 contaminants ensuring public disclosure of deviations and discrepancies.
WaterToday opens the record books of the federal drinking water regulator to bring awareness to the local raw water supply and the compliance record of licensed water treatment facilities. The New York Department of Health inspects 8,180 licensed and active public drinking water facilities, reporting the results to the EPA. Check back here for drinking water news and alerts as they arise in NYS.
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