FORT KENT WATER DEPARTMENT
416 West Main Street
Fort Kent, Maine 04743
Phone: 834-3003 Fax: 834-3126
E-Mail- watersewer@fortkent.org
Website: http://www.fortkent.org/
2012
Consumer Confidence Report
For the Fort Kent Water Department System
Annual Drinking Water Quality Report
(Created 3/18/13)
We’re very pleased to provide you with this year's Annual Quality Water Report. We want to keep you informed about the
excellent water and services we have delivered to you over the past year. Our goal is and always has been, to provide to you a
safe and dependable supply of drinking water.
SOURCE WATER INFORMATION
Our water source is derived via two wells located east of the Fort Kent business district. Well #1 was drilled in 1960 and has a
depth of sixty-two feet. Well #2 was drilled in 1979 and is sixty-five feet deep. Both are made of metal casing and gravel
constitutes most of the surrounding soil.
These two wells serve a population of more than eighteen hundred people and have pumped an average of 197,143 gallons per
day in 2012. Chemicals that were used consisted of Sodium Hypochlorite for disinfection, Sodium Fluoride that promotes strong
teeth, and aeration for a higher pH and Radon removal.
WATER QUALITY
The Maine Drinking Water Program, in cooperation with local public water suppliers (PWS), has conducted a statewide
assessment of the risks to public water supply wells and intakes from human activities. All wells were rated on the current and
future risk for contamination by both acute contaminants, like bacteria, and chronic contaminants, like petroleum hydrocarbons.
The Fort Kent Water Department assessment is as follows, Existing Risk of Contamination Based on Well Type and Site
Geology: Moderate Risk. Existing Risk of Acute Contamination: Low Risk. . Existing Risk of Chronic Contamination: Moderate
Risk. Future Risk of Chronic Contamination: Moderate Risk. For more information on the Source Water Assessment Program,
please call the Water Department or the Drinking Water Program at 287-2070. A Wellhead Protection Plan was established in
June 1995. A copy of this plan is available upon request.
This report shows our water quality and what it means.
If you have any questions about this report or concerning your water utility, please contact Mark Soucy, Fort Kent Water
Department Head, Tel: 834-3003 or 3463. We want our valued customers to be informed about their water utility. If you want to
learn more, please attend any of our regularly scheduled meetings held on the Second and Fourth Monday of every month.
The Fort Kent Water Department routinely monitors for constituents in your drinking water according to Federal and State laws.
This table shows the results of our monitoring for the period of January 1 2012 to December 31, 2012. As water travels over the
land or underground, it can pick up substances or contaminants such as microbes, inorganic and organic chemicals, and
radioactive substances. All drinking water, including bottled drinking water, may be reasonably expected to contain at least
small amounts of some constituents. It's important to remember that the presence of these constituents does not necessarily pose
a health risk.
Definitions:
Non-Detects (ND) - laboratory analysis indicates that the constituent is not present.
Parts per million (ppm) or Milligrams per liter (mg/l) - one part per million corresponds to one minute in two years or a single
penny in $10,000.
Running Annual Average ( RAA ) - The average of all monthly or quarterly samples for the last year at all sample locations.
Parts per billion (ppb) or Micrograms per liter - one part per billion corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years, or a single
penny in $10,000,000.
Picocuries per liter (pCi/L) - picocuries per liter is a measure of the radioactivity in water.
Action Level (AL) - the concentration of a contaminant, which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements, which a
water system must follow.
Treatment Technique (TT) - A treatment technique is a required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in
drinking water.
Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) - The MCL is the highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water.
Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) - The MCLG is the level of a contaminant in drinking water below, which there
is no known or expected risk to health.
The following contaminants were tested for:
Microbiological Contaminants
1. Total Coliform Bacteria
2. Fecal coliform and E.coli
3. Turbidity
Radioactive Contaminants
4. Beta/photon emitters
5. Alpha emitters
6. Combined radium
Uranium
Radon
Inorganic Contaminants
7. Antimony
8. Arsenic
9. Asbestos
10. Barium
11. Beryllium
12. Cadmium
13. Chromium
14. Copper
15. Cyanide
16. Fluoride
17. Lead
18. Mercury (inorganic)
19. Nitrate (as Nitrogen)
20. Nitrite (as Nitrogen)
21. Selenium
22. Thallium
23. 2,4-D
24. 2,4,5-TP (Silvex)
25. Acrylamide
26. Alachlor
27. Atrazine
28. Benzo(a)pyrene (PAH)
29. Carbofuran
30. Chlordane
31. Dalapon
32. Di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate
33. Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate
34. Dibromochloropropane
35. Dinoseb
36. Diquat
37. Dioxin [2,3,7,8-TCDD]
38. Endothall
39. Endrin
40. Epichlorohydrin
41. Ethylene dibromide
42. Glyphosate
43. Heptachlor
44. Heptachlor epoxide
45. Hexachlorobenzene
46. Hexachlorocyclo-pentadiene
47. Lindane
48. Methoxychlor
49. Oxamyl [Vydate]
50. PCBs [Polychlorinated phenyls]
51. Pentachlorophenol
52. Picloram
53. Simazine
54. Toxaphene
Volatile Organic Contaminant
55. Benzene
56. Carbon tetrachloride
57. Chlorobenzene
58. o-Dichlorobenzen
59. p-Dichlorobenzen
60. 1,2 - Dichloroethane
61. 1,1 - Dichloroethyle
62. cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene
63. trans - 1,2 Dichloroethylene
64. Dichloromethane Synthetic Organic Contaminants including Pesticides and Herbicides
65. 1,2-Dichloropropane
66. Ethylbenzene
66a. Methyl-Tertiary-Butyl-Ether (MTBE) (Maine MCL)
67. Styrene
68. Tetrachloroethylene
69. 1,2,4 -Trichlorobenzene
70. 1,1,1 - Trichloroethane
71. 1,1,2 -Trichloroethane
72. Trichloroethylene
73. TTHM [Total trihalomethanes]
74. Toluene
75. Vinyl Chloride
76. Xylenes
WATER TEST RESULTS
Contaminant
Date
Results
Unit
Measurement
MCL
MCLG
Source
2 ppm
2 ppm
AL=
1.3
ppm
4 ppm
1.3 ppm
Discharge of drilling wastes; discharge
from metal refineries; erosion of natural
deposits.
Corrosion of household plumbing
systems.
AL =
15 ppb
0 ppb
10 ppm
10 ppm
Runoff from fertilizer use; leaching from
septic tanks, sewage; erosion of natural
deposits
Erosion of natural deposits.
INORGANICS
Barium
03/14/11
Copper 90th % (8)
Fluoride (3)
09/18/12
Lead 90th % (8)
01/01/11
12/31/13
03/21/12
Radionuclides
Radium-228
Microbiological
Total Coliform
Disinfection
Chlorine Residual
Disinfection
ByProducts
Trihalomethans
(TTHM) (9)
ppm
0.70
01/01/11
12/31/13
Nitrate (as
Nitrogen)
.0048
11/14/12
2012
RAA
(2012)
RAA
(2010)
ppm
90th% Value
0.90
Highest level
found.
4 ppm
ppm
3.6
90th% Value
ppb
0.73
ppm
0.03
PCi/l
5 pCi/l
0 pCi/l
pos
1
pos/mo
or 5%
0 pos
MRDL
4ppm
MRDLG
4ppm
0
RAA ( 0.19)
Range
(0.02 – 0.46)
ppm
Erosion of natural deposits; water
additive which promotes strong teeth;
discharge from fertilizer and aluminum
factories
Corrosion of household plumbing
systems.
Naturally present in the environment.
By-product of drinking water
chlorination.
By-product of drinking water
chlorination.
7.5
ppb
80 ppb
0 ppb
NOTES:
1) Total Coliform Bacteria: Reported as the highest monthly number of positive samples, for water systems that take < 40 samples per
month.
2) Arsenic: The U.S. EPA adopted the new MCL standard of 10 ppb in October 2001.
3) Fluoride: Fluoride levels must be maintained between 1-2 ppm, for those water systems that fluoridate the water.
4) Nitrate: Nitrate in drinking water at levels above 10 ppm is a health risk for infants of less than six months of age. Nitrate levels may
rise quickly for short periods of time because of rainfall or agricultural activity. If you are caring for an infant, you should ask for
advice from your health care provider.
5) Radon: The State of Maine currently recommends treatment for Radon levels in drinking water above 4,000 pCi/L. The U.S. EPA is
considering setting lower standards for Radon in drinking water.
6) Gross Alpha: Action Level over 5 pCi/L requires testing for Radium. Action level over 15pCi/L requires testing for Radon and
Uranium.
7) Uranium: The U.S. EPA adopted the new standard of 30 ppb, in December 2000. Water systems must meet this new standard by
December 2003.
8) Lead /Copper: Action levels are measured at consumer’s tap. 90% of the tests must be equal to or below the action level.
9) TTHM/HAA5: Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) and Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) are formed as a by-product of drinking water
chlorination. This chemical reaction occurs when chlorine combines with naturally occurring organic matter in water.
All other regulated drinking water contaminants were below detection levels.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
All sources of drinking water are subject to potential contamination by substances that are naturally occurring or
man-made. These substances can be microbes, inorganic or organic chemicals and radioactive substances. All
drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some
contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk. More
information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection
Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.
MCL’s are set at very stringent levels. To understand the possible health effects described for many regulated
constituents, a person would have to drink 2 liters of water every day at the MCL level for a lifetime to have a onein-a-million chance of having the described health effect.
Lead: If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and
young children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and
home plumbing. Fort Kent Water is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but cannot control the
variety of materials used in plumbing components. When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can
minimize the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using water for
drinking or cooking. If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water tested.
Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available
from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.
Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminates in drinking water than the general population. Immunocompromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ
transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly
at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers.
EPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by microbiological contaminates are
available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).
YOUR WATER SYSTEM
2012 PUMPING
The Water Department pumped 69,337,500 gallons of water in 2011. In 2011 we pumped 71,957,200 gallons. This
is an increase of 2,619,700 gallons. Since 1976 the maximum pumped was 258,500,000 gallons, this was in 1976,
and the minimum pumped was in 2008.Our total from 1976 to 2012 is about 4.619 Billion gallons. This would fill a
pool one mile long by one mile wide by 21 feet deep.
2012 WATER PROJECTS
The Water & Wastewater Department applied for, and received, a United States Department of Agriculture Rural
Development ( USDA) Grant / Loan for upgrades to the Systems in the amount of $531,000 loan and $2,605,000
Grant. A FEMA contribution of $364,000 brings the total project estimate to $3.5 Million. The Water Department
projects remaining are:
 Project 1 School Street water line replacement.
 Project 2 The Meadow Lane and Blockhouse Road water line replacement.
 Project 3 The West Elm Street water line replacement
 Project 4 The Dube Street water line replacement. All projects were completed in 2012.
EMPLOYEE CORNER
We currently have four full time employees. Greg Bernier, who has been with the Department for 17 years, holds a
Class IV Water Treatment license and a Class IV Water Distribution license. Ricky Berube, who has been with the
Department 13 years, holds a Class II Water Treatment license and a Class II Water Distribution license. We would
like to welcome Bruce Fournier to the team. Bruce has been with the Department for 6 Months. Mark Soucy, who
has been with the Department 15 years, holds a Class IV Water Treatment license and a Class IV Water Distribution
license.