Public Notice to City of Auburn Public Water Supply Users - updated April 14, 2023

April 14, 2023: City of Auburn Total Trihalomethane Update

The City of Auburn has received the 2023 1st quarter sample results for Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) and the result has lowered the locational running annual average (LRAA) from 81 parts per billion (ppb) to 74 ppb at the 33 York Street location. The City is no longer in violation for TTHM at any of its sampling locations. The LRAAs at the other three testing locations range from 39 ppb to 61 ppb which are below the threshold of the 80 ppb standard. The City will continue to maintain its hydrant flushing program and monitoring for TTHMs quarterly.  Any questions contact the City of Auburn Water Filtration Plant at 315-253-8754.

On December 13, 2022, the Cayuga
County Health Department received
disinfection byproduct sample results for
the fourth quarter of 2022. At the 33 York
Street sampling location, the locational
running annual average (LRAA) for total
trihalomethanes, a group of disinfection
byproducts, is calculated to be 81 parts per
billion (ppb). This exceeds the standard
set by the United States Environmental
Protection Agency (USEPA) of 80 parts per
billion (ppb) for this contaminant. The LRAA
is calculated by averaging the last four
quarters worth of sample results.
The City of Auburn is required to make
public notification of this exceedance to the
public served by our system within 30 days.

The following is the public notification:
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT
YOUR DRINKING WATER

Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) MCL
Violation at City of Auburn Public Water
System
Our City of Auburn, New York water
system recently violated a drinking water
standard. Although this incident was not
an emergency, as our customers, you have
a right to know what happened and what
we did/are doing to correct this situation.
We routinely monitor for the presence of
drinking water contaminants. Testing results
for a 12-month period ending in December
31, 2022 show that our system exceeds
the maximum contaminant level (MCL),
for Trihalomethanes (TTHM). The standard
for TTHM is 80 parts per billion. The level
of TTHM averaged at one of our system’s
locations from samples collected over the
past 12 months is 81 parts per billion.

What should I do?
•There is nothing you need to do. You do
not need to boil your water or take other
corrective actions. If a situation ever arises
where the water is no longer safe to drink,
you will be notified within 24 hours.
•If you have a severely compromised
immune system, have an infant, are
pregnant, or are elderly, you may be at
increased risk and should seek advice from
your health care providers about drinking
this water.

What does this mean?
This is not an emergency. If it had been
an emergency, you would have been
notified within 24 hours. TTHMs are four
volatile organic chemicals which form when
disinfectants react with natural organic
matter in the water. People who drink water
containing trihalomethanes in excess of
the MCL over many years may experience
problems with their liver, kidneys, or
central nervous system, and may have an
increased risk of getting cancer.

What is being done?
The City of Auburn water operators will
focus additional hydrant flushing efforts
in the affected area which will reduce the
formation of TTHMs prior to the Quarter
1 2023 sampling. We anticipate resolving
the problem within 90 days. For more
information, please contact the City of
Auburn Water Filtration Facility office at
315-253-8754.

This notice is being sent to you by the City
of Auburn, NY.
State Water System ID#: NY0501710
Date distributed: January 5, 2023

What are trihalomethanes?
Trihalomethanes are a group of chemicals
that are formed in drinking water during
disinfection when chlorine reacts with
naturally occurring organic material (e.g.,
decomposing vegetation such as tree
leaves, algae or other aquatic plants) in
surface water sources such as rivers and
lakes. They are disinfection byproducts and
include the individual chemicals chloroform,
bromoform, bromodichloromethane, and
chlorodibromomethane. The amount of
trihalomethanes formed in drinking water
during disinfection can change from day to day,
depending on the temperature, the amount of
organic material in the water, the amount of
chlorine added, and a variety of other factors.
Disinfection of drinking water by chlorination
is beneficial to public health. Drinking water
is disinfected by public water suppliers to kill
bacteria and viruses that could cause serious
illnesses, and chlorine is the most commonly
used disinfectant in New York State. All
public water systems that use chlorine as a
disinfectant contain trihalomethanes to some
degree.
What are the health effects of
trihalomethanes?
Trihalomethanes are a group of chemicals
that are formed in drinking water during
disinfection when chlorine reacts with
naturally occurring organic material (e.g.,
decomposing vegetation such as tree
leaves, algae or other aquatic plants) in
surface water sources such as rivers and
lakes. They are disinfection byproducts and
include the individual chemicals chloroform,
bromoform, bromodichloromethane, and
chlorodibromomethane. The amount of
trihalomethanes formed in drinking water
during disinfection can change from day to day,
depending on the temperature, the amount of
organic material in the water, the amount of
chlorine added, and a variety of other factors.
Disinfection of drinking water by chlorination
is beneficial to public health. Drinking water
is disinfected by public water suppliers to kill
bacteria and viruses that could cause serious
illnesses, and chlorine is the most commonly
used disinfectant in New York State. All
public water systems that use chlorine as a
disinfectant contain trihalomethanes to some
degree.
What are the health effects of
trihalomethanes?
Some studies suggest that people who drank
water containing trihalomethanes for long
periods of time (e.g., 20 to 30 years) have
an increased risk of certain health effects.
These include an increased risk for cancer and
for low birth weights, miscarriages and birth
defects. The methods used by these studies
could not rule out the role of other factors that
could have resulted in the observed increased
risks. In addition, other similar studies do
not show an increased risk for these health
effects. Therefore, the evidence from these
studies is not strong enough to conclude
that trihalomethanes were a major factor
contributing to the observed increased risks
for these health effects. Studies of laboratory
animals show that some trihalomethanes
can cause cancer and adverse reproductive
and developmental effects, but at exposures
much higher than exposures that could result
through normal use of the water. The United
States Environmental Protection Agency
reviewed the information from the human
and animal studies and concluded that while
there is no causal link between disinfection
byproducts (including trihalomethanes) and
human health effects, the balance of the
information warranted stronger regulations
that limit the amount of trihalomethanes in
drinking water, while still allowing for adequate
disinfection. The risks for adverse health
effects from trihalomethanes in drinking water
are small compared to the risks for illness from
drinking inadequately disinfected water.

To learn more about your public drinking
water supply the City of Auburn is required
by the State of New York to prepare an
Annual Water Quality Report (AWQR12)
covering the important information about the
source and quality of your drinking water.
This report is published annually and is
available on-line at www.AuburnNY.gov/
drinkingwaterreports. Please call
315-253-8754 if you would like a paper
report mailed to your home, or a copy sent to
your email address.