What kind of water and sewer testing does ALPUC do and how often?

WATER: Once daily, seven days a week, system total chlorine is tested somewhere within Alpine Lake and entered into a report which is sent monthly to the Bureau for Public Health (BPH). In warm weather, this testing is done at our hydrants. This also serves as a routine check on hydrant operation. On days when our well is running (most days), we also are required to report pounds of chlorine used and to test and report plant PH and plant free chlorine and identify the source where the test was made ("free' meaning the chlorine left after the water is treated and bacteria absorbs some of the chlorine). On a monthly basis, two bacteriological samples are required to be taken at two different sites within our treatment system, based on a site plan drawn years ago dividing Alpine Lake into 12 segments. In addition, we are required to test annually for nitrate, haloacetic acids, and trihalomethanes. Tests are required every three years for: lead and copper (10 separate samples), plus antimony, arsenic, barium, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, cyanide, fluoride, mercury, nickel, selenium, sodium and thallium. Tests are required every six years for:1,2,4-trichlorobenzene, cis-1,2-dichloroethylene, xylenes, dichloromethane, o-dichlorobenzene, p-dichlorobenzene, vinyl chloride, 1,1-dichloroethylene, trans-1,2-dichloroethylene, 1,2-dichloroethane, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, carbon tetrachloride, 1,2-dichloropropane, trichloroethylene, 1,1,2-trichloroethane, tetrachloroethylene, monochlorobenzene, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and styrene.

SEWER: Also tested every day and reported once per month is the amount of chlorine remaining in the water where it is discharged from our treatment plant and the dissolved oxygen level, PH level, and total residual chlorine (to determine whether additional sulfur dioxide should be added to remove more of the chlorine) in our discharge where it enters the receiving stream, Wardwell Run. The flow through our treatment plant also is measured daily. On a monthly basis, samples from the plant are tested for biochemical oxygen demand, total kjeldahl nitrogen, total suspended solids, fecal coliform, and PH. The results are entered on a discharge monitoring report sent to the Dept. of Environmental Protection, and total plant flow is reported for a sample day.