WALLKILL – Routine monitoring for the presence of drinking water contaminants shows the Town of Wallkill system exceeded the maximum contaminant level for Total Trihalomethanes, but the water is safe to consume, said Louis Ingrassia, Jr., the town’s public works commissioner.
The latest samples taken show the water is below the maximum contaminant level, but Ingrassia noted the monitoring is based on the running annual average, which exceeded the levels.
“The higher limits that were driven last year certainly were driven by the fact that we were in a drought situation and some of our wells were running a longer period of time that they typically run, so what will happen is when you run your wells for a longer period of time without rest, you will draw more organics out of the ground,” he said.
The Total Trihalomethanes are a biproduct of the chlorination of the water, said Ingrassia.
A notice from the town said there is no immediate risk to drinking the water; however, some people who drink water containing that chemical in excess of the maximum contaminant level over many years may experience problems with their liver, kidneys, or central nervous system, and may have an increased risk of getting cancer.
