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Manassas cited for contaminant in water supply
PREVIOUS VERSION OF THIS STORYRelated Topics: Manassas
Manassas (Map, News) - The lingering Northern Virginia drought is being blamed for elevated levels of a potentially dangerous contaminant in the Manassas water supply.
The Virginia Department of Health cited the city last week for reporting too much trihalomethane in the drinking water. The city faced a similar problem with the contaminant during another drought in 2002.
“These sorts of contaminants can be made worse by drought and may be drought-related,” department spokeswoman Lucy Caldwell said.
Regular testing last month showed the levels were high for the second straight quarter, spurring a required public notification process designed to alert everyone who uses the city’s water.
If ingested in large quantities for more than three consecutive months, the substance can cause health problems, including illness, and animal testing has shown it can cause cancer, Caldwell said. No related problems have been reported.
The contaminant is formed when organic material living in the water supply reacts to the chlorine in the treatment process. Diminished rainfall has resulted in less water movement and more algae growth.
The city is launching an overhaul of its water treatment process to add ammonia to the mix, neutralizing the reaction that causes the contamination, and hopes to have the new program working in December of next year, said Dominic Brancaccio, the city’s assistant director of Water & Sewer.
In the meantime, the water department is trying to limit the algae growth and reduce the chlorine used in the treatment process.
While weather is blamed for the problems, it could be the best short-term solution, Brancaccio said.
“As things cool off, the algae is going to die out, the water is going to be colder and the reactions don’t take place as quickly,” he said.
dgenz@dcexaminer.com
