You asked for a description of water testing requirements for a system serving more than 25 residents (i. e. , a community water system), particularly those that use wells or other ground water sources as their supply source.  You also wanted to know (1) how these requirements have changed in the past five years and (2) whether there are funds available to connect these systems with public water supply systems, and if so who has received funding in the past.

SUMMARY

Water supply systems are subject to extensive water quality testing requirements for organic and inorganic chemicals, pesticides, and other chemical compounds.  In addition, the water must be tested for radioactivity and characteristics such as odor and discoloration.  The testing requirements for systems that rely solely on wells and other ground water sources have been fairly constant in the past five years, although the radioactivity testing requirements have been tightened.  In contrast, a broader range of requirements has been tightened for systems relying on reservoirs and other surface sources.

The Department of Public Health (DPH), which administers the testing requirements, has a revolving low interest loan program that can be used to connect community water supply systems such as the one you describe to larger public water systems.  Under state law, the community water system must connect with the system that DPH has designated as the exclusive service provider for the area in question unless that provider is unable or unwilling to make the connection.  In the past five years, five interconnection projects have received loans under the program, in amounts ranging from $ 231,327 to $ 2. 5 million.  Additional projects have received funding approval for federal FY 2004.

TESTING REQUIREMENTS

Water supply systems are subject to extensive water quality testing requirements under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, which is administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  As permitted under federal law, EPA has delegated its responsibility for enforcing the act in Connecticut to the DPH.

DPH regulations (Conn.  Agencies Regs. Sec.  19-13-B102) specify the testing requirements, which vary somewhat by the type of system.  An entity that serves 25 or more residents for at least 60 days per year is considered a community water system.  Such systems must test the water they distribute for a wide range of contaminants, including (1) inorganic chemicals, such as arsenic, cyanide, and lead;  (2) pesticides, herbicides, dioxin, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs);  and (3) organic chemicals, such as benzene and methyl tert butyl ether (MTBE).  The maximum contaminant level for many of these chemicals is extremely low, necessitating sophisticated testing.  For example, the maximum allowed contaminant level for arsenic is 0. 05 milligrams per liter of water (there are 1,000 milligrams in a gram, and liter contains 1,000 grams of water).  The water must also be tested for radioactivity, odor, discoloration, acidity/alkinity and turbidity (murkiness).

The number of water samples that must be taken each month to conduct these tests increases with the number of people served by the system.  The frequency of testing of these samples for certain contaminants depends on whether the system uses ground or surface water supply sources.  For example, systems that use ground water sources must test for inorganic chemicals every three years, while those that use surface water sources must test every year.  The frequency of sampling for certain contaminants is decreased if previous tests have shown contamination levels to be with the limits specified in the regulations

In addition to the above tests, systems that use surface water sources must test the water before it is treated.  The untreated water must be tested for specified inorganic chemicals, pesticides, and coliform bacteria, as well as for its color and turbidity.  Systems that rely on groundwater sources only have to test the untreated water if DPH determines that the source is vulnerable to contamination.

REVOLVING LOAN FUND

DPH's Revolving Loan Fund program provides low interest loans to water systems to finance the infrastructure upgrades the systems need to achieve and maintain compliance with the requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act and to protect public health.  The program is federally funded under the act, and Connecticut has received approximately $ 8 million for federal FY 2004.  Additional funds come from loan repayments.

According to DPH staff, the loans can be used to connect a community water system with a larger water system, thereby spreading the costs of complying with the testing requirements.  However, such connections are subject to CGS § 25-33c et seq.  Under these provisions, DPH assigns exclusive service areas across the state.  If a community water system wants to connect with a larger system, it would have to first have to contact the entity designated by DPH as the exclusive service provider for that area, and connect with that entity if it was willing and able to do so.

In the past five years, five systems have received loans to interconnect facilities and housing developments with other water systems.  The affected towns and loan amounts are:  Farmington ($ 1,696,970), New Milford ($ 231,327), Newtown ($ 511,000), Plymouth ($ 639,000), and Portland ($ 2. 5 million).  Among the projects that DPH has determined are fundable under the program in federal FY 2004, connections of public schools to water supply systems in Ledyard and Newtown and a projects to connect an apartment complex in Colchester with town water.  Another project to connect a home for the aged in Brooklyn to town water may be funded if other projects that received higher scores in the DPH ranking process do not go forward.

Further information about the program can be found at http: //www. dph. state. ct. us/BRS/water/SRF/srf. htm.

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