U.S. Water News Online
BOSTON -- In an effort to comply with the federal "Lead and
Copper
Rule," the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) is
constructing a
new facility to lower the pH or "hardness" of its water supply. The
Interim
Corrosion Control Facility, being built at a cost of some $6.5
million, will
help reduce lead levels at the tap by adding substances such as lime
or
sodium bicarbonate to reduce the acidity of drinking water.
Although lead itself is not found in any of MWRA's water supply
sources, the
corrosion control facility will decrease the leaching of lead from
household
plumbing. After the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued
the
Lead and Copper Rule in 1991, MWRA conducted corrosion control
studies and
subsequently decided to construct the new facility.
Although the resulting change in the water supply's pH is not
expected to
cause any problems for most customers, MWRA is warming customers who
may have
water use that is sensitive to water quality changes. So far, some
4,600
notices have been mailed ahead of the scheduled inauguration of the
corrosion
control facility later this year. Among those industries and business
that
are most affected by the pH change are health services, laboratories,
and
photo processing.
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