IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER
Town of Walsh
High Levels of Combined Radium
Este informe contiene información muy importante sobre su agua potable. Tradúzcalo o hable con alguien que lo entienda bien.
Our water system recently violated a drinking water requirement. Although this situation is not an emergency, as our customers you have a right to know what happened, what you should do, and what we are doing to correct this situation.
We routinely monitor for the presence of drinking water contaminants. On April 28, 2022 we were notified that our system exceeds the maximum contaminant level (MCL) for Combined Radium. The MCL is 5 pCi/L. The average level over the last year was 5.88 pCi/L.
NOTE: This advisory is NOT related to COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has stated that the “Virus that causes COVID-19 has not been detected in drinking water.” For additional information on COVID-19 and drinking water, you can refer to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s website: https://covid19.colorado.gov.
What does this mean? What should I do?
- You may want to use an alternative drinking water supply (e.g. bottled). If you have specific health concerns, consult your doctor.
- Some people who drink water containing radium -226 or -228 in excess of the MCL over many years may have an increased risk of getting cancer.
- If you have an infant, severely compromised immune system, are pregnant, or are elderly, you may be at increased risk and should seek advice from your doctor about drinking this water. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by bacteria and other disease-causing organisms are available from EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.
What is being done?
- The Town of Walsh has been working with EBH Engineering to address the Town's water quality issues and develop a strategy to bring the water system into compliance. Thus far, the Town has secured financing for a Rural Development (RD) Search Grant for the required Preliminary Engineering Report (PER) and Environmental Review, so an application can be made for a RD Grant/Loan to fund the water compliance project. The PER was submitted to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) for approval, but was recently revised to address the need to treat combined radium, along with nitrates. The revised PER is currently awaiting approval from CDPHE.
- The completion date for a treatment plant is estimated to be a few years out, so a reverse osmosis drinking water fill station designed to provide water in compliance with drinking water standards has been installed on the south side of Walsh Town Hall, 401 North Colorado Street, to be used in filling containers for drinking water and cooking. The cost for water from the fill station is $0.06 cents per liter, which is $0.23 per gallon.
We anticipate resolving the problem long-term by the end of year 2024. For more information, please contact Dennis Carlson at walshsuper@gmail.com or 719-324-5411, or PO Box 280, Walsh CO 81090.
*Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.*
This notice is being sent to you by: Town of Walsh - CO0105900
Date distributed: May 27, 2022