GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has notified the Goodfellow AFB public water system that the drinking water being supplied to customers had exceeded the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for total trihalomethanes (TTHM). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) has established the MCL for total trihalomethanes to be 0.080 milligrams per liter (mg/L) based on a locational running annual average (LRAA) and has determined that it is a health concern at levels above the MCL. Analysis of drinking water in your community for total trihalomethanes indicates a compliance value in 4th quarter, 2024 of 0.0848 mg/L for DBP2-01.
Trihalomethanes are a group of volatile organic compounds that are formed when chlorine, added to the water during the treatment process for disinfection, reacts with naturally-occurring organic matter in the water.
Some people who drink water containing trihalomethanes in excess of the MCL over many years may experience problems with their liver, kidney, or central nervous systems, and may have an increased risk of getting cancer.
You do not need to use an alternative water supply. However, if you have health concerns, you may want to talk to your doctor to get more information about how this may affect you.
We are taking the following actions to address this issue:
Goodfellow AFB receives all of its drinking water PRE-TREATED from the City of San Angelo. 17 CES and 17 MDG continue to work with the City of San Angelo to ensure all water receives meets State and Federal requirements for safe drinking water.
One of the causes of the increase in TTHMs is due to the City’s groundwater plant being offline for upgrades over the last year. Groundwater has a lower level of TTHMs than surface water. Per the City of San Angelo's website, they have brought their groundwater treatment facility online as of 21 November 2024. It is expected that TTHMs will be reduced back to safe levels, as advised by the Environmental Protection Agency.
In the meantime, Goodfellow will increase the flushing of water lines to keep water age low and as weather allows, implement the use of automatic flushers at points across the installation. Additionally continued TTHM monitoring will occur as required by State regulations.
Please share this information with all people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (i.e., 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.
If you have questions regarding this matter, you may contact the Bioenvironmental Engineering office at 325-654-3286.
Posted /Delivered on: 11 DEC 2024