Newburyport
The brown water situation:
Over the past summer there were significant issues with discolored and foul tasting water. The city described the problem as excess manganese in the water. They did not disclose, however the amount of manganese.
Manganese is not harmful to our health in small quantities, but can cause staining on clothes, sinks and appliances. Manganese in high quantities can be harmful to our health. Click HERE for a full discussion on Manganese.
Blue Ribbon Water - Analysis
Hardness
Newburyport water is NOT HARD. Therefore, a water softer is purely optional. You will get some benefit, but typically not a value for the money.
PFAS6
PFAS6 legal limit remains 20 parts per trillion in Massachusetts . Newburyport has worked to bring the PFAS6 level to well below that number and is not a problem currently. PFAS/PFOA filters are unnecessary at this time.
Fluoride
Fluoride has been reduced in many municipalities including Newburyport. The current level of .7 mg/L is well below the EPA recommendation of 4 mg/L. Fluoride removal is not necessary, and very difficult to remove. Reverse Osmosis and specialty Fluoride filters are optional.
TDS
Newburyport’s water is VERY dirty., plagued by a combination of high manganese, aging filtration infrastructure and very old street pipes. It is evident in the dirty filters we remove from almost every house. Sediment filtration is highly recommended.
Total TTHM
TTHM (Total Trihalomethanes) is a combination of several chemicals that are byproducts from the Chlorine disinfecting process. They are suspected carcinogens and are regulated by the Federal EPA. The two major components are Trihalomethanes [THM] (MCL=80 mg/L) and Halo acidic Acids. (MCL = 60 mg/L). Newburyport has difficulty with THMs. It tends to fluctuate higher in the hot summer months and has exceeded the MCL on a number of occasions, including this summer. Carbon filtration will remove these toxins. Read more about disinfectant Byproducts here: