New Testing Requirements Yield Same Good Results
Rockville’s drinking water continues to be safe and reliable, the city’s Department of Public Works said in the Annual Drinking Water Quality Report, released July 1.
Rockville’s drinking water met or exceeded all drinking water quality regulations set by the Environmental Protection Agency and adopted and enforced by the Maryland Department of the Environment.
Last year, new construction within city limits pushed the number of water customers the city serves past 50,000 for the first time. Crossing that threshold led to additional water quality monitoring by MDE, including annual lead and copper testing. Previously, such testing was done once every three years.
Lead and copper testing of tap water samples taken from 87 addresses within the city in 2018 once again confirmed the safety of the city’s water. The testing detected lead in just three samples, at levels far below where the EPA requires regulatory or remedial action. The tests also showed copper levels far below the EPA action level.
Rockville is completing the design of a project to rehabilitate the city water treatment plant’s electrical system, which had not been upgraded since the plant on the Potomac River opened in 1958. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2020.
Additionally, 2018 was the fifth consecutive year the city received the Director’s Award for its voluntary participation in the Partnership for Safe Water. The award, given by an alliance of six prestigious drinking water organizations, recognizes the competence of the city’s water plant operators and their desire to go beyond regulatory standards to achieve the highest water quality for Rockville’s water customers.
Learn more about the source and quality of Rockville’s drinking water by viewing the full Annual Water Quality Report at www.rockvillemd.gov/annualwaterquality2019. To speak with someone about the report, call 240-314-8556.