Questionable blending, still not lead free

Public Officers law, Article 7

OPEN MEETING LAWS

(e) Agency records available to the public pursuant to article six of this chapter, as well as any proposed resolution, law, rule, regulation, policy or any amendment thereto, that is scheduled to be the subject of discussion by a public body during an open meeting shall be made available, upon request therefor, to the extent practicable as determined by the agency or the department, prior to or at the meeting during which the records will be discussed. Copies of such records may be made available for a reasonable fee, determined in the same manner as provided therefor in article six of this chapter. If the agency in which a public body functions maintains a regularly and routinely updated website and utilizes a high speed internet connection, such records shall be posted on the website to the extent practicable as determined by the agency or the department, prior to the meeting. An agency may, but shall not be required to, expend additional moneys to implement the provisions of this subdivision.

Accordingly, the B & L Presentation should have been made available to the public, as this Village does maintain a website, as well as the fact that both the clerk and village were adviced of this.

Mon 2/4/2019 4:19 PM Freeman, Robert J (DOS) <Robert.Freeman@dos.ny.go RE: agenda Document request

Ms. Macera:

As you may be aware, the Open Meetings Law was amended several years ago to deal with the kind of issue to which you referred.

Many complained that they attended meetings but could not follow the discussion by the board without the documentation in possession of board members. That resulted in a recommendation offered by this office several years in succession until legislation was finally passed in 2011 and effective in February 2012. That provision, section 103(e) of the Open Meetings Law, pertains to records scheduled to be discussed during an open meeting.

When a record scheduled to be discussed during an open meeting, and the record is available under the Freedom of Information Law or consists of a “proposed resolution, law, rule regulations, policy or any amendment thereto”, it must be made available “to the extent practicable” on request prior to or at the meeting during which the record will be discussed. Further, when an agency maintains a website, “such records shall be posted on the website to the extent practicable…prior to the meeting.”

In an effort to encourage better compliance with law, a copy of this response is being sent to Ms. Penny, Village Clerk.

I hope that I have been of assistance.

Bob Freeman

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B & L Presentation

Tank in Russel Park has been known for years to have been an issue,

For those that did have issues, appearently are not large enough or important enough to be noticed.

as being on the list for was suggested inDecember of 2018 according to Times Telegram. WHY HAVE THEY NOT ENCOURAGED THIS FROM THE START?

DEC 3rd 2018 Times telegram:

Anyone interested in being added to the list of village homes being monitored is asked to contact the village. Residents may also call 518-402-7650 or visit the following website to participate in a free testing program offered through the New York State Department of Health at https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/water/drinking/lead/free_lead_testing_pilot_program.htm

The final step required of the village is to replace lead service lines.

“Over the next year, the village is required to replace 7 percent of the known lead service lines in the village,” according to a statement from the state Health Department.

Last week Mayor Brian Lamica suggested offering the services of the village water department to replace the laterals. The cost to the homeowner would probably be $400 to $500, compared with $3,000 to $4,000 to hire a contractor, he said.

What 7% has been replaced this this year?

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WATER RESEARCH CENTER OF PA

In deep wells, where oxygen content is low, the iron/manganese-bearing water is clear and colorless (the iron and manganese are dissolved). Water from the tap may be clear, but when exposed to air, iron and manganese are oxidized and change from colorless, dissolved forms to colored, solid forms.

A problem that frequently results from iron or manganese in water is iron or manganese bacteria. These nonpathogenic (not health threatening) bacteria occur in soil, shallow aquifers and some surface waters. The bacteria feed on iron and manganese in water. These bacteria form red-brown (iron) or black-brown (manganese) slime in toilet tanks and can clog water systems. If you are having problems with iron, manganese, and/or occasional sulfur odors we typically recommend water testing (Multiple Options). Some case studies related to iron and manganese problems.

The regulations regarding iron and manganese in drinking water were established as secondary standards, which means the limits were set because of nuisance problems and aesthetic concerns. It has come to my attention that a portion of the public may be suitable to Iron Overload or Hemochromatosis. The symptoms of hemochromatosis vary and can include: chronic fatigue, arthritis, heart disease, cirrhosis, cancer, diabetes, thyroid disease, impotence, and sterility. "Hereditary hemochromatosis is only one of several iron loading diseases. But its double gene frequency alone is 1 in 200 of the US population have the single gene expression.. It is the most common genetic disease, and tragically the most undiagnosed" (Source: Iron Overload Disease- Fact Sheet- see Link at Bottom of Webpage). "Heredity - Celtic heritage, ancestors from Ireland, Wales, Scotland, or Great Britain (England), then you are at high risk for carrying the HFE mutations for hereditary hemochromatosis (HH), also known as iron overload disease or iron storage disease." (Source: American Hemochromatosis Society-Fact Sheet- see Link at Bottom of Webpage). New Bulletin On Iron Deficiency- Many of the symptoms of iron overload are the same as Iron Deficiency, including fatigue, weakness and lack of energy. However, people with hemochromatosis generally experience a darkening of skin color (often referred to as bronzing), while those suffering from iron deficiency Anemia will experience a pale skin color"

Typically, laboratory tests are needed only to quantify the extent of iron and manganese contamination, but testing of additional water parameters such as pH, silica content, oxygen content, hardness and sulfur may be necessary to determine the most appropriate water treatment system. The water testing is provided by National Testing Laboratories or Directly by Mr. Brian Oram.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards for drinking water fall into two categories --- Primary Standards and Secondary Standards. Primary Standards are based on health considerations and are designed to protect people from three classes of pollutants: pathogens, radioactive elements and toxic chemicals. Secondary Standards are based on taste, odor, color, corrosivity, foaming and staining properties of water. Iron and manganese are both classified under the Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level (SMCL) standards. The SMCL for iron in drinking water is 0.3 milligrams per liter (mg/l), sometimes expressed as 0.3 parts per million (ppm), and 0.05 mg/l (ppm) for manganese. Water with less than these concentrations should not have an unpleasant taste, odor, appearance or side effect caused by a secondary contaminant.

If excessive iron or manganese is present in your water supply, you have two basic options -- obtain an alternate water supply or use some type of treatment to remove the impurity. The need for an alternate water supply or impurity removal should be established before making an investment in treatment equipment or an alternate supply. Base the decision on a water analysis by a reputable laboratory. It may be possible to obtain a satisfactory alternate water supply by drilling a new well in a different location or a deeper well in a different aquifer. Several methods of removing iron and manganese from water are available. The most appropriate method depends on many factors, including the concentration and form of iron/manganese in the water, if iron or manganese bacteria are present, and how much water you need to treat.

The phosphate compounds must be introduced into the water at a point where the iron is still dissolved in order to maintain water clarity and prevent possible iron staining. This should be before the pressure tank and as close to the well discharge point as possible. Phosphate compound treatment is a relatively inexpensive way to treat water for low levels of iron and manganese. Since phosphate compounds do not actually remove iron, water treated with these chemicals will retain a metallic taste. In addition, too great a concentration of phosphate compounds will make water feel slippery.

Aeration followed by filtration High levels of dissolved iron and manganese at combined concentrations up to 25 mg/l can be oxidized to a solid form by aeration (mixing with air). For domestic water processing, the "pressure-type aerator" often is used. In this system, air is sucked in and mixed with the passing stream of water. This air-saturated water then enters the precipitator/aerator vessel where air separates from the water. From this point, the water flows through a filter where various filter media are used to screen out oxidized particles of iron, manganese and some carbonate or sulfate. The most important maintenance step involved in operation is periodic backwashing of the filter. Manganese oxidation is slower than for iron and requires greater quantities of oxygen. Aeration is not recommended for water containing organic complexes of iron/manganese or iron/manganese bacteria that will clog the aspirator and filter.

When chlorine is used as the oxidizing agent, excess chlorine remains in treated water. If the particle filter is made of calcite, sand, anthracite or aluminum silicate, a minimum quantity of chlorine should be used to avoid the unpleasant taste that results from excess chlorine. An activated carbon filter can be used to remove excess chlorine and small quantities of solid iron/manganese particles. Any filtration material requires frequent and regular backwashing or replacement to eliminate the solid iron/manganese particles. Some units have an automatic backwash cycle to handle this task. The ideal pH range for chlorine bleach to oxidize iron is 6.5 to 7.5. Chlorination is not the method of choice for high manganese levels since a pH greater than 9.5 is required for complete oxidation. Potassium permanganate will effectively oxidize manganese at pH values above 7.5 and is more effective than chlorine oxidation of organic iron if that is a problem. Potassium permanganate is poisonous and a skin irritant. There must be no excess potassium permanganate in treated water and the concentrated chemical must be stored in its original container away from children and animals. Careful calibration, maintenance and monitoring are required when potassium permanganate is used as an oxidizing agent.

Ozone Water Treatment is an option for iron and manganese reduction.

Multistage treatment

If the water has high levels of iron and manganese and they are both the dissolved and solid forms, a multistage treatment operation is necessary. For example, a troublesome supply could be chlorinated to oxidize dissolved iron and kill iron bacteria, and filtered through a mechanical device to remove particles. This can be followed by activated carbon filtration to remove excess chlorine and a water softener for hardness control as well as removal of any residual, dissolved iron or manganese. If a chemical oxidizer is used, it might be possible to treat hydrogen sulfide, iron and manganese contaminants at the same time.