Deciding This Week: Whether to Investigate Perchlorate in Your Home
If you are aware of perchlorate as a potential water concern in Area 07 but uncertain about the level affecting your household, you face the decision of determining if further action is necessary.
Long-Term Effects of Unchecked Perchlorate Presence
Perchlorate is a chemical that can affect the thyroid gland by potentially disrupting iodine uptake, important for metabolic regulation. Over many years, if present in significant amounts, it could impact hormone balance. However, the effect depends on the actual concentration in your specific water source, which varies from one home to another.
Additional Questions for Commercial or Industrial Water Users
Unlike households, commercial or industrial operations often need detailed data about water volumes, peak usage times, and regulatory compliance for discharge permits. They may also require information on perchlorate’s impact on process equipment or product safety. These considerations do not typically apply to residential customers focused on drinking and cooking needs.
Variation in Perchlorate Monitoring Over Time in Area 07
Government data from the Kickapoo Tribal Waterworks system serving Area 07, collected from early 2001 to late 2001, shows no detection of perchlorate above the reporting level of 4.0 micrograms per liter in four separate measurements. This federal Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR) survey represents a snapshot during that period, but does not reflect continuous monitoring or changes since then.
How to Compare Area 07’s Perchlorate Record with Neighboring Counties
When looking at perchlorate data from nearby counties, it’s important not to assume that the presence or absence of detections applies equally everywhere. Differences in geological conditions, water sources, and treatment practices mean results vary. Area 07’s record of no detections above the reporting limit means perchlorate was not measurable at that time, but neighboring records may show low-level detections without indicating a problem or violation.
Steps to Understand Your Specific Water Quality
Begin by checking if your household taps into the Kickapoo Tribal Waterworks system, whose perchlorate record is documented. If you rely on a private well or another supply, government system data does not apply directly. The next step is to collect a water sample from your home and send it to a certified laboratory for perchlorate analysis. This is the only way to determine your exact perchlorate concentration.
Changes in Water Quality After Using Documented Treatment Technology
Once the Fleck Perchlorate Filter system is configured for home water treatment, it is designed to reduce perchlorate concentrations effectively before water reaches your taps. Treated water typically shows a significant reduction of perchlorate levels compared to untreated supply, improving peace of mind for households concerned about this constituent.
Conclusion: Ordering the Definitive Test
The single most important step you can take is to obtain a laboratory test specifically for perchlorate on a water sample from your household tap. If your test shows perchlorate below the detection limit or at very low levels consistent with the public system record, further treatment may not be necessary. For higher levels, treatment solutions like the Fleck Perchlorate Filter system offer a documented approach to address your household’s needs.
Where this information comes from
Source: EPA SDWIS public water system record. Sampled 2001-11-20. These figures describe the public water system's record, not the plumbing inside any individual building.
On record: EPA UCMR1 monitoring (2001-2005) for KICKAPOO TRIBAL WATERWORKS (070000002), 07: 4 results across 1 listed contaminants, 0 detections above the reporting level; nothing detected above the method reporting level