Residents of Frederick County receive water primarily sourced from surface water supplies managed by the City of Frederick public water system. This system serves approximately 54,000 people through around 16,600 connections, providing treated water measured periodically for various substances including perchlorate. Understanding the governmental sampling data can help households make informed decisions when considering treatment options.
Myth 1: Larger or Seasonal Households Will See Different Perchlorate Levels
The volume of water used or the duration a property is occupied does not inherently affect perchlorate concentrations in the water supply. The levels reported by the City of Frederick come from system-wide sampling and represent a general condition of treated surface water reaching the distribution network. However, individual household plumbing and water usage patterns can influence the experience of taste or other water characteristics but do not change perchlorate content as measured at the system level.
Myth 2: A Small Number of Samples Means the Data Is Inconclusive
The Environmental Protection Agency’s Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule collected 12 perchlorate samples from this system between 2002 and 2003, all below the reporting level of 4.0 micrograms per liter. While this is a limited sample size, these results provide a snapshot of perchlorate presence in the source water over that period. More extensive testing would be needed to fully characterize variability, but the absence of detectable perchlorate above the reporting level is meaningful for understanding baseline levels.
Myth 3: Household Symptoms Clearly Indicate Perchlorate Issues
Symptoms commonly attributed to water quality issues, such as unusual taste or odor, staining, or health concerns, are not definitive indicators of perchlorate presence or levels. Because perchlorate is a chemical of regulatory interest primarily for its potential effects on thyroid function, its presence is not associated with sensory changes in water. Households considering treatment based on perceived symptoms should obtain a certified laboratory test to confirm perchlorate levels specifically.
Myth 4: ‘Detected,’ ‘Median,’ and ‘Range’ Values Reveal the Safety of My Water
The term “detected” simply means a chemical was measured at or above an analytical reporting level; it is not a judgment of water safety. In Frederick’s public water system sampling for perchlorate, no detection above 4.0 µg/L was recorded, and no federal Maximum Contaminant Level exists for perchlorate to define a legal or health threshold. Median and range values describe the concentrations measured in multiple samples but do not substitute for a direct test of an individual household’s water.
Myth 5: Untreated Perchlorate in Water Will Cause Immediate or Obvious Harm
Perchlorate in drinking water, when present, may affect thyroid hormone production, especially for sensitive groups such as pregnant women and infants, but the effects generally occur over prolonged exposure. The limited detections in Frederick’s supply suggest low potential for such impacts. Nevertheless, households with concerns based on health status or personal preference may opt for targeted treatment solutions to reduce perchlorate levels effectively.
For residential properties in Frederick County seeking to address perchlorate specifically, the C-Series Perchlorate Filter system ships ready to configure and offers a documented approach to reduce perchlorate from water. It is designed to meet the demand indicated by individual household testing, providing a customizable treatment option compatible with various water usage scenarios.
Where this information comes from
Source: EPA SDWIS public water system record. Sampled 2003-08-12. These figures describe the public water system's record, not the plumbing inside any individual building.
On record: EPA UCMR1 monitoring (2001-2005) for CITY OF FREDERICK (MD0100015), MD: 12 results across 1 listed contaminants, 0 detections above the reporting level; nothing detected above the method reporting level