The Lac Du Flambeau public water system in area 05 supplies water to thousands of connections across the county. This water originates from regional sources that undergo treatment before reaching household taps. Federal monitoring conducted from 2013 to 2015 under EPA's Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR3) surveyed several volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in this system's water supply. No health-based violations have been recorded by EPA for this public water system.
How Will Treated Water Differ at My Tap With VOC Filtration?
Using a dedicated filtration system for VOCs, such as the Autotrol VOCs & Industrial Chemicals Filter, modifies the water you receive by reducing or removing many types of VOCs and similar industrial chemicals. This results in water that may taste and smell cleaner, as some VOCs can contribute to subtle odors or flavors. The treated water is then less prone to carry trace synthetic chemicals, providing peace of mind about these compounds in household water.
Why Do Aesthetic Secondary Standards for VOCs Differ From Health-Based Limits?
The federal government sets health-based limits for contaminants that may affect safety, but many VOCs listed in monitoring rules do not have established maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) due to insufficient data or low occurrence. Instead, some values in sampling relate to appearance, taste, or odor rather than health risk. For the Lac Du Flambeau system, none of the VOCs monitored had concentrations approaching health-based concerns, and their levels do not constitute safety violations.
What Happens If VOCs Remain Untreated in Household Water Over Years?
VOCs generally do not accumulate in the body through water ingestion at typical low levels, but some may impart undesirable tastes or odors in water, detracting from quality. Persistently untreated VOCs might also affect plumbing components over very long periods, though effects vary by chemical. Without treatment, water quality related to these compounds depends largely on the source water and system management.
How Do Plumbing Materials and Age Affect VOCs in Water?
The presence or levels of VOCs do not typically increase due to household plumbing materials or their age. VOCs primarily originate from source water or external contamination rather than indoor pipes. While older plumbing may influence other water quality aspects, VOC concentrations reflect the water system's supply and treatment status more than home plumbing.
How Does the Autotrol VOCs & Industrial Chemicals Filter Remove or Neutralize VOCs?
This filtration system uses specialized media designed to adsorb and remove a broad range of volatile organic compounds and certain industrial chemicals commonly found in water supplies. By passing water through this media, it captures the target contaminants before water reaches taps, effectively lowering VOC presence. The system ships ready to configure for residential use and operates without chemicals or extensive maintenance.
What Do 'Detected,' 'Median,' and 'Range' Mean in the Sampling Record?
In the EPA’s monitoring results for Lac Du Flambeau, 'detected' means that an instrument measured a VOC at or above the minimum reporting level in samples taken. 'Median' represents the middle value of measurements, and 'range' indicates the spread from lowest to highest detected concentrations. For the VOCs monitored here, all reported results were below detectable levels or well within ranges that do not suggest safety concerns or regulatory violations.
Deciding on the appropriate treatment for VOCs involves understanding local water system data, household water quality, and the capabilities of filtration technologies. The recorded data for the Lac Du Flambeau system show low to non-detectable VOC levels, guiding households to consider treatment mainly for aesthetic or precautionary reasons.
The Autotrol VOCs & Industrial Chemicals Filter provides a focused solution to reduce these compounds, helping residents tailor water treatment to their specific needs.
Where this information comes from
Source: EPA SDWIS public water system record. Sampled 2014-07-22. These figures describe the public water system's record, not the plumbing inside any individual building.
On record: EPA UCMR3 monitoring (2013-2015) for Lac Du Flambeau (055295401), 05: 24 results across 6 listed contaminants, 0 detections above the reporting level; nothing detected above the method reporting level