Many homeowners in Cartersville and Bartow County notice subtle differences in their tap water taste or smell and worry about 1,2,3-trichloropropane (1,2,3-TCP). But the severity of this concern varies, especially since local water quality can differ from home to home.
Why do aesthetic secondary standards differ from health-based limits for 1,2,3-TCP in Bartow water?
The EPA’s monitoring of Bartow County’s public water system, which serves over 70,000 people, found no detections of 1,2,3-TCP above very low reporting levels. This system uses surface water sources. Aesthetic secondary standards focus on how water tastes, smells, or stains plumbing fixtures, addressing comfort rather than health. In contrast, health-based limits are set to protect against any harmful effects from contaminants. For 1,2,3-TCP in Bartow, no federal maximum contaminant level (MCL) has been established, and the public water system has no health-based violations on record. This means 1,2,3-TCP is not a known health risk in the municipal supply here, though aesthetic considerations may still matter at the individual level.
How do sample depth, well depth, or source type affect expectations for 1,2,3-TCP in a home’s water?
Bartow’s public water system uses surface water, which can differ from groundwater or private wells regarding 1,2,3-TCP presence. If a household relies on a private well, local municipal data does not describe that water. Private wells in the area might have different chemical signatures depending on depth and geological conditions, so testing the actual household supply is necessary to understand the home's unique profile.
What does a certified laboratory test report for 1,2,3-TCP include, and how should it be read?
A certified lab test for 1,2,3-TCP typically reports the concentration in micrograms per liter (µg/L). Detection means the instrument measured the chemical above the lab’s reporting level, but this is not a health violation or guarantee of safety. Bartow’s public system monitoring from 2013-2015 found zero detections above 0.03 µg/L, the reporting threshold. For a private home, these results allow comparison but cannot be assumed without testing the specific household water.
What happens if 1,2,3-TCP is left untreated in household water over years, stated factually?
Long-term exposure to 1,2,3-TCP at high levels could raise concerns, but there is no indication from Bartow’s public system data that such levels exist here. Untreated 1,2,3-TCP presence in private wells would be a separate issue requiring water testing to determine if filtration or treatment is warranted. This chemical is not known to cause immediate aesthetic problems but may be of interest to homeowners wanting to minimize any trace contaminants as a precaution.
Which fixtures, appliances, or water uses are affected by 1,2,3-TCP first and why?
1,2,3-TCP does not typically cause staining or corrosion in fixtures or appliances at detected concentrations, so its effects are generally not noticeable in everyday water use. Concerns mainly focus on ingestion and long-term exposure, not on damage to plumbing hardware. Therefore, filtration targeting 1,2,3-TCP focuses on the water used for drinking and cooking rather than appliances.
In summary, Bartow County’s public water system record, based on EPA data, shows no detections of 1,2,3-TCP above EPA’s low reporting threshold and no health-based violations related to it. This information describes the public water system as a whole, not any individual household supply. Homeowners concerned about their own water should conduct certified laboratory testing specific to their water source. For addressing 1,2,3-TCP concerns when detected, the Fleck 1,2,3-TCP Filter ships ready to configure for residential use and is documented to reduce this constituent effectively.
Source: EPA SDWIS public water system record for Bartow County (GA0150001)
Where this information comes from
Source: EPA SDWIS public water system record. Sampled 2015-11-03. These figures describe the public water system's record, not the plumbing inside any individual building.
On record: EPA UCMR3 monitoring (2013-2015) for Bartow County (GA0150001), GA: 22 results across 1 listed contaminants, 0 detections above the reporting level; nothing detected above the method reporting level
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