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Portland Water District Stands Guard Over Sebago Lake Water Quality

March 18, 2008 - Consumers have heard the recent buzz about the potential for a "pharmaceutical cocktail" in drinking water.

We here at the Portland Water District are not surprised that medications are finding their way into the waterways in our nation's largest cities.

This isn't a new concern; in fact, studies dating back to the 1960s explore steroid concentrations in wastewater.

Through contributions to the American Water Works Association Research Foundation, the Portland Water District helps sponsor studies on new contaminants of interest, including pharmaceuticals. These studies are important to the water sector and lead to improvements in water quality.

While pharmaceutical residues have been found in some water supplies, the scientific community does not yet know of any human health effects from trace amounts of these chemicals. Research is ongoing.

We find ourselves once again fortunate to be in Maine. Today, the district is not tested for pharmaceuticals because Sebago Lake, which is the source for drinking water for 15% of Maine's population, is very clean.

Maine does not permit discharge of wastewater into the lake; therefore, the likelihood of pharmaceuticals ending up in the lake is slim.

The watershed of Sebago Lake is more than 80% forested, and we own 2500 forested acres located right around the intakes, so the lake is very well protected.

We also have an extensive program of lake protection, inspecting septic systems, providing technical assistance on development projects, buying land and securing it.

In addition, we use ozone as our primary method of disinfection. Studies show that ozone as applied at the Sebago Lake Water Treatment Facility is highly effective in removing pharmaceuticals from drinking water.

A major source of pharmaceuticals in waterways are direct discharges from wastewater facilities. Wastewater treatment is designed to remove organic material, not medications.

We recently initiated a campaign to inform our customers that wipes (baby, disinfection, etc.) should not be flushed down the toilet because they do not break down. They clog pump stations, which creates sewer backups and overflows. So users should think twice before flushing.

The district tests for many, many different contaminants and that list continues to grow. We're pleased to report that our drinking water meets all appropriate standards.

As science improves, this claim gets tougher to make. Today we have the technology to detect more substances -- at lower levels of concentration -- than ever before. For example, last month the Federal Environmental Protection Agency released its third Contaminant Candidate list.

The EPA reviewed a list of 7500 potential new contaminants and eventually pared it down to 104 new contaminants that utilities will be asked to test for and study. The results will impact national drinking water regulations.

A full water quality analysis and our annual water quality report can be found on our website at www.pwd.org. This report is updated every year and sent to each customer.

We are in the business of protecting public health, and we take our job very seriously. We've held steadfast to our belief that the first step to ensure our customers are consuming safe drinking water is to keep Sebago Lake clean and pure.

Watershed protection combined with effective treatment is our best approach. But everyone must play a part to keep our water clean, including the federal government, water utilities, businesses and consumers.


This article was written by Ronald Miller General manager of the Portland water District.

This article first appeared in the Portland press Herald March 13, 2008.

Lakes: Sebago Lake
Regions: Sebago


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