How much Fluoride is in my water?
The Pine Brook Water District does not add Fluoride to the finished water. The levels of Fluoride are the naturally occurring levels. So how much is in the water? Please refer to the Consumer Confidence Report under the Quality section of this website for the most current levels.
There has been debate over the years as to whether or not the District should be adding Fluoride to increase the level. The two sides have been;
That increased levels of Fluoride in the water would help prevent tooth decay, especially in children.
That Fluoride is a carcinogen and so should not be added to the water.
Since there are these two opposite opinions, the District has decided that this should be an individual choice. Those residents who would like to have more Fluoride can supplement their diets as they choose. Your local dentist or doctor can assist you in obtaining supplements.
What does the District add to my water? In the pre-treatment process (prior to filtration), the district adds Sodium Permanganate to oxidize iron and manganese as well as Sumaclear 1000 as a coagulant to remove organics and other contaminants. After filtration, in addition to Chlorine which is added for disinfection, the district started adding Poly/Ortho Phosphate as of August 1, 2019 to reduce the effects of hard water. Click HERE for more information about that decision.
Why is my water is cloudy but clears up after several seconds?
This is caused by small bubbles of air that are dissolved in the water. Faucet aerators can add even more and during the winter, when the water is colder, there will be even more dissolved air in the water.
What are the white particles that clog my faucet and/or show up in the sink?
This problem is typically caused by deterioration of parts inside your water heater. Some water heaters have a plastic "dip tube" on the cold water inlet of the heater. The dip tube can deteriorate and put white particles into the water. These particles are not toxic. If this is occurring either the dip tube or the water heater will need to be replaced. Some water heater manufacturers have announced that they will cover this work under warranty. Check with your plumber or supplier.
Is our water considered "hard" water?
Yes. Our water is considered hard. See the Quality button on this website for the latest Consumer Confidence Report for the most recent hardness test results. The district started adding Poly/Ortho Phosphate as of August 1, 2019 to reduce the effects of hard water. Click HERE for more information about that decision.
Will this be a drought year?
It is very difficult to predict whether or not any particular year will be a drought year or not. The factors that can affect whether or not it will be a drought year are: How much snow fell during the winter? How fast did the snow melt off in the spring? How wet or dry is the summer? How hot of a summer is it? These are just some of the factors that we track to try decide whether or not it will be a drought year.
My bill says “Units Used” - How many gallons are in a unit?
A unit is equivalent to one gallon. 1000 units means 1000 gallons of use. Water is billed in thousand gallon increments. Our Water meter reading system does not pick up the last three digits on the water meter. Since these last three numbers are replaced with zeroes, your usage is rounded down to the nearest thousand gallons.
For example, your water usage billed may show on your bill as 2,000 units (gallons). The actual water meter may have read 1,245,856 gallons. The “856” gallons are dropped off and the reading would appear on the bill as 1,245,000. Since the previous reading also ended in three zeroes, the difference between the two (your current usage) will always be an even number in the thousands. Please be aware that these “dropped” amounts will eventually be billed—once they add up to 1,000 gallons or more.
My water usage is higher than normal, how come?
There are several reasons why your usage may be higher than normal, some of the most common are:
A toilet is leaking, 90% of the leaks reported to us are the result of a toilet problem, these vary from:
The flapper valve no longer seals and is slowly, constantly leaking water into the bowl and out to your septic field.
The float is out of adjustment and is slowly, constantly overflowing water into the bowl and out to your septic field.
The handle or flapper didn't drop back down into place and the toilet constantly ran until someone noticed the problem.
While it would seem like none of these leaks would cause a high water bill, they do! These types of leaks can add thousands of gallons of usage to your monthly bill - the first place we tell people to check for leaks is their toilets.
The pressure regulator is no longer regulating the pressure properly, this causes several problems such as:
If higher than normal pressure is coming into your household plumbing than your usage will be higher because of the higher flow.
It may cause your hot water heater pressure relief valve to open to relieve the higher pressure so the water is "leaking" out of your hot water heater to a floor drain.
On occasion it can force the float(s) in the toilet(s) to open allowing water to overflow and drain into the bowl and out to your septic field.
You had company who are used to just turning on a tap and leaving it running, again you will be amazed how much this can increase your usage. Just having company can jump your usage.
The weather has warmed up and you have started watering outdoor plants. It is amazing how much water can be used watering outside, even when we think we are being very careful! The typical garden hose flows between 5 to 10 gallons a minute, so it can add up in a big hurry!
How does the typical household use their water?
(based on national averages)
