Page Hall water test results cause concern

High iron and turbidity levels result in questioning of safety of drinking water

Caroline Barfield

Staff Writer

After a year of untested water, Page Hall occupants received answers to their worries about the water quality in the building. Concerns of colored water caused officials to request a water quality test.

According to John Royal, a specialist in building construction and management, the water in Page Hall has been discolored for quite some time.

“The water has had slight discoloration for at least a year, but the degree of discoloration seems to vary quite a bit,” he said. “It is always the most discolored on Monday mornings or after a long holiday weekend. It seems to have been the very darkest it has ever been when we returned from the recent holiday break.”

Ken Kretchman, director of Environmental and Health Safety, explained what was wrong with Page Hall’s water.

The samples indicated that that the turbidity and iron levels were higher than normal and probably linked, he said.

“Depending on the type of filtration system used, the turbidity level [cloudiness of water] should not exceed … 1 nephelolometric turbidity unit [NTU],” Kretchman said.

According to the World Health Organization, (WHO) 5 NTUs is the maximum allowable turbidity.

“The single sample indicated a level of 6.1 NTU,” Kretchman said. “Iron is the other contaminant which appears elevated, based upon an inexact comparison to federal guidelines and state standards. The state standard for iron of 0.3 milligrams per liter applies to water supply systems, as discussed. There is also a secondary federal standard for iron of 0.3 milligrams per liter. The secondary standard is not a health protection standard, but is based upon cosmetic and aesthetic considerations,” Kretchman said.

He said a summary of the water condition can be attributed to the elevated turbidity levels.

“Sampling results indicated the likely conclusion that the two elevated values are linked. In other words, rust in the water is contributing to elevated turbidity levels.”

Natalie Brown, a senior in graphic communications and intern in Page Hall, said she did not realize there was anything wrong with the water until Royal sent a notice to all Page Hall occupants.

“I didn’t recognize there was anything wrong with the water until they sent us an e-mail,” Brown said. “Most people just go to Poe to get water from Poe Hall or use the water bottles on the first floor of Page.”

Brown said she was most disturbed by the fact that she would have never known had an e-mail not notified her and wonders about the water condition of the other older buildings on campus.

“I’m in Brooks Hall a lot and am always drinking the water; it’s also a really old building and makes me question whether or not any of the other older buildings have had their water checked,” she said. “I also wonder if they would notify the students who regularly access those buildings if there was an issue with the water.”

Having a building’s water checked is not a regular maintenance check and the only reason Page Hall had its water tested was because it was requested.

Kretchman said that records do not indicate that any previous samples were taken prior to Jan. 19 and he also said that even though the water sample indicated excess levels for these contaminants, it does not necessarily make the water unsafe.