Don't panic, Saratoga Springs residents, but there's something in your water you should know about. The city is issuing a heads-up about elevated levels of trihalomethane (THM) in the water supply. But before you start stocking up on bottled water, here's the deal: city officials are saying, it's not a major cause for concern.
The city sent out notices to over 8,000 homes following routine water testing that revealed THM levels exceeding the recommended limits. So, what exactly is THM? It's a byproduct of the chlorine used to disinfect the water, reacting with organic matter naturally present in the water source.
The new Public Works Commissioner, BK Keramati, suggests the recent work on the Loughberry Lake Dam is the likely culprit behind the temporary spike. And this is the part most people miss... Keramati explains that this isn't entirely unexpected, given the nature of the lake and the ongoing construction.
“THM is a biproduct of chlorine with biologically active material in lake bodies and so it’s not unusual, but there’s a maximum level that the state wants us to stay under and that one exceeded it just a little bit,” said BK Keramati, Saratoga Springs DPW Commissioner.
While high levels of THM, if consumed over many years, can pose health risks, the city is optimistic. Keramati anticipates that the levels will return to normal by the next round of testing.
But here's where it gets controversial... The city is downplaying the risk, but what if these levels are consistently near the limit? What do you think? Are you concerned, or do you trust the city's assessment? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
