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Margaret Doss at [PHONE REDACTED] or email at: [EMAIL REDACTED] 6/5/2025 Warm temperatures and water age are two main factors in increasing the production of disinfection byproducts. These two factors resulted in a higher than usual spike in trihalomethanes in the fourth quarter of 2024. Currently a more thorough flushing plan is being utilized to reduce water age and mitigate trihalomethane levels. There has been a dramatic decrease in THM levels, however; the running average is still elevated. ---PAGE BREAK--- Total Trihalomethane Notification FAQ’s What are trihalomethanes? Total trihalomethanes are a byproduct of the chlorine disinfection process the County uses to protect its customers from waterborne illnesses like amoebic dysentery, cholera, and typhoid fever. form when residual organics in the water react with chlorine. What caused the TTHM levels to be elevated? This was caused by the age of the water and the warmer than normal temperatures when the samples were collected. The regulations are based on a running locational average. Higher than normal numbers were found in Quarter 3 of 2024. This number is still causing the regulatory running average to be above the regulatory limit. The current concentration of is no longer elevated. Is the water safe to drink? Water with elevated levels of does not pose an acute health risk. Drinking water with levels above the drinking water standard for a short time does not significantly increase the risk of illness. The health risks linked with in water are very small, compared to the risk of potentially deadly infectious diseases in drinking water that is not disinfected. What has the County done to correct the issue? We have revised our flushing schedule to assist with reducing the age of the water in the rural parts of our system. We are also in the process of exploring longer-term solutions. Will a water filter remove An activated carbon filter will remove from the water, such as properly maintained filters found in refrigerators or filtration pitchers. How often do you collect samples? Columbia County collects regulatory samples for these chemicals at 8 sample sites throughout the county on a quarterly basis – 32 samples a year – and send them to the EPD lab for analysis. The County also collects screening samples which can be analyzed at the County’s Central Laboratory. Why was there a time lag between the sampling and the public notification? The regulatory samples are analyzed by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) laboratory in Atlanta. Once analyzed, any exceedances have to be communicated by the EPD to the County before the Public Notice can be issued. There is currently a significant lag time between sampling and the official notification from EPD. Are the TTHM levels elevated in the entire water system? The levels were elevated at sampling sites on Terrace Drive and on Nature’s Way in Appling, GA.