SPECIAL NOTICE TO CAVENDISH MUNICPAL WATER USERS

FOLLOWING TROPICAL STORM IRENE DRINKING WATER WARNING - BOIL WATER NOTICE REMAINS IN EFFECT

As a Temporary Precaution, you are advised to
BOIL YOUR WATER BEFORE CONSUMING
You have received this special notice because your household or location has recently experienced a condition where there
was temporarily NO water flow from faucets and fixtures and because our water system sustained damage during the recent
flooding event. Please take the time to read this important information.

As a precautionary measure, you are advised to boil tap water which is used for human consumption including drinking and
cooking. A no flow condition may have allowed for possible contamination of the system due to the possibility of back-flow
and breaches in system piping. In light of this possibility, you are advised to boil your water before human consumption until
the Town conducts bacteriological testing to verify that there is no contamination. We will be taking test samples at several
key locations around the system to determine that contamination is not present. When it is verified that the water in your
vicinity is not contaminated we will issue a notice as to when we are able to lift this Boil Water Order.

Our system always has a small amount of chlorine in the water as it is a requirement for a public water system. You may
notice that the water now has a stronger smell of chlorination as we have had to temporarily raise the chlorine content for
greater disinfection potential.

You should be reminded that our system routinely monitors for the presence of many drinking water contaminants including
total coliform bacteria tests. Total coliform bacteria are generally not harmful themselves, but their presence may indicate
that other bacteria that can make you sick could possibly be present in the water as disinfection efforts may not be adequate.
These other types of bacteria are a particular concern for people with weakened immune systems.

What should I do?
• DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST. Bring all water to a full boil, let it boil for one minute, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water. Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, hand washing dishes, and food preparation until further notice. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water.

• The municipal system will conduct total coliform bacteria testing. This type of bacteria, which are naturally present in our environment and not generally harmful to humans, are used as an indicator that other, potentially-harmful, bacteria may be present. We will inform you of the results and when we demonstrate that there is no presence of the total coliform, we will lift the boil order. You should know that the State Water Supply Division is our regulatory agency and they are aware of this situation. We send copies of all testing for potential contaminants to the Stateof Vermont for its record and for the purposes of their regulatory oversight.

• People with severely compromised immune systems, infants, and some elderly may be at increased risk. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1 (800) 426-4791.

What happened? What is being done?
Due to severe damages sustained during and after Tropical Storm Irene, the Cavendish Municipal Water System
experienced a situation where the system piping at two locations in the piping network was seriously compromised. The
system lost pressure due to the resulting leaks in the water mains and we lost the majority of the 500,000+ gallons of water
that we normally have in the pipes and storage tanks. We have made repairs including temporary bi-pass piping in two
neighborhoods in order to get water back all around the system. Having lost so much water from the system, it took quite
a while to restore service to all points and to get system pressure up and close to normal levels. Users are asked to still use
water conservatively until the tanks are fully back to normal (full) status so that the refilling process takes place as quickly
as possible.

For more information, please contact Richard Svec, Town Manager at 226-7291 or Dave Duquette, Chief Water System
Operator at 226-7743 at the Town of Cavendish Municipal Water System, 37 High Street, P.O. Box 126, Cavendish, Vermont
05142-0126. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from the Water Supply
Division at (800) 823-6500.

Please share this information with all the other people who use the water from your residence or business. You can do this
by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail. While the water looks normal, please be safe and follow the instructions in this notice!