# Carpenters Point, MD — Drinking Water Quality (2024)

> Contaminant levels for the Carpenters Point, MD public water system from its 2024 Consumer Confidence Report, compared to federal limits.

- Page: https://www.thewatermap.com/water/md/carpenters-point/2024
- JSON API: https://www.thewatermap.com/api/water/md/carpenters-point/2024
- Source: the utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR)
- Verification: transcribed by a model, cross-checked by a second model, approved before publishing
- Reporting year: 2024
- Contaminants measured: 16
- Contaminants with a federal limit: 12
- Contaminants at or above the federal limit: 0
- Part of The Water Map — https://www.thewatermap.com

## Contaminants measured

| Contaminant | Category | Measured level | Sampling context | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chlorine | Disinfectants | 2 mg/L (Highest single sample) | System-wide | 4 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| TTHM | Disinfection byproducts | 4.8 ug/L (Highest single sample) | System-wide | 80 ug/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Nitrate | Inorganic chemicals | 5.31 mg/L (Reported level) | System-wide | 10 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Barium | Metals | 0.04 mg/L (Range) | Range of Level Detected Low | 2 mg/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Beryllium | Metals | 2 ug/L (Reported level) | System-wide | 4 ug/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Chromium, Total | Metals | 8 ug/L (Reported level) | System-wide | 100 ug/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Copper | Metals | 0.081 mg/L (90th percentile) | At the tap | 1.3 mg/L (Action level) | Within the limit |
| Lead | Metals | Not detected ug/L (Range) | of Level Detected | 15 ug/L (Action level) | None detected |
| Nickel | Metals | 67 ug/L (Range) | Range of Level Detected Low | 100 ug/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Sodium | Metals | 36.5 mg/L (Average) | System-wide | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Alkalinity | Physical & aggregate | 62 mg/L (Average) | System-wide | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Hardness | Physical & aggregate | 22 mg/L (Average) | System-wide | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Specific Conductance | Physical & aggregate | 177 uS/cm (Average) | System-wide | No federal limit | Detected — no federal limit |
| Combined Radium | Radionuclides | 4.1 pCi/L (Range) | Range of Level Detected Low | 5 pCi/L (MCL) | Approaching the limit |
| Gross Alpha | Radionuclides | 3 pCi/L (Range) | Range of Level Detected Low | 15 pCi/L (MCL) | Within the limit |
| Gross Beta Particle Activity | Radionuclides | 4.5 pCi/L (Reported level) | System-wide | 50 pCi/L (MCL) | Within the limit |

## What these contaminants are

- **Chlorine** — A disinfectant added to drinking water to kill bacteria and viruses. Effective and necessary, but high residual levels can cause taste and odor issues; the EPA caps the residual disinfectant level.
- **TTHM** — Total trihalomethanes — a group of four chemicals (including chloroform) formed when chlorine reacts with natural organic matter. Long-term exposure above the federal limit is linked to liver, kidney, and central-nervous-system effects and increased cancer risk.
- **Nitrate** — A compound from fertilizer runoff, septic systems, and erosion of natural deposits. Levels above the federal limit can cause 'blue baby syndrome,' a serious oxygen-transport condition in infants.
- **Barium** — A metal from erosion of natural deposits and industrial discharge. Long-term exposure above the federal limit can raise blood pressure.
- **Chromium, Total** — Total chromium — the sum of all chromium forms, from natural deposits and industrial discharge. Long-term exposure above the federal limit can cause allergic dermatitis; includes hexavalent chromium.
- **Copper** — A metal that enters water from corroding household plumbing. Short-term exposure causes stomach distress; long-term exposure can damage the liver and kidneys.
- **Lead** — A toxic metal that leaches into water from old service lines, solder, and plumbing fixtures. There is no safe level of lead; it harms brain development in children and raises blood pressure in adults. The EPA sets an action level, not a health goal above zero.
- **Nickel** — A metal from natural deposits and industrial discharge. Long-term exposure can cause skin and other effects; monitored under EPA rules.
- **Sodium** — A naturally occurring salt component. Not federally regulated for health; relevant for people on sodium-restricted diets.
- **Alkalinity** — A measure of the water's capacity to neutralize acids. Not federally regulated for health; relevant to corrosion control and treatment.
- **Hardness** — A measure of dissolved calcium and magnesium minerals. Not federally regulated for health; affects scaling, soap use, and taste.
- **Specific Conductance** — A measure of how well water conducts electricity, which tracks dissolved mineral content. Not federally regulated for health; used as a proxy for total dissolved solids.
- **Combined Radium** — Combined radium-226 and radium-228 — naturally occurring radioactive elements. Long-term exposure above the federal limit increases the risk of bone cancer.
- **Gross Alpha** — Gross alpha particle activity — a combined measure of alpha-emitting radioactive substances. Long-term exposure above the federal limit increases cancer risk.
- **Gross Beta Particle Activity** — Gross beta particle activity — a combined measure of beta-emitting radioactive substances. Long-term exposure above the federal screening level increases cancer risk.

## How to read this

- A water-quality report covers an entire service area, not a single address.
- 'Federal limit' is the EPA standard (MCL, action level, treatment technique, etc.) that the measured level is compared against.
- 'At or above the federal limit' means the utility's own reported figure met or exceeded that standard.

_Figures are the utility's own published numbers. Generated 2026-05-25 from thewatermap.com._
