Word: thms
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Cambridge water has had its share of problems. In 1990, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection fined the city $19,000 for exceeding the limits for Trihalomethanes (THMS), a category of carcinogens...
According to Barnes, THMS form when chlorine, added to purify water, combines with organic matter, such as leaves...
Present levels of THMS fall far below these limits. Barnes attributes this decline to the covering of the Payson Park storage facility where treated Cambridge water is held prior to distribution...
...storage facility was covered in 1990, after concerns arose about the possibility of contamination to treated water, Barnes says. After covering the reservoir, the city was able to halve the amount of added chlorine, which then reduced the THMS...
Water officials say the chlorine conversion will aid Cambridge's much-publicized battle against THMs, which are known to cause cancer in certain laboratory animals. As recently as last December, THMs in Cambridge water exceeded the government-approved level of 100 parts per billion...