FAQs

The cloudy water is caused by tiny air bubbles in the water similar to the gas bubbles in beer and carbonated soft drinks. It is particularly noticeable in water taken directly from the tap. Within seconds, the bubbles rise to the top and are gone. This type of cloudiness occurs more often in the winter, when water temperature is colder, and does not indicate any problem with the water.

Hardness levels in Maine waters are generally low but can range from near zero to several hundred milligrams per liter as calcium carbonate (mg/L as CaCO3), the standard unit for hardness. The Greater Portland water source (Sebago Lake) has a hardness value of 9 and is described as soft, as you can see from the following table.

Maine law mandates that a public water system must add fluoride to the water if a majority of customers votes to do so. The customers of the Portland Water District voted to have their water fluoridated in 1996 and, as required, the District began fluoridating soon thereafter. The method we use to add fluoride, the fluoride-containing chemical we use, and the means of monitoring the level of fluoride all meet drinking water industry standards and were approved by the Maine Drinking Water Program prior to being put into use.

No, not without further treatment. In a kidney dialysis machine, the water used is brought into close contact with the patient's blood. Thus, the quality requirements are far stricter than those for ordinary drinking water. Aluminum, fluoride, and chloramine are examples of substances that are not acceptable in water used for kidney dialysis. Kidney dialysis centers are kept informed about water quality and are able to give advice on this matter.