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Annual Drinking Water Quality Report for 2017 Village of Port Byron 52 Utica Street, Port Byron, New York 13140 Public Water Supply ID# 0501722 INTRODUCTION To comply with State and Federal regulations, the Village of Port Byron will be annually issuing a report describing the quality of your drinking water. The purpose of this report is to raise your understanding of drinking water and awareness of the need to protect our drinking water sources. Last year, your tap water met all State drinking water health standards. In 2017, the City of Auburn water filtration plant conducted testing for over 100 contaminants. Testing resulted in the detection of several contaminants, however, none of the contaminants were found at a level above the threshold set forth by the New York State Department of Health. This report provides an overview of last year’s water quality. Included are details about where your water comes from, what it contains and how it compares to State standards. If you have any questions about this report or concerning your drinking water, please contact Mr. Steven E. Sims, Superintendent of Public Works, at (315) 776-5704. We want you to be informed about your drinking water. If you want to learn more, please attend any of our regularly scheduled Village Board meetings, the second and fourth Monday of each month at 7:00 PM at the Municipal Building, 52 Utica Street, Port Byron, New York. WHERE DOES OUR WATER COME FROM? In general, the sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals, and in some cases, radioactive material can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activities. Contaminants that may be present in source water include: microbial contaminants; inorganic contaminants; pesticides and herbicides; organic chemical contaminants; and radioactive contaminants. In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the State and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prescribe regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. The New York State Department of Health’s (NYSDOH) and the United States Food and Drug Administrations’s (FDA) regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health. Our water source is surface water drawn from Owasco Lake. The Village of Port Byron buys its water from the Cayuga County Water and Sewer Authority, who in turn is supplied by the City of Auburn. The City of Auburn owns and operates two Water Filtration Plants, a Rapid Sand Filtration Plant and a Slow Sand Filtration Plant; both are located at the corner of Swift Street and Pulsifer Drive in the City of Auburn. All water is pre-treated with poly-aluminum chloride to facilitate coagulation and sedimentation prior to filtration. After filtration the water is disinfected by injection of sodium hypochlorite solution before introduction to the distribution system. The finished water is pumped through the City of Auburn distribution system and then flows to the Village of Port Byron through a 12” ductile iron main where it is connected to the Village’s distribution system at the corner of South Street and Tex Pultz Parkway. The Cayuga County Water Authority injects a solution of sodium hypochlorite solution at the City line to maintain chlorine residual through the system. We currently serve approximately 1300 village residents through 538 connections. The water storage tank on Orchard Street maintains a capacity of 546,000 gallons. ARE THERE CONTAMINANTS IN OUR DRINKING WATER? The City of Auburn routinely monitors for contaminants in your drinking water according to State and Federal laws. In addition, Port Byron tests your drinking water for total coliform bacteria and monitors for disinfection byproducts, and lead and copper as required by regulation. As the State regulations require, the City of Auburn routinely tests drinking water for numerous contaminants. These ---PAGE BREAK--- contaminants include coliform, turbidity, inorganic compounds, nitrate, nitrite, lead and copper, volitale organic compounds, total trihalomenthanes, and organic compounds. The table presented below depicts which compounds were detected in your drinking water. The State allows the City to test for some contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants do not change frequently. Some of our data, though representative, is more than one year old. SUMMARY OF DETECTED CONTAMINANTS It should be noted that all drinking water, including bottled drinking water, may be reasonably expected to contain small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects may be obtained by calling EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-[PHONE REDACTED] or the Cayuga County Health Department at [PHONE REDACTED]. Table of Detected Contaminants Contaminant Violation Yes/No Date of Sample Level Detected (Average) (Range) Unit Measurement MCLG Regulatory Limit( MCL,TT or AL Likely Source of Contamination PHYSICAL Turbidity1 No 5 days per week 0.013 Avg. Range 0.07 – 0.96 NTU N/A 5.0 distribution System Soil Runoff PHYSICAL Turbidity No 7 days per week 0.10 Avg. Range 0.07 – 0.55 NTU N/A 0.3 – 1.0 MCL Filter Performance Soil Runoff INORGANICS INORGANICS Barium No 3/23/17 0.022 PPM 2 2 Erosion of natural deposits Chloride No 3/23/17 24 PPM N/A 250 Naturally Occurring Chromium No 3/23/17 0.0022 PPM N/A 0.1 Erosion of natural deposits Cyanide No 3/23/17 0.0052 PPM 0.2 0.2 Discharge from steel/metal factories; Discharge from plastic and fertilizer factories Sulfate No 3/23/17 12 PPM N/A 250 Naturally Occurring Sodium No 3/23/17 15 PPM N/A No Limit Naturally Occurring Nitrate No 2/16/17 5/18/17 8/17/17 11/15/17 0.95 Avg. Range 0.81 – 1.1 PPM 10 10.0 MCL Erosion of natural deposits ---PAGE BREAK--- ORGANICS Trihalomethanes, Total No 2/14/17 5/9/17 8/8/17 11/14/17 44.2 Avg. Range 29.1-65.7 PPB N/A 80 MCL Contained in Chlorinated Water Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) No 2/14/17 5/9/17 8/8/17 11/14/17 32.1 Avg. Range 20-53.8 PPB N/A 60 Contained in Chlorinated Water Lead No 8/2015 2.02 Range N/D-4 PPB 0 15 Contained in Finished Water, an artifact of old piping and lead soldered joints. Copper No 8/2015 <0.0051 Range N/D-0.010 Mg/L 1.3 1.3 Contained in Finished Water, an artifact of old piping and lead soldered joints. Radioactive Contaminants Gross Alpha No 4/16/15 7.15 PCi/L 0 15 PCi/L Contained in soil or sedimentary rock formations Gross Beta No 4/16/15 ND PCi/L 0 4 PCi/L Contained in soil or sedimentary rock formations Combined Radium 226, 228 No 4/16/15 ND PCi/L 0 5 PCi/L Contained in soil or sedimentary rock formations Unregulated Contaminents Chromium No 3/18/15 6/18/15 0.29,0.29 0.095,0.17 ppb N/A N/A Naturally occurring element; used in making steel and other alloys;chromium - 3or-6 forms are used for chrome plating, dyes and pigments, leather tanning, and wood peservation Strontium No 3/18/15 6/18/15 12/17/15 84.1, 86.6 81.9, 80.5 85.5,82.3 ppb N/A N/A Naturally occurring element; historically, commercial use of strontium has been in the faceplate glass of cathode ray tube televisions to block x-ray ---PAGE BREAK--- emissions Hexavalent Chromium No 3/18/15 6/18/15 12/17/15 0.033 0.048, 0.030 0.043,0.031 ppb N/A N/A Naturally occurring element; used in making steel and other alloys;chromium - 3or-6 forms are used for chrome plating, dyes and pigments, leather tanning, and wood prservation Vanadium No 6/18/15 0.12,0.11 ppb N/A N/A Naturally- occuring elemental metal; used as vanadium pentoxide which is a chemical intermediate and a catalyst Chlorate No 12/17/15 180,160 ppb N/A N/A Agricultural defoliant or desiccant:disinfect ion byproduct;and used in production of chlorine dioxide Cyanotoxin Microcystin Finished Water No 9/22/17 0.17 ppb 0 N/A3 Naturally occurring due to algae blooms Microcystin Raw Water N/A 7/5/17- 11/7/17 37samples Range ND- 0.47 ppb N/A N/A Naturally occurring due to algae blooms NOTES 1 – The level presented represents the 90th percentile of the 10 sites tested. A percentile is a value on a scale of 100 that indicates the percent of a distribution that is equal to or below it. The 90th percentile is equal to or greater than 90% of the copper values detected at your water system. In this case, 10 samples were collected at your water system and the 90th percentile value was the second highest (<0.005 mg/l). The action level for copper was not exceeded at any of the sites tested. 2 – The level presented represents the 90th percentile of the 10 samples collected. The action level for lead was not exceeded at any of the 10 sites. 3 – The United States Environmental Protection Agency 10-day health advisory level for microcystin is 0.3 ppb for children less than or equal to 5 years of age and vulnerable populations; and 1.6 for all other people. LEAD AND COPPER SUMMARY Over the years, the village has conducted surveillance for lead and copper in the water system. Theoretically it is possible to leach the metal lead and copper from household structures with copper pipes and lead solder installed prior to 1982. The most recent round of testing conducted in 2015 revealed the data as indicated under Table of Detected Contaminants. Definitions Maximum Residual Disinfection Level (MRDL): The highest level of disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants. ---PAGE BREAK--- Maximum Residual Disinfection Level Goal- The level of a drinking water disinfectant below which there is no known or expected risk to health. do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contamination. Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL); The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCL are set as close to the as feasible. Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG); The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. allow for a margin of safety. Non-Detects (ND): Laboratory analysis indicates that the constituent is not present. Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU): A measure of clarity of water. Turbidity in excess of 5 NTU is just noticeable to the average person. Picocuries per liter (pCi/L): a measure of the radioactivity in the water Action Level (AL); The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow. Color; the presence of dissolved substance in water. Organic chemicals; a term used to refer to chemical compounds from carbon molecules. These compounds may be natural materials (such as animal and plant sources) or manmade materials (such as organics). Inorganic chemicals; materials such as sand, salt, iron, calcium salts and other mineral materials of mineral origin. Treatment Technique (TT); A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water. mcg/L: micrograms per liter - one microgram of a substance dissolved in each liter of water. This unit is equal to one part-per-billion, or ppb. mg/L: milligram per liter - a measure of concentration of a dissolved substance. A concentration of one mg/L means that one milligram of a substance is dissolved in each liter of water. For practical purposes, this unit is equal to 1 part-per-million, or ppm. WHAT DOES THIS INFORMATION MEAN? If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women, infants, and young children. It is possible that lead levels at your home may be higher than at other homes in the community as a result of materials in your home’s plumbing. The Village of Port Byron is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components. When your water had been sitting for several hours, you can minimize the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking. If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water tested. Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available for the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-[PHONE REDACTED]) or at http:/www.epa.gov/safewater/lead. Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness of water. The City of Auburn monitors it because it is a good indicator of the effectiveness of their filtration system. Turbidity has no health effects. However, turbidity can interfere with disinfection and provide a medium for micro-biological growth. Turbidity may indicate the presence of disease causing organisms. These organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites that can cause such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches. Please pay special attention to the additional statement in this document regarding and Giardia. As you can see by the table, our system had no violations. IS OUR WATER SYSTEM MEETING OTHER RULES THAT GOVERN OPERATIONS? During 2017 our system was in compliance with all applicable State and Federal drinking water requirements. ---PAGE BREAK--- INFORMATION ON & GIARDIA New York State law requires water suppliers to notify their customers about the risks of and giardiasis. and giardiasis are intestinal illnesses caused by microscopic parasites. can be very serious for people with weak immune systems, those on chemotherapy, dialysis or transplant patients, as well as people with Chrohn’s disease or HIV infection. People with weakened immune systems should discuss with their health care providers the need to take extra precautions such as boiling water, using certified bottled water or a specially approved home filter. Individuals who think they may have or giardiasis should contact their health care provider immediately. For additional information on or giardiasis, please contact the Cayuga County Health Department at (315) 253-1405. The city began a two year testing program for and giardia in October 2016. Samples of the raw water are collected once a month during this two year period. All twelve (12) samples collected in 2017were negative for and giardia. DO I NEED TO TAKE SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS? Some people may be more vulnerable to disease causing microorganisms or pathogens in drinking water than the general population. Immuno-compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice from their health care provider about their drinking water. EPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Giardia and other microbial pathogens are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-[PHONE REDACTED]) INFORMATION ON RADIOLOGICAL TESTING Radiological Testing was performed in 2015. Testing was below limits. Testing will be due again in 2024. WHY SAVE WATER AND HOW TO AVOID WASTING IT? Although our system has an adequate amount of water to meet present and future demands, there are a number of reasons why it is important to conserve water: • Saving water saves energy and some of the costs associated with both of these necessities of life; • Saving water reduces the cost of energy required to pump water and the need to construct costly new wells, pumping systems and water towers; and • Saving water lessens the strain on the water system during a dry spell or drought, helping to avoid severe water use restrictions so that essential fire fighting needs are met. How can YOU conserve water? • Automatic dishwashers use 15 gallons for every cycle, regardless of how many dishes are loaded. So get a run for your money and load it to capacity. • Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth. • Check every faucet in your home for leaks. • Check your toilet for leaks by putting a few drops of food coloring in the tank, watch for a few minutes to see if the color shows up in the bowl. • Use your water meter to detect hidden leaks. Simply turn off all taps and water using appliances, then check the meter after 15 minutes. If it moved, you have a leak. System Improvements In our continuing efforts to maintain a safe and dependable water supply it may be necessary to make improvements in your water system. The water project is substantially complete at this time. The cost of ---PAGE BREAK--- these improvements may be reflected in the rate structure. Rate adjustments may be necessary in order to address these improvements. A NOTE FROM THE NYS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH The NYS Department of Health has completed a source water assessment for the City of Auburn, based on available information. Possible and actual threats to this drinking water source were evaluated. This source water assessment includes a susceptibility rating based on the risk posed by each potential source of contamination and how easily contaminants can move through the subsurface to lakes. The susceptibility rating is an estimate of the potential for contamination of the source water, it does not mean that the water delivered to consumers is, or will become contaminated. (See the section of this document “Are there contaminants in our drinking water?” for a list of the contaminants that have been detected in the drinking water.) The source water assessments are intended to provide managers with additional information for protecting source waters into the future. As mentioned before, our water is derived primarily from Owasco Lake. The source water assessment has rated this source as having an elevated susceptibility to protozoa and phosphorus due to the amount of agriculture lands in the area and the quality of wastewater discharge from municipal wastewater treatment plants to surface water. In addition, this source water assessment rated Owasco Lake as having an elevated susceptibility to pesticide contamination due to the amount of agriculture lands. County and state health departments will use this information to direct future source water protection activities. These may include water quality monitoring, resource management, planning, and education programs. A copy of the complete assessment is available for review by calling the Cayuga County Health Department at 253-1405. ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF INFORMATION City of Auburn Dept. of municipal Utilities United States Environmental Protection Agency John West, Chief Water Plant Operator Safe Drinking Water hotline, 1-[PHONE REDACTED] [EMAIL REDACTED] www.epa.gov/safewater/ [PHONE REDACTED] fax [PHONE REDACTED] Cayuga County Health Department Kathleen Cuddy, Public Health Director 253-1560 Eileen O’Connor, Director of Environmental Health 253-1405 CLOSING Thank you for allowing us to continue to provide your family with quality drinking water this year. In order to maintain a safe and dependable water supply we sometimes need to make improvements that will benefit all our customers. The costs of these improvements may be reflected in the rate structure. Rate adjustments may be necessary in order to address these improvements. We ask that all our customers help us protect our water sources, which are the heart of our community, our way of life and our children’s. It’s up to us to protect our Water supply ---PAGE BREAK---