Full Text
Water Quality Report for water treated in 2011 Farmington, New Mexico Water Quality Last year we conducted more than 500 tests for over 90 drinking water contaminants. This brochure is a snapshot of the quality of the water we provided in 2011. Included are details about where your water comes from, what it contains, and how it compares to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards. We are committed to providing you with this information because we want you to be informed. For more information about your water call Monica Peterson at (505) 325-6953. Special Population Advisory Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants 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 about drinking water from their health care providers. EPA/Centers for Disease Control guidelines on how to lessen the risk of infection by and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline [PHONE REDACTED]. Drinking Water Sources Your water comes from Farmington Lake, which is fed by the Animas River. Contaminants in Water Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least 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 can be obtained by calling the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline [PHONE REDACTED]. 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 can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity. Contaminants that may be present in source water before we treat it include: Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife. Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally-occurring or result from urban stormwater runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining or farming. Pesticides & herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture and residential use. Radioactive contaminants, which are naturally occurring. Organic chemical contaminants, including and volatile organic chemicals, which are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and also can come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff, and septic systems. Water Quality Monitoring To ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the EPA prescribes regulations public water systems. We treat our water according to the EPA’s regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water. Food and Drug Administration regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water, which must provide the same protection for public health. Este informe contiene información muy importante sobre el agua potable. Tradúzcalo ó hable con alguien que lo entienda bien. Water Quality Data The table in this report lists all the drinking water contaminants we detected during the 2011 calendar year. The presence of these contaminants in the water does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk. Unless otherwise noted, the data presented in this table are from testing done January 1 through December 31, 2011. The state requires us to monitor for certain contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants are not expected to vary significantly from year to year. Some of the data, though representative of the water quality, is more than one year old. Source Water Assessment The Susceptibility Analysis of the water utility reveals that the utility is well maintained and operated, and the sources of drinking water are generally protected from potential sources of contamination based on an evaluation of the available information. The susceptibility rank of the entire water system is high. More information about contaminants Our water was tested for arsenic in 2011. There was no arsenic detected. Turbidity Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness of the water. We monitor it because it is a good indicator of the effectiveness of our filtration system. Lead in Drinking Water Lead can be harmful to human health even at low exposure levels. Lead is persistent, and it can bio-accumulate in the body over time. Young children, infants, and fetuses are particularly vulnerable to lead because the physical and behavioral effects of lead occur at lower exposure levels in children than in adults. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends intervention when the level of lead in a child’s blood is 10 micrograms per deciliter (µg/dL) or greater. It is important to recognize all the ways a child can be exposed to lead. Children are exposed to lead in paint, dust, soil, air, and food, as well as drinking water. Therefore, the amount of lead a child can be exposed to in drinking water before exceeding the recommended blood level depends upon the amount of lead coming from these other sources. A dose of lead that would have little effect on an adult can have a significant effect on a child. In children, low levels of exposure have been linked to damage to the central and peripheral nervous system, learning disabilities, shorter stature, impaired hearing, and impaired formation and function of blood cells. Additional information is available from the EPA Drinking Water Hotline at [PHONE REDACTED]. ---PAGE BREAK--- Terms & Abbreviations AL: Action Level - the concentration of a contaminant which when exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements that a water system must follow. MCLG: Maximum Contaminant Level Goal - 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. MCL: Maximum Contaminant Level - the highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the as feasible using the best available treatment technology. N/A: not applicable NTU: Nephelometric Turbidity Units ppm: parts per million or milligrams per liter (corresponds to one minute in 2 yrs) ppb: parts per billion/micrograms per liter(same as to 1 min in 2000 yrs) MRDL: Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level – The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants. : Maximum Residual Disinfectant 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 contaminants. TT: Treatment Technique-required process meant to reduce contaminant level in drinking water Picocuries per liter (pCi/L) - picocuries per liter is a measure of the radioactivity in water. Substance MCL MCLG Our Water Range of Detection Sample Date Violation (Y or N) Typical Source of Contamination Microbiological Contaminants Turbidity (NTU) TT= 95% of sample ≤ 0.3 0 Highest level, 0.3 samples less than 0.3 NTU, 100% (highest level) June 2, 2011 N Soil runoff Total Coliform (Present/Absent) presence of coliform bacteria in 5% of samples 0 2% 0 – 2% 11/14/2011 N Naturally present in the environment Radioactive Contaminants Alpha emitters (pCi/L) 15 0 0.9 0.9 7/13/2011 N Erosion of natural deposits Combined Radium (pCi/L) 5 0 0.21 0.14 – 0.21 7/13/2011 N Erosion of natural deposits Substance MCL MCLG Annual Average Range of Detection Sample Date Violation (Y or N) Typical Source of Contamination Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts [Total trihalomethanes] (ppb) 80 N/A 28 16 - 39 7/19/2011 N By-product of drinking water chlorination HAA5 [Five Haloacetic Acids] (ppb) 60 N/A 16 11 – 23 7/19/2011 N By-product of drinking water chlorination Total Organic Carbon (ppm) TT N/A 2 1 – 2 1/18/2011 N Naturally occurring Substance MRDL Our Water Range of Detection Sample Date Violation (Y or N) Typical Source of Contamination Chlorine (ppm) 4 4 1.1 0.1 – 4.0 10/5/2011 N Disinfection of water Inorganic Contaminants Substance MCL MCLG Level Detected Range of Detection Sample Date Violation (Y or N) Typical Source of Contamination Fluoride (ppm) 4 4 0.8 0.3 – 0.8 7/13/2011 N Erosion of natural deposits; water additive which promotes strong teeth; Discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories Barium (ppm) 2 2 0.08 0.08 7/13/2011 N Discharge of drilling wastes; discharge from metal refineries; erosion of natural deposits Copper & Lead Action Level MCLG Our Water Number of sites exceeding AL Sample Date Violation Typical Source of Contamination Copper (ppm) 1.3 (AL) 0 0.3 0 6/27/2011 N Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits; Leaching from wood preservatives Lead (ppb) 15 ( AL) 0 7 1 site out of 30 sites sampled 6/25/2011 N Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits This water quality report was prepared by CH2M HILL as a service to the City of Farmington.