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Annual Water Quality Report Water Testing Performed in 2009 PWS ID#: 2290023 ---PAGE BREAK--- Important Information About Your Drinking Water Availability of Monitoring Data for Unregulated Contaminants The City of Moscow’s Public Water System (PWS) is required to provide special notice to residents served by the system of the availability of monitoring results from sampling that occurred to comply with the Federal Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation 2 (UCMR The UCMR 2 requires all PWSs serving 10,000 or more individuals to conduct monitoring for the 10 unregulated contaminants shown in Table 1 below. Samples were collected at Well and #9 on May 15, 2008 and November 14, 2008, and at Well #2 on May 28, 2009 and November 5, 2009. We are pleased to report that none of the contaminants shown in Table 1 were detected. For more information regarding the UCMR 2, please contact Gary Smith or Kyle Steele at the City Water Department, [PHONE REDACTED], or visit the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) website at www.epa.gov/ogwdw000/ucmr/ucmr2/index.html. Dimethoate Insecticide use on crops and for residential use Terbufos sulfone Systematic control of soil-borne insects and nematodes Dinitrobenzene Used in explosives and manufacturing of aramid fibers, spandex, and dyes BDE-47 BDE-99 HBB BDE-153 Trinitrotoluene (TNT) Used as an explosive in bombs and grenades, and as a propellant RDX Used in detonators, primers, mines, rocket boosters, and plastic explosives BDE-100 Added to plastics (for products such as computer monitors, televisions, textiles, and plastic foams) Table 1. UCMR 2 Contaminant Monitoring List Contaminant Name Use or Environmental Source Five Flame Retardants Use or Environmental Source Three Explosives Use or Environmental Source ---PAGE BREAK--- Important Health Information Where Does My Water Come From? If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. The City of Moscow is responsible for providing high-quality drinking water but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components. When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to two 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 from the U.S. EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at [PHONE REDACTED] or at www.epa.gov/safewater/lead. Meeting the Challenge We are once again proud to present to you our annual water quality report. This edition covers all testing completed from January 1 through December 21, 2009. Over the years, we have dedicated ourselves to producing drinking water that meets all state and federal drinking water standards. We continually strive to adopt new and better methods for delivering the best quality drinking water to you. As new challenges to drinking water safety emerge, we remain vigilant to meeting the challenges of source water protection, water conservation, and community education while continuing to serve the needs of all our water users. Please share with us your thoughts about the information in this report. After all, well-informed customers are our best allies. Moscow’s drinking water comes from five groundwater sources. Although all the wells are located within the Palouse Basin, Wells #2 and #3 draw water from the basin’s shallow aquifer known as the Wanapum, and Wells and #9 draw water from the deep aquifer known as the Grande Ronde. To protect our source water, the City of Moscow Water Department implements best management practices aimed at protecting the wellheads and surface seals within the zone immediate to the wells. Source Water Assessment A Source Water Assessment for the City of Moscow was completed in 2001. The assessment determined that Wells #2 and #3 have overall high susceptibility risk ratings, while Wells #8 and #9 have lower susceptibility scores than Wells #2 and A copy of the Source Water Assessment can be obtained from the State of Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). This assessment was done to determine if we are at risk of contamination. To date the City of Moscow has not had a sample exceed the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) from any of the identified sources of possible contamination. The Source Water Assessment report can be accessed online at www.deq.idaho.gov/water/SWAReports/ InternetQuery.cfm. Contact the DEQ at [PHONE REDACTED]. Questions? For more information about this report, or for any questions relating to your drinking water, please call one of the following people: Gary Smith [PHONE REDACTED] Water Production Lead David Richardson [PHONE REDACTED] Utility Operations Supervisor Tom Scallorn [PHONE REDACTED] Water Manager Les MacDonald [PHONE REDACTED] Public Works Director Old Stand Pipe (Old Water Tank), 1889–1932 House to the left is located at 226 N. Jefferson Photo by M. L. Romig (circa 1907) ---PAGE BREAK--- Sampling Results During the past year we have taken hundreds of water samples in order to determine the presence of any radioactive, biological, inorganic, volatile organic, or organic contaminants. The table below shows only those contaminants that were detected in the water. Although all of the substances listed here are under the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL), we feel it is important that you know exactly what was detected and how much of the substance was present in the water. The state allows us to monitor for certain substances less than once per year because the concentrations of these substances do not change frequently. In these cases, the most recent sample data are included, along with the year in which the sample was taken. Definitions AL MCL MCLG MCLG Action Level – The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow. 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. 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. Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level – The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is NA pCi/L ppb ppm 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. Not Applicable Picocuries per Liter – A measure of radioactivity. Parts per Billion – One part substance per billion parts water (or micrograms per liter). Parts per Million – One part substance per million parts water (or milligrams per liter). Alpha Emitters Substance Regulated Substances Unit of Measure Year Sampled MCL [MRDL] MCLG Amount Detected Range Low–High Violations Typical Source pCi/L 2002 15 0 2.52 0.5–4.8 No Erosion of natural deposits Copper Substance Unit of Measure Year Sampled AL MCLG Amount Detected (90th %tile) Sites Above AL/ Total Sites Violations Typical Source ppm 2009 1.3 1.3 0.235 0/30 No Corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits; leaching from wood preservatives Lead ppb 2009 15 0 6 0/30 No Corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits Beta/Photon Emitters* pCi/L 2002 50 0 4.12 3.0–5.6 No Decay of natural and man-made deposits Fluoride ppm 2002 4 4 0.76 0.4–1.3 No Erosion of natural deposits; water additive which promotes strong teeth; discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories Tap water samples were collected for lead and copper analyses from sample sites throughout the community. (Total Trihalomethanes) ppb 2009 80 NA 1.68 0–5.25 No By-product of drinking water chlorination *The MCL for beta particles is 4 mrem/year. The U.S. EPA considers 50 pCi/L to be the level of concern for beta particles. ---PAGE BREAK--- Substances That Could Be in Water Auto Flush Valves Residential Irrigation Systems To ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the U.S. EPA prescribes regulations limiting the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water, which must provide the same protection for public health. Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of these contaminants does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk. 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, in some cases radioactive material, and substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity. Substances that may be present in source water include: • Microbial Contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, or wildlife • Inorganic Contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally occurring or may result from urban stormwater runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming • Pesticides and Herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and residential uses • Organic Chemical Contaminants, including and volatile organic chemicals, which are by- products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and may also come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff, and septic systems • Radioactive Contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or may be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities For more information about contaminants and potential health effects, call the U.S. EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at [PHONE REDACTED]. The Water Department has identified locations in the city to install auto flush valves. These valves improve water quality where water mains are not looped and demand is low creating a situation where the water in these mains is not replaced in a timely manner. These situations combined may cause discolored water and/or odor to be present. We currently have two valves to install this summer and have plans to purchase others with in current and future budgets. The valves have timers on them allowing us to flush late at night and as often as needed without any adverse effects (dirty water, etc.) to you the customer. They will also save time and money that would otherwise be spent on labor to manually flush hydrants in these areas. The Water Department is still doing walking surveys to locate irrigation systems that do not have any backflow protection. State Drinking Water Regulations and Moscow City Code require backflow protection on irrigation systems. All existing or new irrigation systems, within the City of Moscow, must be equipped with an approved backflow assembly. If you know that you do not have a backflow assembly on your irrigation system please contact a local plumber or irrigation contractor to have one installed. Another round of letters will be going out to home owners requiring corrections to bring their irrigation systems into compliance about August 1. If you believe this letter is in error or if you have questions about your irrigation systems please call Tod Gosselin at the Moscow Water Department, [PHONE REDACTED], for additional information or help. New Altitude Valves New altitude valves were installed on two of our smaller water tanks in January, 2010. The Northeast tank, located at Rotary Park, with a capacity of 500,000 gallons and the Northwest tank, located on Residence Street, with a capacity of 250,000 gallons. Due to their size and close proximity to City wells these older tanks were the first to fill with water and were therefore assigned to electronically start and stop all of the wells. With the new altitude valves in place these two tanks now stop filling automatically and force an extra 500,000 gallons of water to the Vista Tank filling it to its full capacity of 2,000,000 gallons. The Vista Tank level is now used to start and stop the well operation. This was not possible before the altitude valves were installed. Customers may also notice an increase of four to five pounds of water pressure around town as water is forced to the East side to fill the Vista Tank. During installation many customers experienced yellow or dirty water due to the rerouting of water around the tanks as well as reversing of normal flow patterns. We appreciate your patience while we were making these upgrades to the water system.