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20 12 MURRAY CITY WATER 2012 WATER QUALITY REPORT ---PAGE BREAK--- Dear Customers: We are pleased to present our annual Water Quality Report for the calendar year of 2012. This report contains information regarding Murray City’s water quality along with other timely information to help us protect this important resource. The word “sustainability” is a term that is generally accepted and used in many different ways; however, it never seems to clearly define what this means especially to you and me. Our water department defines it in this manner, “the capacity to endure”. The water we are using now has been around for centuries and through the natural water cycle, it will continue to be here and used for many more. Yet, we often wonder if we will have enough water to provide for our community in a future of uncertainty. Communities like ours generally allow growth based on available resources. So, for growth to take place, either we have to find more resources or limit and share the resources we already have. Sustainability represents the potential for long-term maintenance of well-being and manages the consumption of resources generally based on information gained from our economics. What does this mean to Murray City? If we desire to allow future developments and/or redevelopment projects, everyone will need to become a little wiser about how we use our water. The water we have is a limited resource and to avoid depleting or permanently damaging our water resources, each of us needs to do just a little more. For example, about 35% of Murray’s water is used for indoor consumption. Simple fixture change outs can create a noticeable year round water savings and when you include some minor changes in your outside watering patterns, you could experience additional savings. Sustainability also includes the integrity of our water system. We work very hard to protect and maintain our water infrastructure so it can be counted on in all situations. Additionally, because we know that our system is not perfect, we keep an updated master plan with a prioritized list of projects to either replace or improve our system. We invite you to take to take a few minutes and read through our annual Water Quality Report. Our desire would be for you to find something that will help remind you every time you hear the term “sustainability” to understand what it means to Murray City and inspire you to find ways to help protect this valuable resource. Sincerely, Daniel C. Snarr Mayor Murray City Water Department Mayor’s Message ---PAGE BREAK--- Water Department Employees 15 Murray water service area population 36,000 Total gallons used 3,065,811,000 Total acre feet 8,456 Number of water sources Deep Wells 19 Springs 7 Average hardness of water supply 200 mg/L 12 grains/gallon Water service connections 9,978 Total miles of waterlines 201 Total fire hydrants City owned 1,277 Private owned 537 Water storage capacity (Gallons) 12,000,000 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report 20 12 Frequently Asked Questions ---PAGE BREAK--- Why Save Water? • Water is a finite resource—even though about 70 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by water, less than 1 percent is available for human use. • At least 36 states are projecting water shortages between now and 2013. • Each American uses an average of 100 gallons of water a day at home. • We can all use 30 percent less water by installing water- efficient fixtures and appliances. • The average household spends as much as $500 per year on their water and sewer bill and can save about $170 per year by installing water-efficient fixtures and appliances. WaterSense & Water Savings • WaterSense labels products that are 20 percent more water-efficient and perform as well as or better than conventional models. • WaterSense labeled faucets—or aerators that can be installed on existing bathroom faucets—are about 30 percent more efficient than standard faucets, but still provide plenty of good flow. • WaterSense labeled toilets use 20 percent less water per flush, but perform as well as or better than today’s standard toilets and older toilets that use much more water. • The WaterSense label is now found on more than 300 models of showerheads, 730 different types of tank-style high efficiency toilets, and 2,600 faucet or faucet accessory models that are independently tested and certified to meet EPA’s criteria for both efficiency and performance. • To reduce outdoor water use, WaterSense is researching weather-based irrigation controllers and soil moisture sensors that do the thinking for you when it comes to watering your lawn. • To design, service, or audit your in-ground landscape irrigation system, look for one of the more than 470 Water- Sense irrigation partners. WaterSense Murray City Water Department ---PAGE BREAK--- Facts & Statistics • Approximately 5 to 10 percent of American homes have water leaks that drip away 90 gallons a day or more! Many of these leaks reside in old fixtures such as leaky toilets and faucets. In fact, water lost by these leaky residences could be reduced by more than 30,000 gallons if new, efficient fixtures were in- stalled. If the 5 percent of American homes that leak the most corrected those leaks—it could save more than 177 billion gal- lons of water annually! • Using WaterSense labeled faucets or faucet accessories could reduce a household’s faucet water use by more than 500 gal- lons annually—that’s enough water to do 14 loads of laundry. • WaterSense labeled faucets and faucet accessories can re- duce excessive flow volumes by more than 30 percent without sacrificing performance. • If one in every 10 homes in the United States were to install WaterSense labeled faucets or faucet accessories in their bathrooms, it could save 6 billion gallons of water, and more than $50 million in the energy costs to supply, heat, and treat that water. Information provided by EPA WaterSense Program http://www.epa.gov/WaterSense/about_us/facts.hml#save_water 20 12 Facts & Statistics Annual Drinking Water Quality Report ---PAGE BREAK--- What Can You Do To Protect Your Water Supply From Contamination? Be involved in keeping your water safe from contamination. Every home has potential hazards that threaten to contaminate your drinking water. The most common way contaminants enter the drinking water system is through cross connections in our piping systems. Backflow from a cross connection can occur when the pressure in the water main drops below the line pressure in your home causing a “soda straw” effect called back- siphonage. This effect can draw water from garden hoses, wash basins, boilers, lawn sprinklers, swimming pools, etc., into your home’s water supply. You may not even be aware that the water in your home has been contami- nated or that someone has been made ill from drinking the water. Back- flow contamination can result in illness or even death. It is easy to protect your water supply from these hazards. Be aware of potential hazards and install appropriate backflow preventers at water outlets. Remember these two simple rules: 1. Never submerge a free running hose in water and never leave a hose submerged in standing water without “proper” backsiphonage protection. 2. Never use a hose to spray chemicals without “proper” backsiphonage protection. Protect your family and neighbors from these potential hazards by protecting your water supply from backflow contamination. Information provided by the American Backflow Prevention Association http://www.nobackflow.com/abpaback.htm Murray City Water Department Backflow ---PAGE BREAK--- Annual Drinking Water Quality Report 20 12 Tap Into Murray Quality The mission of Murray City Water Department is to provide and promote safe, healthy, clean and fresh water at a reasonable cost. We are dedicated to providing excellent customer service, meeting and/or exceeding water quality standads, maintaining and upgrading our water system to meet current and future water needs. To stay up to date on current projects and events throughout the city “Like” us on Facebook or “Follow us on Twitter. To help promote water conservation we will be giving away some great WaterSense products including toilets, faucets, and shower heads. facebook.com/MurrayCityWaterDepartment twitter.com/MurrayCityWater Lawn Watering Guide A typical Utah lawn has a water demand curve that begins in mid-April, rises to a peak in July, and then falls rapidly until mid- October. Adjusting your timer to better follow this demand curve will save you water and money. An easy way to do this is keep the minutes constant and increase or decrease the number of days between waterings as shown below. Information provided by the Utah Division of Water Resources May June July August September 21 Minutes Every 4 Days 21 Minutes Every 3 Days 21 Minutes Every 3 Days 21 Minutes Every 3 Days 21 Minutes Every 6 Days ---PAGE BREAK--- Mayor Daniel C. Snarr Council Members Dave Nicponski Darren V. Stam Jim Brass Jared A. Shaver Brett A. Hales We are pleased to present Murray City’s 2012 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report. This report is designed to inform you about the quality of the water and services we deliver to you every day. We are committed to continually making improvements to our water system to ensure that the quality of your water is safe, dependable and properly protected. Murray City obtains its water from springs near Big Cottonwood Canyon along with underground water wells. Murray City routinely monitors for contaminants in our drinking water in accordance with the Federal and State Drinking Water Rules. The following table shows the results of our monitoring for the calendar year of 2012, beginning January 1, through December 31, 2012. City council meetings are held the first and third Tuesday of each month Murray City Water Department Murray City’s Consumer Confidence Report ---PAGE BREAK--- MCL Maximum Contaminant Level MCLG Maximum Contaminant Level Goal MFL Million fiber per liter (measures asbestos) NTU Nephelometric Turbidity Units (cloudiness) Cfu Colony forming units (bacterial cell colonies) pci/L Picocuries per liter (radioactive units) ppm Parts per million (mg/l 1, penny in $10,000) ppb Parts per billion (ug/l, 1 penny in $10 million) ppt Parts per trillion (1 penny in $10 trillion) ppq Parts per quadrillion (1 penny in $10 trillion) TT Treatment technique, method UR Unregulated, no EPA standard set ND Non-detected (less than the method can see) SW State waiver (never used or detected) NR Non reportable NE Not established All drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of contaminants. It is important to remember that the presence of these contaminants does not necessarily pose a health risk. 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/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by and other microbial contaminants are available from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline [PHONE REDACTED]. Key to Table Annual Drinking Water Quality Report 20 12 ---PAGE BREAK--- This chart lists the most recent test results for Murray City facilities and indicates the most likely source of contamination. The data is a range for all wells and springs with the lowest and highest levels. Maximum Contamination Level (MCL) is the highest level of contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. Using the best available technology, MCL’s are set as close to the goal as fea- sible. Maximum Contaminant Levels Goal (MCLG) is the level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected health risk. MCGL’s allow for a margin of safety. In addition to the parameters listed in this report, Murray City monitors for many unregulated contaminants. The results are available at the Public Services office. Substance Units MCL MCLG Murray City ND/Low-High Most Likely Source of Contamination PRIMARY INORGANICS-Monitoring required at least every 3 years for groundwater sources Ammonia mg/L NE NE ND to .2 Erosions of natural deposits Arsenic mg/L .010 0 ND to .0029 Erosions of natural deposits Barium mg/L 2 2 .035 to .22 Erosions of natural deposits Copper mg/L 1.3 1.3 ND to .12 Erosions of natural deposits Cyanide mg/L .2 .2 ND to .002 Erosions of natural deposits Fluoride mg/L 4 4 .15 to .34 Erosions of natural deposits Iron mg/L .3 .3 ND to .09 Erosions of natural deposits Lead mg/L .015 0 ND to .011 Erosions of natural deposits Nitrate (as N) mg/L 10 10 ND to 3.48 Excess Fertilization Selenium mg/L .05 .05 ND to .0043 Erosions of natural deposits Sodium mg/L NE NE 9.6 to 110 Erosions of natural deposits Sulfate mg/L 500 500 18 to 110 Erosions of natural deposits TDS mg/L 2000 NE 88 to 1300 Erosions of natural deposits Turbidity NTU 5 .03 .02 to .35 Suspended matrial from soil runoff Zinc mg/L 5 5 ND to .013 Erosions of natural deposits Murray City Water Department Murray City’s Consumer Confidence Report ---PAGE BREAK--- Substance Units MCL MCLG Murray City ND/Low-High Most Likely Source of Contamination SECONDARY INORGANICS-aesthetic standards Chloride mg/L 250 NE 10 to 210 Erosions of natural deposits Color CU 15 NE 0 to 1 Decaying, naturally-occuring organic material and suspended particles pH 6.5 to 8.5 NE 7 to 7.98 Naturally occurring MICROBIOLOGICAL Total Coliform % positive each month 5% 0.00% 0.00% Human and animal fecal waste, naturally-occuring in the environment. MCL is for compliance. All repeat samples were negative; no violations were issued RADIOLOGICAL Radium 226 pCi/L NE NE 0 to .7 Decay of natural and man made deposits Radium 228 pCi/L NE NE -0.18 to 2.8 Decay of natural and man made deposits Gross-Alpha pCi/L 15.0 15.0 0 to 12.2 Decay of natural and man made deposits UNREGULATED PARAMETERS- monotoring not required Calcium mg/L UR NE 19.4 to 113 Erosion of naturally occuring deposits Hardness, total mg/L UR NE 81 to 463 Erosion of naturally occuring deposits Hardness, grains Grains per Gallon UR NE 4.73 to 27.05 Naturally occurring Magnesium mg/L UR NE 7.8 to 43.8 Erosion of naturally occuring deposits Potassium mg/L UR NE 1.3 to 8.4 Erosion of naturally occuring deposits Silica mg/L UR NE 5.7 to 17.9 Erosion of naturally occuring deposits DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM CONTAMINANTS Chlorine Residual mg/L 4 NE ND to .1 Drinking water disinfectant TTHM ppb 80 0 0 to 2.4 By-product of drinking water disinfection Fluoride ppm 4 4 .6 to .8 Water additive that promotes strong teeth LEAD & COPPER (tested at consumer’s residence) tested every 3 years Copper mg/L 1.3 1.3 .01 to .47 Corrosion of household plumbing systems Lead mg/L .015 .015 <0.005 Corrosion of household plumbing systems Calculated Compliance Numbers from 2010 Copper = 0.165 Lead = 0.0014 VOCs None Detected PESTICIDES None Detected 20 12 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report ---PAGE BREAK--- Murray City Corporation P.O. Box 57520 Murray, Utah 84157-0520 MURRAY CITY WATER 2012 WATER QUALITY REPORT www.murray.utah.gov