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Presort Std. Rate U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 418 Ogden, UT Ogden City Water Utility 133 West 29th Street Ogden, UT 84401 [PHONE REDACTED] OGDEN CITY 2015 WATER QUALITY REPORT We are pleased to present to you this year’s 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. Our constant goal is to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water. We want you to understand the efforts we make to continually improve the water treatment process and protect our water resources. We are committed to ensuring the quality of your water. WHERE DOES MY WATER COME FROM? Ogden City Water Utility customers are fortunate to receive water from three main sources: groundwater from wells, surface water drawn from Pineview Reservoir and Wheeler Creek, and treated water purchased from Weber Basin Water Conservancy District. Weber Basin’s water is a combination of treated ground and surface waters from wells owned by Weber Basin and waters drawn from the Weber River. DRINKING WATER - SOURCE PROTECTION PLAN The Ogden City Water Utility has completed The Drinking Water Source Protection Plan for all of its surface water sources. The Drinking Water Source Protection Plan includes identification of the area from which the drinking water source receives water, an assessment of the potential contamination threats to the source within this area, and management programs to help control both existing and future potential sources of contamination. Copies of this plan can be obtained from the Water Utility office for a nominal fee. The State Division of Drinking Water also has a copy on file. Descriptions of the significant potential sources of contamination located within the area of the Utility’s surface water sources are listed below. • Transportation of Hazardous Materials Along Roadways - Accidents along highways and other major roads could lead to spills of hazardous materials, which could lead to contamination. • Industrial, Commercial, Automotive, Marine, and Equipment Maintenance - Products and materials are used and stored in various quantities at these companies including acids, solvents, oils, gasoline, diesel fuel, and other chemicals. Spills of these products and materials could lead to contamination. • Rural Residential Areas - Household septic systems that are failing contain bacteria and viral pathogens that are discharged directly into the ground and may eventually enter the surface water source. Fuels, fertilizers, and pesticides that may be used and stored also have the potential to contaminate. • Agricultural Activities - Runoff containing fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides applied to croplands could enter the surface water sources. Also, runoff containing bacteria and viruses from animal wastes from pastures or animal farms has the potential to enter the surface water sources. • Mineral Producers - Tunnels or stripped land from mining operations could lead to higher acidity or sediment loads in surface water sources. • Camping Areas and Other Recreational Activities - Camping wastes and fuels used for recreational vehicles have the potential to be spilled and could contaminate the surface water sources. • Sewage Treatment Facilities - Untreated sewage could be discharged directly into the surface water source in extreme or emergency conditions. • Underground Fuel Storage - Fuel in underground storage tanks may enter groundwater and eventually reach the surface water sources if a leak occurs in the tank. CONTAMINATION FROM CROSS-CONNECTIONS Unprotected cross-connections that could contaminate drinking water distribution lines are a major concern. A cross-connection is formed at any point where a drinking water line connects to equipment, systems containing chemicals (air-conditioning systems, fire sprinkler systems, and irrigation systems) or water sources of questionable quality. Cross-connection contamination can occur when equipment, such as booster pumps & boilers, increases the pressure of the water on the customer’s side (generally of the water meter) to a pressure greater than the supply side (generally upstream of the water meter). This is known as Backpressure. Contamination can also occur when the pressure in the City’s water supply line drops, due to main leak repairs or heavy water demand, causing contaminants to be siphoned from the customer’s plumbing system into the City’s water supply. This is known as Backsiphonage. Outside water taps and garden hoses tend to be the most common cause of cross-connections at home. The garden hose creates a hazard when submerged in a swimming pool or when attached to a chemical sprayer for weed killing. Garden hoses that are left lying on the ground may be contaminated by fertilizers, cesspools, or garden chemicals. Improperly installed valves in your toilet could also be a source of cross-connection contamination. Water supplies are continuously jeopardized by unprotected cross-connections unless appropriate valves, known as backflow prevention devices or assemblies, are installed, tested, and maintained. We have surveyed many industrial, commercial, and institutional facilities in the service area to help reduce potential cross-connections by requiring water customers to install a backflow preventer. We also require all water customers to have their backflow assemblies tested annually by a certified backflow tester to assure the assembly is providing maximum protection. If you have any questions regarding cross-connections, please contact us at [PHONE REDACTED]. For more information or questions regarding cross-connections, please visit the Ogden Water Website at http://www.ogdenwater.com/water-quality/ WHY ARE THERE CONTAMINANTS IN MY DRINKING 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 Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Safe Drinking Water Hotline ([PHONE REDACTED]). The sources of drinking water (both tap 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, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity. WATER QUALITY REPORT 2015 WWW.OGDENWATER.COM OGDEN CITY WATER TREATMENT PLANT ---PAGE BREAK--- CONTAMINANTS 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, and wildlife. • Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally occurring or result from urban storm water 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 storm water runoff, and residential uses. • Organic chemical contaminants, including and volatile organic chemicals, which are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban storm water runoff, and septic systems. • Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally-occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities. In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. FDA regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health. WE ARE PLEASED TO REPORT THAT OUR DRINKING WATER MEETS FEDERAL AND STATE REQUIREMENTS Ogden City routinely monitors for constituents in our drinking water in accordance with the Federal and Utah State laws. The following table shows the results from our monitoring for the period of January 1st to December 31st, 2015, unless otherwise noted. The EPA and Utah Division of Drinking Water require water systems to monitor for certain contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants do not change frequently. WATER QUALITY DATA TABLE STORM WATER POLLUTION: IT’S UP TO US! In Weber County, storm water flows through storm drains directly to local creeks and rivers with NO TREATMENT. Water quality can be affected by a number of natural elements as well as chemical elements introduced by humans. Which types of contaminants might reach our rivers and streams? Contaminants - resulting from unwise landscaping practices such as over applying or over watering might include: dirt, leaves, grass clippings, fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides Chemicals - from household products from washing your car, painting, or household cleaners Toxins - such as oil or antifreeze that may leak from your car Did you know that one pint of oil can produce a one acre slick on a water surface and can contaminate 250,000 gallons of water? WHAT CAN YOU DO? Never use the gutter or storm drain system for disposal of household hazardous waste. If you wouldn’t drink it, don’t dump it. Store toxic products and chemicals indoors or in a shed or storage cabinet. Take unwanted hazardous materials and containers to the household hazardous waste disposal facility. Do not wash tools and equipment in driveways, gutters or drainage ways. Wash over grassed or soil areas where wash water won’t reach the street. Inspect and maintain vehicles to reduce leakage of fluids. Reduce automotive emissions through regular maintenance and by limiting vehicle usage. Clean up spills with kitty litter or absorbent material and let dry. Dispose of cleanup as solid waste. Report illegal dumping of oil, fuel, paint & other hazardous materials into the storm system to: Ogden City Public Ways & Parks: 1-[PHONE REDACTED]. (After hours call 911.) Vehicles should be washed at a commercial car wash. Vehicles can be washed on the lawn with biodegradable soap to reduce wash water flows to the storm drain system. Recycle Oil - pour waste oil into an unbreakable container (plastic milk jug), seal and label. Call 1-[PHONE REDACTED] or 1-[PHONE REDACTED]. Recycling used oil could reduce national petroleum imports by 25.5 million barrels per year! Do not mix other materials with oil. OUR CURRENT STORM WATER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM CONSISTS OF THE FOLLOWING SIX CONTROL MEASURES: • Public education and outreach • Public participation/involvement • Illicit discharge detection and elimination • Construction site runoff control • Post-construction runoff control • Pollution prevention/good housekeeping There is a Household Hazardous Waste Facility now located at the Weber County Solid Waste Facility at 867 West Wilson Lane. Oil, antifreeze, and paint are accepted daily from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. beginning in April and continuing through September, with all other items accepted the 3rd Saturday of each month. Weber County homeowners can bring their household hazardous waste to the facility and it will be taken off their hands for FREE! Call 1-[PHONE REDACTED] for more information. If you have any questions about this report or concerning your water utility, please contact Ogden City Utilities at [PHONE REDACTED] Spanish (Español) Este folleto contiene información importante acerca de su agua potable. Si quiere que alguien lo traduzca para usted, hable [PHONE REDACTED]. IMPORTANT DRINKING WATER DEFINITIONS • Non-Detects (ND) - Laboratory analysis indicates that the constituent is not present. • 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. • AL (Action Level): The concentration of a contaminant, which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow. • NA: Not applicable • NTU (Nephelometric Turbidity Units): Measurement of the clarity, or turbidity, of water. • Ppb (parts per billion): One part substance per billion parts water (or micrograms per liter). • Ppm (parts per million): One part substance per million parts water (or milligrams per liter). • TT (Treatment Technique): A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water. • Picocuries per liter (pCi/L): Picocuries per liter is a measure of the radioactivity in water. • Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level (MRDL): 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. LEAD IN DRINKING WATER 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. Ogden City 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 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 from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline 1-[PHONE REDACTED] or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead. DO I NEED TO TAKE SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS? 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 microbiological contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline 1-[PHONE REDACTED]. PWS ID#: UT0029011 * Turbidity is a measurement of the cloudiness of water. The State of Utah requires monitoring for sodium even though no MCL has been established. ***The MCL for Sulfate & Total Dissolved Solids is established by the State of Utah Contaminant (units) Level Detected Year Sampled Level Detected Year Sampled Violation Unit of Measure MCLG MCL Likely Source Coliform Bacteria, Total of sample) NA 2015 NA 2015 No % of sample 0% Coliform bacteria in no more than 5% of samples Naturally present in Environment Turbidity, Surface Water* (NTU) .01 2015 .03 2015 No NTU .01 0.3 NTU Soil Runoff Arsenic (ppb) ND 2008-2015 ND-1.2 2010-2015 No ppb NA 10 Erosion of natural deposits; runoff from orchards Total Chromium (ppb) ND 2008-2015 ND-.01 2010-2015 No ppb 100 200 Discharge from steel and pulp mills; erosion of natural deposits Barium (ppm) .029-.064 2008-2015 .08-.26 2010-2015 No ppm 2 2 Erosion of natural deposits; discharge of drilling wastes Fluoride (ppm) NA NA .4-1.1 2010-2015 No ppm N/A 4 Erosion of natural deposits; discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories Nitrate (ppm) ND-1.0 2008-2015 .1-1.6 2010-2015 No ppm 10 10 Runoff from fertilizer use; leaching from septic tanks, sewage; erosion of natural deposits Selenium (ppb) ND-.0008 2008-2015 .6-2.1 2010-2015 No ppb 50 50 Erosion of natural deposits; discharge from mines Sodium** (ppm) 5.6-15.5 2008-2015 19.6-38.6 2010-2015 No ppm N/A NA Erosion of natural deposits; discharge from refineries and factories; runoff from landfills Total Dissolved Solids 34-235 2008-2015 [PHONE REDACTED]-2015 No ppm N/A 2000 Erosion of natural deposits Sulfate***(ppm) 4-9 2008-2015 25-48 2010-2015 No ppm NA 1000 Erosion of natural deposits; discharge from refineries and factories; runoff from landfills, runoff from cropland Haloacetic Acids (ppb) 3.1-22.5 2015 0-8.5 2015 No ppb NA 60 By-product of drinking water disinfection Total Trihalomethanes (ppb) 6.2-45 2015 4.2-18.8 2015 No ppb NA 80 By-product of drinking water disinfection Combined Radium (pCi/L) .50-1.51 2008-2015 .5-1.0 2010-2015 No pCi/L 0 5 Erosion of natural deposits Gross Alpha Particles (pCi/L) 1.5-2.1 2008-2015 0-3.6 2010-2015 No pCi/L 0 15 Erosion of natural deposits of certain minerals that are radioactive and may emit a form of radiation known as alpha radiation Lead (ppb) 4.6 2013 0 15 NA Copper (ppb) 274 2013 0 1300 NA * Turbidity is a measurement of the cloudiness of water. The State of Utah requires monitoring for sodium even though no MCL has been established. ***The MCL for Sulfate & Total Dissolved Solids is established by the State of Utah Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits; Leaching from wood preservatives Contaminant Amount Detected Year Sampled Homes above Action level MCLG Typical source Radiological Chemicals Ogden City Weber Basin Microbiological Contaminants Inorganic Contaminants Disinfection Bi-Products