Full Text
1 2022 Consumer Confidence Report Montana PWS# 0000357 We are pleased to present to you this year's Annual Water Quality Report for the period of January 1 to December 31, 2022. This report is designed to inform you about the quality 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 be informed of 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. Our water source is surface water collected from the Haskill Basin watershed and from Whitefish Lake. A water filtration plant and Whitefish Lake pumping station were completed in November of 2000 at a total cost of over 6.2 million dollars. The City completed a capacity expansion to the existing treatment plant in the fall of 2021 at a total cost of over 9.3 million dollars. Financing for the project consisted of City reserves and a loan from the State Revolving Fund Program administered by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality. We are pleased to report that our drinking water is safe and meets federal and state requirements. If you have any questions about this report or concerning your water utility, please contact Craig Workman, Public Works Director at 406‐863‐2455. We want our valued customers to be informed about their water utility. If you want to learn more, please attend any of our regularly scheduled City Council meetings. They are held on the first and third Mondays of each month at 7:10 PM in the City Council chambers located at 418 E. 2nd Street. Sources of Drinking Water 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, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity. 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 EPAs Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426‐4791. 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 stormwater runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming. ---PAGE BREAK--- 2 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 can also come from gas stations, urban stormwater 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 that limit the number 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. 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 healthcare providers. EPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800‐426‐4791). 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. We are responsible for providing high‐quality drinking water, but we 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 are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead. Water Quality Test Results Definitions The following tables contain scientific terms and measures, some of which may require explanation. Action Level: The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements that a water system must follow. Avg: Regulatory compliance with some MCLs is based on running an annual average of samples. Level 1 Assessment: A Level 1 assessment is a study of the water system to identify potential problems and determine (if possible) why total coliform bacteria have been found in our water system. ---PAGE BREAK--- 3 Level 2 Assessment: A Level 2 assessment is a very detailed study of the water system to identify potential problems and determine (if possible) why an E. coli MCL violation has occurred and/or why total coliform bacteria have been found in our water system on multiple occasions. Maximum Contaminant Level or MCL: The highest level of 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 or 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. Maximum residual disinfectant level or MRDL: The highest level of disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that the addition of a disinfectant is necessary for the control of microbial contaminants. Maximum residual disinfectant level goal or 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. N/A: Not applicable. ND: Not detectable at testing limit. Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU) − Measure of the clarity or cloudiness of water. Turbidity more than 5 NTU is just noticeable to the typical person. Picocuries per liter (pCi/L) − Measure of the radioacƟvity in water. ppb: micrograms per liter or parts per billion ‐ or one ounce in 7,350,000 gallons of water, one minute in 2,000 years, or a single penny in $10,000,000. ppm: milligrams per liter or parts per million ‐ or one ounce in 7,350 gallons of water, one minute in two years, or a single penny in $10,000. Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level (SMCL): are established as guidelines to assist public water systems in managing their drinking water for aesthetic considerations, such as taste, color, and odor. These contaminants are not considered to present a risk to human health at the SMCL. Treatment Technique or TT: A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water. The State of Montana DEQ 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, or the system is not considered vulnerable to this type of contamination. Therefore, some of our data, though representative, may be more than one‐year‐old. The most recent drinking water analytical date is tabulated below. Lead and Copper Lead and Copper Date Sampled MCLG Action Level (AL) 90th Percentile # Sites Over AL Units Violation Likely Source of Contamination Copper 2022 1.3 1.3 0.62 0 ppm N Erosion of natural deposits; Leaching from wood preservatives; Corrosion of household plumbing systems. Lead 2022 0 15 2 1 ppb N Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits. ---PAGE BREAK--- 4 Regulated Contaminants Contaminant Group: Disinfectants and Disinfection By‐Products Regulated Contaminants Collection Year Highest Level Detected Range of Levels MCLG MCL Units Violation Likely Source of Contamination Chlorine 2022 0.8 .61 ‐ 1 = 4 MRDL = 4 ppm N Water additive used to control microbes. Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) 2022 44 19 ‐ 63 No goal for the total 60 ppb N By‐product of drinking water disinfection. Total Trihalomethan es (TTHM) 2022 37 16 ‐ 44 No goal for the total 80 ppb N By‐product of drinking water disinfection. Contaminant Group: Inorganic Contaminants Regulated Contaminants Collection Year Highest Level Detected Range of Levels MCLG MCL Units Violation Likely Source of Contamination Barium 2022 0.12 .12 ‐ .12 2 2 ppm N Discharge of drilling wastes; Discharge from metal refineries; Erosion of natural deposits. Fluoride 2022 0.02 .02 ‐ .02 4 4.0 ppm N Erosion of natural deposits; Water additive which promotes strong teeth; Discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories. Nitrate [measured as Nitrogen] 2022 0.04 .04 ‐ .04 10 10 ppm N Runoff from fertilizer use; Leaching from septic tanks, sewage; Erosion of natural deposits. Contaminant Group: Radioactive Contaminants Regulated Contaminants Collection Year Highest Level Detected Range of Levels MCLG MCL Units Violation Likely Source of Contamination Total Organic Carbon Contaminant Collection Date Average Range Unit TT Minimum Ratio Violation Likely Source of Contamination Total Organic Carbon (TOC) 2022 1.00 1.00‐ 1.00 Ratio 1.00 N Naturally present in the environment‐ Total organic carbon (TOC) has no health effects. However, total organic carbon provides a medium for the formation of disinfection byproducts. These byproducts include trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs). Drinking water containing these byproducts in excess of the MCL may lead to adverse health effects, liver or kidney problems, or nervous system effects, and may lead to an increased risk of getting cancer. ---PAGE BREAK--- 5 Turbidity Date Limit (Treatment Technique) Level Detected Violation Likely Source of Contamination Highest single measurement (NTU) 2022 0.30 0.27 N Soil runoff 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. Secondary Contaminants Secondary Contaminant Collection Year Highest Level Detected Range of Levels SMCL Units Likely Source of Contamination and or Reason for Monitoring SULFATE 2022 1 1 ‐ 1 250 ppm Runoff and leaching from natural deposits; industrial wastes