City of
2007 Drinking Water Report
Nov yog ntaub ntawv tseem ceeb. Yog koy tsi to taub, nrhiav neeg pab txhais rau koh kom sai sai.
The City of
The
City of
The
water provided to customers may meet drinking water standards, but the
Minnesota Department of Health has also made a determination as to how
vulnerable the source of water may be to future contamination incidents. If you
wish to obtain the entire source water assessment regarding your drinking
water, please call 651-201-4700 or 1-800-818-9318 (and press 5) during normal
business hours. Also, you can view it on
line a www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/water/swp/swa.
If
you have questions about the City of
The
results contained in the following table indicate an exceedance of a federal
standard. Some other contaminants were
detected in trace amounts that were below legal limits. The table that follows shows the contaminants
that were detected in trace amounts last year.
(Some contaminants are sampled less frequently than once a year; as a
result, not all contaminants were sampled for in 2007. If any of these contaminants were detected
the last time they were sampled for, they are included in the table along with
the date that the detection occurred.)
Key
to abbreviations:
MCLG – Maximum Contaminant Level Goal: The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs 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 MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology.
MRDL- Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level
MRDLG- Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal
90th % Level –
This is the value obtained after disregarding 10 percent of the samples taken
that had the highest levels. (For
example, in a situation in which 10 samples were taken, the 90th
percentile level is determined by disregarding the highest result, which
represents 10 percent of the samples.)
Note: In situations in which only 5 samples are taken, the average of
the two with the highest levels is taken to determine the 90th
percentile level.
pCi/l - PicoCuries per liter (a measure
of radioactivity)
ppb – Parts per billion, which can also be
expressed as micrograms per liter (ug/l).
Results
of Monitoring continued….
ppm
– Parts
per million, which can also be expressed as milligrams per liter (mg/l).
nd
– No Detection
N/A
- Not Applicable. (does not
apply to us).
|
Contaminant (units) |
MCLG |
MCL |
Level Found |
Typical Source of
Contaminant |
||
|
Range (2007) |
Average /Result* |
|||||
|
Arsenic
(ppb) (10/30/2006) |
0.0 |
10 |
N/A |
15* |
Erosion
of natural deposits; Runoff from orchards; Runoff from glass and electronics
production wastes. |
|
|
Barium(ppm) (11/17/2004) |
2 |
2 |
N/A |
.12 |
Discharge
of drilling wastes; Discharge from metal refineries; Erosion of natural
deposits. |
|
|
Fluoride
(ppm) |
4.0 |
4.0 |
.83-1 |
.98 |
State
of |
|
|
Haloacetic
Acids (HAA5)(ppb) (10/31/2005) |
0.0 |
60.0 |
N/A |
5.6 |
By-product
of drinking water disinfection |
|
|
Mercury (inorganic)(ppb) (11/17/2004) |
2 |
2 |
N/A |
.01 |
Erosion
of natural deposits; Discharge from refineries and factories; Runoff from
landfills; Runoff from cropland |
|
|
TTHM(Total
trihalomehtanes) (ppb) (10/24/2005) |
0.0 |
80.0 |
N/A |
2.1 |
By-product
of drinking water disinfection |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
*During
the year, we had an ongoing violation for arsenic. Erosion of natural deposits may lead to
arsenic in groundwater. Some people who
drink water containing arsenic in excess of the MCL over many years could
experience skin damage or problems with their circulatory system, and may have
an increased risk of getting cancer.
|
Contaminant (units) |
Level Found |
Typical Source of
Contaminant |
|
|
Range (2006) |
Average/ Result* |
||
|
Radon(pCi/l)(10/24/2005) |
N/A |
321 |
Erosion
of natural deposits. |
*This
is the value used to determine compliance with federal standards. It sometimes is the highest value detected
and
sometimes is an average of all the detected values. If it is an average, it may contain sampling
results from the
previous
year.
Radon
is a radioactive gas which is naturally occurring in some groundwater. It poses
a lung cancer risk when gas is released from water into air (as occurs during
showering, bathing, or washing dishes or clothes) and a stomach cancer risk
when it is ingested. Because radon in
indoor air poses a much greater health risk than radon in drinking water, an
Alternative Maximum Contaminant Level (AMCL) of 4,000 picoCuries per liter may
apply in states that have adopted in Indoor Air Program, which compels
citizens, homeowners, schools, and communities to reduce the radon threat from
indoor air. For states without such a program, the Maximum Contaminant Level
(MCL) of 300 pCi/l may apply.
|
Contaminant (units) |
MRDLG |
MRDL |
**** |
***** |
Typical Source of
Contaminant |
|
Chlorine
(ppm) |
4 |
4 |
Nd-.2 |
.17 |
Water
additive used to control microbes |
****Highest
and Lowest Monthly Average
*****Highest
Quarterly Average
|
Contaminant (units) |
MCLG |
|
90% Level |
# sites over |
Typical Source of
Contaminant |
|
Copper
(ppm) (8/17/2005) |
N/A |
1.3 |
0.55 |
0
out of 10 |
Corrosion
of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits |
|
Lead
(ppm) (8/17/2005) |
N/A |
15 |
3 |
0
out of 10 |
Corrosion
of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits |
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
Some
contaminants do not have Maximum Contaminant Levels established for them. These ‘unregulated contaminants’ are assessed
using state standards known as health risk limits to determine if they pose a
threat to human health. If unacceptable
levels of an unregulated contaminant are found, the response is the same as if
an MCL has been exceeded; the water system must inform its customers and take
other corrective actions. In the table
that follows are the unregulated contaminants that were detected.
|
Contaminant (units) |
Range (2007) |
Average/Result |
Typical Source of
Contaminant |
|
Sodium
(ppm) |
39-81 |
81 |
Erosion
of natural deposits |
|
Sulfate
(ppm) (11/17/2004) |
7.77-11.5 |
11.5 |
Erosion
of natural deposits |
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.
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
synthetic 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, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. 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 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 Safe Drinking Water hotline at 1-800-426-4791.
Note: 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 systems 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 Cryptosporidium are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.
Secondary
Contaminants
As
with most well water systems, Iron and Magnesium are present. Neither poses any harm to people, but does
cause fowl odor, taste and appearance. The City of
City Treatment
and Distribution Facilities
The
city treats the water with chlorine, fluoride and phosphate to produce water
that meets or exceeds all drinking water standards. This treatment is done at
each well location.
Treated
water is distributed to the City by a system consisting of about 30 miles of
water mains ranging from 4 inches to 12 inches in diameter. The oldest pipes
were installed in 1930. The City has
replaced some of the oldest pipes.
Storing and regulating water in the City is done with the use of 1 tank.
The above ground tank is about 130 feet in height and has a capacity of 250,000
gallons. There are about 141 fire hydrants connected to the City. Water use is measured by about 850 metered
service connections.
Water Demands
Daily
water demands in Warroad are about 227,000 with an average per capita use of
130 gallons per day. About 46% of the water supply is used by residential, with
26% to commercial, 26% to industrial and 2% to City and other uses.
Capital
Improvement Programs and Infrastructure Management
The
reliability of water service is tied to the integrity of City distribution,
storage and treatment facilities. Every year the City allocates to rehabilitate
and maintain its infrastructure. Field
crews routinely inspect and monitor the system and perform the necessary
repairs and maintenance. The field crews (Water Operators) are certified as
Water System Operators with the Minnesota Department of Health and carry a
Class D certificate.
Computers
have been integrated into daily operations to provide services such as control,
telemetry and water quality monitoring. Water services expenditures are
expected to rise over the next five years as the City complies with new water
quality standards and continues to replace aging water mains.