City of Warroad

2010 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 Warroad is issuing the results of monitoring done on its drinking water for the period from January 1 to December 31, 2010. The purpose of this report is to advance consumers’ understanding of drinking water and heighten awareness of the need to protect precious water resources.

Source of Water

The City of Warroad provides drinking water to its residents from a groundwater source: three wells ranging from 138 to 154 feet deep that draw water from the Quaternary Buried Artesian aquifer.

The Minnesota Department of Health has determined that the source(s) used to supply your drinking water is not particularly susceptible to contamination. 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 at www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/water/swp/swa.

If you have questions about the City of Warroad drinking water or would like information about opportunities for public participation in decisions that may affect the quality of the water visit our web site at http://mncable.net/~citysupt/or call (218) 386-1873.

Results of Monitoring

No contaminants were detected at levels that violated federal drinking water standards. However, some 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 2010. 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

AL – Action Level: the concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirement which a water system must follow.

90^th % 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 90^th 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 90^th 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….

Ppt – Parts per trillion, or nanograms per liter.

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).

Contaminant (units)	MCLG	MCL	Level Found		Typical Source of Contaminant
			Range (2010)	Average /Result*
Arsenic (ppb)	0.0	10.4	9.6-10.4	10.05	Erosion of natural deposits; Runoff from orchards; Runoff from glass and electronics production wastes.
Barium(ppm) (12/07/2009)	2	2	N/A	.08	Discharge of drilling wastes; Discharge from metal refineries; Erosion of natural deposits.
Benzo(a)pyrene (PAH) (ppt)	0	200	nd-140	35	Leaching from linings of water storage tanks and distribution lines.
Combined Radium (pCi/l)	0	5.4	Nd-1.2	.6	Erosion of natural deposits.
Fluoride (ppm)	4.0	4.0	1.3-1.7	1.45	State of Minnesota requires all municipal water systems to add fluoride to the drinking water to promote strong teeth; Erosion of Natural Deposits, Discharge from Fertilizer and Aluminum Factories.
TTHM(Total trihalomehtanes) (ppb) (08/11/2008)	0.0	80.0	N/A	1.8	By-product of drinking water disinfection

*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.

While your drinking water meets EPA’s standard for arsenic, it does contain low levels of arsenic. EPA’s standard balances the current understanding of arsenic’s possible health effects against the costs of removing arsenic from drinking water. EPA continues to research the health effects of low levels of arsenic, which is a mineral known to cause cancer in humans at high concentrations and is linked to other health effects such as skin damage and circulatory problems.

Contaminant (units)	MRDLG	MRDL	****	*****	Typical Source of Contaminant
Chlorine (ppm)	4	4	.06-.6	.33	Water additive used to control microbes

****Highest and Lowest Monthly Average

*****Highest Quarterly Average

Contaminant (units)	MCLG	AL	90% Level	# sites over AL	Typical Source of Contaminant
Copper (ppm) (06/04/2008)	1.3	1.3	0.17	0 out of 10	Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits
Lead (ppb) (06/04/2008)	0	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 Warroad 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 or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

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 (2010)	Average/Result	Typical Source of Contaminant
Sodium (ppm)	N/A	33.6	Erosion of natural deposits
Sulfate (ppm)	N/A	6.61	Erosion of natural deposits

Compliance with National Primary Drinking Water Regulations

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 and other microbial contaminants 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 Warroad chlorinates the water and flushes the system at dead ends to help improve odor and taste. We also add Phosphate to help control the Iron.

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 200,000 with an average per capita use of 115 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.