COMBINED LOCKS WATER DEPARTMENT

We're pleased to present to you this year's Annual Quality Water Report. 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 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. Our water source is from Kimberly Water Department. (Ground Water pumped from three wells which draw from the Cambrian Sandstone Aquifer).

    

I'm 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 Sean Hutchison at 788-7744. 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 meetings. They are held on the first and third Tuesday of the month at 6:30pm at the Combined Locks Civic Center.

 

 

 

 

The Combined Locks Water Department routinely monitors for constituents in your drinking water according to Federal and State laws. This table shows the results of our monitoring for the period of January 1st to December 31st, 2007.  All drinking water, including bottled drinking water, may be reasonably expected to contain at least small amounts of some constituents.  It's important to remember that the presence of these constituents does not necessarily pose a health risk.

 

In this table you will find many terms and abbreviations you might not be familiar with. To help you better understand these terms we've provided the following definitions:

 

Total Coliform Rule (TRC).

 

Parts per million (ppm) or Milligrams per liter (mg/l) - one part per million corresponds to one minute in two years or a single penny in $10,000.

 

Parts per billion (ppb) or Micrograms per liter - one part per billion corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years, or a single penny in $10,000,000.

 

Parts per trillion (ppt) or Nanograms per liter (nanograms/l) - one part per trillion corresponds to one minute in 2,000,000 years, or a single penny in $10,000,000,000.

 

Parts per quadrillion (ppq) or Picograms per liter (picograms/l) - one part per quadrillion corresponds to one minute in 2,000,000,000 years or one penny in $10,000,000,000,000.

 

Picocuries per liter (pCi/L) - picocuries per liter is a measure of the radioactivity in water.

 

Millirems per year (mrem/yr) - measure of radiation absorbed by the body.

 

Million Fibers per Liter (MFL) - million fibers per liter is a measure of the presence of asbestos fibers that are longer than 10 micrometers.

 

Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU) - nephelometric turbidity unit is a measure of the clarity of water. Turbidity in excess of 5 NTU is just noticeable to the average person.

 

Action Level (AL)- the concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow.

 

Treatment Technique (TT) - A treatment technique is a required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.

 

Maximum Contaminant Level - The “Maximum Allowed” (MCL) is 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.

 

Maximum Contaminant Level Goal - The “Goal” (MCLG) is 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.

 

TEST RESULTS

Contaminant (units)

Violation Y/N

Level  Found/ Range

Sample Date (if prior to 2007)

MCLG

MCL

Likely Source of Contamination

Microbiological Contaminants

Coliform (TRC)

NO

1

0

Presence of coliform bacteria in>= 5% of monthly samples

Naturally present in the environment

Inorganic Contaminants

Antimony Total (ppb)

NO

3.0 / 0-3.0

8/23/05

6

6

Discharge from petroleum from refineries: fire retardants; ceramics;  electronics; solder

Copper (ppm)

NO

.5580/ .0000-.8290

10/27/05

1.3

AL=1.3

Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits; Leaching from wood preservatives

Arsenic (ppb)

NO

2 / 1-2

8/23/05

N/A

10

Erosion of natural deposits; Runoff from orchards, Runoff from glass & electronics production wastes.

Lead (ppb)

NO

4.5 / .00-10.00

8/23/05

0

AL=15

Corrosion of household plumbing systems, erosion of natural deposits;

Cadmium (ppb)

NO

.7 / .0-.7

8/23/05

5

5

Corrosion of galvanized pipes; Erosion of natural deposits; Discharge from metal refineries runoff waste batteries & paints.

Chromium (ppb)

NO

2/ 0-2

8/23/05

100

100

Discharge from steel & pulp mills; Erosion of natural deposits

Sodium (ppm)

NO

9.70/ 7.40-9.70

8/23/05

n/a

n/a

n/a

Barium (ppm)

NO

.036/ .012-.036

8/23/05

2

2

Discharge from drilling wastes; Discharge from metal refineries; Erosion of natural deposits.

Fluoride (ppm)

NO

1.4 1.1-1.4

8/23/05

4

4

Erosion of natural deposits; Water additive which promotes strong teeth; Discharge from fertilizer and aluminum cans

Nickel (ppb)

NO

2.5000 / .0000 -2.5000

8/23/05

0

100

Nickel occurs naturally in soils, ground water and surface waters and is often used in electroplating, stainless steel and alloy products

Radioactive Contaminants

Gross Alpha Excl.R & U (pCi/l)

NO

3.0/ 2.0-3.0

3/5/02

0

15

Erosion of natural deposits

Unregulated Contaminants

Volatile Organic Contaminants

 

 

 

 

Number of Contaminants Required to be Tested

 

This includes all contaminants that were required to be tested in the last 5 years.

 

 

Contaminant Group	# of Contaminants
Inorganic Contaminants	16
Microbiological Contaminants	2
Disinfection Byproducts	1
Radioactive Contaminants	2
Synthetic Organic Contaminants including Pesticides & Herbicides	23
Unregulated Contaminants	4
Volatile Organic Contaminants	21

 

As you can see by the table, our system had no violations. We’re proud that your drinking water meets or exceeds all Federal and State requirements. We have learned through our monitoring and testing that some constituents have been detected.  The EPA has determined that your water IS SAFE at these levels.

 

Infants and young children are typically more vulnerable to lead in drinking water than the general population.  It is possible that lead levels at your home may be higher than at other homes in the community as a result of materials used in your home’s plumbing.  If you are concerned about elevated lead levels in your home’s water, you may wish to have your water tested and flush your tap 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using tap water.  Additional information is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).

 

All 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 the 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.

 

In our continuing efforts to maintain a safe and dependable water supply it may be necessary to make improvements in your water system.  The costs of these improvements may be reflected in the rate structure. Rate adjustments may be necessary in order to address these improvements.

 

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 cryptosporidium and other microbiological contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791). 

 

We at Combined Locks work around the clock to provide top quality water to every tap. We ask that all our customers help us protect our water sources, which are the heart of our community, our way of life and our children’s future.

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