2011 Annual Water Quality Report RIV ER Tucson Water serves about 703,000 people in the Tucson area. The water supply comes from approximately 200 groundwater wells located in and around the Tucson metropolitan area (see map). Most of the wells also known as Entry Points to the Distribution System (EPDS) serve the neighborhood in which they are located, with excess supply routed to reservoirs for use elsewhere in the system. Tucson Water’s system contains 37 water service areas that are located in and around the Tucson metropolitan area, 4,500 miles of pipes, and 145 booster stations that are dedicated to pumping drinking water. WERE THERE ANY CONTAMINANTS DETECTED IN MY DRINKING WATER? Tucson Water regularly monitors the drinking water that is delivered to you to comply with drinking water regulations set by the USEPA. In addition to this required monitoring, Tucson Water performs a great deal of discretionary monitoring in order to provide both Tucson Water staff and customers with additional water quality information. We are pleased to report that the results from the monitoring conducted in 2011 met all standards for safe drinking water. In most cases, the minimum detection level of a contaminant is well below the USEPA regulatory limit for that contaminant. The table on page 2 lists the contaminants that were detected in the required drinking water monitoring. To compare the detected amount with the maximum amount allowed by the USEPA, refer to the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) column in the table. The vast majority of regulated contaminants were not detected in the drinking water delivered by Tucson Water and those non-detected SNYDER RD TANQUE GRANT RD VERDE RD SPEEDWAY BROADWAY RD H S NOGALE Ground Water Well PIMA MINE RD COUNTRY CLUB RD HIGHWAY IS SI ON R D VALENCIA RD IRVINGTON HOUGHTON AJO EY Y WA IGH KOLB RD NN RD 22ND STREET KI M WHERE DOES MY WATER COME FROM? ROA IRONWOOD HILLS If you are a non-English speaking resident, we recommend that you speak with someone who understands the report. You may also obtain a copy in Spanish by calling 791-4331. Para nuestros clients de habla español: Éste informe contiene información muy importante sobre la calidad de su agua beber. Traduscalo o hable con alguien que lo entienda bien. Para obtener una copia de este reporte en Espanol, llame al (520) 791-4331. I NE DR CRAYCROFT RD K YL D SANDARIO RD INA RD S This Annual Water Quality Report provides information on your drinking water. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) requires that all drinking water suppliers provide a water quality report to their customers on an annual basis. This report also contains important information on the quality of your water and contact information you may wish to use. ORA CLE RD Main System 10-112 Water Quality & Operations Division results were not included in the table. For a complete list of all USEPA regulated contaminants, contact the USEPA at 1-800-426-4791 or visit the USEPA Website at www.epa.gov/ safewater/mcl.html#mcls WHY ARE THERE CONTAMINANTS IN MY DRINKING WATER? All drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. Tucson’s groundwater contains dissolved minerals and organic compounds, which have been leached from the rock, sediments, and plant materials through which the water travels. One would expect to find beneficial minerals such as calcium and magnesium, harmless minerals such as chloride, bicarbonate, and sulfate, and metals such as iron, copper, arsenic, and lead, which may be either beneficial or harmless at low concentrations, but harmful at high concentrations. In addition to these naturally occurring contaminants, our groundwater may contain contaminants resulting from industrial or domestic activities. For this reason, water utilities must currently monitor for approximately 90 regulated and 25 unregulated contaminants. The following language is required by the USEPA to appear in this report, some of which may not be applicable to deep groundwater wells, the primary source of the Tucson Water supply: Contaminants that may be present in source water can include: • Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage, septic systems, agricultural livestock, 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. For accommodations, materials in accessible formats, foreign language interpreters, and/or materials in a language other than English, please contact Tucson Water at (520) 791-4331 or (520) 791-2639 for TDD. • Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and residential uses. • Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are byproducts 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, USEPA regulations 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 that must provide the same protection for public health. Bottled water may come from either a surface water source or groundwater source, and may be treated minimally or extensively. For information on the quality of your bottled water, contact the water bottling company. Detected Contaminants Table Sample Maximum Year Results Contaminant Disinfection By-Products Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) HAA5 Running Annual Average Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) TTHM Running Annual Average Inorganics Arsenic Barium Fluoride Nitrate (as N) Sodium Range MCL MCLG 11 <2 ppb NA 60 ppb None By-product of Chlorination 11 14 ppb NA 80 ppb None By-product of Chlorination 07 - 11 07 - 11 11 11 9.1 ppb 0.15 ppm 1.0 ppm 5.8 ppm <2 – 9.1 ppb <0.02 - 0.15 ppm <0.1 – 1.0 ppm <0.25 – 5.8 ppm 10 ppb 2 ppm 4 ppm 10 ppm 0 ppb 2 ppm 4 ppm 10 ppm 07 – 11 106 ppm 11– 106 ppm None None Natural deposits, run offs Natural deposits, Ind. Use Natural deposits Natural deposits, septic tanks, agriculture, sewage Natural deposits Volatile organics Total Xylenes 11 Synthetic Organics Simazine 11 0.09 ppb <0.07 – 0.09 ppb 07 – 11 07 – 11 07 – 11 4.3 pCi/l 1.6 pCi/l 23.3 ppb <1.0 – 4.3 pCi/l <0.3 -1.6 pCi/l <0.6 – 23.3 ppb Radioactive chemicals Alpha emitters Combined radium Uranium Major Source of Contaminant 0.0017 ppm 0.0015-0.0017 ppm 10 ppm 10 ppm Solvent used in paint coatings, adhesive, fuel 4 ppb 4 ppb Herbicide runoff 15 pCi/l 5 pCi/l 30 ppb 0 pCi/l 0 pCi/l 0 ppb Natural deposits Natural deposits Natural deposits No. of samples above 90th Action Action Level Year Contaminant Sampled the Action level percentile Level Goal Lead 2011 None 2.3 ppb 15 ppb 0 ppb Copper 2011 None 0.14 ppm 1.3 ppm 1.3 ppm Contaminant Year Sampled Chlorine 2011 Annual Average Monthly Average Range MRDL MRDLG 0.87 ppm 0.79 - 0.92 ppm 4 ppm 4 ppm Major Sources of Contaminants Corrosion of household plumbing systems, erosion of natural deposits Corrosion of household plumbing systems, erosion of natural deposits Source Disinfection additive used to control microbes Contaminant % of Positive Samples for the Month Total # of Samples Taken for the Month MCL Microbiological Coliform-2011 0.8% or 2 Samples 253 Less than 5% of samples in the month MCLG 0 Major Sources Naturally present in the environment Explanation of the data presented in the Detected Contaminants Table: Tucson Water routinely monitors for contaminants in your drinking water as specified in the national Primary Drinking Water Standards. Monitoring results for the period of January 1 to December 31, 2011, or from the most recent period, are included in the table. Certain contaminants are monitored less than once a 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. 2011 Annual Water Quality Report   2 DO I NEED TO TAKE SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS? While the Safe Drinking Water Act regulations are intended to protect consumers throughout their lifetime, some people may be more vulnerable to infections from drinking water than the general population. These “at-risk” populations include: immunocompromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, people who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, and in some cases, elderly people and infants. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. USEPA/Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the USEPA’s Safe Drinking Water hotline. DETAILED INFORMATION ON DETECTED CONTAMINANTS Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) are a group of chemicals that are formed along with other disinfection-by-products when chlorine or other disinfectants used to control microbial contaminants in drinking water react with naturally occurring organic and inorganic matter in water. The regulated haloacetic acid compounds, known as HAA5, are monochloroacetic acid, dichloroacetic acid, trichloroacetic acid, monobromoacetic acid, and dibromoacetic acid. USEPA has established an MCL of 60 parts per billion for HAA5. Compliance with the HAA5 standard is based on the running annual average concentration. The annual HAA5 average for 2011 was not detected at 2 ppb. Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) are formed when chlorine combines with naturally occurring organic material in water. Since the level of organic matter in our groundwater is extremely low, these compounds are found at very low concentrations. The compounds which make up the TTHMs include bromodichloromethane, bromoform, chlorodibromomethane, and chloroform. Compliance with the TTHM standard is based on the running annual average concentration. The running annual average for TTHMs in 2011 was 14 ppb (the MCL is 80 ppb). Arsenic is a naturally occurring substance commonly found in groundwater in the southwestern United States. While your drinking water meets USEPA’s standard for arsenic, it does contain low levels of arsenic. USEPA’s standard balances the current understanding of arsenic’s possible health effects against the cost of removing arsenic from drinking water. USEPA continues to research the health effect 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. The highest arsenic concentration detected during 2007- 2011 was 9.1 ppb (the MCL is 10 ppb). Barium occurs naturally at very low concentrations in our groundwater. The highest barium value during 2007- 2011 was 0.15 ppm (the MCL is 2 ppm). Fluoride is an important naturally occurring mineral that helps to form healthy teeth and bones. A concentration of 1 ppm is considered optimum. At concentrations above 2 ppm, fluoride can cause mild discoloration of teeth, and exposure at above the MCL of 4 ppm can cause both severe discoloration of teeth and over many years of exposure, bone disease. The highest level of fluoride detected during 2011 was 1.0 ppm (the MCL is 4 ppm). Nitrate is a form of nitrogen and an important plant nutrient. Tucson Water performs more frequent monitoring of wells high in nitrate for extra assurance that action can be taken when approaching the MCL. Nitrate in drinking water at levels above 10 ppm is a health risk for infants of less than six months of age. High nitrate levels in drinking water can cause blue baby syndrome. Nitrate levels may rise quickly for short periods of time because of rainfall or agricultural activity. If you are caring for an infant you should ask advice from your health care provider. The highest level for nitrate during 2011 was 5.8 ppm (the MCL is 10 ppm). Sodium is the sixth most abundant element on Earth and is widely distributed in soils, plants, water, and food. A goal of 2300 mg/day dietary sodium has been proposed by several government and health agencies. Drinking water containing between 30 and 60 ppm would contribute only 2.5 % to 5% of the dietary goal if tap water consumption is 2 liters per day. Currently, there is no MCL for sodium in drinking water. The recommended EPA guidance level for individuals on a very low sodium diet (500 mg/day) is 20 ppm in drinking water. The highest sodium value in Tucson water during 2007 - 2011 was 106 ppm. Drinking water does not play a significant role in sodium exposure for most individuals. Those who are under treatment for sodium-sensitive hypertension should consult with their health care provider regarding sodium levels in their drinking water supply and the advisability of using an alternative water source or point-of-use treatment to reduce the sodium. Total xylenes are residual volatile organic solvents, typically associated with the coatings used to protect new or refurbished water pressure tanks. These low concentration releases from pressure tank coatings rapidly decrease as the tank ages. The highest concentration of total xylenes detected in 2011 was 0.0017 ppm (the MCL is 10 ppm). Synthetic Organics are generally not mobile. Simazine, a herbicide, was detected at concentration of 0.09 ppb in 2011 (the MCL is 4 ppb). Alpha emitters are measure of radioactivity due to naturally occurring minerals in groundwater. This excludes the radioactivity contributed by either radon or uranium. In 2010, 33 representative EPDS were sampled for alpha emitters. The highest level for alpha emitters during 2007 - 2011 was 4.3 picocuries per liter or pCi/L (the MCL is 15 pCi/L). Radium 226 and 228 are two of the most common radium isotopes. Radium is a naturally occurring radionuclide, formed by the decay of uranium or thorium in the environment. It occurs at low concentrations in virtually all rock, soil, water, plants, and animals. The highest concentration for combined radium 226 and 228 during 2007 - 2011 was 1.6 pCi/l (the MCL is 5 pCi/l). Uranium is a metallic element, which is highly toxic and radioactive. The highest level for uranium during 2007 - 2011 was 23.3 ppb (the MCL is 30 ppb). 2011 Annual Water Quality Report   3 DRINKING WATER TERMS AND DEFINITIONS: Action level. The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers a treatment or other requirement which a water system must follow. Entry Point to the Distribution System (EPDS). All water sources are monitored at the entry point to the distribution system before the first customer but after any required treatment. Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL). 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. If a contaminant is believed to cause health concerns in humans, then the MCL is set as close as practical to zero and at an acceptable level of risk. Generally, the maximum acceptable risk of cancer is 1 in 10,000 with 70 years of exposure. Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG). 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. Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level (MRDL). The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. Lead and Copper are naturally occurring metals, which are generally found at very low levels in source waters. 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. Tucson Water is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but can not 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 at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead. The required lead and copper monitoring was performed during 2011. The 90th percentile value was 2.3 ppb for lead (Action Level is 15 ppb) and 0.14 ppm for copper (Action Level is 1.3 ppm). No sample was above the action level for lead. There were no samples above the action level for copper either. Chlorine Residual Disinfection is maintained throughout the distribution system. Approximately 1 ppm of chlorine is added to the drinking water supply at well sites, reservoirs and other facilities to provide assurance that water delivered to customers will remain free of microbiological contamination. This also ensures that the water meets microbiological drinking water standards from the time it is pumped from the ground until it reaches the customer’s tap. Chlorine Residual Disinfectant is measured from 247 sample stations where the bacteriological samples are collected monthly. The annual chlorine residual disinfectant is calculated using the monthly chlorine averages for the past 12 months. The annual average for twelve months of 2011 was 0.87 ppm. The maximum monthly average was 0.92 ppm (The Maximum Residual Disinfectant Limit or MRDL is 4 ppm). There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants. Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal (MRDLG). The level of a drinking water disinfectant below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contaminants. Parts Per Billion (ppb). Some constituents in water are measured in very small units. One ppb equals one microgram per liter. For example, one part per billion equals: 2 drops of water in a 15,000 gallon backyard swimming pool, one second of time in 31.7 years, or the first 16 inches of a trip to the moon. Parts Per Million (ppm). One ppm equals one milligram per liter or 1000 times more than a ppb. One part per million equals: 1/4 cup of water in a typical 15,000 gallon backyard swimming pool or one second of time in 11.6 days. Picocurie Per Liter (pCi/l). The quantity of radioactive material in one liter which produces 2.22 nuclear disintegrations per minute. Coliform Bacteria are commonly found in the environment and in the digestive tract of animals. While rarely harmful, Coliform bacteria in drinking water are indicators that the water may also contain harmful microorganisms. In 2011, there were only two positive total coliforms and one E-coli sample for the entire year. The recollect samples were negative. The highest monthly percentage positive was 0.8 % which occurred in September. (The MCL is 5% per month or not more than 12 positives in the 247 samples collected each month.) Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation (UCMR) Data Availability: Unregulated contaminants are those for which USEPA has not established drinking water standards. The purpose of monitoring for these contaminants is to help EPA decide whether the contaminants should have a standard or whether a future regulation is warranted. UCMR sampling was conducted by Tucson Water during 2009, results of which were non-detects. As a Tucson Water customer, you have the right to know that this data is available. If you are interested in examining the results, please contact the Water Quality and Operations Division by calling 791-2544. 1,4-Dioxane was first detected in 2002. The laboratory’s minimum reporting limit for this chemical is 0.2 ppb, with the highest concentration in 2011 at 1.2 ppb. 1,4-dioxane is used primarily as a stabilizer in chlorinated solvents, particularly 1,1,1-trichloroethane (TCA). At this time, USEPA has not established a drinking water standard for this compound. Therefore, it is not listed on the Detected Contaminant Table in page 2. However, the EPA Office of Drinking Water has a Health Advisory Level of 0.35 ppb to assist federal, state and local officials and managers of public or community water systems in protecting public health. Health advisories serve as informal technical guidance and are not legally enforceable Federal standards and are subject to change as new information becomes available. 2011 Annual Water Quality Report   4 SOURCE WATER ASSESSMENT PROGRAM (SWAP) The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) has completed a source water assessment for Tucson Water drinking water wells. This assessment reviewed the adjacent land uses that may pose a potential risk to the water sources. These risks include, but are not limited to gas stations, landfills, dry cleaning, agricultural fields, wastewater treatment plants, and mining activities. The assessment has classified approximately 1/3 of our wells as high risks. Tucson Water ensures the safety of our drinking water by conducting regular monitoring of all sources. If any contamination approaches the drinking water MCL, the source is removed from service. Residents can help protect our water sources by practicing good septic system maintenance, limiting pesticide and fertilizer use, and by taking hazardous household chemicals to the Household Hazardous Waste Program Locations (visit http://www.tucson.az.gov\hhw or call 791-3171). Source Water Assessments on file with the ADEQ are available for public review. You may obtain a copy by contacting the Arizona Source Water Coordinator at (602) 771-4641. MONITORING WAIVERS ADEQ, the regulatory agency for all public water suppliers in Arizona, grants waivers for certain monitoring requirements. Waivers are granted for specific contaminants if previous monitoring results, and/or the land uses within a half-mile radius of the well, allow ADEQ to conclude that the risk of contamination by a specific substance is very low. Tucson Water applied for Synthetic Organic Chemical (SOC) waivers for its 216 water wells in 2010. The system’s vulnerability to contamination was established by evaluating the following criteria: • sources that previously used (including manufacturing, transporting, storing, or disposing) SOCs near each drinking well • examining well integrity to determine its susceptibility to SOC contamination, such as evaluating the proximity of the well to a potential source of SOC contamination and how well the water is protected against SOC contamination due to factors such as the depth of the well, the type of soil and well casing integrity • historical SOC monitoring data for each well ADEQ granted SOC waivers for 212 of Tucson Water’s 216 drinking water wells. The majority of the wells were granted Susceptibility Waivers, meaning that even though adjacent land uses reflected SOC activity, those activities did not affect the water as the data demonstrated by the absence of SOCs. By taking advantage of SOC waivers and eliminating unnecessary environmental testing, Tucson Water saved $200,000 in analytical costs. In addition, ADEQ granted inorganic chemical (IOC) and volatile organic chemical (VOC) waivers for 114 or 89% of the 128 drinking water sources. TIER 3 PUBLIC NOTICE—IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER: Monitoring Requirements not met for Main System 10-112 At the end of each quarter, Tucson Water conducts an internal audit of compliance monitoring records to verify that all required monitoring has been completed and reported to the State. Our water system violated one drinking water standard during 2011. Even though this was not an emergency, as our customers, you have the right to know what happened and what we did to correct the situation. We are required to monitor your drinking water for specific contaminants on a regular basis. Results of regular monitoring are an indicator of whether or not our drinking water meets health standards. During the second quarter of 2011 we did not monitor for nitrate at well Z-002A and therefore we can not be sure of the quality of our drinking water during that time. What Should I do? There is nothing you need to do at this time. The table below lists the contaminant we did not properly test for last year; how often we are supposed to sample and how many samples we are supposed to take; how many samples we took; when samples should have been taken; and the date on which follow-up samples were taken. Contaminant Nitrate Required sampling Number of frequency samples taken 1 sample every 0 quarter When samples should When samples have been taken were taken April 1 2011 to June 30 July 20, 2011 2011 What is being done by Tucson Water? Well Z-002A was tested for nitrate in the third quarter of 2011 and the results met the nitrate standard. It will continue to be sampled quarterly for at least one year to ensure it continues to meet the nitrate standard. For more information, please contact the Water Quality and Operations Division at 520 791 2544. Please share this information with the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail. This notice is being sent to you by Tucson Water Main System 10-112 as part of this 2011 Annual Consumer Confidence Report. WHAT ABOUT CAP WATER? The City of Tucson has rights to approximately 144,000 acrefeet of Colorado River water per year, delivered through the Central Arizona Project (CAP). In 2011, the City of Tucson’s Colorado River allocation was not used directly, but a portion of this allocation was recharged into the aquifer. At the end of 2011, Tucson Water was using approximately 80% of its available allocation. At the Clearwater Renewable Resource Facility located in Avra Valley, Tucson Water is recharging a portion of the City’s available CAP supply by delivering the river water to shallow basins and allowing the water to percolate (or recharge) naturally through the earth to reach and blend with the groundwater below. Tucson Water began delivery of this blend of recharged Colorado River water and groundwater in 2001. At the end of 2011, the blend was about 42% native groundwater and 58% recharged Colorado River 2011 Annual Water Quality Report   5 Tucson Water P.O. Box 27210 Tucson, AZ 85726-7210 water. Over time, it will contain an increasing percentage of recharged Colorado River water; the percentage will also vary according to which Clearwater production wells are pumped. Information on the quality of this blend is contained in the detected contaminant table, and more information is available on Tucson Water’s web site. HOW IS OUR DRINKING WATER TREATED? The groundwater delivered by Tucson Water meets all drinking water standards without treatment, with the exception of the water supplied from the Tucson Airport Area Remediation Project or TARP (See below). However, approximately 1 ppm of chlorine is added to the drinking water supply at well sites, reservoirs and other facilities to provide assurance that water delivered to customers will remain free of microbiological contamination. This also ensures that the water meets microbiological drinking water standards from the time it is pumped from the ground until it reaches the customer’s tap. Additionally, to elevate the pH in the Clearwater blend, sodium hydroxide is added to the blend prior to delivery to customers. This ensures that the delivered water is not corrosive. Corrosive water can damage metallic plumbing and leach metals such as copper and lead from certain plumbing fixtures (see Lead and Copper information). MORE ABOUT TARP TARP was developed in order to clean and make beneficial use of water contaminated with the industrial solvent trichloroethylene (TCE). Tucson Water operates TARP under an agreement with the USEPA and other industrial and governmental agencies. All costs associated with operating and maintaining the TARP facility are fully reimbursed to Tucson Water. Nine wells extract the contaminated water and deliver it through a pipeline to a treatment plant that removes the TCE from the water. The TARP treatment plant uses an “air The Report Cost: The approximate cost for this individual report was 32 cents including postage. Para nuestros clients de habla español: Éste informe contiene información muy importante sobre la calidad de su agua beber. Traduscalo o hable con alguien que lo entienda bien. Para obtener una copia de este reporte en Espanol, llame al (520) 791-4331. PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID TUCSON AZ PERMIT NO 426 stripping” process which forces volatile contaminants such as TCE to evaporate from the water into air. The air is then passed through activated carbon filters, which removes the airborne TCE. The TARP plant is designed to treat approximately 8.4 million gallons of water per day (or 5,800 gallon per minute). During 2011, this plant treated a total of approximately 2.038 billion gallons of water. The treatment system removed 182 pounds of combined volatile organics from the groundwater. WHOM DO I CONTACT FOR MORE INFORMATION? For more information on this Tucson Water report, contact Mohsen Belyani with the Water Quality and Operations Division. Call 791-2544 or e-mail your questions to mohsen. belyani@tucsonaz.gov. Tucson’s Mayor and Council set policy and direction for Tucson Water, including those policies that may impact water quality. Mayor and Council meetings are normally held each Tuesday and are open to the public. Mayor and Council meeting agendas and other opportunities for public comment are published at www.tucsonaz.gov/mcc. Customers of Tucson Water may leave a recorded message on the Mayor and Council Comment Line at (520) 791-4700. Tucson Water in collaboration with ten community partners and the USEPA has established the Environmental Monitoring for Public Access and Community Tracking Program (EMPACT) which is designed to provide the community with more information about your drinking water. For more information please call 791-2666 or visit our web site at www.tucsonaz.gov/water. Telephone Numbers: Tucson Water Public Information Office ........................791-4331 Tucson Water Quality & Operations Division ..............791-2544 Tucson Water Customer Service/Billing .......................791-3242 Tucson Water 24 hour Emergency ...................................791-4133 USEPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline: ................. 1-800-426-4791 USEPA Website:.......................................www.epa.gov/safewater Si usted desea este documento escrito en español, por favor, llame al 791-4331. City of Tucson TTY#: ......................................................... 791-2639 SafetyAlertGPC offers free regional emergency and weather alert notification for greater Pima County residents. It allows you to be contacted quickly if there is a waterborne emergency. For information or to sign up, go to www.safetyalertgpc.com.