Consumer Con idence Report—PWS: 11‐017 May 2014 Water Quality Report 2013 What is a water quality report? The Environmental Protec on Agency (EPA) created the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) in 1974 as a set of regula ons to ensure water quality across the country. The SDWA requires an annual water quality report, or Consumer Confidence Report, be created and distributed to all water customers to provide them with details about where their water comes from, what it contains, and how it compares to the na on‐wide standards created by regulatory agencies. This report will act as a snapshot for water quality in the Town of Florence from January through December 2013. Where does my water come from? Sources of drinking water (both tap and bo led water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reser‐ voirs, springs, and wells, depending on the loca on. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally‐occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioac ve material, and can pick up substances resul ng from the presence of animals or from human ac vity. The source of drinking water for Florence is groundwater. This water is pumped from the Town’s three drinking water wells (Well No. 1, No. 4, and No. 5) directly into the distribu on system. Why are there contaminants in my drinking water? Contamina on can come from many sources. Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria may come from sewage treatment plants, sep c systems, agricultural livestock opera ons, and wildlife. Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, can be naturally‐occurring or result from urban stormwater runoff, industrial or domes c wastewater discharges, oil and gas produc on, mining, or farming. Pes cides and herbicides may come from a variety of sources, such as agricul‐ ture, urban stormwater runoff, and residen al uses. Organic chemical contaminants, including syn‐ the c and vola le organic chemicals, are byproducts of industrial processes and petroleum produc‐ on, and may come from gas sta ons, urban stormwater runoff, and/or sep c systems. Radioac ve contaminants, can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas produc on and mining ac v‐ i es. Are some people more vulnerable to water quality contamination? Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general popula on. Drinking water, includ‐ ing bo led water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of con‐ taminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. 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 par cularly at risk of infec ons. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. For more informa on about contaminants and poten al health effects, or to receive a copy of the U.S. Environmental Protec on Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infec on by Cryptosporidium and microbiological contaminants, call the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1‐800‐426‐4791. Additional Information about Nitrate 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‐ me because of rainfall or agricultural ac vity. If you are caring for an infant, and detected nitrate levels are above 5 ppm, you should ask advice from your health care provider. Consumer Con idence Report PWS: 11‐017 May 2014 Additional Information about Arsenic If arsenic is less than or equal to the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL), your drinking water meets EPA’s standards. EPA’s stand‐ ard balances the current understanding of arsenic’s possible health effects against the costs of removing arsenic from drinking water. EPA con nues to research the health effects of low levels of arsenic, which is a mineral known to cause cancer in humans at high concentra ons and is linked to other health effects such as skin damage and circulatory problems. Additional Information about Lead 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 Town of Flor‐ ence is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing compo‐ nents. When your water has been si ng for several hours, you can minimize the poten al 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. Informa on on lead in drinking water, tes ng methods, and steps you can take to minimize expo‐ sure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at www.epa.gov/safewater/lead. How to Read the Water Quality Data Table The Town of Florence conducts extensive monitoring to protect your water against containments. The results of monitoring for 2013 (or the last sampling period) are summarized in the table on the next page. Samples of the substances listed in the table are taken by trained Town staff members and sent to a laboratory cer fied in drinking water tes ng by the Arizona Department of Health Services. To interpret the results shown on this table, start with the column on the far le . This column “Microbiological” lists substances that are monitored. The next column “ViolaƟon” will let you know if there was a viola on and if that par cular substance was determined to be above the allowable limit in the last sample taken. The remaining columns tell you the results of the samples taken for the substance. The column labeled MCL, or the maximum contaminant level, shows the highest level of contaminant for the substance allowed. Addi onally, the column to the far right explains the likely causes of contamina on in your water. As you can tell from the “Sample Month & Year” column, many contaminants were not monitored in 2013 and instead show 2012 results. This is because the Town of Florence compliance schedule for sampling is based on historical records of sampling results. If levels of alpha emi ers, for example, have been consistently well below the MCL, then the me period between required samples may be longer. Florence has met these requirements for many contaminants listed on the water quality table and therefore only needs to sample every 3, 6, or 9 years depending on the substance. Discussion About Violations 2013 sampling resulted in a viola on for total coliform bacteria because in three months of sampling (June, July & August) one or more samples returned a posi ve result for total coliform bacteria (though all samples showed that E. Coli was absent). If a monthly sample is found to be posi ve for total coliform bacteria, the cer fied laboratory no fies the Town staff and within 24 hours the loca on of the posi ve sample is resampled along with loca ons both directly upstream and down stream of the loca‐ on and the nearest groundwater well to ensure that there is no contamina on within the water supply. If one of the resamples is determined to be posi ve for total coliform, then another round of resampling occurs and customers within the water distribu on system are no fied via public pos ngs. Resampling and public pos ngs were completed as a result of the posi ve samples found in June, July, and August 2013. In June 2013, a posi ve sample returned from 480 N. Church St. Upon resampling, zero E. Coli was detected at the original loca‐ on, however, E. Coli was detected at several of the wells. The wells were therefore resampled and the result was no E. Coli pre‐ sent. In July 2013, two sites during rou ne sampling were found to test posi ve for E. Coli, these were the Rodeo Well and 425 Ruggles St. These sites and loca ons directly upstream and downstream and therefore the wells were resampled. All posi ve samples in August were found at the Rodeo Well, located at the Charlie Whitlow Rodeo Grounds. A er discussions between ADEQ and the Town of Florence, it was determined that since this well is not connected to the drinking water distribu‐ on system, the samples taken from the well do not accurately reflect on the quality of the drinking water supplied to the Town. As a result, the Rodeo Well was reclassified as a Special Events Well in January 2014. This classifica on requires that samples for quality will be taken prior to events at the site loca on to ensure public safety but the well is no longer considered to be part of the potable water system for the Town of Florence. Though these posi ve samples resulted in a viola on, the Town of Florence drinking water is safe and mee ng all regulatory requirements. We at the Town con nuously strive to provide a safe, high quality water supply. Consumer Con idence Report PWS: 11‐017 May 2014 Water Quality Data Microbiological Viola on Number of Samples Y or N Present E. Coli Absent (A) or Present (P) MCL MCLG Total Coliform Bacteria (System takes ≤ 40 monthly samples) 1 posi ve monthly sample Y 2 (June 2013) 3 (July 2013) 7 (August 2013) A 0 0 Disinfectants Viola on Y or N Running Annual Average (RAA) Range of All Samples (L‐H) MCL MCLG Chlorine (ppm) N 1.04 0.81‐1.42 MRDL=4 MRDLG=4 Range of All Samples (L‐H) MCL MCLG Viola on Running Annual Disinfec Insert on By‐Products landscapeY table results(RAA) or N of Average Sample Month Likely Source of Contamina on & Year June 2013 July 2013 August 2013 Naturally Present in Environ‐ ment Sample Month Likely Source of Contamina on & Year 2012 Water addi ve used to control microbes Sample Month Likely Source of Contamina on & Year Byproduct of drinking water November 2013 disinfec on Byproduct of drinking water November 2013 disinfec on Haloace c Acids (HAA5) (ppb) N 2.55 1.6‐3.9 60 N/A Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM), ppb N 6.45 2‐9.8 80 N/A Range of All Samples (L‐H) AL ALG 0.009‐0.39 1.3 1.3 August 2012 Corrosion of household plumb‐ ing systems; erosion of natural deposits 0.90‐82.8 15 0 August 2012 Corrosion of household plumb‐ ing systems; erosion of natural deposits Lead & Copper 90th Percen le AND Viola on Number of Samples Y or N Over the AL 90th Percen le = 0.33 No. Samples Over AL =0 90th Percen le = 14.7 No. Samples Over AL =3 Copper, ppm N Lead, ppb N Radionuclides Viola on Y or N Highest Level Detected Range of All Samples (L‐H) MCL MCLG Alpha emi ers (pCi/L) N 3.6 3.6 15 0 Inorganic Chemicals (IOC) Viola on Y or N Highest Level Detected Range of All Samples (L‐H) MCL MCLG Arsenic, ppb N 3.6 2.2‐3.6 10 0 Barium, ppb N 4.8 2.6‐4.8 2 2 Chromium, ppb N 3.6 1.5‐3.6 100 100 Sample Month Likely Source of Contamina on & Year Sample Month Likely Source of Contamina on & Year 2012 Erosion of natural deposits Sample Month Likely Source of Contamina on & Year Erosion of natural deposits, run‐ off from orchards, runoff from 2012 glass and electronics produc on wastes Discharge of drilling wastes; February 2012 discharge from metal refineries; erosion of natural deposits February 2012 Discharge from steel and pulp mills; erosion of natural deposits Fluoride, ppm N 1 0.67‐1.0 4 4 Erosion of natural deposits; wa‐ ter addi ve which promotes February 2012 strong teeth; discharge from fer lizer and aluminum factories Nitrate, ppm N 8.57 <0.10 ‐ 8.57 10 10 Runoff from fer lizer use; leach‐ November 2013 ing from sep c tanks, sewage; erosion of natural deposits Consumer Con idence Report PWS: 11‐017 May 2014 Unit Descriptions Term: Defini on: ug/L Number of micrograms of substance in one liter of water ppm Parts per million, or milligrams per liter (mg/L) ppb Parts per billion, or micrograms per liter (ug/L) pCi/L picocuries per liter (a measure of radioac vity) NTU Nephelometric Turbidity Units. Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness of water. NA Not Applicable ND Not detected NR Monitoring not required, but recommended. 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 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 Treatment Technique: A required process intended to reduce the level of a con‐ TT Ac on Level: The concentra on of a contaminant that, if exceeded, triggers treat‐ ment or other requirements which a water system must follow. AL Variances and MRDLG State or EPA permission not to meet an MCL or a treatment technique under cer‐ Maximum Residual Disinfec on Level Goal. The level of a drinking water disin‐ fectant 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 contami‐ MRDL Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level. The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addi on of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants. MNR Monitored Not Regulated MPL State Assigned Maximum Permissible Level For ques ons about your water quality, please contact: John Mitchell, Town of Florence U lity Director at (520) 868‐7695 or by email at John.Mitchell@florenceaz.gov.