Water Quality Report 2015 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 that 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 2014. Where does my water come from? Sources of drinking water (both tap and bo led water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells, depending on the locaon. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturallyoccurring minerals and, in some cases, radioac ve material, and can pick up substances resul ng from the presence of animals or from human acvity. 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 Consumer Confidence Report PWS: 11‐017 systems, agricultural livestock operaons, 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 agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and residen al uses. Organic chemical contaminants, including synthe 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 vies. 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, including bo led 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. Immunocompromised 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 parcularly 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 1800-426-4791. Information about Nitrate Nitrate in drinking water at levels above 10 parts per million (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. June 2015 Water Quality Report 2015 Discussion About Violations 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 standard 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 Florence is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components. 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 exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at www.epa.gov/safewater/lead. As you can tell from the “Sample Month & Year” column, many contaminants were not monitored in 2014 and instead show 2012 or 2013 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. 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 2014 (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. Consumer Confidence Report PWS: 11‐017 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 contaminaon 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 present. 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. June 2015 Water Quality Report 2015 Water Quality Data Table Viola on Y or N Number of Samples Present E. Coli Absent (A) or Present (P) MCL MCLG Sample Month & Year 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 June 2013 July 2013 August 2013 Naturally Present in Environment Disinfectants Viola on Y or N Running Annual Average (RAA) Range of All Samples (L‐H) MCL MCLG Sample Month & Year Likely Source of Contamina on Chlorine (ppm) N 1 0.9-1.3 MRDL=4 MRDLG=4 2014 Water addi ve used to control microbes Disinfec on By‐Products Viola on Y or N Running Annual Average (RAA) Range of All Samples (L‐H) MCL MCLG Sample Month & Year Likely Source of Contamina on Haloace c Acids (HAA5) (ppb) N 2 <2-5 60 N/A May 2014 Byproduct of drinking water disinfec on Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM), ppb N 8 3-23 80 N/A August 2014 Byproduct of drinking water disinfec on Lead & Copper Viola on Y or N 90th Percen le AND Number of Samples Over the AL Range of All Samples (L‐H) AL ALG Sample Month & Year Likely Source of Contamina on Copper, ppm N 90th Percen le = 0.33 No. Samples Over AL = 0 0.009-0.40 1.3 1.3 August 2012 Corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits Lead, ppb N 90th Percen le = 15 No. Samples Over AL = 3 0.90-83 15 0 August 2012 Corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits Radionuclides Viola on Y or N Highest Level Detected Range of All Samples (L‐H) MCL MCLG Sample Month & Year Likely Source of Contamina on Alpha emi ers (pCi/L) N 3.6 3.6 15 0 2012 Erosion of natural deposits Inorganic Chemicals (IOC) Viola on Y or N Highest Level Detected Range of All Samples (L‐H) MCL MCLG Sample Month & Year Likely Source of Contamina on Microbiological Likely Source of Contamina on Arsenic, ppb N 3.6 2.2-3.6 10 0 February 2012 Erosion of natural deposits, runoff from orchards, runoff from glass and electronics produc on wastes Barium, ppb N 4.8 2.6-4.8 2 2 February 2012 Discharge of drilling wastes; discharge from metal refineries; erosion of natural deposits Chromium, ppb N 3.6 1.5-3.6 100 100 February 2012 Discharge from steel and pulp mills; erosion of natural deposits February 2012 Erosion of natural deposits; water addi ve which promotes strong teeth; discharge from fer lizer and aluminum factories Fluoride, ppm Nitrate, ppm N N Consumer Confidence Report PWS: 11‐017 Consumer Confidence Report PWS: 11‐017 1 9 0.7-1.0 <0.1 - 9 4 10 4 10 2014 Runoff from fer lizer use; leaching from sep c tanks, sewage; erosion of natural deposits May 2015 June 2015 Water Quality Report 2015 Term: ug/L ppm ppb pCi/L Defini on: Number of micrograms of substance in one liter of water Parts per million, or milligrams per liter (mg/L) Parts per billion, or micrograms per liter (ug/L) picocuries per liter (a measure of radioac vity) NTU Nephelometric Turbidity Units. Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness of water. NA ND NR Not Applicable Not detected Monitoring not required, but recommended. Maximum Contaminant Level Goal: The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which MCLG there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety. 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 MCL technology. Treatment Technique: A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in TT drinking water. Ac on Level: The concentra on of a contaminant that, if exceeded, triggers treatment or AL other requirements which a water system must follow. Variances and State or EPA permission not to meet an MCL or a treatment technique under certain condiExemp ons ons. Maximum Residual Disinfec on Level Goal. The level of a drinking water disinfectant below MRDLG 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. Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level. The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking MRDL 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: Timm Wainsco , Town of Florence U lity Superintendent at (520) 868‐7619 Consumer Confidence Report PWS: 11‐017 June 2015