ANNUAL

WATER

QUALITY
REPORT
WATER TESTING
PERFORMED IN 2016

Presented By the
Town of Florence

Consumer Confidence Report PWS ID: AZ04-11017

June 2017

We are pleased to present the Town of Florence Annual Consumer Confidence
Report. You are receiving this report as one of the lucky people who call Florence
home. Through decades of planning, strategic action and sustainable practices, the
Town of Florence is positioned our access of water supplies for many years to come.
The Town of Florence has inspectors, technicians, engineers and water treatment
specialists that work diligently to keep our water system performing properly
ensuring the safety of your drinking water.
We are confident that the information in this
report will shed some light not only on the
quality of your drinking water, but the value
of water and how much effort and
dedication goes into providing you this
precious resource.
What is a water quality report?
The environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
created the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)
in 1974 as a set of regulations 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, and what it contains, and how it
compares to the nation-wide standards created
by regulatory agencies. This report acts as a
snapshot for water quality in the Town of
Florence from January through December 2016.
Where does my water come from?
Sources of drinking water (both tap and bottled water) include rivers,
lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs and wells, depending on the
location. 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.
The source of drinking water for Florence is groundwater. This water is
pumped from the Town’s four drinking water wells (No. 1, No. 3, No. 4
and No. 5) directly into the distribution system and provides a
consecutive connection source of water.
In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes
regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water
provided by public water systems. Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water
which must provide the same protection for public health.

Why are there contaminants in my drinking water?
Contamination can come from many sources.
Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems,
agricultural livestock, livestock operations and wildlife.
Pesticides and herbicides that may come from a variety of sources, such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and
residential uses.
Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, can be naturally-occurring or result from urban stormwater runoff,
industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil / gas production, mining or farming.
Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, are byproducts of industrial
processes and petroleum production and may come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff and/or septic systems.
Radioactive contaminants, that can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil
and gas production and mining activities.
Are some people more vulnerable to water quality contamination?
Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than
the general population. 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. 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 of infections. These people
should seek advice about drinking water from
their health care providers. For more information
about contaminants and potential health effects,
or to receive a copy of the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Centers
for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines on
appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection
by Cryptosporidium and microbiological
contaminants, call the EPA Safe Drinking Water
Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.
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 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.

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 time
because of rainfall or agricultural activity. If
you care caring for an infant and detected
nitrate levels above 5 ppm, you should ask
advice from your health care provider.

Information about Lead

We want our values customers to be informed
about their water quality. If you want to learn
more about public participation or to attend
any of our regularly scheduled meetings,
please contact Timm Wainscott, Water
Superintendent at 520-868-7619 for additional
opportunity and meeting dates and time.

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.
Florence Water Company 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 the 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
www.epa.gov/sfewater/lead.

DEFINITIONS
AL = Action Level – The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other
requirements.
MCL = Maximum Contaminant Level – The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water.
MCLG = Maximum Contaminant Level Goal – The level of contaminant in drinking water below which there is
no known or expected risk to health.
MFL = Million Fibers per Liter
MRDL = Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level. The level of disinfectant added for water treatment that may
not be exceeded at the consumer’s tap.
MRDLG = Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal. The level of disinfectant added for treatment at which
no known or anticipated adverse effect on health of persons would occur.
MREM = Milliremsper year – a measure of radiation absorbed by the body.
NA = Not Applicable, sampling was not completed by regulation or was not required.
NTU = Nephelometric Turbidity Units, a measure of water clarity.
PCi/L = Picouries per Liter – a measure of the radioactivity in water.
PPM = Parts per Million or Milligrams per liter (mg/L).
PPB = Parts per Billion or Mircograms per liter (pg/L).
PPT = Parts per Trillion or Nanograms per liter.
PPQ = Parts per Quadrillion or Picograms per liter.
TT = Treatment Technique – A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.

WATER QUALITY DATA:
Violation
Y or N

Running Annual
Average (RAA)

Range of All
Samples (LH)

MRDL
G

N

1.0

1.0 – 1.0

MRDL
G=4

Violation
Y or N

Running Annual
Average (RAA) OR
Highest Level Detected

Range of All
Samples (LH)

N

2.00 ppb

0.0 – 2.1

60

No goal for
the total.

2016

Byproduct of drinking
water disinfection

N

12.0 ppb

11.0 – 12.4

80

No goal for
the total.

2016

Byproduct of drinking
water disinfection

Violation

Range of All
Samples (LH)

AL

MCLG

Y or N

90th Percentile AND
Number of Samples
Over the AL

Sample
Month & Year

Likely Source of
Contamination

Copper (ppm)

N

90th Percentile = 0.159 ppm
# Samples over AL = 0

0.009 – 0.159

1.3

1.3

July 2015

Corrosion of household
plumbing systems;
erosion of natural deposits

Lead (ppb)

N

90th Percentile = 11
# Samples over AL = 3

0.90 – 11.0

15

0

July 2015

MCL

MCLG

15

0

MCL

MCLG

Disinfectants

Chlorine (ppm)
Disinfection By-Products

Haloacetic Acids (ppb)
(HAA5)
Total Trihalomethanes
(ppb) (TTHM)
Lead & Copper

Y or N

Running Annual
Average (RAA) OR
Highest Level Detected

Range of All
Samples (LH)

N

2.5 pCi/L

1.8 – 2.5

Violation

Running Annual
Average (RAA) OR
Highest Level Detected

Range of All
Samples
(L-H)

Violation
Radionuclides
Alpha emitters (pCi/L)
Inorganic Chemicals
(IOC)

Y or N

MCL

MCLG
MRDLG=4

MCLG

Sample
Month & Year
2016
Sample
Month & Year

Sample
Month & Year
March 2015
Sample
Month & Year

Arsenic (ppb)

N

3.6 ppb

2.2 – 3.6

10

0

February 2012

Barium (ppm)

N

0.0048 ppm

0.0026 – 0.0048

2

2

February 2012

Chromium (ppb)

N

3.6 ppb

1.5 – 3.6

100

100

February 2012

N

1.0 ppm

0.67 – 1.0

4

4

February 2012

Fluoride (ppm)

Nitrate (ppm)

N

9

2.2 – 9.2

10

10

2016

Likely Source of
Contamination
Water additive used to
control microbes

Likely Source of
Contamination

Corrosion of household
plumbing systems;
erosion of natural deposits

Likely Source of
Contamination
Erosion of natural
deposits

Likely Source of
Contamination
Erosion of natural
deposits, runoff from
orchards, runoff from
glass and electronics
production wastes
Discharge of drilling
wastes; discharge from
metal refineries; Erosion
of natural deposits
Discharge from steel and
pulp mills; Erosion of
natural deposits
Erosion of natural
deposits; water additive
which promotes strong
teeth; discharge from
fertilizer and aluminum
factories
Runoff from fertilizer use;
leaching from septic
tanks, sewage; erosion of
natural deposits

Further source water assessment documentation can be obtained by contacting ADEQ, 602-771-4641.

Answers 1)D 2)E 3)A 4)C 5)B

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