2020
Water Quality
Report

In the desert southwest, water resource management and planning
are important to ensure that current and future generations have an
adequate water supply. Every drop of Peoria’s drinking water is treated
using modern, state-of-the-art treatment technology. Hundreds of tests
are performed each day to be certain that your drinking water meets
all federal, state and local water quality standards.
Peoria’s conservative fiscal practices coupled with
state-of-the-art technology ensure excellent value per gallon.
Peoria has continuous access to its secure, diverse water
sources.
Dedicated, certified operations and engineering personnel
treat, test and deliver safe water, conveniently on demand.
Water conservation is a necessary way of life in the desert
southwest. Remember, Peoria has enough water to use,
but never enough to waste.™

Quintero
100%

Peoria

Vistancia
100%

All Other
Areas Served
by the City

32% 30%
38%

Reclaimed Water (0%)
Colorado River via
the Central Arizona Project
Recovered (well) water
Salt and Verde Rivers via
the Salt River Project

Source Water Assessment
The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ)
performed a source water assessment for 24 wells used by the City. The
assessment reviewed the adjacent land uses that may pose a potential risk to the
sources. One of Peoria’s wells was found to have one adjacent land use that
posed a high risk of contamination. Please understand that this one well’s high
risk rating does not imply poor water quality, only its potential to becoming
contaminated.The assessment report is available for review at ADEQ, 1110 W.
Washington St., Phoenix, AZ 85007 between the hours of 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Electronic copies are available from ADEQ at recordscenter@azdeq.gov.

A Message from the Environmental
Protection Agency
To ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) prescribes regulations that limit the amount of certain
contaminants in water provided by public water systems. The Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations establish limits for
contaminants in bottled water, which must provide the same protection for public health.
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. More information about contaminants and potential health effects
can be obtained by calling the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline,
1-800-426-4791.
The sources of drinking water, both tap and bottled water, include
rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs and wells. 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. Following are contaminants that may be present in
source water:
• Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria that may be
from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock
operations or wildlife;
• Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, that can be naturally
occurring or result from urban storm water runoff, industrial or
domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining or
farming;
• Pesticides and herbicides that may come from a variety of sources
such as agriculture, urban storm water runoff and residential uses;
• Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile
organic chemicals that are by-products of industrial processes and
petroleum production and can also come from gas stations, urban
storm water runoff and septic systems; and
• Radioactive contaminants that can be naturally-occurring or can be
the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.

SPECIAL HEALTH INFORMATION

Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water
than the general population. Immuno-compromised persons such as
those undergoing chemotherapy,
who have undergone organ
transplants, have HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders and
some elderly and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These
people should seek advice from their health care providers. EPA/CDC
(Centers for Disease Control) guidelines on appropriate means to
lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial
contaminants, along with more information about contaminants and
potential health effects, are available from the Safe Drinking Water
Hotline, 1-800-426-4791.

NITRATE, ARSENIC, LEAD & COPPER,
TURBIDITY AND TRIHALOMETHANES

Nitrate at levels above 10 mg/L 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 seek advice from your health care provider.
While your drinking water meets EPA’s standard for arsenic, it does
contain low levels. 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. Some people who drink water
containing arsenic in excess of the MCL over many years could experience skin damage or problems with their circulatory system and may
have an increased risk of getting cancer.
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 city of Peoria 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
water for drinking or cooking. If you are concerned about lead in your
drinking 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 EPA’s Safe Drinking Water
Hotline, 1-800-426-4791, or at www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.
Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness of water and is an indication
of the effectiveness of our filtration system. Turbidity has no health
effects. However, turbidity can interfere with disinfection and provide
a medium for microbial growth. Turbidity may indicate the presence
of disease-causing organisms. These organisms include bacteria, viruses
and parasites that can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps,
diarrhea and associated headaches.
Total trihalomethanes (TTHM) are a group of disinfection byproducts that can form when disinfectants react with naturally-occurring
organic and inorganic matter. Some people who drink water containing TTHM in excess of the MCL over many years may experience
problems with their liver, kidneys, or central nervous system and may
have an increased cancer risk.

MONITORING & TESTING

The EPA’s Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule
(LT2ESWTR) required Peoria and other large water systems to
conduct monthly monitoring for Cryptosporidium in their source
water. In 2015, Peoria began the 24-month LT2ESWTR source water
monitoring for Cryptosporidium. The results of the monitoring have
shown that no additional treatment is required to remove the level of
Cryptosporidium found. Results range from not detected to 0.667
organisms per liter.
Cryptosporidium is a microbial pathogen found in surface water
throughout the U.S. Ingestion of Cryptosporidium may cause cryptosporidiosis, an abdominal infection. Symptoms of infection include
nausea, diarrhea and abdominal cramps. Most healthy individuals can
overcome the disease within a few weeks. However, immunocompromised people, infants and small children and the elderly are at greater
risk of developing life-threatening illness. Although filtration removes
Cryptosporidium, the most commonly-used filtration methods cannot
guarantee 100 percent removal. Our monitoring indicates, although
infrequent, these organisms are present in our source water. Current
test methods do not allow us to determine if the organisms are dead
or if they are capable of causing disease.
Este informe contiene información importante sobre su agua potable. Si
usted tiene preguntas sobre este informe, por favor llame al 623-773-7561.
The information and data contained in this report apply only to those who
receive their water from the city of Peoria.There are several private water
companies that serve residents in certain areas of the city. If you receive
your water from the Sunrise, Rose Valley or EPCOR water companies, you
should contact your water supplier directly for water data that affects you:
Sunrise: 623-972-6133
Rose Valley: 623-889-2275; info@rosevalleywaterco.com
EPCOR: 800-383-0834 (Agua Fria District)
Published June 2021

2020 WATER QUALITY REPORT
04-07-096

04-07-513

POSSIBLE
SOURCES

04-07-520

Alkalinity

mg/L

112 - 170

136

~

~

~

~

N/A

N/A

Arsenic

µg/L

1.2 - 7.9

5

~

~

~

~

10

0

Barium

mg/L

ND - 0.06

0.027

~

~

~

~

2

2

Bromatea

µg/L

ND - 1.7

0.9

~

~

~

~

10

0

Chlorite

mg/L

0.05 - 0.77

0.547

~

~

~

~

1

0.8

Chromium

µg/L

ND - 43

13.5

~

~

~

~

100

100

Chlorine dioxide (as ClO2)

µg/L

10 - 430

47

~

~

~

~

810

810

Chlorine Residual

mg/L

ND - 2.2

1.01

0.29 - 1.91

0.96

0.36 - 1.98

1.24

4

4

Copper

mg/L

0.019c

0.019c

~

~

~

~

1.3d

1.3

Fecal coliform or
E. coli bacteria

Present/
Absent

0.00%

N/A

0b

N/A

0b

N/A

Fluoride

mg/L

0.19 - 0.57

0.35

~

~

~

~

4

4

Gross Alpha

pCi/L

ND - 2.9

1.87

~

~

~

~

15

0

Lead

µg/L

<5c

None

~

~

~

~

15d

0

Nitrate

mg/L

0.24 - 5.49

2.87

0.2 - 0.2

0.2

1.03 - 1.03

1.03

10

10

Selenium

µg/L

2 - 3.3

2.7

~

~

~

~

50

50

Sodium

mg/L

30 - 100

57.0

~

~

~

~

N/A

N/A

Total Coliforms

Present/
Absent

0.00%

N/A

0b

N/A

0b

N/A

5% of
monthly
samples
are positive

0

Total Organic Carbon

mg/L

1.73 - 3.57

2.7

~

~

~

~

TT

N/A

Total Haloacetic Acidsa

µg/L

ND - 35.1

11.9

ND

ND

ND

ND

60a

N/A

Total
Trihalomethanesa

µg/L

ND - 117

75.8

ND - 0.6

0.3

6.1 - 17.8

20.1

80a

N/A

Uranium

µg/L

3.7 - 4.5

4.1

~

~

~

~

30

0

Xylenes

µg/L

ND - 0.7

0.03

~

~

~

~

10

10

1,2-Dibromo-3chloropropane (DBCP)

ng/L

ND - 20

10

~

~

~

~

200

0

5% of
monthly
samples
are positive

0

Peoria is committed to protecting public health.The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires us to collect data on currently unregulated contaminants.The EPA then
uses the results from this monitoring to determine whether or not to regulate these substances in the future.There are no Maximum Limits at this time. Instead, results are
reported to the Minimum Reporting Level (MRL - the lowest accurately reportable limit). Only the eight substances listed were detected. Should new regulations be developed,
Peoria will ensure that your drinking water continues to be treated, tested and safe.
UNREGULATED CONTAMINANTS
ANALYTE

UNITS

PEORIA WATER SYSTEM
AVERAGE

RANGE

QUINTERO WATER SYSTEM
RANGE

VISTANCIA WATER SYSTEM

AVERAGE

RANGE

AVERAGE

Bromide

µg/L

ND - 120

60

~

~

~

~

Germanium

ng/L

ND - 510

150

~

~

~

~

e

HAA5

µg/L

ND - 39.3

10

~

~

~

~

HAA6Br

µg/L

ND - 31.2

17

~

~

~

~

HAA9

µg/L

ND - 65.5

28

~

~

~

~

ng/L

ND - 1400

310

~

~

~

~

mg/L

3.6 - 4.2

3.9

~

~

~

~

Manganese
e

Total Organic Carbon

MCL

MCLG

Action Level - The concentration of a
contaminant that, if exceeded, triggers treatment or
other requirements that a water system must follow.
Max. 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 technology.
Max. 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 margin of safety.

ND

Not Detected.

Gr/Gal

Grains per Gallon.

NTU

Nephelometric Turbidity Unit - Measure of
how light is scattered by particulate matter in water.

pCi/L

Picocuries per Liter - Measure of radioactivity.

mg/L

Parts per million Unit of measurement equal to milligrams per liter.

µg/L

Parts per billion Unit of measurement equal to micrograms per liter.

MRL

Min. Reporting Level The lowest accurately reportable concentration.

ng/L

Parts per trillion Unit of measurement equal to nanograms per liter.

MRDL

Max. Residual Disinfectant Level The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in
drinking water. There is convincing evidence that
addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control
of microbial contaminants.

TT

Treatment Technique - Required process intended
to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.

MRDLG

Max. Residual Disinfectant Level Goal 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.

N/A

Not Applicable.

Vistancia: There were no violations for this system
during 2020.
Quintero: During 2020, the City had one missed
monitoring violation for DBPS. The system was
returned to compliance when the samples were
collected and data was submitted. Late DBP data –
Quarter 2, 2020.

LEGEND

KEY TO TABLE
AL

Main System (07-096): During 2020, the City had
seven “missed monitoring” events due to late
reporting. All samples were collected as required.The
system was returned to compliance upon submittal of
the data. Late nitrate data (3 sample locations) – 4th
Quarter 2020; Late annual fluoride data – 2020; Late
VOC data – Quarter 4, 2020; Late annual radionuclide
data – 2020; Late annual VOC data – 2020

MCL is based on a running annual average.
The average given is the highest average.
b
If a system collecting fewer than 40 samples per
month has two or more positive samples in one
month, the system has a MCL violation.
c
Only one sample collected.
d
EPA AL
e
Collected at treatment plant for UCMR4
~ Not required
a

Soil runoff

By-product of
drinking water
chlorination

Discharge
from steel and
pulp mills

Erosion of
natural deposits

Runoff from
orchards

By-product of
drinking water
ozonation

Discharge
from mines

Human or animal
fecal waste

Fertilizer
runoff

Water additive
used to control
microbes

Discharge from
petroleum
factories

Corrosion of
home plumbing
systems

Naturally
present in the
environment

Water additive
used to promote
strong teeth

Discharge
from chemical
factories

To learn more about water quality...

Peoria:
USEPA:
ADEQ:
Maricopa County:
Tap Into Quality:
Water Use It Wisely:

www.peoriaaz.gov/envresources or 623-773-7561
http://water.epa.gov/drink
www.azdeq.gov
www.maricopa.gov/envsvc
www.tapintoquality.com
www.wateruseitwisely.com

Cryptosporidium was tested for, but not found, at Pyramid Peak and Greenway Water Treatment Plants.