Waynesboro Water System
Water Quality Report 2006
Is my drinking water safe?
Yes, our water meets all of EPA’s health standards. We have conducted numerous tests for over 80 contaminants that may be in drinking water. As you’ll see in the chart on the back, we only detected 10 of these contaminants. We found all of these contaminants at safe levels.
What is the source of my water?
Your water, which is surface water, comes from the Green River and ground water, which comes from an aquifer. Our goal is to protect our water from contaminants and we are working with the State to determine the vulnerability of our water source to potential contamination. The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) has prepared a Source Water Assessment Program (SWAP) Report for the untreated water sources serving this water system. The SWAP Report assesses the susceptibility of untreated water sources to potential contamination. To ensure safe drinking water, all public water systems treat and routinely test their water. Water sources have been rated as reasonably susceptible, moderately susceptible or slightly susceptible based on geologic factors and human activities in the vicinity of the water source. The Waynesboro Water System sources rated as reasonably susceptible to potential contamination.
An explanation of Tennessee’s Source Water Assessment Program, the Source Water Assessment summaries, susceptibility scorings and the overall TDEC report to EPA can be viewed online at www.state.tn.us/environment/dws/dwassess.shtml or you may contact the Water System to obtain copies of specific assessments.
Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. Community water systems are required to disclose the detection of contaminants; however, bottled water companies are not required to comply with this regulation. 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 Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).
Este informe contiene información muy importante. Tradúscalo o hable con alguien que lo entienda bien.
For more information about your drinking water, please call Annie Chiodo at 722-5593.
Our Water Board meets on the second and fourth Mondays at 7:00 p.m. at the Waynesboro City Hall which is located at the corner of Highway 64 East and Court Square. Please feel free to participate in these meetings.
Is our water system meeting other rules that govern our operations?
The State and EPA require us to test and report on our water on a regular basis to ensure its safety. We have met all of these requirements. Results of unregulated contaminant analysis are available upon request. We want you to know that we pay attention to all the rules.
Due to all water containing dissolved contaminants, occasionally your water may exhibit slight discoloration. We strive to maintain the standards to prevent this. We at Waynesboro Water System work around the clock to provide top quality water to every tap. We ask that all our customers help us protect our water sources, which are the heart of our community, our way of life and our children’s future.
Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immuno-compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have under-gone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about not only their drinking water, but food preparation, personal hygiene, and precautions in handling infants and pets from their health care providers. EPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbiological contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).
Water System Security
Following the events of September 2001, we realize that our customers are concerned about the security of their drinking water. We urge the public to report any suspicious activities at any utility facilities, including treatment plants, tanks, fire hydrants, pumping stations, etc. to 722-5593.
W a t e r Q u a l i t y D a t a
What does this chart mean?
· MCLG - Maximum Contaminant Level Goal, or 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.
· MCL - Maximum Contaminant Level, or 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. To understand the possible health effects described for many regulated constituents, a person would have to drink 2 liters of water every day at the MCL level for a lifetime to have a one-in-a-million chance of having the described health effect.
· MRDL: Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level or MRDL: The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for the control of microbial contaminants.
· MRDLG: Maximum 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.
· AL - Action Level, or the concentration of a contaminant which, when exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow.
· Below Detection Level (BDL) - laboratory analysis indicates that the contaminant is not present at a level that can be detected.
· Parts per million (ppm) or Milligrams per liter (mg/l) – explained as a relation to time and money as one part per million corresponds to one minute in two years or a single penny in $10,000.
· Parts per billion (ppb) or Micrograms per liter - explained as a relation to time and money as one part per billion corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years, or a single penny in $10,000,000.
· Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU) - nephelometric turbidity unit is a measure of the clarity of water. Turbidity in excess of 5 NTU is just noticeable to the average person.
· TT - Treatment Technique, or a required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.
|
Contaminant |
Violation Yes/No |
Level Detected |
Range of Detections |
Date of Sample |
Unit Measurement |
MCLG |
MCL |
Likely Source of Contamination |
|
Total Coliform Bacteria |
No |
1 |
|
09/06 12/06 |
|
0 |
<2 positive samples |
Naturally present in the environment |
|
Turbidity1 |
No |
0.242 |
|
2006 |
NTU |
n/a |
TT |
Soil runoff |
|
Copper2 |
No |
0.064 |
|
2005 |
ppm |
1.3 |
AL=1.3 |
Corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits; leaching from wood preservatives |
|
Lead2 |
No |
0.1 |
|
2006 |
ppb |
0 |
AL=15 |
Corrosion of household plumbing systems, erosion of natural deposits |
|
Gross Alpha |
No |
3.5 |
|
2006 |
PCi/1 |
0 |
15 |
Erosion of natural deposits |
|
Trichloroethylene |
No |
0.508 |
|
2006 |
ppb |
0 |
5 |
Discharge from metal degreasing sites and other factories |
|
Sodium |
No |
11 |
4.5-11 |
2005 |
ppm |
N/A |
N/A |
Erosion of natural deposits; used in water treatment |
|
TTHM [Total trihalomethanes] |
No |
31.4 |
14.4-22.1 |
2006 |
ppb |
n/a |
80 |
By-product of drinking water chlorination |
|
Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) |
No |
21.2 |
19.1-28.2 |
2006 |
ppb |
N/A |
60 |
By-product of drinking water disinfection. |
|
Total Organic Carbon³ |
No |
|
|
2006 |
ppm |
TT |
TT |
Naturally present in the environment. |
|
Chlorine |
No |
1.66 |
0.6-4.4 |
2006 |
ppm |
MRDLG4 |
MRDL 4 |
Water additive used to control microbes. |
1100% of our samples were below the turbidity limit.
2During the most recent round of Lead and Copper testing, 0 out of 10 households sampled contained concentrations exceeding the action level.
³We met the Treatment Technique Requirements for Total Organic Carbon.
W a t e r Q u a l i t y D a t a
Notice
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 your drinking water meets health standards. The Waynesboro Water System would like to inform you of a recent violation concerning volatile organic compounds (VOCs) monitoring.
During the second quarter of 2006, we did not monitor or test for VOCs, and therefore cannot be sure of the quality of your drinking water during that time. The system has since returned to compliance. This violation does not infer in any way that the quality of the water was adversely affected during that time.
Our water system violated a drinking water standard. Although this was not an emergency, as our customers, you have a right to know what happened, what you should do, and what we did to correct this 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 Period of September 2005 we did not complete all monitoring requirements for Individual Filter Turbidity and therefore cannot be sure of the quality of our drinking water during that time.
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, which can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches. These symptoms are not caused only by organisms in drinking water. If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical advice.
We are required to monitor and record turbidity from each filter every 15 minutes that the plant is in operation. During September 2005 an in-line turbidimeter was not operational and all required data was not recorded. The turbidimeter was not repaired within the five day time frame allowed by regulations.
Please share this information with all the other people who drink water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and business).
For additional information concerning this violation, contact Annie Chiodo at the Waynesboro Water Plant. The phone number is 931-722-5593