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Annual Drinking Water Quality Report 2014

Annual Drinking Water Quality Report 2014
City of Elkins
401 Davis Ave., Elkins, WV 26241
PWSID WV3304203

June 1, 2015
Why am I receiving this report?
In compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments, the City of Elkins is providing their customers with this annual water quality report. This report explains where your water comes from, what it contains, and how it compares to standards set by regulatory agencmicrobesies. The information in this report shows the results of our monitoring for the period of January 1st to December 31st, 2014 or earlier if not on a yearly schedule.
If you have any questions concerning this report, you may contact:
City of Elkins – Wes Lambert, Chief Operator – M-F (7AM-3PM) – 304-636-2250

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER
Availability of Monitoring Data for Unregulated Contaminants for the City of Elkins.
Our water system has sampled for a series of unregulated contaminants. Unregulated contaminants are those that don’t yet have a drinking standard set by the USEPA. The purpose of monitoring for these contaminants is to help EPA decide whether the contaminants should have a standard.
As our customers, you have a right to know that this data is available. If you are interested in examining the results, please contact the Elkins Water Works at 304-636-2250.
Customer Information Bulletin Board
The City of Elkins has established a Drinking Water Bulletin Board for up to date customer information on Boil Water Notices or Water Quality and can be accessed 24 / 7 by dialing 304-637-3582.
Web Site
The City of Elkins web site www.cityofelkinswv.com provides information on water and other interests.
Utility Meetings
Further questions, concerns, or comments will be accepted at our regularly scheduled water board meetings held on the following dates and times:
City of Elkins – The Municipal Property Committee meets on the third Tuesday of each month at 4 p.m. at the old National Guard Armory on Robert E. Lee Avenue.
Where does my water come from?
The City of Elkins treats surface water from the Tygart Valley River. Resale customers include Midland Public Service District, Huttonsville Public District and Leadsville Public Service District.
Source Water Assessment?
A Source Water Assessment was conducted in 2003 by the West Virginia Bureau for Public Health, Source Water Assessment and Protection Unit. The intake that supplies drinking water to the Elkins Municipal Water Plant has a higher susceptibility to contamination, due to the sensitive nature of surface water supplies and the potential contaminant sources identified within the area. This does not mean that this intake will become contaminated; only that conditions are such that the surface water could be impacted by a potential contaminant source. Future contamination may be avoided by implementing protective measures. The report, which includes more detailed information, is available for review or a copy will be provided at the Elkins Water Treatment Plant during business hours or from the West Virginia Bureau for Public Health (WV BPH) at 304-558-2981.
Why must water be treated?
All drinking water contains various amounts and kinds of contaminants. Federal and state regulations establish limits, controls, and treatment practices to minimize these contaminants and to reduce any subsequent health effects.
Contaminants in 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. FDA regulations establish limits of 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 these 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).
The source of drinking water (both tap and bottled water) includes rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over the surface of 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.
Contaminants that may be present in source water include:
Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations and wildlife.
Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally-occurring, or result from urban storm water runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, farming.
Pesticides and herbicides, which 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, which are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also, come from gas stations, urban storm water runoff, and septic systems.
Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally-occurring or the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.
Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immune-compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. EPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).
Water Quality Data Table
Definitions of terms and abbreviations used in the table or report:
¯ 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 technique.
¯ MRDLG – Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal, or the level of drinking water disinfectant below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MRDLGs do not reflect benefits of use of disinfectants to control microbial contaminants.
¯ MRDL – Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level, or the highest level of disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of disinfectant is necessary 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.
¯ TT – Treatment Technique, or a required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.
¯ Turbidity – A measure of the cloudiness in the water. We monitor it because it is a good indicator of the effectiveness of our filtration system.
Abbreviations that may be found in the table:
¯ ppm – parts per million or milligrams per liter
¯ ppb – parts per billion or micrograms per liter
¯ NTU – Nephelometric Turbidity Unit, used to measure cloudiness in water
¯ pCi/l – picocuries per liter
¯ mrem/yr – millirem per year
¯ NE – not established
¯ N/A – not applicable
The City of Elkins routinely monitors for contaminants in your drinking water according to Federal and State laws. The tables below show the results of our monitoring for contaminants.
Table of Test Results – Regulated Contaminants – City of Elkins
Contaminant Violation Level Unit of MCLG MCL Likely Source of
Y/N Detected Measure Contamination
Microbiological
Contaminants
Turbidity N 0.02 NTU 0 TT Soil runoff
100{4ceb532c6f579389df471c6c1e832caf2346b74dc60fcbf6aabd4d29df3baf9c} of
monthly
samples
<0.3
Total organic carbon N 0.73 ppm NA TT Naturally present in the environment
Inorganic
Contaminants
Barium N 0.033 ppm 2 2 Discharge from drilling wastes;
discharge from metal refineries;
erosion of natural deposits
Copper* N 0.144 ppm 1.3 AL=1.3 Corrosion of household plumbing
(2012)
Fluoride N 0.70 ppm 4 4 Erosion of natural deposits; water
additive that promotes strong teeth;
discharge from fertilizer and
aluminum factories
Lead* N 2.6 ppb 0 AL=15 Corrosion of household plumbing
(2012)
Nitrate N 0.16 ppm 10 10 Runoff from fertilizer use; leakage
from septic tanks, sewage; erosion
of natural deposits
Volatile Organic
Contaminants
Chlorine N 1.65 ppm 4 4 Water additive used to control
Annual MRDLG MRDL microbes
avg.
Range
1.4-1.7
Haloacetic acids N 42.0 ppb NA 60 By-product of drinking water
(HAAC5) Annual disinfection
avg.
Range
24.0-83.0
Total trihalomethanes N 23 ppb NA 80 By-product of drinking water
(TTHMs) Annual chlorination
avg.
Range
4.1-58.0
*Copper and lead samples were collected from 20 area residences on August 29, 2012. Only the 90th percentile is reported. None of the samples exceeded the MCL
Table of Test Results – Unregulated Contaminants
Contaminant Violation Level Unit of MCLG MCL Likely Source of
Y/N Detected Measure Contamination
Sodium N 7.52 ppm NE 20 Erosion of natural deposits
Sulfate N 5.75 ppm 250 250 Erosion of natural deposits
WE ARE PLEASED TO REPORT THAT WE MET ALL FEDERAL AND STATE WATER STANDARDS FOR THE REPORTING YEAR 2014.
Additional Information
All other water test results for the reporting year 2014 were all non-detects.
Turbidity is the measure of the cloudiness in water. We monitor it because it is a good measure of the effectiveness of our filters.
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 services lines and home plumbing. The City of Elkins, 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 the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.
This report will not be mailed. A copy will be provided to you upon request at our office during regular business hours.
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