Mercer

Legal Notice

Annual Drinking Water Quality Report 2019
Town of Athens Water Department
PO Box 458 Athens, WV 24712
PWSID WV3302801
March 30,2021
Why am I receiving this report?

In compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments, the Town of Athens Water Department is providing its 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 agencies. The information in this report shows the results of our monitoring for the period of January 1st to December 31st’ 2020 or earlier if not on a yearly schedule.
If you have any questions concerning this report, you may contact Melissa Pentasuglia, Plant Manager, 304-384-7977. If you have any further questions, comments or suggestions, please attend any of our regularly scheduled council meetings held on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of every month at 7:00 PM at the Athens Town Hall, 202 State Street, Athens, WV.

Where does my water come from?

Your drinking water source is surface water from the Athens Lake at Laurel Creek.

Source Water Assessment

A Source Water Assessment was conducted in 2010 by the West Virginia Bureau for Public Health (WVBPH). The intake that supplies drinking water to the Town of Athens Water Department 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 source water assessment report which contains more information is available for review or a copy will be provided to you at our office during business hours or from the WVBPH 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 contaminants does not necessarily indicate that the 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 (1-800-426-4791)

The source of drinking water (both tap and bottled water) includes rivers, lake, 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 and 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 byproducts 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. 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 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 microbiological contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).

Water Quality Data Table

Definitions of terms and abbreviations used in table or report:

— 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.
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.
MRDL-Maximum residual detection level.
MRDLG- Maximum residual detection level goal.
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, A treatment technique is a required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.
Turbidity – Turbidity does not present a risk to your health. We monitor Turbidity, which is a measure of the cloudiness of water, because it’s a good indicator of the quality of water and effectiveness of disinfectants.

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
NE – not established

The Town of Athens Water Department 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 – Town of Athens Water Department

* Copper and lead samples were collected from 20 area residences 8-27-18 thru 9-12-18. Only the 90th percentile is reported. None of the samples exceeded the MCL.

All repeat samples were negative of Coliform or E.Coli bacteria

During the 2020 calendar year, we had the below noted violation(s) of drinking water regulations.

Additional Required Health Effects Language:
Infants and children are typically more vulnerable to lead in drinking water than the general population. It is possible that lead levels at your home may be higher than at other homes in the community as a result of materials used in your home’s plumbing. If you are concerned about elevated lead levels in your home’s water, you may wish to have your water tested and flush your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using tap water. Additional information is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800- 426-4761).

There are no additional required health effects violation notices.

WE ARE PLEASED TO REPORT THAT THE TOWN OF ATHENS WATER DEPARTMENT MET ALL FEDERAL AND STATE WATER STANDARDS FOR THE REPORTING YEAR 2020.

Additional Information

All other water test results for the reporting year 2020 were all non-detects.

Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness in water. We monitor it because it is a good indicator 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 service lines and home plumbing. The Town of Athens Water Department 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.

Our Mission
Our constant mission is to provide you with a dependable supply of drinking water. We want you to understand the efforts we make to continually improve the water treatment process and protect our water resources. We are committed to ensuring the quality of your water. The Town of Athens Water Plant has well trained plant operators with the highest certification level obtainable in the state. I’m pleased to report that our drinking water is safe and meets federal and state requirements. If you have questions concerning this report, please call me at 304-384-7977.
This report will not be mailed. A copy will be provided to you upon request at the Athens Town Hall during regular business hours.
Sincerely,
Melissa Pentasuglia Plant Manager
Town of Athens Water Department

ID: 489191