Annual Drinking Water Quality Report 2020
March 18, 2021
Valley Falls PSD
2424 East Grafton Rd. — PO Box 477
Fairmont, WV 26555
304-363-0570
PWSID #3302523
Why am I receiving this report?
In compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments, the Valley Falls PSD 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 Doug Martin, Chief Operator at 304-363-0570. If you have any further questions, comments or suggestions, please attend any of our regularly scheduled Board meetings held on the 3rd Wednesday of every month at 2:30 p.m. at PSD Office (2424 East Grafton Rd.).
Where does my water come from?
Your drinking water is purchased from the City of Fairmont that uses surface water from the Tygart River as the source.
Source Water Assessment
A Source Water Assessment was conducted by the West Virginia Bureau for Public Health (WVBPH). The intake that supplies drinking water to the City of Fairmont 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 number 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. Immuno-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:
— AL – Action Level, or the concentration of a contaminant which, when exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow.
— LRAA – Locational Running Annual Average is an average of sample analytical results for samples taken at a particular monitoring location during the previous four calendar quarters.
— 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.
— 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 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.
— 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.
— N/A – not applicable
— ND – Not Detectable, no contaminants were detected in the sample(s) taken.
— NE – not established
— NTU – Nephelometric Turbidity Unit, used to measure cloudiness in water
— ppb – parts per billion or micrograms per liter (µg/l)
— ppm – parts per million or milligrams per liter (mg/l)
— RAA – Running Annual Average is an average of sample results obtained over the most current 12 months and used to determine compliance with MCLs.
The Valley Falls PSD and the City of Fairmont, routinely monitor 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 – Valley Falls PSD PWS# WV3302523
*Copper and lead samples were collected from 20 area residences on 8/4/20. Only the 90th percentile values are shown. None of the samples collected exceeded the MCL.
* Some people who drink water containing haloacetic acids in excess of the MCL over many years may have an increased risk of getting cancer.
**Some people who drink water containing trihalomethanes in excess of the MCL over many years may experience problems with their liver, kidneys, or central nervous systems, and may have an increased risk of getting cancer.
Round 4 for the unregulated contaminates monitoring commenced and concluded in 2019. The West Virginia Bureau for Public Health (WVBPH) collected samples in and around our water system on 8/6/2019. The below tables reflect the results of the monitoring.
Unregulated contaminants are those that don’t yet have a drinking water standard set by USEPA. The purpose of monitoring for these contaminants is to help EPA decide whether the contaminants should have a standard.
Disinfection By-products in the surrounding areas
Table of Test Results – Regulated Contaminants – City of Fairmont PWS# WV3302502
All contaminants monitored for the year in Fairmont can be found at www.FairmontWV.gov
Table of test Results – Unregulated Contaminants
WE ARE PLEASED TO REPORT THAT VALLEY FALLS PSD 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. Valley Falls PSD 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 can be found https://tinyurl.com/vfpsdccr, on our website or one will be provided to you upon request at our office during regular business hours.
PLEASE SHARE THIS REPORT WITH OTHER PEOPLE WHO DRINK THIS WATER, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO DO NOT RECEIVE THIS INFORMATION DIRECTLY. (FOR EXAMPLE, RESIDENTS IN APARTMENT BUILDINGS, NURSING HOMES, SCHOOLS AND BUSINESSES).
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