Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 2017
BARROW NEWS-JOURNAL
PAGE 9B
BARROW COUNTY ANNUAL
WATER QUALITY REPORT - 2016
INTRODUCTION
Upper Oconee Basin Water Authority
The Barrow County Water and Sewerage Authority (BCWSA) is pleased to provide you with this Annual
Water Quality Report for the past year’s performance of our water suppliers. Included in this Report is information
about where your water comes from, what it contains and how it compares to standards set by regulatory agencies.
The BCWSA is committed to provide our service area with clean, safe and reliable drinking water. For more infor
mation, please call the BCWSA office at 770-307-3014.
This report contains very important information about your drinking water. Translate it or speak with
someone who understands it.
Estc in forme conticnc information muy importantc. Traduscalo o hablc con un amgio quicn lo entienda bicn.
WHERE DOES MY WATER COME FROM?
The BCWSA purchased all of its drinking water from the Upper Oconee Basin Water Authority.
The water supply sources for the Upper Oconee Basin Water Authority arc Bear Creek and the Middle
Oconee River.
DETECTED CONTAMINANTS TABLE 2016
Substance
Units
MCL
MCLG Highest
Level
#of
Samples
Violations
(YES/NOI
Source Of Substance
Copper
mg/L
1.3
1
N/A
N/A
NO
Corrosion of household plumbing
system. Erosion of natural deposits:
Leaching from wood preservatives.
Lead
mg/L
.015
0.0
N/A
N/A
NO
Corrosion of household plumbing
systems.
UNREGULATED VOLATILE ORGANIC SUBSTANCES
NOTES ABOUT CONTAMINANTS
The sources of drinking water (both tap water 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 natu
rally-occurring minerals (and in sonic cases radioactive material). This same traveling water can pick up substanc
es resulting from the presence of animals or human activity.
Contaminants that may be present in source water include the following:
• Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may conic from sewage treatment
plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations and wildlife.
• Inorganic contaminants, such as salt and metals, which can be naturally occurring or result front
urban storm runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining
or fanning.
• Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban
stonn water runoff and residential uses.
• Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile chemicals (which arc by
products of industrial processes and petroleum production) can also conic from gas stations, ur
ban stonn water runoff and septic systems.
• Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally occuning or be the results of oil and gas pro
duction and mining activities.
• Some people who drink water containing trihalomcthancs in excess of the MCL over
many years may experience problems with their liver, kidneys, or central nervous sys
tems, and may have an increased risk of getting cancer.@
Substance
Units
MCL
MCLG
Amount
Detected
Violation
(YES/NOI
Source Of Substance
Bromodichloromethane
ppb
N/A
N/A
5.4
NO
By-product of drinking
water chlorination.
Chloroform
ppb
N/A
N/A
28
NO
By-product of drinking
water chlorination.
Chlorodibromomethane
ppb
N/A
N/A
.7
NO
By-product of drinking
water chlorination.
PRIMARY INORGANIC SUBSTANCE
Substance
Units
MCL
MCLG
System
Results
Violations
(YES/NOI
Source Of Substance
Fluoride
ppm
4,0
4,0
.30
NO Erosion of natural deposits:
water additive that promotes
strong teeth; discharge from
fertilizer and aluminum factories.
Nitrate/Nitrite
ppm
10.0
10.0
0.24
NO
Run off from fertilizer use;
Leaching from septic tanks.
sewage: Erosion of natural
rlpnn^ite
DISINFECTION BY-PRODUCTS
In order to insure that tap water is safe to drink, the EPA prescribes regulations that limit the amount
of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. Food and Drug Administration regulations
established limits for contaminants in bottled water, which must provide the same protection for public health.
CONTAMINANTS AND HEALTH RISK
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 mate
rials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. Barrow County
Water and Sewerage Authority is responsible for providing high quality drinking wa
ter, 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 drink
ing or cooking. If you are concerned about lead in your 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.
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 contami
nants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the EPA’s Safe Drinking
Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).
IMPORTANT HEALTH INFORMATION
Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population.
Iinmuno-compromiscd persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have un
dergone organ transplants, people with HIV / AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly persons
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 arc available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1
-800-426-4791).
Substance
Units
MCL
Violation
(YES/NO)
Amount
Detected
Source of Substance
Total Trihalomethanes
ppb
80
NO
32.9
By-product of drinking
water chlorination.
Total Haloacetic Acids
ppb
60
NO
33.6
By-product of drinking
water chlorination.
Total Oraanic Carbon
N/A
TT
NO
1.3
By-product of drinking
water chlorination.
TURBIDITY
Substance units
MCL
MCLG
Highest
Violation
Lowest % Of Source Of Substan
Reported tYES/NQ) Samples
Meeting Limits
Turbidity NTU < 3 in 95% of n/a 0.10 NO 100% Soil Runoff
samples/month
MICROBIOLOGICAL
n of System
MCLG Positive Results Violation Sources in
(YES/NOI Drinking Water
Total Conform Bacteria 0 0 0 NO Naturally present
in the environment.
Substance
WHAT IS CRYPTOSPORIDIUM?
Cryptosporidium (Crypto) is a onc-ccllcd parasite protozoan, which is often found in water sources
that receive runoff from animal waste. Crypto can infect humans and have severe impacts on certain people
including organ transplant recipients, immuno-compromiscd persons, young children and persons undergoing
cancer treatment. Under the U.S. EPA’s Information Collection Rule, quarterly samples have been collected
from the Upper Oconee Basin Water Authority’s raw and treated water and analyzed. Crypto has not been de
tected in neither source water or drinking water. Samples have been analyzed for over five years and Crypto
has never been detected.
READING THE RESULTS - Definitions of Terms and Abbreviations Used in the Report
DETECTED CONTAMINANTS TABLE 2016
Substance
Units
MCL
MCLG Highest
Level
#of
Samples
Violations
(YES/NOI
Source Of Substance
Conner
mg/L
1.3
1
NA
NA
NO
Corrosion of household plumbing
system. Erosion of natural deposits:
Leaching from wood preservatives.
Lead
mg/L
.015
0.0
NA
NA
NO
Corrosion of household plumbing
systems.
AL Action Level (AL): The concentration of a contaminate which if exceeded, triggers treatment or
other requirements which a water system must follow.
MCL Maximum Contaminate Level (MCL): 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 Contaminate Level Goal (MCLG): 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.
m/L Milliliter: A milliliter is one thousandth of a liter. One liter is equal to slightly more than a quart.
n/a Not applicable.
nd Not detectable at testing limit.
NTU Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU): A measure of suspended material in water.
ppm A part per Million means one part per 1,000,000 (same as milligrams per liter) and corresponds
to 1 minute in 2 years, or 1 penny in $10,000.
ppb A part per Billion means one part per 1.000,000,000 (same as micrograms per liter) and corre
sponds to 1 minute in 2,000, or 1 penny in $10,000,000.
TT Treatment Technique (TT): A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in
drinking water.
Turbidity Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness of water.
(a) Water from a treatment plant does not contain lead or copper. However, based upon the
Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) testing requirements, water is tested at the
tap. These test show that where a customer may have lead or lead soldered copper pipes, the
water is not corrosive. This means the amount of lead or copper absorbed by the water is limited
to safe levels.
(b) Fluoride is added in treatment to bring the natural levels to the EPA Optimum of 1 part per
million. This optimum concentration promotes strong teeth.
(c) The EPD requires that no single reading for turbidity exceed 2 NTUs.
W The EPD requires that no more than 5% of all readings exceed 0.5 NTU.
> Greater than.
< Less than.
ne Not Established.
WATER QUALITY DATA
The following tables list all the drinking water contaminants that we detected during the 2016 calendar
year. The presence of these contaminants in the water docs not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health
risk. Unless otherwise noted, the data presented in these tables is from testing done January 1 -December 31,2016.
IS OUR WATER SYSTEM MEETING OTHER RULES THAT GOVERN OUR OPERATIONS?
UNREGULATED VOLATILE ORGANIC SUBSTANCES
Substance
Units
MCL
MCLG Amount
Detected
Violation Source Of Substance
(YES/NO)
Dichlobromomethane
ppb
N/A
N/A 11.0
NO
By-product of drinking
water chlorination.
Chloroform
ppb
N/A
N/A 46
NO
By-product of drinking
water chlorination.
Chlorodibromomethane
ppb
N/A
N/A 2.2
NO
By-product of drinking
water chlorination.
PRIMARY INORGANIC SUBSTANCE
Substance units
MCL
MCLG
System
Results
Violations
(YES/NOI
Source Of Substance
Fluoride ppm
4.0
4.0
0.80
NO Erosion of natural deposits:
water additive that promotes
strong teeth; discharge from
fertilizer and aluminum factories.
Nitrate/Nitrite DDm
10.0
10.0
0.24
NO
Run off from fertilizer use;
Leaching from septic tanks,
sewage: Erosion of natural
deposits.
DISINFECTION BY-PRODUCTS
Substance
Units
MCL
Violation
(YES/NO)
Amount
Detected
Source of Substance
Total Trihalomethanes
ppb
80
NO
78
By-product of drinking
water chlorination.
Total Haloacetic Acids
ppb
60
NO
30.25
By-product of drinking
water chlorination.
Total Organic Carbon
N/A
TT
NO
1.3
By-product of drinking
water chlorination.
TURBIDITY
Substance
Units
MCL
MCLG
Hiahest
Reported
Violation
(YES/NO)
Lowest % Of Source Of Substance
Samples
Meeting Limits
Turbiditv
NTU
< 3 in 95% of
samples/month
n/a
0.10
NO
100% Soil Runoff
EPD and EPA require us to test our water on a regular basis to ensure its safety. During 2016, we submit
ted monthly water samples for bacteriological analysis in accordance with our Operating Pcnnit. All samples tested
satisfactory.
The 1996 Amendments to the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act (SWDA.) brought about a new approach CROBIOLOGICAL
for cither past strengths of the Surface Water Treatment Rule, expansion of water monitoring, and other compli
ance measures, the EPA advocates prevention of contamination as an important tool in the protection of public
water supplies. Georgia’s EPD mission is to develop a source water assessment plan for each public water system Substance mc
to help protect the sources ensuring quality drinking water that meets all state and federal regulations and to assist
the promotion and implementations of the protection plans. Barrow County is pleased to infonn you that all of our
water suppliers arc in full compliance with the comprehensive Source Water Assessment Programs (SWAP). You
can access detailed information of the plans on the Georgia Regional Development Center's website. Total Coliform Bacteria 0
http://www.negrdc.urg/swap/inclex.html.
Mi
ff of System
MCLG Positive Results Violation Sources in
(YES/NO) Drinking Water
0 0% NO Naturally present
in the environment.