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Lee County Utilities Authority
Palmyra Water System
2021 How Safe is Our Water?
Lee County Utilities Authority is proud of the fine drinking water it provides. This
annual quality report shows the sources of our water, lists the results of our test, and
contains much important information about water and health. Lee County Utilities
Authority will notify you immediately if there is any reason for concern about our water.
We are happy to show you how we have surpassed water quality standards. The
Authority contracts with the Georgia Environment Protection Division (EPD), Drinking
Water Program, for laboratory and related services consistent with the Authority’s need
to comply with the requirements of the National Drinking Water Regulations. (Copies of
contracts are available for viewing in the Utilities Authority Office located at 905 US
Highway 19 South, Leesburg, Georgia).
Is our water safe to drink? Absolutely Lee County Utilities Authority has
never had a violation of contaminant levels or other water quality regulations.
More information is available on the World Wide Web at http://www.waterdata.com
An E.P.D., inspection revealed no major violation in 2016. The Authority contracts with
the State of Georgia Environmental Protection Division/ Department of Natural
Resources to test the Authority’s water samples.
Water Service
The Authority draws its water from one aquifer. The aquifer is the Upper Floridian. A
Source-Water Assessment has been performed for our area to provide baseline data about
the quality origins of contaminants within our areas. This assessment indicates the
susceptibility of our water system to such contaminants. To complete your understanding
of our water supply, request a copy from the Georgia Environmental Protection Division.
How to Read This Table
The table below lists all of the drinking water contaminants that we detected during
calendar year 2021. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that
water poses a health risk. Unless otherwise noted, the data presented in this table is from
testing done during calendar year 2021. The E.P.D. of Georgia Dept, of Natural
Resources requires us to monitor for certain contaminants less than once per year because
these contaminants do not change frequently. In the event a contaminant exceeds a trigger
level more sampling and analysis will be performed to ensure safety and quality.
Terms & Abbreviations used below:
Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG): The level of a contaminant in drinking
water below, which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLG allow for a
margin of safety.
Submitted Photo
Prolific weeds like buttercup compete with underlying grasses and can
reduce their growth in the spring. This reduces the amount of forage
yield available for livestock grazing pastures, and fescue lawns or
pastures may end up with bare spots as a result of this competition.
What’s up, buttercup?
Prolific weed competes with
forage grasses and grains
Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL): The highest level of contaminant that is
allowed in water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best
available treatment technology.
Action Level (AL): The concentration of a contaminant which, when exceeded, triggers
treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow.
N/A: Not applicable
ND: Not detectable at testing limit
ppb: parts per billion or micrograms per liter
ppm: parts per million or milligrams per liter
Contaminant
Highest Level
Detected
MCL
Major Source
Violation
Inorganic
Lead (ppb)
0
ALU 5
Corrosion of piping system:
erosion of natural deposits
NO
Copper (ppm)
1.3
ALU.3
Water additive to control
NO
Chlorine
1
4
microbes
NO
Inorganic
Contaminates:
Nitrates (ppm)
1
10
Found in Fertilizers
NO
Measured as Nitrogen
Regulated and Unregulated Contaminants
Although we ran many tests, no contaminants were found. The Environmental Protection
Division of Georgia tests for Radon during water surveys.
Required Additional Health Information
To ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPD establishes limits on the amount of certain
contaminants in water provided by public water systems. FDA regulations establish
limits for contaminants in bottled water.
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 contaminants and
potential health effects can be obtained by calling environmental Protection Agency’s
Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791). The sources of drinking water (tap and bottled)
include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over the
surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and
radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or human
activity. Contaminants that may be present in source water include:
(A) Microbial contaminants: such as vimses and bacteria, which may come from
sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operation, and
wildlife
(B) Inorganic contaminants, such as sales and metal, which can be naturally- occurring
or results from urban storm runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges,
oil and gas production, mining, or farming
(C) Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as
stormwater runoff, and residential uses.
(D) Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organics, which
are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also
come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff and septic systems
(E) Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil
and gas production and mining activities, hi order to ensure that tap water is safe to
drink the EPA establishes regulations, which limit the amount of certain
contaminants in water provided by public water systems. FDA regulations
establish limits for contaminants in bottled water and must provide the same
protection for public health.
Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than others in
the general population. Immune-compromised persons such as: individuals with cancer
undergoing chemotherapy, individuals who have undergone organ transplants,
individuals with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants
can be particularly at risk from infections; these individuals should seek advice about
drinking water from their health care providers. The EPA and CDC provide guidelines on
appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and are available
from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).
National Primary Drinking Water Regulation Compliance
Other Monitoring
hi addition to the referenced testing, staff members are required to monitor the chlorine residual
in the finished water daily. If you are interested in a more detailed report, contact Chris Boswell,
General Manager at (229) 759-6056.
We will be happy to answer any questions about Lee County Utilities Authority and our water
quality. Call Tricia Holmes at 229-759-6056. Water Quality Data for community water systems
throughout the United States is available at www.waterdata .com.
The Lee County Utilities Authority Board meets the third Thursday of each month at the Page
Tharp Governmental Building in the Opal Cannon Auditorium located at 102 Starksville Ave
North, Leesburg, Georgia 31763. The meetings of the Utilities Authority are always open to the
general public and meeting agenda and minutes are available at www.lee.ga.us
Special to the Ledger
By Paul Pugliese
Prolific weeds such as
buttercup compete with
underlying grasses and
potentially reduce their
growth in the spring.
This reduces the amount
of forage yield available
for livestock grazing
pastures. Fescue lawns
and pastures may end up
with bare spots as a re
sult of this competition.
Prolific weeds like
buttercup compete with
underlying grasses and
can reduce their growth
in the spring. This
reduces the amount of
forage yield available for
livestock grazing pas
tures, and fescue lawns
or pastures may end up
with bare spots as a re
sult of this competition.
Spring has undoubted
ly arrived in Georgia.
Local pastures and
lawns remind me of
the lyrics from “Amer
ica the Beautiful,” “Oh
beautiful, for spacious
skies, for amber waves
of grain.” Except that
almost every call this
week has been about
amber waves of but
tercup, something that
neither livestock nor
humans like to eat.
In fact, this weed com
petes with the grains
and grasses that we are
trying to grow. Although
this common weed is
not toxic to livestock,
it has no redeeming
characteristics to make it
palatable.
Buttercup (Ranunculus
spp.) is one of the most
prolific spring weeds
and is easily recognized
by its bright, glossy yel
low flowers. Technically
it is a winter annual
weed, which means that
it germinates in the fall
and grows all winter
long until it flowers in
the spring. Buttercup
will naturally begin to
die out as we get closer
to June and see warmer
temperatures. The roots
will not survive the
summer heat in Georgia,
but any seeds that are set
now will start the cycle
over in the fall.
Prolific weeds such as
buttercup compete with
underlying grasses and
potentially reduce their
growth in the spring.
This reduces the amount
of forage yield available
for livestock grazing
pastures. Fescue lawns
and pastures may end up
with bare spots as a re
sult of this competition,
which allows more sum
mer weeds to colonize
and compete later in the
season. Because fescue
is a clump-forming
grass, it will not spread
or grow back into these
bare spots.
The key is to get annu
al weeds under control
before they flower and
seed set, minimizing
their return next year.
Ideally, buttercup should
be controlled prior to
flowering in March or
April. At this point, that
ship has already sailed.
Mowing to reduce
flower and seed set can
be an effective strategy
to manage this weed and
reduce the number of
flowers and seeds that
mature, but you would
have to mow almost
every week to keep the
flowers in check. Fre
quent mowing is more
practical in a lawn than
a pasture.
Unfortunately, most
people don’t recognize
that they have a problem
with buttercup until
after the weeds start to
flower. Take a close look
at the cluster of leaves
near the ground called
the “basal rosette” —
this is how buttercup be
gins in late fall and early
winter. Keep a look out
for this earlier growth
stage next year and be
ready to take action for
control.
There are several good
herbicide options for
managing buttercup.
Ideally, an herbicide
containing 2,4-D com
bined with a surfactant
should be applied to
winter annual weeds
prior to flowering.
These herbicides work
better above 65 degrees
Fahrenheit, so be sure to
spray on a warm, sunny
day. Applications with
herbicide formulations
that contain mixtures of
2,4-D and Dicamba also
provide good to excel
lent control of buttercup
in the early stages of
growth (less than 2-3
inches tall). Later in
the spring, it will take a
higher application rate
to control flowering
buttercup.
There are several prod
uct brands on the market
that contain these herbi
cides. Products that are
safe to use in pastures
with livestock include
Weedmaster, Outlaw
and others. Products
labeled for home lawns
include Trimec, Weed-
B-Gon, Spectracide, etc.
Be sure to read the label
for application rates and
safety precautions. Also,
double check to make
sure the product you
choose has your grass
species listed on the la
bel. Some lawn grasses,
such as centipedegrass
and St. Augustinegrass
are limited to only a few
selective herbicide op
tions such as Atrazine.
Lawns and pastures
heavily infested with
buttercups should be
soil sampled every few
years to rule out any
nutrient deficiencies.
Maintaining the proper
soil pH and fertility is
important to ensure the
grass can outcompete
any weeds that might try
to return next season.
Also, the mowing height
or grazing height of
your grass is important
for suppressing many
weed problems. Lawns
and pastures that are
overgrazed or mowed
too low tend to have
more weed issues. For
example, tall fescue
that is clipped or grazed
below three inches tends
to have more weed
problems. Contact your
local UGA Cooperative
Extension office for
more information about
soil testing, recommend
ed mowing heights,
and stocking rates for
livestock.
For more informa
tion on weed control in
lawns, visit the UGA
Extension turfgrass
website at GeorgiaTurf.
com. For weed control in
pastures, visit the UGA
Forages website at Geor-
giaForages.com.