Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, JULY 22, 2009
THE JACKSON HERALD
PAGE 5C
Jackson County Water and Sewerage Authority
2008 Water Quality Report
The Jackson County Water and Sewerage Authority (JCWSA) is pleased to present a summary of the quality of water provided to you during the past
year. The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) requires that utilities issue an annual "Consumer Confidence" report to customers. This report details where
your water comes from, what it contains, and the risks our water testing and treatment are designed to prevent.
The Jackson County Water and Sewerage Authority is committed to providing you with the safest and most
reliable water supply.
Informed consumers are our best allies in maintaining safe drinking water. We encourage public interest and participation in our community's decisions
affecting drinking water. You can learn more about your water system when the Jackson County Water and Sewerage Authority Board meets on the
second Thursday of each month at 6:00 p.m. at the Jackson County Water Authority main office.
Water Source
During 2008, the JCWSA obtained its water supply from the 505-acre Bear Creek Reservoir managed by the Upper Oconee Basin Water Authority and
treated at the Bear Creek Water Treatment Facility. The Bear Creek Reservoir is located at the extreme south tip of Jackson County. Source Water
Assessment (SWAP) identifying potential pollution sources which pose a risk to Bear Creek's water sources was conducted in July 2002 by Brown &
Caldwell. A copy of this report is available at Bear Creek Water Treatment Facility for review. In addition, Jackson County received a small portion of
water from the City of Commerce Water Treatment Plant which obtains its water from Grove River Reservoir located in the City of Commerce. A SWAP
was conducted for the City of Commerce in May 2003 by Stevenson & Palmer. A copy of this report is available at City of Commerce Treatment plant for
To ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes limits on the amount
of certain contaminants in water provide by public water systems.
■* . r»%n W' '
National Primary Drinking Water Regulation Compliance
If you have any questions please call the Jackson County Water and Sewerage Authority at (706) 367-1741; or you may contact Stacy Jenkins at (706) 367-1741 ext.
223. Water Quality Data for community water systems throughout the United States is available at www.waterdata.com. A copy of this Water Quality Report will
be mailed to each individual customer and additional copies will be available at the Jackson County Water Authority main office at 117 MLK Avenue in Jefferson. A
copy is also posted on the JCWSA website, www.jcwsa.com.
Important Information
from the EPA
All sources of drinking water are subject
to potential contamination by substances
that are naturally
' occurring or man-made.
| These substances can be
v. v microbes, inorganic or
ppoTtC organic chemicals and
radioactive substances.
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
the EPA's Safe
Drinking Water
Hotline 1-800-426-
4791.
Some people may be more vulnerable to
contaminants in drinking water than the
general population. Immuno
compromised individuals, such as
persons with cancer undergoing
chemotherapy, persons who have
undergone organ transplants, people
with HIV / AIDS or other immune
system disorders, some elderly people,
and infants can be particularly at risk
from infections. These people should
seek advice about drinking water from
their health care providers.
Guidelines from the Environmental
Protection Agency and the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention on
appropriate means to lessen the risk of
infection by Cryptosporidium and other
microbial
contaminants are
available from the
Safe Drinking Water
Hotline 1-800-426-
4791.
Required Additional
Health Information
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.
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 naturally-occurring
minerals and 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:
(A) Microbial contaminants, such as
viruses and bacteria, which may
come from sewage treatment plants,
septic systems, agricultural livestock
operation, and wildlife.
(B) Inorganic contaminant, such as salts
and metals, which can be naturally-
occurring or result 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 agriculture, storm water
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 storm runoff and
septic systems.
(E) Radioactive contaminants, which
can be naturally-occurring or be the
result of oil and gas production and
mining activities.
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 for contaminants in
bottled water which must provide the
same protection for public health. Some
people may be more vulnerable to
contaminants in drinking water than is
the general population. Immune-
compromised persons such as persons
Why Are There Contaminants In Drink Water?
Drinking water sources include streams,
lakes, rivers, reservoirs, and wells, which
are subject to potential "contamination"
by a wide variety of substances that
occur naturally or are man-made. As
water travels over the surface of the land
or through the ground, it dissolves
natural minerals, and in some cases
radioactive material and can pick up
substances resulting from human activity
or the presence of animals.
Contaminants that could be present
in source water before it is treated:
1. Microbial contaminants, such as
viruses and bacteria that may come from
sewage treatment plants, septic systems,
agricultural livestock operations, and
wildlife
2. Inorganic contaminants, such as salts
and metals, which can be naturally
occurring or result from urban storm
runoff, industrial or domestic
wastewater discharges, oil and gas
production, mining or farming
3. Pesticides and herbicides, which may
come from a variety of sources, such as
agriculture, urban storm water runoff,
and septic systems
4. 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
stationers, urban stormwater runoff, and
septic systems
5. Radioactive contaminants, which can
be naturally occurring or be the result of
oil and gas production or defense
activities
In order to ensure that tap water is safe to
drink, EPA prescribes regulations that limit
the amount of certain contaminants in water
provided by public water systems. Food and
Drug Administration regulations establish
limits for contaminants in bottled water.
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 are available from the
Safe Drinking Water Hotline 1-800-426-
4791.
What about lead in
drinking water?
Testing shows that the amount of
lead in our drinking water is well
below the EPA allowed levels (see
Water Test Results).
It is important to know that lead in
drinking water is primarily from
materials and components
associated with water service lines
and home plumbing. Lead in
elevated levels can cause serious
health problems, especially for
pregnant women and young
children. JCWSA is responsible for
providing high quality drinking
water, but cannot control the
variety of materials used in
residential plumbing.
When your water has been sifting
for several hours, you can minimize
the potential for lead exposure by
flushing your tap for 30 seconds up
to 2 minutes before using water for
drinking 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
www.epa.gov/ safewater/lead.
How to Read This Chart
The chart in this report provides representative analytical results of water samples collected in 2008
from the Jackson County Water System.
Please note the following definitions:
Maximum Contaminant Level (or 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.
Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (orMCLG)
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.
Action Level (or AL)
The concentration of contaminant, which triggers treatment or other requirement, which a water
system must follow.
Bear Creek and the City of Commerce Water Treatment Plants
| INORGANIC CONTAMINANTS
DATE
UNITS
MRLD
MRDLG
DETECTED!****)
RANGE
MAJOR SOURCES
VIOLATION? 1
Chlorine
Bear Creek WTF
Daily
mg/l
4
4
2.20
.20-4.0
Water disinfectant
NO
Residual
City of Commerce
Daily
mg/l
4
4
1.50
.20-4.0
NO
INORGANIC CONTAMINANTS
DATE
UNITS
MCL
MCLG
DETECTEDiMjsurj
RANGE
MAJOR SOURCES
VIOLATION? 1
Bear Creek WTF
Daily
ppm
4
4
1.1S
1.09-1.38
Erosion of natural deposits, water additive
NO
Fluoride
City of Commerce
Daily
ppm
4
4
1.03
0.80-1.20
that promotes strong teeth; discharge from
fertilizer and aluminum factories
NO
Nitrate/Nitrite
Bear Creek WTF
Quarterly
ppm
10
10
.44
n/a
Runoff from fertilizer use; leachingfmm sspta
NO
TTHMs
Bear Creek WTF
City of Commerce
Quarterly
Quarterly
ppb
ppb
80
80
0
0
77.0
53.0
n/a
n/a
Byproduct of drinking water chlorination
NO
NO
HAASs
Bear Creek WTF
Quarterly
ppb
60
0
39.0
n/a
Byproduct of drinking water chlorination
NO
City of Commerce
Quarterly
ppb
60
0
41.0
n/a
NO
Total
Bear Creek WTF
Monthly
ppm
TT 3
0
1.70
n/a
Natural organics in water
NO
Organic Carbon
City of Commerce
Monthly
ppm
TT 5
0
1.51
n/a
NO
MICROBIOLOGICAL
DATE
UNITS
MCL
MCLG
VALUE
RANGE
MAJOR SOURCES
VIOLATION? 1
i
Turbidity 4
Bear Creek WTF
Continuous
NTU
IT
n/a
0.08
0
Soil runoff
NO
City of Commerce
Continuous
NTU
TT
n/a
0.26
0
NO
Turbidity
Bear Creek WTF
City of Commerce
Continuous
Continuous
NTU
NTU
95% Samples
<0.5
n/a
n/a
100%
100%
0
0
Soil runoff
NO
NO
Total Coliforms
Bear Creek WTF
Continuous
p/a
No more than S%
of monthly samples
0
0
0
Naturally present in environment
NO
£ Jackson County Distribution System
1 LEAD & COPPER RESULTS
DATE
UNITS
AL
MCLG
DETECTED
#ABOVEAL
MAJOR SOURCES
VIOLATION? 1
Lead'
Jackson County
2008
ppb
IS
0
2.5
0
Corrosion of household plumbing systems,
erosion of natural deposits; Leachingjrom
wood preservatives
NO
Copper 1
Jackson County
2008
ppb
1300
0
98
0
Corrosion of household plumbing systems,
erosion of natural deposits
NO
1 INORGANIC CONTAMINANTS
DATE
UNITS
MRLD
MRDLG
DETECTED!***, d
RANGE
MAJOR SOURCES
VIOLATION? 1
Chlorine
Residual
Jackson County
Monthly
mg/l
4
4
1.84
.20-4.0
Water disinfectant
NO
1 INORGANIC CONTAMINANTS
DATE
UNITS
MRLD
MRDLG
DETECTED!**,,*)
RANGE
MAJOR SOURCES
VIOLATION? 1
TTHMs
Jackson County
Quarterly
ppb
SO
0
77.0
n/a
Byproduct of drinking water chlorination
NO
HAA5s
Jackson County
Quarterly
ppb
60
0
39.0
n/a
Byproduct of drinking water chlorination
NO
1 MICROBIOLOGICAL
MAJOR SOURCES
VIOLATION? 1
Total Coliforms Jackson County
Monthly
p/a
No more than S%
of monthly samples
2
0
0
Naturally present in environment
NO
Terms to Know when reading the Water Test Results
AL (Action Level)
The concentration of a contaminant, which if exceeded, triggers treatment
or other requirements zohich a water system must follow.
MCLG (Maximum Contaminant Level Goal)
The level of a contaminant in drinking water below zohich there is no
knozon or expected risk to health, MCLGs allow for a margin of safety.
MCL (Maximum Contaminant Level)
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.
MRDL (Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level)
The highest level of disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is
convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control
of microbial contaminants.
MRDLG (Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal)
The level of a drinking water disinfectant below zohich there is no knozon
expected risk to health. MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of
disinfectants to control microbial contamination.
ND (non-detected)
No measurable level of a substance or contaminant detected.
Ppm (parts per million)
The equivalent of eight ounces (1 cup) in 62,500 gallons of water.
Ppb (parts per billion)
The equivalent of eight ounces (1 cup) in 62.5 million gallons of water.
TT (Treatment Technique)
A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in
drinking water.
Turbidity
A measure of the cloudiness of water. We monitor turbidity because it is a
good indicator of the effectiveness of our filtration system. NTU is a
measurement of the clarity of the water.
Water Quality Table Footnotes
1 ypb of lead reported as the 90th percentile of samples taken.
2 ppb of copper reported as the 90th percentile of samples taken.
3 Compliance for TOC is met with a treatment technique. No violations
occurred in 2008.
4 Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness in water. We monitor turbidity
because it is a good indicator of the effectiveness of our filtration system.