Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 2C
iReporter
July 2, 2008
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Three names added to
hospital’s cancer memorial
Lyn Dean proudly watches as maintenance technician John Storey mounts a plaque in memory of her
husband William T. Dean on the American Cancer Society’s Memorial located at Monroe County Hos
pital. Mr. Dean passed away on January 22, 2008. Below the family of Clemoth Hopper, who died Feb
ruary 23,2008, gather to honor him. Present at the dedication were Mr. Hopper’s son, David Hopper,
his daughters Janice Hopper and Lisa Hopper and his sister Edna Pippin. Also honored with a plaque
was Melvin Harper (not pictured)The hospital’s cancer memorial program is designed to pay tribute to
loved ones lost to cancer. Names will be placed on the memorial when a donation or combination of
donations totalling $100 is made to the American Cancer Society. (Photo/Gina Herring)
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Discount
RATES
without discount
SERVICE.
It’s no accident more
people trust State Farm
to insure their cars.
Call today.
Isabelle Waldrep, Agent, CLU
201 Tift College Drive
Forsyth, GA31029
Bus: 478-994-9600
isabelle.waldrep.cgq3@statefarm.com
LIKE A GOOD NEIGHBOR,
STATE FARM IS THERE.®
Providing Insurance and Financial Services
State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company
(Not in NJ), Bloomington, IL
www.mymcr.net
BBQ & Gospel Music
jSy Phillips
Tax Commissioner
All Monroe Taxpayers & Voters are invited to
Dean & Betty Huckeba’s World Famous
High Falls BBQ
5047 High Falls Rd. (Just off 1-75)
Please come enjoy the music of the
“Singing Disciples of Forsyth”
And meet the candidate
Paid for by candidate.
2007 Consumer Confidence Report
South Monroe County Water System -
PWSID #2070074
Plenty of Good Water
We are pleased to present our annual Water Quality Report
which includes an in-depth analysis of your drinking water.
The water provided to you is of the highest quality possible and
our purpose, in conjunction with the Macon Water Authority,
is to continue to work to assure a safe, dependable supply for
our customers. Last year your tap water met all U. S. Environ
mental Protection Agency (EPA) and state drinking water
health standards.
Do I need to take special precautions?
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/Centers for
Disease Control (CDC) guidelines on appropriate means to
lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other
microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Water
Drinking Hotline (800-426-4791).
Where does my water come from?
Our water is purchased from the Macon Water Authority
(MWA) and enters our county at six metered locations. These
locations are Highway 87, New Forsyth Road, the intersection
of Zebulon and Estes Roads, Rivoli Road, Highway 41, and
Whittle Road. The MWA's raw water source is the Ocmulgee
River. The water is then held in their reservoir, the Javors J.
Lucus Lake. From the reservoir the raw water enters the Frank
C. Amerson, Jr. (Town Creek) Water Treatment Plant for
production. The Town Creek Plant began full operation on July
10, 2000 and has a current production capacity of 60 million
gallons of water per day (MGD) with the ability to expand to 90
MGD for future needs.
Source water assessment and its availability
In addition to providing the highest quality finished drinking
water, the MWA and Middle Georgia Regional Development
Center completed a source Water Assessment Plan (SWAP) in
2002. This plan helped define the specific areas where potential
pollutants may occur in the watersheds of the Ocmulgee River
basin. These areas will be defined in future development
planning and the elimination of potential threats will help
protect the watersheds. Identifying potential pollutants within
a 20 mile radius of the plant intake and the reservoir will help
eliminate potential threats to our natural resources, resulting in
a low susceptibility of pollution.
Why are there contaminants in my drinking water?
Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be
expected to contain at least small amounts of some contami
nants. 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 Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Safe
Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791). 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, in some
cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances
resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity:
microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, that may
come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricul
tural livestock operations, and wildlife; inorganic contami
nants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally
occurring or result from urban stormwater runoff, industrial,
or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production,
mining, or farming; pesticides and herbicides, which may come
from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater
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 stormwater runoff,
and septic systems; and 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 that limit the amount of
certain contaminants in water provided by public water
systems. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations
establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must
provide the same protection for public health.
The Monroe County Water System table of detected Regulated
Substances is included in this report. A copy of the Macon
Water Authority's
report is available in the Water Office.
Lead and Drinking Water
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 compo
nents associated with service lines and home plumbing. The
Monroe County Water System and Macon Water Authority are
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 water, you may wish to have your water tested. Informa
tion 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 can I get involved?
The Monroe County Board of Commissioners meet on the
first and third Tuesdays of each month at 6:00 p.m. at 38 West
Main Street and you are welcome to attend. The staff of Monroe
County Water System are happy to assist you in any way we can
to address your concerns and answer your questions. You may
contact us at 478-992-5089 or visit our office at 52 West
Chambers Street in Forsyth.
Conservation Tips
Did you know that the average U.S. household uses approxi
mately 350 gallons of water per day? Luckily, there are many
low-cost or no-cost ways to conserve water. Water your lawn at
the least sunny times of the day. Fix toilet and faucet leaks. Take
short showers - a 5 minute shower uses 4 to 5 gallons of water
compared to up to 50 gallons for a bath. Turn the faucet off
while brushing your teeth and shaving; 3-5 gallons go down the
drain per minute. Teach your kids about water conservation to
ensure a future generation that uses water wisely. Make it a
family effort to reduce next month's water bill!
As defined by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources,
Environmental Protection Division Rules, Monroe County is in
the Outdoor Water Use Schedule Declared Drought Response
Level Two.
This means odd-numbered addresses water on Tuesdays,
Thursdays and Sundays. Even-numbered addresses may water
on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Watering is allowed
only between the hours of 12:00 midnight and 10:00 a.m. with
no outdoor watering on Fridays.
A complete printout of the Rules may be obtained from the
Monroe County Water Office.
Be a Water Steward
We are fortunate to have an adequate supply of drinking water.
If we all work together to be good stewards and use water wisely
we can help protect our precious natural resource for the future.
For more tips on saving water, contact the Water Office.
Water Quality Data Table
The table below lists all of the drinking water contaminants that we detected during the calendar year of this report. The
presence of contaminants in the water does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk. Unless otherwise
noted, the data presented in this table is from testing done in the calendar year of the report. The EPA or the State requires
us to monitor for certain contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants do not
change frequently.
Contaminants
MtLG
MCI,
or
TT, or
Yooi
Range-
Simple
MRCLt
MRDL
Hater
Loir Hielt
Date Viola turn Tvnicnl Source
Disinfectant & Disinfection By-Product
(There is convincing evidence chat addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants-)
CLLonne (as C12)
(ppm)
4
4
IDS
0J7
1.03
2007
No
Water additive used in control
microbes
Haloacetic Adds
(HAA5)(ppb!
MA
60
14.5
6.1
14.5
1007
Mo
By-product of drinking - water
chlorination
TTTHMs [Total
TriiiaLometiiaies]
MA
SO
32:5
24.9
52.5
2007
Mo
By-product of dunking wafer
disinfection
GMO
GMjjngjngta
Your Sample # Simples Eicsed.
MtLO AL 5Vaier Djte Eliding AL AL Typical Sam're
Inorganic E outarainsuts
Copper - acouL level it
CDiiE.mner raps (ppm)
Lead - airiitm Is;el ar
CDDSiunar caps (ppb)
l.i
1J 0.0PI
15
2.5
:ocr
20(T
No Corrosion of household plimibitE
ry ■.terns; Erosion of natural
depasitE
Mo Goieosijou Df lucMisehold. plumbing
systems; Erosion of natural
Visit Description;
Term
Definition
PI™
ppm - , parts per million, or milligrams per lifer (mg-L)
pph
ppb: pant par billion, or nuciogtans per lirer (ug-L)
MA
tvA: not applicable
ND
ND: Nor deferred
NR
NR: MoLLioiiug not required but reiammeDded
Important Drinking Water Definitions
Tann
Definition
MCLG
MCLG: Mammnm Contaminant Level Goal: The level of a contaminant in drinking water
below which there is no known or expected risk to Lealfh. MCLGs allow for a mar gin of
safety.
MCL
MCL: Mammum r nnmnvinanr Leva]: The tLghest level d: a caaUnmmt that it allowed
adulkkig water. MCLs are tat at close t:- the MCLGs at feasible usdnz 1he best
available treatment technology.
TT
FT: Treatment Technique: A required process intended to reduce the level of a
contaminant in drinking water.
AL
AL: Action Level: The concentration of a contaminant which., if exceeded, triggers
treatment or other requirements winch a water system must follow.
Variances and Exemptions
17arianoES and ExEiuptmDt: Siare or EPA pamiasna not to ruEET an MCL oi a netnioLt
nedurqua under certain canditians.
MEDL&
N-fEDLG: Maximum residual disinfection Level goal. The Level of a drinking water
disinfectant below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MRDLGs do not
reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contaminants.
MKDL
MKDL: Maximum residual disinfeccanr lsveL. Die bighEst level o: a di=infe::anT aLlnwed
in diiukiug warer. Drere is convincing evidence chat addition of a disLnfEcumt is necessary
for control of microbial coniartiusnu.
MUR.
MNF Monitored Not Regulated
MEL
MPL: State Assigned Maximum Permissible Level
For more information please contact:
Marie Allen, Water System Manager -Monroe County Water System
P. O. Box 190 / 52 West Chambers St. • Forsyth, GA 31029 • 478-992-5089 Fax: 478-994-7620