Newspaper Page Text
June 22, 2011
PAGE 5B
® Reporter
South Monroe County Water System
2010 Consumer Confidence Report PWSID #2070074
Locals
graduate
from Ga.
College
The following Monroe
County students earned the
following degrees from
Georgia College & State
University in Milledgeville:
• Albert Bernard of
Barnesville-Master of Arts
in History.
• Abby Clark of Jackson -
Specialist in Education in
Curriculum and Instruction.
• Ashley Coffey of
Barnesville-Master of
Education in Educational
Technology.
• Erin Cone of Barnesville
-Bachelor of Science in
Health Education.
• Robert Cone of
Barnesville- Bachelor of
Science in Economics.
• Lorie Dobbs of Jackson -
Master of Arts in Teaching
in Secondary Teacher
Education.
• Johnny Fields of Juliette
-Master of Business Admin
in Business Administration.
• Melinda Foster of
Jackson-Specialist in
Education in Curriculum
and Instruction.
• Frances Heidt of
Forsyth-Bachelor of Science
in Middle Grades
Education.
• Georgia Herring of
Forsyth-Bachelor of Science
in Middle Grades
Education.
• Matthew Hunt of
Jackson-Bachelor of
Business Administr in
Management.
• William Jones of Forsyth
-Master of Science in Admin
in Logistics Management.
• Wren Lindsey of
Jackson-Bachelor of Science
in Outdoor Education.
• Stephen Moody of
Jackson-Bachelor of Arts in
Political Science.
• Michael Mosely of
Bolingbroke-Master of Arts
in Teaching in Secondary
Teacher Education.
• Stephanie Ramage of
Forsyth earned a Bachelor
of Science in Middle Grades
Education.
• Michael Thomas of
Juliette-Bachelor of Science
in Biology.
• Christopher Washington
of Jackson-Master of Arts in
Teaching in Secondary
Teacher Education.
• Bryan Worley of Jackson
-Master of Science in Admin
in Logistics Management.
Rigole wins
spelling bee
The Monroe County school
system Spelling Bee winners
were, above, Abigail Rigole,
left, 1 st Place, and Matthew
Harvey, 2nd Place. Spelling
Bee participants from HES:
Bailey Elliott, Mitchell English,
Joseph Piceno, Rachel Sparks
and Bradley Newman. From
KB Sutton: Mackenzie Fowls,
Abigail Rigole, Addie Sparks,
Grade Thompson and Liam
Spence. From TG Scott: Reg
gie Chambliss, Cayton Sink,
Freddie Mack, Zachary Potts
and Audrey Parrott. From
BSMS: Derek Thomas,
Danyelle Merrill, Evan Owens,
Evan Owens, Jala' Austin and
Julia Parrott. From WHMS:
Johnathon Prescott, Matthew
Harvey, Conner Johnson, Abi-
gayle Bell and Jackson Harvey.
Is my water safe?
We are pleased to present this year's
Annual Water Quality Report (Consumer
Confidence Report) as required by the Safe
Drinking Water Act (SDWA). This report is
designed to provide details about where your
water comes from, what it contains, and how
it compares to standards set by regulatory
agencies. The water provided to you is of the
highest quality possible and our purpose,in
conjunction with the Macon Water Authority,to
continue to work to assure a safe, depend
able supply for our customers.
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. Anderson 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 hightest quality
finished drinking water,the MWA and Middle
Georgia Regional Development Center
compleyed 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 eleminate
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 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 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, agricultural 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.
How can I get involved?
The Monroe County Board of Commission
ers 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.
Water Conservation Tips
Did you know that the average U.S.
household uses approximately 400 gallons of
water per day or 100 gallons per person per
day? Luckily, there are many low-cost and
no-cost ways to conserve water. Small changes
can make a big difference - try one today and
soon it will become second nature.
• Take short showers-a5 minute shower
uses 4 to 5 gallons of water compared to up
to 50 gallons for a bath.
• Shut off water while brushing your teeth,
washing your hair and shaving and save up
to 500 gallons a month.
• Use a water-efficient showerhead. They're
inexpensive, easy to install, and can save
you up to 750 gallons a month.
• Run your clothes washer and dishwasher
only when they are full. You can save up to
1,000 gallons a month.
• Water plants only when necessary.
• Fix leaky toilets and faucets. Faucet
washers are inexpensive and take only a
few minutes to replace. To check your toilet
for a leak, place a few drops of food coloring
in the tank and wait. If it seeps into the toilet
bowl without flushing, you have a leak.
Fixing it or replacing it with a new, more
efficient model can save up to 1,000 gallons
a month.
• Adjust sprinklers so only your lawn is
watered. Apply water only as fast as the
soil can absorb it and during the cooler
parts of the day to reduce evaporation.
• 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
• Visit www.epa.gov/watersense for
more information.
Source Water Protection Tips
Protection of drinking water is everyone s
responsibility. You can help protect your
community’s drinking water source in
several ways:
• Eliminate excess use of lawn and garden
fertilizers and pesticides - they contain
hazardous chemicals that can reach your
drinking water source.
• Pick up after your pets.
• If you have your own septic system,
properly maintain your system to reduce
leaching to water sources or consider
connecting to a public water system.
• Dispose of chemicals properly; take used
motor oil to a recycling center.
• Volunteer in your community. Find a
watershed or wellhead protection
organization in your community and
volunteer to help. If there are no active
groups, consider starting one. Use EPA’s
Adopt Your Watershed to locate groups in
your community, or visit the Watershed
Information Network’s How to Start a
Watershed Team.
• Organize a storm drain stenciling project
with your local government or water
supplier. Stencil a message next to the
street drain reminding people “Dump No
Waste - Drains to River” or ’Protect Your
Water." Produce and distribute a flyer for
households to remind residents that storm
drains dump directly into your local
water body.
Monitoring and reporting of compliance
data violations
Violations occurred in the period 1-1-2010 to
4-30-2010 resulting from failure to collect
required samples for microbiological analysis.
This occurred due to a change in personnel and
has been corrected. This violation does not pose
a threat to the quality of the water supplied.
Additional Information for Lead
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. South Monroe County Water
System 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 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/l ead.
Water Quality Data Table
In order to ensure that tap water is safe to
drink, EPA prescribes regulations which limit
the amount of contaminants in water provided
by public water systems. The table below lists
all of the drinking water contaminants that we
detected during the calendar year of this report.
Although many more contaminants were
tested, only those substances listed below were
found in your water. All sources of drinking
water contain some naturally occurring
contaminants. At low levels, these substances
are generally not harmful in our drinking water.
Removing all contaminants would be extremely
expensive, and in most cases, would not
provide increased protection of public health. A
few naturally occurring minerals may actually
improve the taste of drinking water and have
nutritional value at low levels. 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 vary significantly from year
to year, or the system is not considered
vulnerable to this type of contamination. As
such, some of our data, though representative,
may be more than one year old. In this table
you will find terms and abbreviations that might
not be familiar to you. To help you better
understand these terms, we have provided the
definitions below the table.
Crmtft m l Hunts
mci, a
or
MRDLG
MCI,,
TT.or
MRf>L
Your
Water
Range
Low | iTilth
Sample
Date
Violation
T ini cal Source
Disinfectants & Disinfectant By-Products
(Then: is convincing, evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial turn si mi mints)
Chlorine (as Cl21
(pbm)
A
A
1,7
l
L7
2010
No
Water additive used to control
microbes
Hatoaeetic Acids
i H AA5) (ppbl
NA
GO
15.7
9.7
21 ,B
2010
No
13y-product of drinking water
chlorination
rrttMsl Total
Trihatomcthuncsj
(ppb)
NA
KO
29.7
B.S
50,6
2010
No
By-product of drinking water
disinfection
Jiiorgujiic (Jon lam inn Jits
Nitrate j measured us
Nilrugen] ippm)
10
10
O
NA
2010
No
Km Kiri from fertilizer use;
L-eaching ffplu septic tanks,
sewage; Erosn m of natural
deposits
Omlumimuitx
MCLG
AL
Your
Water
.Sample I tt Samples
Dale | Exceeding AT,
Exceeds
AL
Tvttical Source
Inorganic Contaminants
Copper action level
at consumei taps
tppm)
L3
1.3
0,36
2010
O
No
i
Corrosion of household
plumbing systems: Erosion
at natural deposits
Lead - notion level at
consumer i;ips (ppb)
O
15
0,25
2010
0
No
Corrosion of household
plumbing systems: Erosion
at" natural deposits
Unit Descriptions
Term
Definition
ppm
ppim p:uns per million.or milligrams per liter (mg/Ll
ppli
ppb; parts per billion, or tnicrograms per liter (jig/L)
NA
NA; not applicable
Nf>
ND- Not detected
NK
NK; Monitoring not required, but recommended.
Important Drinking Water Dentil lions
Term
Definition
MCLG
MCLG: Maximum CouL.nnmini! iarvet Goal- The levd of a contaminant
in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to
health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety.
MCL
MO.; Maximum Contaminant L^vel The highest level of aduTitmninari l
that is allowed in chinking water. MCI,x art set as close to lhc MO Gs ax
feasible using the be si available L real rite nl technology.
TT
TT; Treatment Technique; A required process intended to reduce the
level of <i contaminant in drinking water
AL
Al.: Action Level- The concentration of a contaminant which, m
exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system
must follow.
Variances and Exemptions
Variances and Ex eruptions: State or ERA permission nol lu meet an M(. 1
or a treatment technique undei certain conditions
MRDLG
MRDLG; Maximum residual disinfection level goal. The level of a
drinking water di si fife cl; ml below which there is no known or expected
risk to health. MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of
disinfectants Lt.i control microbial contaminants
MRDL
MRDL: Maximum residual disinfectant level. The highest level of a
disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convinciihg evidence that
addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial
eon tain in nuts,
MNR
MNR: Monitored Not Regulated
MPL
MPL: State Assigned Maxi mum Permissible Leva!
J’or more information please contact;
Contact Name: Bentley Cox
Address:
52 W. Chambers St
Forsyth, GA 31029
Phone: (478) 992-5089
Fax: (478)994-7620
E-Mail: bcox@monroecountygeorgia.com