The Commerce news. (Commerce, Ga.) 1???-current, June 01, 2016, Image 10

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The Commerce news., June 01, 2016, Image 10

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Newspaper Page TextPAGE 10A THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS • THE COMMERCE NEWS WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 2106 Natural spring water may taste great, but that doesn't make it safe to By Paul Pugliese UGA Extension Many people enjoy collecting and drinking “natural” spring water from springs scattered across north Georgia. The main difference in taste between spring water and water from municipal sources may be the presence of nat ural minerals, such as calcium, and the lack of chlorination. But just because it tastes better doesn’t mean it is safe to drink, nor does it provide any perceived health ben efits. The truth is that these spring water sourc es are not tested or treat ed. Another potential con cern is that roadside springs are not securely protected and could be contaminated by acci dent or on purpose by vandals with malicious intent. Surprisingly, many people drink this spring water. Drinking untreated spring water is strongly discouraged, especial ly for pregnant women, children, senior adults and those with com promised immune sys tems. These people are especially vulnerable to waterborne illnesses that can result in death. University of Georgia Cooperative Extension offices provide a number of water testing services. Well owners most com monly request tests for basic water quality and microbiological analyses (E. coli and fecal coli- form bacteria). These tests are primarily rec ommended for house hold wells or irrigation wells used for fruit and vegetable crops. Wells used for drink ing water should be test ed for bacteria as soon as they are construct ed and at least once a year thereafter. More fre quent testing should be considered if the well has been inundated by surface water runoff, recent flooding or if a neighbor’s well is con taminated. Continuing illness in a household where well water is consumed may raise the suspicion of bacterial contamination. Bacteria are common organisms in nature, and some are pathogenic- capable of causing dis ease in humans. Some coliform bacte ria originate from human or animal fecal sources and are found in abun dance in soils, surface water and vegetation. The presence of E. coli in water indicates direct contamination by fecal matter. Other pathogens that may be present with fecal material include viruses and protozoa, such as Cryptosporidi um and Giardia. Although it is possible to have spring water test ed, it really isn’t practi cal or informative, since the test will only report if the water is safe on the day it was sampled. A single negative water test from a spring water source does not ensure that the water is clean, since potential contam ination from surface water can happen on any given day. A spring is formed when the water table intersects the ground surface due to geolog ical or topographical factors. Spring water is groundwater that is close to the surface and more open to surface contamination than typ ical well water. A recent study by Penn State Extension tested 34 roadside springs across Pennsylvania and found that 97 percent failed at least one drinking water standard. The most com mon health-related pol lutants found were total coliform bacteria (91 percent), E. coli bac teria (34 percent) and lead (3 percent). A sub set of springs was also tested for the presence of Giardia and Crypto sporidium. Some 88 per cent of samples tested positive for these par asites. The water qual ity of these roadside springs changed very lit tle throughout the year. All springs had total coli form bacteria present in all seasons, despite sea- Sanchez joins the U.S. Army Damien S. Sanchez has joined the United States Army under the Delayed Enlistment Program. The program allows new recruits to delay reporting for basic military training for up to 270 days while they finish their educations and prepare for their military careers. Sanchez is the son of Cindy and Jose Sanchez of Maysville and is a 2016 graduate of East Jackson Comprehensive High School Sanchez will become eligible to receive more than $37,440 toward a college education and $50,000 for repayment of qualifying college loans. After completion of basic military training, he may receive advanced individual training in a career job special ty prior to being assigned to a permanent duty station. Sanchez was due to report to Fort Jackson, SC, for basic training this month. Students earn honors at NG Tech Several Banks County stu dents were named to the North Georgia Technical College honor roll and president’s list for spring semester. Named to the honor roll are Matthew Dilbeck, electri cal systems technology; and Morgan Holloway clinical lab technology. The honor roll recognizes full-time students with a 3.5 grade point average. Full-time students are those taking at least 12 credit hours with no developmental courses. Named to the president’s List were: Courtney Baker, early childhood care and edu cation; Joseph Garmon, horti culture; Charles Lee, advanced commercial refrigeration; and Abbie Lewallen, welding tech nology. The president’s list recogniz es full-time students with a 4.0 grade point average. Jackson students earn honors at Piedmont The following students from Jackson County have been awarded academic honors for the recently completed spring semester at Piedmont College. Students named as Dean’s Scholars finished the semes ter with a perfect 4.0 GPA. They include, from Commerce: Morgan Ivester and Dylan Young; from Jefferson: Taylor Cramsey and Christi Spence; and from Nicholson: Bucky Sorrow. Students named to the Dean’s List finished the semester with a GPA of 3.55 to 3.99. They include, from Commerce: Sarah Bolton, Andrew Duitsman, and April Williams; from Jefferson: Kristen Adkinson, Heather Geipel, and Caleb Smith; from Maysville: Rebecca Bramblett, and Pearl Oppen- heimer; from Nicholson: Charlotte Foster, Amber Kesler, and Sherry Smith; and from Pendergrass: Jordan Evans and Zachary Grizzle. Keifer named to honor society Jefferson Kiefer from Baldwin was among the Brenau University students inducted into Delta Mu Delta during an induction ceremony for the Delta Mu Delta International Honor Society. Kiefer is a graduate student majoring in managerial accounting. Commerce BOE moves its meeting times up an hour Effective June 13, the Commerce Board of Education will begin its meetings an hour earlier. The board vorted recently to advance the starting time of its meetings from 7 p.m. to 6 p.m. Regular meetings are held on the second Monday night of each month, with “work ses sions” the Thursday evening before the regular meetings. Regular meetings are scheduled for June 13, July 11, Aug. 8, Sept. 12, Oct. 10, Nov. 14 and Dec. 12. Work sessions will be held on Aug. 4, Sept. 8, Oct. 6, Nov. 10 and Dec. 8. There will be no work session meetings in June and July. Food bank open three days a week in Commerce The hours of operation of the Banks-Jackson Food Bank, located at 111 Atlanta Avenue, Commerce, are from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday and from 6 to 8 p.m. every Monday. The food bank provides emergency food supplies for individuals and families referred by churches or social service groups. The phone number is 706-335-5143. AA chapter meets 4 times weekly The Breezy Knob chapter of Alcoholics Anonymous meets four times a week at 69 Central Avenue (across from First Commerce Bank) in Commerce. Meeting times are: • Sunday, 7 p.m., open discussion • Tuesday, 8 p.m., open discussion • Thursday, 8 p.m., open discussion • Saturday, 8 p.m., open discussion, open literature sonal variations in water flow. Untreated springs are largely considered unsuitable as a drinking water source. Anyone considering drinking spring water should boil it for several minutes or use special water treat ment filters prior to con sumption. As a Boy Scout, I learned you should always boil, filter or treat spring water with chlorine or iodine tablets when back packing and camping. You sure don’t want to deal with Giardia when you’re miles from civilization. Paul Pugliese is the agriculture & natural resources agent for the University of Georgia Extension office in Bar tow County. Baltazar enlists in Army Alondia S. Baltazar has joined the United States Army under the Delayed Enlistment Program. The program allows new recruits to delay reporting for basic military training for up to 270 days while they finish their educations and prepare for their military careers. Baltazar is the daughter of Moises and Maribel Baltazar of Athens. She is a 2016 graduate of East Jackson Comprehensive High School. As a recruit, Baltazar will become eligible to receive more than $37,440 toward a college education and $50,000 for repay ment of qualifying college loans. After completion of basic military training, she may receive advanced individual training in a career job specialty prior to being assigned to a permanent duty station. She will report to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, for basic training in July. Hood enlists in Army Arthur D. Hood has joined the United States Army under the Delayed Enlistment Program. The program allows new recruits to delay reporting for basic military training for up to 270 days while they finish their educations and prepare for their military careers. Hood is the son of Candice Hood of Nicholson and Danny Hood of Winder. Hood will become eligible to receive more than $37,440 toward a college education and $50,000 for repayment of qualifying college loans. He will report to Fort Benning for basic training in August. He is a 2016 graduate of East Jackson Comprehensive High School. CCR - Consumer Confidence Report What’s on Tap in Alto Water Quality Report 2015 It is the goal of the Alto Water Department to supply clean potable water to the residents and surrounding communities. During the 2015 year, the Tow n of Alto has continued to seek new water sources to fulfill the w ater needs of a grow ing community. The following report lists and explains the chemicals found in our water and how the state regulates them. You can be sure that your water is safe and maintained below the state allowable levels. How Safe Is Our Water The Water Department is committed to providing the customers with clean, safe, and reliable drinking water. The water was tested for over 50 different contaminants, w hich resulted in only one violation w hich is listed below . If you have any questions about the w ater or w ater service, you may contact the Licensed Water Operator, Donald Wade, at 706-778-8035. Safety- In order to ensure that your tap water is safe to drink, the EPA prescribes regulations w hich limit the amount of certain contaminants found in drinking w ater. The Tow n of Alto submits samples of the w ater once a month for total Coliform bacteria, fecal Coliform and E. Coli. The samples are taken at different locations throughout the system. Treatment The water, which services the Alto Water System, comes from ten different wells scattered throughout the system. The wells are at depths ranging from 280' to 620' deep. The water is treated daily with chlorine with a desired residual of no less than 0.2 or no more than 1.0 anywhere in the system. Contaminants and Health Risk 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 w ater 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. Health Information Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immuno-comproniised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons w ho 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 bv Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the safe drinking water hotline 1- 800-426-4791. Public Input The Tow n Council meets every 2nd Tuesday of the month at 7:00 pm at the Tow n City Hall. Your comments are welcomed at this meeting. Notes on Contaminants The source of drinking w ater (both tap w ater and bottle water) includes river, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring materials and in some cases, radioactive materials can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animal or human activity. Contaminants that may be present in source water include: Microbial Contaminants such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from septic systems, agriculture, livestock operations, wildlife, and sewage treatment plants. Inorganic Contaminants such as salts and metals, which can be naturally occurring or result from urban storm runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil or gas production, mining, or farming. Pesticides and herbicides w hich may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture urban storm, water runoff and residential uses. Organic chemical contaminants include synthetic and volatile organic chemicals which are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas Stations, urban storm water runoff, and septic systems. Radioactive contaminants such as radon w hich can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil or gas production and mining activities. Definition of Abbreviations and Terms PPM - Parts Per Million gallons MCL (Maximum Contaminant Level) The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLG (Maximum Contaminant Level Goal) The level of a contaminant in drinking w ater below w hich there is no know n or expected risk to health. MCLG allows for a margin of safety. SMCL Secondary Maximum Contaminant Violation-1- During the month of July 1, 2015 to September 30,2015, the maximum contaminant level for uranium in Cedar Creek Well w as exceeded, according to section 391-3-5-18 of the Rules, at 30ug/L. The Tow n of Alto immediately shut dow n this well for further investigation and analysis. The EPD received a preliminary action plan on September 18, 2015. The w ell remained shut dow n at the end of the year. Water Sy stem #1370000 - Period Covered: Year 2015 Parameter (Primary Inorganic Substances) (SMCL) MCL MCLG Highest Level Detected Violation Major Source of Contamination Fluoride 4.0 4.0 0.4 No Erosion of natural deposits; water additives which promotes strong teeth; discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories Mercurv Liquids ICP- MS 2.0 2.0 1.0 No Erosion of natural deposits; discharge from refineries and factories; runoff from landfills; and cropland Nitrate/Nitrite 10 10 0.82 No Runoff from fertilizer use; leaching from septic tank sewage; erosion of natural deposits. Fluoride - Some people who drink yvater containing fluoride in excess of the MCL over many years could get bone disease, including pain and tenderness of the bones. Children may get mottled teeth. Health Effects Language - Nitrate in drinking water at levels above 10 PPM is a health risk for infants less than six months of age. High nitrate levels in drinking water can cause blue baby syndrome. Nitrate levels may rise quickly for short periods of time because of rainfall or agriculture activity. If you are caring for an infant, you should ask for advice from your health care providers. 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. The Tow n of Alto 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 on the internet website at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.