Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16, 2014
THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS
PACE 7A
Social
Banks County Elementary School plans car show May 3
Banks County
Elementary School will
have its second annual car
show on Saturday, May 3,
from 10 a.m. until noon. A
$15 donation is asked for
car entries. There will be
door prizes, trophies and
raffles. It will be held at 180
Hwy. 51 South in Homer.
The event is sponsored by
Direct Access Auto Color
owner, Dwayne Reece.
The community was
saddened to hear of the
death of James Savage of
HI
Area
News
4*' i
Willene Parson
706-677-4200
willene. boyle@windstream.
Alto. He worked as a Banks
County deputy for 18 years.
He will be greatly missed
by his wife, Allie, daughter,
Toni Sheridan, and grand
daughter, Megan Sheridan.
He was a great person. Rest
in peace, James; we will all
miss you.
Tonya and Hannah Bray
enjoyed spring break trav
eling to Florida. They vis
ited Disney World and the
beach. They had a great
time.
Kylee Isabella Pace was
honored with a birthday
party given by her parents,
Michael and Christine Pace.
All the children enjoyed a
“jumpy house,” pizza and
cake. They all had a great
time.
Banks County Family
Connections will be hosting
“Safety For Our Children”
on Thursday, April 17, at the
Banks County Recreation
Department from 5-7 p.m.
The event is open to all
Banks County children.
Happy birthday to:
Cayden Cantrell, 1, Nancy
Poole, T.J. Parson, Lisa Ivey,
Debbie Crawford, Tyler
Parson, Steve and Stan
Westmoreland, McKenzie
Dobbins, Margaret Ausburn
Maggie Elrod, Glenda
Barron, Grayson Whitfield,
Parker Sprayberry, Max
Sanders, Trent Campbell,
Emily Hope and Jeffery
Marcus.
Happy anniversary to:
Danny and Lisa Whitlock,
Haley and Steven Daniels
and Jeff and Bonnie
Phagan, 30 years.
Those who are sick in our
community include: Roger
Brock Sr., David Bonds,
Kenneth Parson, Leon
Wilson, Michael Cantrell,
Brooke Carver Wade, Jack
Blackwell, Mary Parson,
Alex Strickland, Kim
Crane, Paulina Garrison
Casper, Tony Massey, Billy
Massey, Winford Baker,
Kenneth Cochran, Margaret
Smith, Alex Strickland,
Chester Hewell, William
Harris, James Parks, Ollie
Savage, Talmadge Savage,
Shannon Brown Watkins,
Edith Goodson and William
Sims.
MS. BOND, MR. FITZPATRICK
Bond, Fitzpatrick
to wed May 10
Randy and Wanda
Bruce, Commerce,
announce the forthcom
ing marriage of their
daughter, Linda Michele
Bond, to Michael Shawn
Fitzpatrick, son of Phillip
and Rebecca Fitzpatrick,
of Commerce, on
Saturday, May 10, at the
Commerce Recreation
Department at 3 p.m.
All friends and family
are invited.
AREA EGG HUNT
Children were recently invited to attend the
Easter egg hunt hosted by Funopolis Family Fun
Center in Commerce.
Egg hunt held at
Banks Crossing
Funopolis Family
Fun Center recently
hosted a free Easter
egg hunt.
There were over
3,000 eggs scattered
throughout the large
field for children to
find.
The Easter bunny
made an appear
ance to make the
day “hoppy” for all
the children. “This
was our first year of
doing an egg hunt
and we were excited
with the turn out and
delighted each child got to take home so many eggs that
were filled with candy, toys and free attractions tickets,”
said Mary Greenwood, owner of Funopolis Family Fun
Center. “We enjoy hosting these type of free events for
our community and hope to keep having them for many
years.”
EASTER BUNNY
Funopolis Family Fun
Center recently held an
Easter egg hunt. Children
were able to take pictures
with the Easter bunny.
Winter near average for Georgia
Despite some bone-chill
ing days with single digit
lows, Georgia’s winter was
about average in both tem
perature and precipitation.
This winter, which cli
matologists define as Dec.
1 to Feb. 28, was actually
the 57th coldest out of the
past 119 winter seasons.
This means that 56 years
were colder than the 2013-
14 winter season and 62
were warmer. This places
it just about right in the
middle.
Georgia’s winter precipi
tation was ranked 67th out
of 119 years, which means
that 66 years were drier
and 52 were wetter.
The near-normal aver
age temperatures this year
were the result of a com
bination of the scattered
days with above normal or
record-high temperatures
that some parts of the state
experienced and the peri
ods of frigid weather that
brought very cold tempera
tures to northern parts of
the state.
This was the first time
that such cold tempera
tures have been observed
in Georgia since the winter
of 1995-96. Periods of very
cold weather were more
frequent in the 20th centu
ry than in recent years.
The winter conditions
provided plentiful chill
hours for peaches across
Georgia. The fruit should
be in good shape this
spring.
Cold conditions have
reduced the average size
of Vidalia onions this year
as well as cut stands by
up to 25 percent. Overall,
however, supplies are con
sidered to be very good.
Lawns in north Georgia
with warm-season grass
es like centipede may see
Hogan
reunion
planned
The families of the late
Marion and Dora Hogan
will hold their annual
reunion on Sunday, May
18, in the family life cen
ter at White Plains Baptist
Church.
A covered dish meal
will be served at 1:15
p.m., leaders state. All
family members are urged
to attend and bring their
favorite dish to share with
others.
Plates, napkins, forks,
spoons, drinks, cups and
ice will be provided.
Family members are
encouraged to bring pho
tos to share.
Donations for the
reunion fund would be
appreciated. A donation
box will be available.
The church is located
on Highway 124 between
Braselton and Jefferson.
For additional informa
tion, call 706-367-9366 and
leave a message.
some damage due
to some of the
extreme low tem
peratures.
Some insect
pests may have
been cut back by
the cold weather,
but many are well
adapted to shel
ter in the coldest
conditions and the
rapid swings in
temperature may
not have provided long
enough cold conditions to
cause a significant dent in
their populations.
Other impacts
from this winter’s
weather include
the damage to tim
ber in the mid-Feb
ruary ice storm.
The ice caused
widespread power
outages and tree
damage to north
central and east
ern Georgia, par
ticularly in the
Augusta area.
While the state is start
ing to shake off the chill
of the last few months,
we can still expect short
spells of cooler and wet
ter than normal conditions
across Georgia for several
more weeks, based on pre
dictions from the Climate
Prediction Center, NOAA.
Pam Knox, arti
cle author, serves as
University of Georgia agri
cultural climatologist with
UGA Department of Crop
and Soil Science.
Bob Waldorf is the
Banks County extension
agent.
Banks County Water Quality Report-2013
I.ast year the Banks County Water Works conducted
over 55,508 laboratory tests for more than 80 drinking
water parameters. We are proud to inform you that
the Banks County water system did not have any
violations of water quality parameters during 2013.
Included in this report is information about where your
water comes from, what it contains, and how it
compares to standards set by regulatory agencies.
Your water department is committed to providing our
community with clean, safe and reliable drinking
water for all of us. For more information about your
water or this report please call Steve Reece at (706)
677-6889.
Your water comes from a 5 5-acre reservoir located
between Hwy. 441 and Apple Pie Ridge Road. This
source provides ample volumes of water to our
community. This reservoir is protected from
activities, which could potentially cause contamination
of this water source. The water gravity flows to the
treatment plant where treatment chemicals are added to
remove impurities from the water, then filtered and
finally chlorinated to disinfect the water.
Your Board of Commissioners meets on the second
Tuesday of each month at 6: 30 p.m. at tlie courthouse
boardroom. Your participation or comments arc
welcome at these meetings.
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 FPA's Safe Drinking Water
Hotline (800) 426-4791.
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 IIIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders,
some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk
from infections. ’Hicse people should seek advice
about drinking water from their health care providers.
FPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen
the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other
microbial contaminants arc available from the Safe
Drinking Water Hotline (800) 426-4791.
Be Water Wise! Everyone wants to help conserve our
valuable resources. Water is one of our most valuable
resources. We could not live without it!
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.
Contaminants that may be present in source w ater before
w r e treat it include
* Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and hacteria
which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic
systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife.
* Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals which
can be naturally occurring or result from urban stomi
ninotf: 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, uiban stomi
water runoff and residential uses.
*()rganic 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 storm water runoff,
and septic systems.
*Radi(Xicti\e contaminants, which can he naturally
occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and
mining activities,
* Lead contaminants If present, elevated levels of lead
can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant
women and young children. I.ead in drinking water is
primarily from materials associated with service lines and
home plumbing. Banks County Water is responsible for
providing. 1 ligh 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 tlie 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/«o\safewater/lead
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, wiiich
must provide the same protection for public health
Our distribution system continues to grow. Over
313.9 miles of water lines have been installed since our
inception. Banks County Water Works is currently
researching several options to supplement our current
water sources to ensure safe and reliable sources in tlie
future.
W ATER QUALITY DATA
The table below' lists all the drinking water contaminants that we detected during the 2013 calendar year. The
presence of these contaminants in the water does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk. Unless
otherwise noted, tlie data presented in this table is from testing done 3anuary I -December 31,2013. EPD requites us
to monitor lor certain contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants arc not
expected to vary significantly from year to year. Some of the data, though representative of the water
quality, is more than one year old.
Terms & Abbreviations used below:
Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG): the level of a contaminant in dnnkmg water below w hich there is
no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety.
Maximum Contaminant Level (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.
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 delectable at testing limit, pph - parts per billion or micrograms per liter, ppm -
parts per million or milligrams per liter, NTH- Nephelometric Turbity Units — measure of clarity of water. TT -
Treatment Technique a required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.
Inorganic Contaminant Table
Parameter
MCL
MCLG
Banks Co.
Range of
Sample
Violation
Typical Source
Water Svst.
Detection
Dale
Ycs/No
Nitnle
10.0
10.0
ND
N/A
2013
No
Runoff hum fertilizer use: teaching from
(H^i)
septic tanks, erosion of natural deposits
Nitrite
1.0
ND
N/A
2013
No
RunolT hum fertilizer use; teaching from
(HU))
septic tanks, erosion of natural deposits
Huonde
(PPm)
4.0
4.0
1.0
0.84—1.2
2013
No
Erosion of natural deposits; water additive
which promotes strong teeth
Organic Contaminant Tabic
Parameter
MCL
MCLG
Banks Co.
Range of
Sample
Violation
Typical Source
Water Svst.
Yea/No
TTHMs (Total Stage
1 Trihalomctliancs
80
N/A
59.2
16.5 - 54
2013
No
By-product of drinking water
cltlorination
Haktacetic Acids
Stage l(HAAS)
60
N/A
35.5
0-41
2013
No
By-product of dnnkmg w ater
disinfection
Disinfectants and Disinfection By-products Table
Parameter MCL MCLG Result Range Sample Date Violation Typical Source
Chlorine 4.0 4.0
(PPM)
2.6
2.0-2.5 2013
Disinfectant
Drinking water
Violation
Ty pical Source
NO
Soil runoff and
N/A
3orrosion
Sample Date
Turbiditx Tabic 3)13
Parameter MCL MCLG Result Range
Turbidity TT=5 NTU 0 .24 NTU N/A TT = Percentage 100%
of samples <0.3
NTU
About Nitrate: Nitrate in dnnking water at levels above 10 ppm is a health risk for infants of levs 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
tune because of rainfall or agricultural activity. If you arc caring for an infant you should ask for advice from your health
care provider.
Is our water system meeting other rules that govern our operations? EPD and EPA require us to test our water
on a regular basis to ensure quality and safety. We here at the Banks County Water System are working hard to make sure
that you will have an uninterrupted supply of clean safe drinking water for now and in the future
ia
bob
waldorf
