Loading...
CCR-Plum-Creek-2016.pdf2016 This report is designed to inform you about your drinking water quality. Our goal is to provide a safe and dependable supply of drink- ing water. We want you to understand the efforts we make to protect your water supply. The quality of your drinking water must meet state and federal require- ments administered by the Virginia Department of Health (VDH). The Montgomery County Public Service Authority (PSA) operates nine individual public water miles systems in the unincorpo- rated areas of the County. Combined, these systems consist of almost 100 miles of water mains, four wells, 16 water tanks, 22 pumps, 24 pressure reducing valves, seven connections to the NRV Regional Water Authority, and two con- nections to the City of Radford, Approximately 25.5 million gallons of water are distributed by the PSA monthly. If you have questions about this report, please contact: on the second floor in the Montgomery County Government Center, 755 Roanoke Street in Christiansburg. Our goal is to provide a safe and dependable supply of drinking water. We want you to understand the efforts we make to protect your water supply. Don Todora PSA Operations Specialist (540) 381-1997 For additional information about any aspect of your drinking water or to learn how to participate in decisions that may affect the quality of your drinking water, please contact: Bob Fronk PSA Director (540) 381-1997 PSA board meetings are held at 7:00 p.m. on the first Monday of each month in the multipurpose room # Introduction This and other important information are available on the PSA website: MontVA.com/psa Consumer Confidence Report Plum Creek Montgomery County Public Service Authority Water Systems THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY PUBLIC SERVICE AUTHORITY IS PLEASED TO REPORT THAT YOUR DRINKING WATER IS SAFE AND MEETS OR EXCEEDS ALL VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY STANDARDS. Drinking water, including bottled drinking 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. Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general pop- ulation. Immuno-compromised per- sons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ trans- plants, people with HIV/AIDS or oth- er immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particular- ly at risk from infections. These peo- ple should seek advice about drink- ing water from their health care pro- viders. USEPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by cryptosporidium and other microbiological contaminants along with additional information can be obtained by calling the Envi- ronmental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426- 4791) or by visiting their website (www.epa.gov/safewater). The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reser- voirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves natu- rally-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 water include: (1) Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which 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 stormwater runoff, indus- trial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas produc- tion, mining, or farming. (3) Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, ur- ban storm water runoff, and residential uses. (4) Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are byproducts of industrial process- es and petroleum production, and can also come from gas sta- tions, urban stormwater runoff, and septic systems. (5) Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally-occurring or be the result of oil and gas produc- tion and mining activities. In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the USEPA prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provid- ed by public water systems. Food and Drug Administration regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health. General information Page 2 Consumer Confidence Report the physical, chemical and biological contaminants to make the water safe for drinking. The New River was determined to be of high susceptibil- ity to contamination using criteria developed by the State in its USEPA approved Source Water Assessment Program. The assessment report consists of maps showing the source water assessment area, an inventory of known land use activities of con- cern, and documentation of any known contamination within the last five years from the date of the assess- ment. Treatment plants are operated to minimize threats associated with potential contamination of these water sources. Treatment of the groundwater sources at the PSA's wells consist of the addition of chlorine to disinfect the water. Chlorine residuals and turbidities are checked on a daily basis at the wells and throughout all the individual distribution systems. Water storage tanks are checked at least two times weekly. Source water assessments have been completed for the PSA’s groundwa- ter supplied systems: Riner and Woodview. These wells have a high susceptibility to contamination due to migration of contaminants with land use activities of concern, poten- tial conduits to groundwater and/or potential sources of contamination in the assessment areas. There has been no known contamination of these sources within the last five years. Source water assessments are available to view upon written re- quest. The nine water systems operated by the Public Service Authority include both surface water and groundwater sources. Four are supplied by the NRV Regional Water Authority; Prices Fork/Merrimac, Belview, Jennelle Road, Christiansburg to Elliston and Mudpike Road. Two are supplied by the City of Radford: Plum Creek and Bethel. Two are supplied by wells operated by the PSA: Riner and Woodview. The New River is the surface water source supplying the systems connected to NRV Regional Water Authority and The City of Rad- ford. The raw water goes to either the NRV Regional Water Authority Treatment Plant or The City of Rad- ford Water Treatment Plant. Treat- ment consists of chemical addition, coagulation, flocculation, settling, filtration and disinfection. All these processes work together to remove Sources and treatment of your drinking water Page 3 Contaminants in your drinking water are routinely monitored according to Federal and State regulations. The table on the following page shows the results of our monitoring for the period of January 1 to December 31, 2016 Any contaminants not listed in the table were not detected in your drinking water. PSA water is routinely monitored for up to 76 regulated, 48 unregulated, and many non-regulated contaminants. The Virginia De- partment of Health allows us to monitor for some contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contami- nants do not change frequently. Some of our data presented in the following table may be more than one year old. In the table and elsewhere in this report, you will find many terms and abbreviations with which you might not be familiar. The fol- lowing definitions are provided to help you better understand these terms. Quality on Tap ppm mg/l parts per million milligrams per liter One part per million corresponds to one minute in two years, or a single penny in $10,000.00. ppb μg/l parts per billion micrograms per liter One part per billion corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years, or a single penny in $10,000,000.00 MCLG Maximum Contaminant Level Goal the level of contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLG's allow for a margin of safety. MCL Maximum Contaminant Level the highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCL's are set as close to the MCLG's as feasible using the best available treatment technology. AL Action Level the concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow pCi/L Picocuries per liter a measure of the radioactivity in water N/A Not Applicable abbreviation used in the "range" section mrem/yr millirems per year a measure of radiation absorbed by the body MRDLG Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal the level of drinking water disinfectant below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MRDLG’s do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contaminants. MRDL Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level the highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants. TT Treatment Technique a required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water NTU Nephelometric Turbidity Unit a measure of the clarity of water. Turbidity in excess of 5 NTU is just noticeable to the average person. ND Not Detected Level 1 Assessment Lab analysis indicates that the contaminant is not present or is below detection limit A study of water system to identify potential problems and determine (if possible) why total coliform bacteria have been found. Additional health 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. The Montgomery County Public Service Authority 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 two 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 Water Drinking Hotline (800-426-4791) or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead. Drinking water levels The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency sets MCL’s at very stringent levels. In developing these standards, USEPA as- sumes that the average adult drinks two liters of water each day throughout a 70-year lifespan. USEPA generally sets MCL’s at levels that will result in no adverse health affects for some contaminants or a one-in-one million chance of having the described health effect for other contaminants. Microbiological contaminants present CONTAMINANT LEVEL IN DATE OF TYPICAL SOURCE (units) MCLG MCL DETECTED RANGE COMPLIANCE SAMPLE OF CONTAMINANT TOTAL ORGANIC N/A TT, met 1.00 N/A YES 2016 Naturally present in the environment CARBON when > 1 or alternate criteria is met TURBIDITY (NTU) N/A TT, 1 NTU max 0.110 0.020 to 0.110 YES 2016 Soil runoff TT, < 0.3 (100% of the time) 100% N/A YES 2016 Inorganic contaminants present CONTAMINANT LEVEL IN DATE OF TYPICAL SOURCE (units) MCLG MCL DETECTED RANGE COMPLIANCE SAMPLE OF CONTAMINATION NITRATE/NITRITE 10 10 0.37 N/A YES 2016 Runoff from fertilizer use, leaching (ppm) from septic tanks, sewage, erosion of natural deposits BARIUM (ppm) 2 2 0.021 N/A YES 2016 Discharge of drilling wastes, Discharge from metal refineries, Erosion of natural deposits, FLOURIDE 4 4 0.57 N/A YES 2016 Erosion of natural deposits, water additive which promotes strong teeth. Volatile organic contaminants present CONTAMINANT LEVEL IN DATE OF TYPICAL SOURCE (units) MCLG MCL DETECTED RANGE COMPLIANCE SAMPLE OF CONTAMINATION CHLORINE (ppm) MRDLG=4 MRDLG=4 1.17 0.5 to 3.7 YES 2016 Water additive used to control microbes HALOACETIC ACID N/A 60 53 27 to 59 YES 2016 By-product of drinking water (ppb) disinfection TOTAL TRIHALO- N/A 80 66 32 to 98 YES 2016 By-product of drinking water Plum Creek 2016 water quality results of regulated contaminants At the customer tap Inorganic contaminants present CONTAMINANT ACTION 90TH # SITES IN DATE OF TYPICAL SOURCE (units) MCLG LEVEL PERCENTILE EXCEEDING AL COMPLIANCE SAMPLE OF CONTAMINATION LEAD (ppb) 0 15 1.5 0 YES 2014 Corrosion of household plumbing COPPER (ppm) 1.3 1.3 0.020 0 YES 2014 Corrosion of household plumbing VIOLATION INFORMATION There were no violations during 2016. ADDITIONAL MONITORING OF YOUR WATER In 2016, the City of Radford began monitoring for Cryptosporidium in the source water (before treatment) as required by EPA’s Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (LT2ESWTR). Cryptosporidium is a microscopic parasite found in surface water throughout the United States. Ingestion of Cryptosporidium may cause cryptosporidiosis, an abdominal infection. Although filtration removes Cryptosporidium, the most commonly used filtration methods cannot guarantee 100 perfect removal. Under the LT2ESWTR, the average Cryptosporidium concentration determines if additional treatment measures are needed. Twenty-four samples are required over a two-year period. During 2016, the average Cryptosporidium concentration was 0.0 oocysts per liter for the three samples collected. While our monitoring indicates the presence of these organisms in our source water (before treatment), the current test methods do not allow us to determine if the organisms are dead or if they are capable of causing disease. Based on the Cryptosporidium monitoring results so far and the current performance of the treatment plant, we anticipate meeting the future treatment requirements of the LT2ESWTR. In the distribution system