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HomeMy WebLinkAboutConsumer Confidence Report - For calendar year 2007 (published in 2008)Consumer ConfidenceReport 2008 Sources The Otay Water District imports an average of 85 percent of its water. This imported water is provided by the San Diego County Water Authority, which purchases water from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern Califor- nia. Imported water is a blend of Colorado River water and State Water Project water. The Otay Water District also purchases treated water from the City of San Diego and the Helix Water District. 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 water include: • Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria that may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife. • Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and met- als, that 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 that 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 that are byproducts of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff, agricultural application, and septic systems. • Radioactive contaminants that can be naturally- occurring or be the result of oil and gas produc- tion and mining activities. Your Consumer Confidence Report The Otay Water District is pleased to provide you with your annual consumer confidence report. This brochure is a snapshot of last year’s water quality. Included are details about where your water comes from, what it contains and how it compares to state standards. The information included in this water quality report represents only a small fraction of what we do to ensure high quality drinking water. Using state certi- fied laboratories, we routinely scrutinize the water supply for an entire range of elements that have the potential to degrade the quality of your water. As in years past, your tap water met all U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and State of California drinking water health standards. The Otay Water District vigilantly safeguards its water supplies and once again we are proud to report that our system has never violated a maximum contaminant level or any other water quality standard. The Truth about Tap Beliefs — Surveys have found that most consumers who drink bottled water do so be- cause they enjoy its taste or its portable convenience. Others drink bottled water because they believe it to be more pure or safer than their tap water. The TruTh — Did you know that the average bottle of water can cost up to 1,000 times more than tap water? Despite what its higher cost would lead us to believe, estimates are that 25- 40% of the bottled water on the market is simply repackaged tap water. Tap water is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Safe Drinking Water Act, while bottled water is considered a food and is thus regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Though some bottlers may voluntarily exceed FDA standards, those standards are less stringent than the EPA standards for tap water. For more information, visit www.DrinkTap.org. Your opTions — During these economically sensitive times, it’s important to know that you have other, more affordable, options to bottled water. Chill a pitcher of tap water in your refrigerator • To enhance the taste of tap water, one simple sug- gestion is to leave an open pitcher in the refrigerator overnight. The exposure to the air allows the small amount of chlorine, which is added to all tap water to ensure adequate disinfection and maintain high qual- ity, to evaporate. Using the chilled water pitcher with refillable water bottles or thermoses allows for an inexpensive way to achieve portability and a refresh- ing taste. Water filtration systems • Another possibility is to install a home water filter system. These systems are convenient, easy to use, and enhance the taste of water. These systems achieve the same desired results, while still costing a fraction of the price of bottled water. For more information on California state certified water filtration systems, click on the Devices and Machines link under the Certificates and Licenses section of the California Department of Public Health website, www.cdph.ca.gov. Conservation It’s Easy to Conserve! San Diego County has a semi-arid climate that receives only about 10 inches of rainfall per year. This does not provide enough water to meet local needs and the region must import as much as 90 percent of its water from the Colorado River and Northern California. To maintain our quality of life and ensure adequate water supplies now and for future generations, San Diego County residents are encouraged to make a conscious effort to use our limited supply of water as efficiently as possible. The Otay Water District offers a number of programs to save water both indoors and outdoors. For water wise landscaping tips, visit the Water Conservation Garden at Cuyamaca College or go to www.thegarden.org. For useful ways to conserve water around the house visit our website at www.otaywater.gov and click on conservation. Safety In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the USEPA and the State Department of Public Health (Depart- ment) prescribe regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. Department regulations also establish limits for contaminants in bottled water that must provide the same protection for public health. 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 USEPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline 1-800-426-4791 or online at www.epa.gov/safewater/hfacts.html. Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immunocom- promised persons such as persons with cancer under- going chemo therapy, 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. USEPA/Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryp- tosporidium and other microbial contaminants are avail- able from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791). parameTer uniTs sTaTe or federal mCl [mrdl] phG(mClG)[mrdlG] sTaTedlr ranGe averaGe skinnerplanT helix planT *oTaY planT major sourCes in drinkinG WaTer ClariTY Combined FilterEffluent Turbidity NTU%0.395 (a)NA NA Highest 0.13 0.10 0.29 Soil runoff % < 0.3 100%100%100% miCroBioloGiCal Total Coliform Bacteria %5.0 (b)(0)NA Otay Distribution System = 0%Naturally present in the environment Fecal Colifom and E. coli (c)(c)(0)NA Otay Distribution System = 0%Human and animal fecal waste inorGaniC ChemiCals Aluminum (d)ppb 1000 600 50 Range ND - 57 150-200 ND Residue from water treatment process; natural deposits erosionAverageND175ND Barium ppb 1000 2000 100 Range ND ND-100 ND Oil and metal refineries discharge;natural deposits erosionAverageNDNDND Fluoride (e)Naturally-occurring ppm 2.0 1 0.1 Range 0.2 - 0.3 0.2 - 0.3 0.2 - 0.3 Erosion of natural deposits; discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factoriesAverage0.2 0.3 0.3 Fluoride (e)Treatment-related Optimal Fluoride Control Range 0.7 - 1.3 0.7 - 1.3 0.7 - 1.3 Water additive for dental health ppm (i)1 0.1 Range 0.5 - 0.9 0.5-1.0 not added Average 0.8 0.8 not added Nitrate (as N) (f)ppm 10 10 0.4 Range ND - 0.4 ND ND - 2.1 Runoff and leaching from fertilizer use; septic tank and sewage; natural deposits erosionAverageNDNDND radioloGiCals (g) Gross AlphaParticle Activity pCi/L 15 (0)3 Range ND - 5.5 3.2-5.4 ND Erosion of natural deposits Average ND 4.6 ND Uranium pCi/L 20 0.43 1 Range 1.5 - 3.2 1.6-4.6 ND - 2.5 Erosion of natural deposits Average 2.3 3.1 ND disinfeCTion BY-produCTs, disinfeCTanT residuals, and disinfeCTion BY-produCTs preCursors (h) Total Trihalomethanes(TTHM)ppb 80 NA 0.5 Otay Distribution System Range = 39 - 72 By-product of drinking water chlorination Otay Distribution System Highest RAA Average = 50 Haloacetic Acids (five)(HAA5) ppb 60 NA 1 Otay Distribution System Range = 8 - 34 By-product of drinking water chlorination Otay Distribution System Highest RAA Average = 23 Total Chlorine Residual ppm [4.0][4.0]NA Otay Distribution System Range = 0.1 - 4.0 Drinking water disinfectant added for treatment Otay Distribution System Highest RAA Average = 2.6 Bromate (i) ppb 10 (0)5.0 Range NA ND-8.5 NA By-product of drinking water ozonation Highest RAA NA ND NA DBP Precursors Control(TOC) (h)ppm TT NA 0.30 Range 1.9 - 2.7 2.6-3.2 2.2 - 4.9 Various natural and man-made sources Average 2.3 2.9 3.3 primarY sTandards — lead and Copper rule — sampled aT The Tap in 2007 Copper (j) ppm NL=1.3 0.17 0.05 0 sites above NL out of 54 sampled Internal corrosion of household pipes; erosion of nautural deposits90th percentile=0.33 Lead (j) ppb NL=15 2 5 0 sites above NL out of 54 sampled Internal corrosion of household pipes; erosion of nautural deposits90th percentile=2.9 AL ...............Action Level DBP ............Disinfection By-Products DLR ............Detection Limits for purposes of Reporting MCL ...........Maximum Contaminant Level MCLG .........Maximum Contaminant Level Goal MFL ............Million Fibers per Liter MRDL .........Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level MRDLG .......Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal N ................Nitrogen NA .............Not Applicable ND .............None Detected NL ..............Notification Level NTU ...........Nephelometric Turbidity Units pCi/L ..........picoCuries per Liter PHG ............Public Health Goal ppb .............part per billion ppm ............part per million RAA ............Running Annual Average TT ...............Treatment Technique uS/cm ........micro-siemens/centimeter Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL): The highest level of a con-taminant that is allowed in drinking water. Primary MCLs are set as close to the PHGs (or MCLGs) as is economically and technologically feasible. Secondary MCLs are set to protect the odor, taste, and appearance of drinking water. Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG): The level of a contami-nant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs are set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Public Health Goal (PHG): The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. PHGs are set by the California Environmental Protection Agency. Primary Drinking Water Standard (PDWS): MCLs and MRDLs for contaminants that affect health along with their monitoring and reporting requirements, and water treatment requirements. Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level (MRDL): The level of a disinfectant added for water treatment that may not be exceeded at the consumer’s tap. Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal (MRDLG): The level of a disinfectant added for water treatment below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MRDLGs are set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. aBBreviaTions 2008 Otay Water District Consumer Confidence Report (a) The turbidity level of the filtered water shall be less than or equal to 0.3 NTU in 95% of the measurements taken each month and shall not exceed 1 NTU at any time. Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness of the water and is an indicator of treatment performance. The monthly averages and ranges of turbidity shown in the Secondary Standards were based on the treatment plant effluent. (b) Total coliform MCLs: No more than 5.0% of the monthly samples may be total coliform-positive. Compliance is based on the combined distribution system sampling from all the treatment plants. (c) Fecal coliform/E.coli MCLs: The occurrence of two (2) consecutive total coliform-positive samples, one of which contains fecal coliform/E. coli, constitutes an acute MCL violation. (d) Aluminum has both primary and secondary standards. (e) Data for the naturally-occurring fluoride were taken before the fluoridation treatment began. Fluoridation treat-ment of water supplies at the Skinner and Helix plants started in December, 2007. (f) State MCL is 45 mg/L as nitrate, which equals 10 mg/L as N. (g) Reported results were taken from four consecutive quarters of monitoring from August 2005 to April 2006 for the Skinner Plant, November 2006 - August 2007 for Helix, and calender year 2006 for the Otay Plant. (h) In 2007, all plants were in compliance with all provisions of the Stage 1 Disinfectants/Disinfection By-Products (D/DBP) Rule including the DBP precursor (TOC) control requirement. (i) Running annual average was calculated from quarterly results of weekly samples. Only Helix is required to test for Bromate due to the use of ozone for disinfection. Bromate reporting level is 3 ppb. (j) Lead and copper are regulated as a Treatment Technique under the Lead and Copper Rule. It requires systems to take water samples at the consumers’ tap. The action levels, which trigger water systems into taking treat-ment steps if exceeded in more than 10% of the tap water samples, are 1.3 ppm for copper and 15 ppb for lead. (k) Chromium VI reporting level is 0.03 ppb. (l) Ranges for the plant effluent were taken from two quarterly samples. Helix not requred to sample. * City of San Diego’s Otay Water Treatment Plant fooTnoTes: parameTer uniTs sTaTe or federal mCl [mrdl] phG(mClG)[mrdlG] sTaTedlr ranGe averaGe skinnerplanT helix planT *oTaY planT major sourCes in drinkinG WaTer seCondarY sTandards--aesthetic standards Aluminum (f)ppb 200 600 50 Range ND - 57 150-200 ND Residue from water treatment process; natural deposits erosion Average ND 175 ND Chloride ppm 500 NA NA Range 84 - 96 84-92 98 - 101 Runoff/leaching from natural deposits; seawater influence Average 92 88 92 Color Units 15 NA NA Range 1 - 2 1 - 2 1 - 2 Naturally occurring organic materials Average 2 2 1 Odor Threshold TON 3 NA 1 Range 2 2 ND - 2 Naturally-occurring organic materials Average 2 2 ND Specific Conductance µS/cm 1600 NA NA Range 755 - 927 818-920 832 - 1330 Substances that form ions in water; seawater influence Average 841 869 986 Sulfate ppm 500 NA 0.5 Range 134 - 202 180-210 126 - 202 Runoff/leaching from natural deposits;industrial wastesAverage169195155 Total Dissolved Solids(TDS)ppm 1000 NA NA Range 438 - 551 532-550 418 - 555 Runoff/leaching from natural deposits; seawater influence Average 495 541 498 Turbidity (a)NTU 5 NA NA Range 0.05 - 0.07 0.04 - 0.10 0.05 - 0.29 Soil runoff Average 0.05 .06 0.13 unreGulaTed ChemiCals reQuirinG moniTorinG Boron ppb NA NL =1000 100 Range 130 - 160 120-140 101 - 129 Runoff/leaching from natural deposits; industrial wastes Average 140 125 114 Chromium VI (k)ppb NA NA 1 Range 0.07 - 0.18 ND ND Industrial waste discharge; could be naturally present as wellAverage0.12 ND ND Vanadium ppb NA NL = 50 3 Range ND 3.7-5.2 ND Naturally-occurring; industrial waste discharge Average ND 4.5 ND federal reGulaTed ConTaminanTs WiTh no mCls List 1 - Assessment Monitoring Perchlorate ppb NA NA 4 Range ND - 4.6 ND ND Industrial waste discharge Average ND ND ND OTHER PARAMETERS Alkalinity ppm NA NA NA Range 91 - 106 94-129 103 - 131 Average 98 109 119 Calcium ppm NA NA NA Range 44 - 60 59-61 47 - 79 Average 53 60 57 Chlorate (l)ppb NA NL =800 20 Range ND - 23 NA ND By-product of drinking water chlorination; industrial processes Range 24 - 43 NA ND Hardness ppm NA NA NA Range 194 - 254 250-260 194 - 254 Municipal and industrial waste discharges Average 226 255 226 Magnesium ppm NA NA NA Range 19 - 25 24-25 4 - 24 Average 22 24.5 19 pH Units NA NA NA Range 7.9 - 8.2 7.8-8.1 6.9 - 8.5 Average 8.1 8.0 8.1 Potassium ppm NA NA NA Range 3.8 - 4.5 4.1-4.4 4.0 - 9.6 Average 4.2 4.3 4.9 Sodium ppm NA NA NA Range 73 - 89 79-84 82 - 90 Average 83 82 85 Todos tienen interés en la calidad de su agua y algunos a veces preguntan, “¿Puedo sentirme seguro bebiendo agua de la llave?” En el Condado de San Diego, la respuesta es que sí. Sistemas Públicos de Agua, tales como los opera- dos por Otay Water District, deben cumplir con estándares para agua potable muy altos impuestos por la United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). El agua de la llave es regulada de una manera más rigu- rosa que el agua embotellada y debe cumplir con todos los estándares de calidad de agua tanto federales como estatales. Estas regulaciones son típicamente límites numéricos en las concentraciones, o cantidades de ciertos contaminantes en el agua. Para poder cumplir con estas regulaciones, los suministros de agua deben proporcionar un tratamiento específico, como desinfección y filtración, para asegurar que el agua sea potable. Si todavía estas preocupado o prefieres beber agua con un sabor diferente, puedes comprar agua embotellada, pero puede costar hasta 1,000 veces más que el agua de la llave. Además, existen otras opciones más económicas que comprar agua embotellada. Para mejorar el sabor o el olor del agua de la llave, la cual esta tratada con cloro para asegurar una desinfección adecuada y mantener su alta calidad, la manera más fácil de hacer esto es dejar un recipiente abierto en el refrigerador toda la noche. Al exponer el agua al aire permite que cantidades pequeñas de cloro se evaporen. Además enfriar el agua la hace más refrescante. Otras opciones incluyen sistemas de filtración para casas que son convenientes, mejoran el sabor, y solo cuestan una fracción del precio de agua embotellada. Los consumi- dores que deciden comprar una unidad de tratamiento de agua para casas deben leer cuidadosamente la infor- mación del producto para que comprendan lo que están comprando. También, deben seguir cuidadosamente las instrucciones de manufactura para la operación y manten- imiento del sistema, y recordar cambiarle el filtro de una manera regular. Su Reporte de Confianza al Consumidor Otay Water District (OWD) esta orgulloso de proporcionarle su reporte de confianza al consumidor. Este folleto es una fotografía de la calidad del agua del año pasado. Vienen incluidos los detalles de donde proviene el agua, que contiene y como se compara con los estándares del estado. La información incluida en este reporte de calidad del agua representa una pequeña fracción de lo que hacemos para asegurar agua potable de alta calidad. Usando laboratorios certificados por el estado, rutinariamente escudri- ñamos el suministro de agua por un completo rango de elementos que tienen el potencial de degradar la calidad de su agua. Así como en años pasados, su agua potable reunió todos los estándares de sa- lud del EPA y el estado para agua potable. OWD de una manera vigilante salva- guarda los suministros de agua y una vez más estamos orgullosos de reportar que nuestro sistema nunca ha violado un nivel contaminante máximo o ningún otro estándar de calidad del agua. Una Plática Directa Sobre Agua The Otay Water District appreciates your comments and active participation. If you have questions about the information contained in this report, or testing processes, please contact Gary Stalker, System Operations Manager, at (619) 670-2228 or visit our website at www.otaywater.gov. You can also find helpful information by contacting the following agencies: California department of public health Division of Drinking Water and Environmental Management 1350 Front Street. Room 2050 San Diego, CA 92115 www. cdph.ca.gov/programs/ Pages/DWP.aspx united states environmental protection agency Office of Water (4101 M) 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20460 Safe Drinking Water Hotline: (800) 426-4791 www.epa.gov/safewater/ Este informe contiene información muy importante sobre su agua potable. Tradúzcalo o hable con alguien que lo entienda bien. Mahalaga ang impormasyong ito. Mangyaring ipasalin ito. www.otaywater.gov E-mail: opinion_form@otaywater.gov The Otay Water District’s water comes from multiple sources, each with varying fluoride levels, which blend together within the distribution system. As a result, levels of fluoride differ between individual service connections within our wide service area. In some communities, fluo- ride concentrations will be adequate for dental protection, and in others, supplemental fluoride prescriptions may be needed. For consumers’ benefit, fluoride levels are mea- sured per area and posted to the district’s website monthly. To view the fluoride concentration level in your community, please visit the Water Resources section of our website, www.otaywater.gov, and click on Fluoridation. Additional Fluoride Information Available For More Information Public Participation The Otay Water District encourages public participation from the customers we serve. The board of directors generally meets on the first Wednesday of each month at 3:30 p.m. at district headquarters, 2554 Sweetwater Springs Blvd., Spring Valley, 91978. We encourage the pub- lic to attend these meetings. For directions, agendas or for further information, call (619) 670-2222 or visit our website at www.otaywater.gov. Otay Water District Board of Directors Gary Croucher, President ..............Division 3 Jose Lopez, Vice President ...........Division 4 Jaime Bonilla, Treasurer ...............Division 2 Larry Breitfelder, Director .............Division 1 Mark Robak, Director .....................Division 5 oTaY WaTer disTriCT 2254 Sweetwater Springs Blvd. Spring Valley, CA 91978-2096 619-670-2222 Pr-Srt Std. US Postage paid Permit No.2 San Diego CA Consumer Confidence Report 2008