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HomeMy WebLinkAboutConsumer Confidence Report - For calendar year 2011 (published in 2012)CONFIDENCEREPORT 2012 CONSUMER YOuR CONsumER CONFIDENCE REPORT The Otay Water District is pleased to provide you with your annual consumer confidence report. This report 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 one or more state-certified laboratories, we routinely scrutinize the water supply for an entire range of elements that have the potential to degrade the quality of your water. Only compounds detected in water sources are included in this report. 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 exceeded a health-related maximum contaminant level or any other water quality standard. sOuRCEs The Otay Water District imports an average of 81 percent of its water. Imported water is a blend of Colorado River water and State Water Project water. The District purchases treated water from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California’s R.A. Skinner Treatment Plant (Skinner Plant), the County Water Authority’s Twin Oaks Valley Water Treatment Plant (Twin Oaks Plant), and from the Helix Water District’s R.M. Levy Treatment Plant (Helix Plant). 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: aMicrobial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria that may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife. aInorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, that can be naturally occurring or result from urban stormwater runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming. aPesticides and herbicides that may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and residential uses. aOrganic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals that are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff, agricultural application, and septic systems. aRadioactive contaminants that can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities. CONTamINaNTs ThaT maY bE PREsENT IN hOmE PlumbINg sYsTEms: a 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 Otay Water District 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 at 1-800-426-4791 or at http://www.epa. gov/safewater/lead. Concentric Serenity Natalie Hunt 1st Place Otay Water District; Regional Co-Winner 2 Chill a pitcher of tap water in your refrigerator To enhance the taste of tap water, one simple suggestion is to leave an open pitcher in the refrigerator overnight. The exposure to the air allows the small amount of chlorine to evaporate. Using the chilled water pitcher with refillable water bottles or thermoses allows for an inexpensive way to achieve portability and a refreshing taste. Residential water treatment devices Another possibility is to install a home water filter system. The 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. 1 saFETY In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the USEPA and the state of California’s Department of Public Health (CDPH) prescribe regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. CDPH 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 http://water.epa.gov/drink/index.cfm. Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immunocompromised 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. USEPA/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 Drinking Water Hotline 1-800-426-4791. sOuRCE waTER assEssmENTs The sources of water delivered by the Otay Water District include the Colorado River, the State Water Project, and local supplies. The agencies that supply treated drinking water to the Otay Water District, including the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, San Diego County Water Authority, and the Helix Water District, are required to perform Source Water Assessments on their raw water supplies. If you would like copies of the Source Water Assessments, please contact Mr. Gary Stalker, System Operations Manager, at (619) 670-2228. Risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline 1-800-426-4791. ThE TRuTh abOuT TaP waTER beliefs: Surveys have found that most consumers who drink bottled water do so because 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 percent 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. For more information on California state-certified residential water treatment devices, click on the Devices and Machines link under the Certificates & Licenses tab of the California Department of Public Health website: www.cdph.ca.gov/certlic/drinkingwater/Pages/default.aspx Morning Dewdrop Kristian Carreon Explosion of Life Olivia Thomas Fall Reflections Robyn Channell Bottle Full of Sunshine Natalie Hunt 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 labora- torios certificados por el estado, rutinariamente escudriñamos 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 salud del EPA y el estado para agua potable. OWD de una manera vigilante salvaguarda los suministros de agua y una vez más estamos orgullosos de reportar que nuestro sistema nunca ha excedido un nivel máximo de contaminante o ningún otro estándar de calidad del agua que impacte la salud. See Things Clearly Olivia Thomas 1st Place Otay Water District uNa PláTICa DIRECTa sObRE agua 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 re- spuesta es que sí. Sistemas Públicos de Agua, tales como los operados 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 rigurosa 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 propor- cionar 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 consumidores que deciden comprar una unidad de tratamiento de agua para casas deben leer cuidadosamente la información del producto para que comprendan lo que están comprando. También deben seguir cuidadosamente las instrucciones de manu- factura para la operación y mantenimiento del sistema, y recordar cambiarle el filtro de una manera regular. CONCuRsO DE FOTOgRaFía PaRa alumNOs DE PREPaRaTORIa - “saN DIEgO waTER COlORs” Le gusta las imágenes que ve en este informe? Algunas fueron tomadas por estudiantes de preparatoria Eastlake que presentaron su trabajo a un concurso de fotografía patrocinado por el Distrito. El concurso, que tenía como propósito hacer hincapié sobre la importancia del tema del agua, el recurso vital más valioso, requirió que los estudiantes presentaran fotografías que incorporaran el tema del agua y que se hayan tomado en el Condado de San Diego entre el 2011 y el 2012. Lea el título de cada foto para créditos de fotografía. www.otaywater.gov 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. COnSERVE EL AGUA A PARTIR DE HOy! CONsERVaTION - IT’s EasY! 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 much 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 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. aDDITIONal FluORIDE INFORmaTION aVaIlablE The Otay Water District purchases drinking water from multiple sources. Our water wholesalers each add fluoride to the water supply in compliance with the California Fluoridation Act of 1995. Due to the blending of waters, which varies by region and time of year, fluoride concentrations may vary slightly between test stations. Otay Water District laboratory personnel closely monitors fluoride levels throughout its service area and posts this information to our website on a monthly basis. Please visit the Otay Water District’s website to view test results. For more information about fluoridation, oral health, and current issues, please visit: www.cdph.ca.gov/certlic/drinkingwater/Pages/Fluoridation.aspx 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 public 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 aJose Lopez, President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Division 4 aDavid Gonzalez, Vice President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Division 1 aGary Croucher, Treasurer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Division 3 aMark Robak, Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Division 5 aMitch Thompson, Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Division 2 saN DIEgO waTER COlORs hIgh sChOOl PhOTO CONTEsT Like the pictures you see in this report? Some were taken by local high school students who submitted their work to a photo contest sponsored by the District. The contest, designed to draw attention to our most precious resource, required that students submit photos taken in San Diego County between 2011 and 2012 that incorporated water in some way. See each photo’s caption for photographer credits. FOR mORE INFORmaTION 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 (916) 558-1784 www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/pages/ddwem.aspx uNITED sTaTEs ENVIRONmENTal PROTECTION agENCY Office of Water (4101 M) 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, n.W. Washington, D.C. 20460 Safe Drinking Water Hotline: 1-800-426-4791 www.epa.gov/safewater/ E-mail: opinion_form@otaywater.gov Web: www.otaywater.gov Still Water Alexa Halwa 1st Place Otay Water District OTaY waTER DIsTRICT 2254 Sweetwater Springs Blvd. Spring Valley, CA 91978-2004 619-670-2222 WWW.OTAyWATER.GOV Pr-Srt Std. US Postage PaID Permit no. 700 San Diego, CA Tube