2020 WATER QUALITY REPORT

2020 WATER QUALITY REPORT

CITY OF NEWARK: NEWARK RESERVOIR BOOSTER PUMPS

Annual Water Quality Report

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Newark meets or exceeds the water quality requires public water suppliers to provide standards of the Delaware Division of Public consumer confidence reports (CCR) to their Health Office of Drinking Water and the customers . These reports are also known as Environmental Protection Agency. The tables on annual water quality reports. The below report pages 4-6 of this report list those substances summarizes information regarding the sources found in our finished water during calendar year used (i.e. rivers, reservoirs, or aquifers), any 2019. detected contaminants, compliance and educational efforts. How the Water is Treated The City’s 317 million gallon reservoir provides a Drinking water, including bottled water, may At the Curtis Water Treatment Plant (CWTP), reliable source of raw water which can be treated reasonably be expected to contain at least small water from the White Clay Creek is clarified with and ready for drinking in times of heavy rain or amounts of some substances. The presence of alum and polymer and then filtered to remove drought. In an effort to keep sediment these substances does not necessarily indicate impurities. Chlorine is added to kill harmful accumulation in our water mains to a minimum, that water poses a health risk. In order to ensure bacteria and viruses. Finally, fluoride is added to we flush the entire system yearly. that tap water is safe to drink, the EPA prescribes the water to protect your teeth. regulations which limit the amount of certain Our treated water needs to remain fresh and contaminants in water provided by public water The South Well Field (SWF) Iron & Manganese retain sufficient chlorine for disinfection; as such, systems. The United States Food and Drug Removal Plant aerates well water by a forced air each month, we analyze 40 distribution system Administration regulations establish limits for blower to remove any volatile compounds and water samples for bacterial content and chlorine. contaminants in bottled water which must provide raise the pH. The water is then treated with Regulated substances are sampled as required. the same protection for public health. chlorine and pumped through green sand filters, which remove iron and manganese, in addition to More information regarding contaminants and filtering the water. Other chemicals added to the potential health effects can be obtained by calling water are fluoride, sodium hydroxide to further the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800)- raise the pH, and polyphosphate to reduce the 426-4791. corrosiveness of the water. Newark’s High-Quality Water Managing the Distribution System

The City of Newark Water Department has been City of Newark committed to providing high-quality water since The City maintains approximately 140 miles of 1888. As a result of our regular sampling and water main throughout the distribution system. Department of Public Works testing program, we are proud to report Seven tanks store enough water to last two days. And Water Resources 2020 WATER QUALITY REPORT | City of Newark 2

The Source of Your Water

The adjacent map illustrates what source serves each section of the City. The South Well Field contains several wells that draw water from the sand and gravel Potomac and Columbia aquifers. The Curtis Water Treatment Plant has been withdrawing water from the White Clay Creek since 1992. The White Clay Creek is also the source of the water we use to fill the reservoir.

Water in our reservoir is recirculated by a pump through an engineered wetlands moat extending around the perimeter. At the north end of the reservoir, the water flows through a special sand and gravel material before being returned to the reservoir. This wetland’s bench helps to clarify and remove nutrients from the water prior to being treated at the treatment plant. An aeration system (installed in 2016) assist in mixing the reservoir water resulting in uniform water quality from top to bottom.

Protecting Our Resources

the streams including the White Clay Creek. Source Water Assessment

Additionally, the City is financially invested in

assisting our upstream farmers to implement best In 1996, Congress amended the Safe Drinking management practices to better manage runoff Water Act, creating a new program titled Source from animal manure and minimize the risk of Water Assessment and Protection Program. Each waterborne pathogens. state is required to identify and evaluate all sources of water that are used as a drinking water White Clay Creek Watershed Groundwater Aquifers source within the state. The goal of the program is to assess the susceptibility of public water sources The White Clay Creek is designated as a National Preventing pollution is the top priority in to contamination and to promote and facilitate Wild and Scenic River, and Newark is actively protecting our groundwater supply. In 1991, the protection of these water sources. Customers involved in the White Clay Creek Wild and Scenic Newark developed and implemented Water should contact the City of Newark Public Works & watershed management plan. The plan delineates Resource Protection Regulations. The regulations Water Department at 302-366-7000 about how to a cooperative approach to resource management protect our drinking water supply from pollution obtain a copy of our surface and groundwater and watershed protection. Newark also that may be associated with inappropriate land assessments. Our surface and groundwater participates in the watershed-based Christina uses in the areas around our wells. assessments are also available online: Basin Water Quality Management Strategy, which http://delawaresourcewater.org/assessments is designed to protect and improve the quality of 2020 WATER QUALITY REPORT | City of Newark 3

Water System Update Report Prepared June 2020 NEWARK WATER FACTS

Main Street Water Main Improvements POPULATION SERVED: ~40,000 METERED CUSTOMERS: ~10,000 ANNUAL AVERAGE PUMPAGE: 3.4 MILLION So why are these improvements necessary? GALLONS PER DAY First and foremost, improved fire protection. The original hydrant leads date back over 100 SERVICE AREA: 12 SQUARE MILES years. Unlike the water main they were not PURCHASED WATER SUPPLY: < 1% cleaned and lined in 2002 and were subject

to mineral build-up and corrosion ultimately reducing flow capacity. The new hydrant leads, being 63% wider in Surface water treated at the Curtis Water Treatment As one would expect the City’s water system diameter, will Plant makes up roughly 63% of all drinkable water within has a long history when it comes to Main increase the the City. Street. The existing water main still in use flow rate. today dates back to 1888. The water main Simply put… was cleaned and relined with cement in 2002. more water Even being over 100 years old the water main can flow itself is in great shape; however, the hydrant through a 6” leads are smaller than the now standard 6” pipe than a 37% and original inline valves are no longer 4”. A total of The remaining 37% of water for our residents is pulled reliable. 14 new from various groundwater supply wells. hydrants and appurtenances were installed. Conservation Tips Check your toilet for leaks by putting Secondly, the addition of new inline valves food coloring in your will reduce the impact of a service disruption tank and see if the color during future repairs. A higher density of shows up in the toilet inline valves means that City crews can bowl without flushing. isolate a smaller section of water main which Leaking toilets can in turn minimizes the number of impacted waste up to 600 gallons customers. A total of 15 new inline valves per day. along Main Street were installed and added Turn the water off while to the system. brushing your teeth. During the summer of 2019, the City of Take shorter showers. Newark contracted with DelDOT’s contractor Use dishwasher and clothes washer for (ADEL Construction) to make repairs to the full loads only. water main along Main Street as part of Keep a bottle of cold water in the DelDOT’s Main Street paving and refrigerator. rehabilitation project. Pairing these two Water your lawn only when necessary. projects not only minimized the overall Water in the evening or early morning to impact on Main Street but allowed the reduce evaporation. upgrades to get performed prior to the road Avoid watering on windy days. improvements. Fixing a leaking faucet can save 140 gallons of water a week. The City of Newark Public Works and Use a bowl of water to clean and Water Resources Department would like to prepare vegetables, rather than letting acknowledge and thank the business and the faucet run. residents along Main Street for their To easily identify water saving products, cooperation and flexibility by adjusting to look for the WaterSense label when the water outages and boil water replacing faucets, toilets, and shower advisories. heads. For more water conservations tips, check out our website at http://cityofnewarkde.us 2020 WATER QUALITY REPORT | City of Newark 4

Annual Water Quality Report for the period of January 1 to December 31, 2019

Highest Range of Unit of Level Ideal Goal Highest Level Regulated Substances Levels Date Violation Major Sources Measure Allowed MCLG Detected Detected MCL

Barium ppm 2 2 0.213 0.045 - 0.213 12/30/2015 N Discharge of drilling wastes; Discharge from metal refineries; Erosion of natural deposits

Chromium ppb 100 100 2.5 1.7 - 2.5 12/30/2015 N Discharge from steel and pulp mills; Erosion of natural deposits

Erosion of natural deposits; Water additive which promotes strong teeth; Discharge from fertilizer Fluoride ppm 2 2 0.8058 0 – 0.8058 2019 N and aluminum factories

Methyl Tert-Butyl Ether ppb 10 0 0 0 2019 N Oxygenate for fuel (i.e. gasoline)

Nickel ppb 100 0 1.4 1.2 - 1.4 2015 N Leachate from metals such as pipes and fittings.

1.1965 – Nitrate ppm 10 10 6.4298 2019 N Runoff from fertilizer use; Leaching from septic tanks, sewage; Erosion of natural deposits 6.4298

Total Organic Carbon ppm TT * 2.33 1.09 - 2.33 2019 N Naturally present in the environment

Turbidity NTU 0.3 * 0.15 0.01-0.15 2019 N Particulate matter from soil erosion and biological cycles

Radioactive Contaminants

Gross alpha excluding pCi/L 15 0 0.89 0.89 2016 N Erosion of natural deposits radon and uranium *Special Education Statements Most Recent Monitoring Statement: The Office of Drinking Water allows us to monitor for some contaminants less than once per year. This is because the concentration of these contaminants do not change frequently. Some of our data though representative, are more than one year old. Nitrate: Drinking water nitrate levels above 10 ppm are a health risk for infants of less than 6 months in age. High nitrate levels in drinking water can cause blue baby syndrome in infants consuming this water. Nitrate levels may rise quickly for short periods of time because of rainfall or agricultural activity. If you are caring for an infant you should seek advice from your health care provider. Total Organic Carbon: (TOC) has no health effects. TOC is an indicator for the formation potential of disinfection byproducts - trihalomethanes (TTHM's) and haloacetic acids (HAA's). Drinking water containing these disinfection byproducts in excess of their respective MCL's may lead to adverse health effects. Our water is well below the MCL's for these disinfection byproducts. Turbidity: the turbidity (cloudiness of the water) samples of water leaving the treatment plant must be less than 0.3 nephelometric turbidity units in at least 95% of samples in any month.

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Annual Water Quality Report (Cont.)

Ideal Disinfectants and Disinfection Unit of Highest Level Highest Level Allowed MCL Goal Range of Levels Detected Date Violation Major Sources By- Products Measure Detected MCLG Water additive used to control Chlorine ppm 4 4 1 0.9-1 2019 N microbes By-product of drinking water Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)* ppb 60** no goal 32.7 1.33-32.7 2019 N disinfection By-product of drinking water Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) ppb 80** no goal 62.7 9.4 – 62.7 2019 N disinfection **This MCL is based on a locational running annual average. The 2019 running annual average for HAA5s ranged between 8.84 – 21.83 ppb and 23.35 – 48.48 ppb for TTHMs at the Stage 2 Disinfection Byproduct

monitoring locations.

# of Unit of Lead and Copper Action Level sites 90th Percentile Range of All Samples Date Violation Major Sources Measure over AL Erosion of natural deposits; Leaching 90th Percentile Copper ppm 1.3 0 0.7 nd - 0.893 2017 N from wood preservatives; Corrosion of household plumbing systems. Corrosion of household plumbing 90th Percentile Lead ppb 15 1 1.6 nd – 42.2++ 2017 N systems; Erosion of natural deposits.

++ The 42.2 ppb sample site was retested and no lead was detected during the analysis. Disregarding this sample the highest lead concentration detected during the program was 4.6 ppb. *Special Education Statements 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 City of Newark 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 the 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 www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

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Annual Water Quality Report (Cont.)

Average Unregulated Substances and Unit of Annual SMCL Goal Level Date Secondary Standards Measure Range Detected no Alkalinity ppm nr goal 68.68 67.04 – 70.32 2019

Chloride ppm 250 <250 59.55 45.26 – 87 2019 Iron ppm 0.3 <0.3 0 0 2019 Manganese ppm 0.05 0 0.006 0 – 0.012 2015

Sodium ppm nr <50 31.03 20.68 – 41.37 2019 Sulfate ppm 250 <250 31.27 23.25 – 40.32 2019

*Special Education Statements Most Recent Monitoring Statement: The Office of Drinking Water allows us to monitor for some contaminants less than once per year. This is because the concentration of these contaminants do not change frequently. Some of our data, though representative, are more than one year old. Definition of Terms

Action Level - AL the concentration of a contaminant which when exceeded requires the water supplier to remediate. Highest Level Detected (HLD) - the highest level detected in a group of samples Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) - the highest level of a contaminant that that is allowed in drinking water. Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) - the level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known risk to health. Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level (SMCL) means an MCL which involves an adversely affect the taste, odor, color, or appearance (aesthetics) millirem per year (mrem/yr) the millirem per year is the unit of absorbed radiation dose in one year Non detects (nd) - laboratory analysis indicates that the contaminant is below the laboratory detection limit. Not Regulated (nr) - no MCL established for this contaminant Picocuries Per Liter (pCi/l) - the unit of measure using picocuries in one liter. The measure of the radioactivity in water. ppb parts per billion or micrograms per liter - one once in 7,350,000 gallons of water ppm parts per million or milligrams per liter - one once in 7,350 gallons of water. Trihalomethanes and Haloacetic Acids - compounds that maybe formed when organic material in the source water reacts with chlorine. Treatment Technique (T.T.) - a required treatment process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water, coagulation, filtration, and disinfection of the raw water prior to public distribution. Turbidity - the measure of the clarity of water in nephelometric turbidity units (NTU).

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Controlling Runoff Change or adjust your And finally, below are landscape important facts about maintenance water we should all practices. try to remember.

Minimize use of chemicals and fertilizer. Wise water use is very important. The application of herbicides, pesticides, Water is a natural resource shared by and fertilizers should follow everyone. recommended dosing procedures; and, The amount of water on the earth does applied only when rain is not in the not change. immediate forecast. Water is not always available where it is Leave mulched grass clippings on the needed. lawn to feed the lawn and reduce Water is used by people in many Runoff is a major issue with regard to both surface fertilizer needed later. different ways. and ground water quality. Here are several things Don’t mow lawns less than two inches. Pollution makes water more difficult and you can do to reduce the negative effects of This develops longer roots, shades out expensive to make safe. runoff: weeds, and reduces water requirements. Wasting water wastes energy because it Minimize lawn watering practices. Learn requires energy to treat water, and Control soil erosion whenever you about the best time to water your lawn pump it. disturb the ground. Protect disturbed and the best amount of water to apply. ground with mulch or plants. Plant native species. They are easier to Pick up and properly dispose of pet maintain and feed the local wildlife. With everyone’s help we can significantly improve waste. Compost garden debris, leaves and and preserve the water resources that we rely Direct down spouts away from paved vegetable scraps for a free soil upon to supply our potable water. areas and towards vegetated areas. supplement. Establish rain gardens to allow rain Don’t mow to stream banks. Leaving A portion of the information for this section was water to slowly infiltrate into and taller grasses in these buffer areas gathered from publications developed by the recharge the ground water. reduces erosion and improves water White Clay Creek Watershed Association. Use rain barrels to collect and store rain quality. water for gardening use. Additional information can be found at the

Reduce impervious surfaces by using following web sites:

porous paving blocks, filter cloth,

concrete cellular mattresses, block and White Clay Wild and Scenic River Program

concrete pavers, gravel, stone, and www.whiteclay.org

vegetation. White Clay Watershed Association

Support reforestation efforts along local Http://mercury.ccil.org/~wcwa/

streams and rivers. City of Newark https://newarkde.gov/

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Important Health Notes

Important Information about Lead: Recent events in Flint Michigan have Radon: Radon gas is found in soil. The gas Your Drinking Water highlighted the importance of proper water moves through the ground into the air and system management and operation as well as may enter homes through foundations. transparency, especially due to the public Drinking water from groundwater may add Information for You health implications that can come as a result. radon to the home air. The EPA indicates the The City of Newark is in compliance with the risk is small compared to the radon entering The sources of drinking water (both tap water and lead and copper regulations. If you have through soil. Standards for monitoring radon bottled water) include streams, ponds, reservoirs, immediate concerns about the potential for in drinking water have not been set by EPA and wells. As water travels over the surface of the lead in your drinking water, please call the and the Delaware Office of Drinking Water. land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally Public Works and Water Resources Department occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive at 302-366-7000 and we will work with you to Special Populations Some people may be material and may pick up substances resulting perform lead sampling in your house free of more vulnerable to substances in drinking from the presence of animals or human activity. charge. water than the general population. Immuno- compromised persons, such as persons with Substances that may be present in source water One unique aspect of lead and copper cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons include: sampling is that due to testing requirements, who have undergone organ transplants, Microbial substances include viruses and we rely on volunteers from the community people with HIV/AIDS or other immune bacteria, which may be naturally who are willing to participate for sample system disorders, some elderly, and infants occurring or from sewage treatment gathering. If you are interested in can be particularly at risk from infections. plants, septic systems, agricultural participating in the next round of lead and These people should seek advice about livestock operations, and wildlife. copper sampling which will take place during drinking water from their health care Inorganic substances include salts and the summer of 2020, please contact the providers. EPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate metals, which can be naturally occurring Public Works and Water Resources means to lessen the risk of infections by or result from urban storm runoff, Department at 302-366-7000 for cryptosporidium and other microbial industrial or domestic wastewater consideration. Sampling locations will then be substances are available from the EPA Safe discharges, or farming. selected in accordance with our State Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791. Pesticides and herbicides may come approved sampling plan from a variety of sources such as You may have agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, Cryptosporidium and Giardia: seen reports about Cryptosporidium and and residential uses. Giardia, microscopic organisms which can Organic chemical substances include enter surface waters from runoff containing synthetic and volatile organics, which animal wastes. If ingested, Cryptosporidium are by-products of industrial processes and Giardia can cause diarrhea, fever and and can also come from gasoline other gastro-intestinal symptoms. Crypto and stations, urban stormwater runoff, and Giardia were not found in Newark’s finished septic systems. water sample. The organisms are eliminated Radioactive substances which can be in our treatment process through filtration, naturally occurring or the result of oil clarification and disinfection. and gas production and mining activities.

2020 WATER

If you have any questions concerning your water, Newark City Council meets each Monday of the QUALITY your water service, or this report, please call or month. The meetings are held in the Newark write to us at: City Council Chamber at the Newark Municipal City of Newark Building, 220 South Main Street Newark, REPORT PWS ID: 0000630 Delaware, starting at 7:00 pm. Department of Public Works & Water Resources c/o Tim Filasky, Ethan Robinson, Mark Neimeister Additional Information can be obtained by 220 South Main Street or Andrea Coyle calling the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline Newark, Delaware 19711 220 South Main Street (800) 426-4791 Newark, Delaware 19711 (302) 366-7000 https://newarkde.gov/.