Water Quality Report for 2003

SYRACUSE WATER NEWSLETTER City of Syracuse Department of Water May 2003 PAGE 1 Cover: Neptune, mythical god of the sea, guards the entrance to Stewart Standpipe (1925) in Thornden Park. PAGE 2 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report for 2003 City of Syracuse, New York (Public Water Supply ID #3304334) Matthew J. Driscoll, Mayor Michael S. Cole, Acting Commissioner of Water May 2003 Table of Contents INTRODUCTION 3 SYRACUSE WATER SUPPLY AND WATER SYSTEM 5 WATER USE 6 COST OF WATER 6 WATER TREATMENT 7 SKANEATELES LAKE FILTRATION WAIVER 7 LEAD CORROSION CONTROL 8 WATER QUALITY MONITORING 9 FOR MORE INFORMATION 11 DETECTED CONTAMINANT TABLES 12 GIARDIA AND CRYPTOSPORIDIUM 18 WATER CONSERVATION 18 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION 20 LEAD IN YOUR DRINKING WATER 21 FLOODING AND FLOOD PREVENTION 24 PAGE 3 INTRODUCTION The Annual Drinking Water Quality Report allows the Syracuse Water Department to provide customers and users of the City of Syracuse water system with useful information about the water system, the quality of the water and about important issues affecting your water supply. This report is prepared pursuant to regulations and guidelines of both the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the NYS Department of Health (DOH). The City of Syracuse Water Department (SWD) provides retail water service to the entire city of Syracuse. Through wholesale and other service agreements, the SWD also supplies water to portions of the towns of DeWitt, Onondaga, Geddes, Camillus, Skaneateles, Salina, and the villages of Jordan and Elbridge. If you have any questions about the source of your water, check with the water purveyor that sends your water bill and ask for information concerning the source of water that you receive at your home or business. 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 EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791). Some people may be more vulnerable to disease–causing microorganisms or pathogens 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 HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice from their health care providers. EPA/Center for Disease Control 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). In general, 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: C Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife; C Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally-occurring or result from urban storm-water runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming; C Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban storm-water runoff, and residential uses; C Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are byproducts of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban storm water runoff, and septic systems; and C Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities. PAGE 4 In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA and the NYS DOH prescribe regulations which 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, which must provide the same protection for public health. In this report we describe your water system and what the Syracuse Water Department is doing to meet federal and state water quality regulations and provide the best quality water we possibly can for you, our customers. If you have any comments about this report, or questions about your water system, please do not hesitate to contact the Syracuse Water Department at 473-2609. You may send e-mail to the City of Syracuse through the city’s web site, www.syracuse.ny.us or directly at [email protected]. You may send us mail through the U.S. Postal Service at 101 North Beech Street, Syracuse New York 13210. SYRACUSE WATER SUPPLY AND WATER SYSTEM The primary water supply for the city of Syracuse is Skaneateles Lake, a “Finger Lake” located approximately 20 miles southwest of the city. Syracuse has utilized this lake for its water supply since 1894. Skaneateles Lake is approximately 15 miles long and one mile wide with a maximum depth of 300 feet. Skaneateles Lake has a relatively small watershed of 59 square miles and a water surface area of 14 square miles. Skaneateles Lake is one of the cleanest lakes in the world. The high quality of the water makes it possible to utilize the lake’s water without filtration. Skaneateles Lake is one of the few large system surface water supplies in the country that is approved as an unfiltered water supply. The high quality of this water is due to: the shape and size characteristics of the lake and watershed, the fact that sewage discharges (including from sewage treatment plants) are not allowed into surface waters in the Skaneateles Lake watershed, the efforts of the city of Syracuse’s watershed protection program, and to the stewardship of residents and landowners of the watershed. In the 1970’s the Onondaga County agency known as the Metropolitan Water Board (MWB) constructed a water line between Lake Ontario and Syracuse. As a result, the city is able to supplement its Skaneateles Lake water supply with Lake Ontario water when necessary. The city normally relies upon Lake Ontario water during times when drought conditions limit the available supply from Skaneateles, during emergencies, or during periods of high consumption. Since the MWB system is connected to the city’s system on the north side of the city, this area may receive water from Lake Ontario from time to time. During 2002 a very small portion of the city was provided with water obtained from the Onondaga County Water Authority. The source of that water is the filtered Otisco Lake supply, which is operated by the OCWA. This water has been distributed to 48 households in the Winkworth area since the city’s pumping station, which serves the area, is out of service and is in need of a major overhaul. An emergency interconnection between the city’s system and the OCWA system is enabling the city to provide this area with water while plans are finalized for the replacement of the Winkworth Pumping Station. The project will be completed in 2003. The Syracuse water system is made up of over 500 miles of pipelines to deliver water from Skaneateles Lake to the city and to distribute the water throughout the city. Water is stored in the city in Woodland and Westcott Reservoirs on the west side of the city. (During 2002 Westcott Reservoir was not used in order for the Water Department to investigate needed repairs at this facility.) Water is also stored in two standpipes and in the three tanks that comprise Morningside Reservoir. PAGE 5 In 2002 the Water Department worked on several key projects intended to rehabilitate and/or improve water supply facilities or systems. ! The Department of Water continued the replacement of 1400 commercial water meters, sized 1 ½ “ to 8”. Each meter is equipped with an automated reading device to expedite meter reading. The project has been funded for $1,750,000 and will be completed during 2003. ! 560 feet of new 6-inch ductile iron pipe was installed in South Salina Street to replace an old 2-inch galvanized pipe that was supplying a one block area. ! Installed 450 feet of new 8-inch ductile iron pipe on North Geddes Street from Van Rensselaer Street to Pulaski Street. This main installation eliminated 3 dead ends and improved the fire protection to this area. ! Replaced 350 feet of old 6-inch pipe with new 12-inch ductile iron pipe on Irving Avenue ! Engineering studies and water quality monitoring continued on Skaneateles Lake during 2002 to explore the feasibility of extending on of the water intake into deeper water WATER USE During 2002 an average of 40.8 million gallons per day (MGD) was drawn from Skaneateles Lake for water supply purposes and an average of 1.26 MGD of Lake Ontario water was used to supplement the Skaneateles Lake supply for a total of 42.1 MGD, on average. The city and outside the city customers, and municipal uses consumed an average of 27.3 MGD. The maximum day water use was 49.4 MGD and the minimum day was 34.2 MG. Water lost from the system as a result of leakage, meter inaccuracies and unauthorized water use was estimated to be 12.8 MGD during 2002. 2002 was a relatively dry year and on average just 5.9 MGD was released at the outlet of Skaneateles Lake to control lake level and maintain Skaneateles Creek flow at mandated level.

Load more