Annual Drinking Water Quality Report 1
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2015 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report 1 Quality • Value • Reliability • Customer Service 2015 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report 2 2015 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report TABLE OF CONTENTS A Message from the Director 2 Our Water Supply 3 A Message from the Director Our Water Treatment Process 4 Diversifying Our Water Supply 5 I am very pleased to share with you the 2015 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report WHY is Pure Water San Diego Being Implemented 5 that shows the high quality of your drinking water. WHAT is Pure Water San Diego 5 In fact, San Diego Public Utilities department is working to ensure that all our HOW does Pure Water Program Work 5 customers have safe, reliable and high-quality water for years to come. That’s why we WHERE is the Pure Water Program 6 are implementing the Pure Water program which will deliver 30 million gallons per WHEN will the New Facility be Built 6 day by 2021 and a total of 1/3 of our City’s drinking water supply by 2035. WHAT are The Steps 6 Follow Us 6 I want to thank you for your efforts to help the City reduce water usage and meet the Recycled Water Program 7 State mandated water use reductions in 2015. We at the Public Utilities department Groundwater 7 are committed to the efficient use of the water that we deliver. Rainwater Harvesting 7 The City is investing in the infrastructure that delivers your water. Many miles of cast Ocean Desalination 7 iron pipe were installed early in the 20th Century and are past their recommended Emergency Storage Project 8 service life - increasing the risk of main breaks and water loss. To remedy this Renewable Energy & Efficiency Project 8 situation, San Diego Public Utilities department is making the switch to PVC piping Water Conservation 9 and replacing 300 miles of the of the old cast iron piping throughout the system. So Do It Yourself 9 far, the switch is working. Rebates and Incentives 10 No-Cost Surveys 10 In 2015 the number of water main breaks dropped to 65, the least number of breaks WASTENOWATER.ORG 10 recorded per year since 2004. We are on target to have all cast iron pipes in the A Change for the Better 11 system removed by 2023. Currently, projects are underway to replace larger Important Health Information 12 transmission pipes and the smaller distribution pipes, which feed directly to each Consumer Confidence Report Tables 13-15 home and business. I am confident this report will not only illustrate the quality of our water, but what San Diego Public Utilities is doing to ensure continued sustainability and delivery of How to Contact Us this precious resource for the years to come. Emergency Hotline...........................................619-515-3525 General and Billing Information.....................619-515-3500 Sincerely, Water Quality Lab.............................................619-668-3232 Water Quality Lab [email protected] Capital Improvements Projects.......................619-533-4207 Halla Razak City Lakes Recreation.......................................619-465-3474 Director of Public Utilities Pure Water Speakers Bureau..........................619-533-6638 Storm Water Pollution Prevention..................619-235-1000 About This Report Water-Waste Hotline.........................................619-533-5271 We at the City of San Diego Public Utilities Department are pleased to present you with the annual Water-Waste [email protected] Drinking Water Quality Report for 2015, also known as the Consumer Confidence Report. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Division of Drinking Water require that all water Information Websites agencies produce an annual report on the previous year informing customers about the quality of City of San Diego...................................sandiego.gov/water/ their drinking water. San Diego County Water Authority.....................sdcwa.org/ Metropolitan Water District............................mwdh2o.org/ The City of San Diego’s annual Drinking Water Quality Report includes details about where your water comes from, what it contains, and how it compares to state standards. In 2015, as in years CA Division of Drinking Water ..............waterboards.ca.gov past, your tap water met all state and federal drinking water health standards (primary standards Think Blue..........................................................thinkblue.org for treating and monitoring water). The City of San Diego Public Utilities Department vigilantly U.S. EPA..................... http://water.epa.gov/drink/index.cfm safeguards our water supplies and once again, we are proud to report that our system has never American Water Works Association......................awwa.org violated a maximum contaminant level or any other water quality standard. This report provides Watering Calculator .....http://apps.sandiego.gov/landcalc/ details of last year’s drinking water quality. Be Water Wise (MWD).............................bewaterwise.com/ Check Us Out sandiego.gov @SDPublicUtilities City of San Diego SDPublicUtilities instagram.com/sdpubutilities Public Utilities 2015 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report 3 Our Water Supply WHY IS THERE ANYTHING IN MY WATER? The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include • Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs and wells. As water travels organic chemicals that are by-products of industrial processes and over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban storm occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up water runoff, agricultural application, and septic systems. substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity. • Radioactive contaminants that can be naturally occurring Contaminants that may be present in source water include: or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities. • Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria that may In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the U.S. Environmental come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock Protection Agency and the State Water Resources Control Board (State Board) operations, and wildlife. prescribe regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water • Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, that can be provided by public water systems. The FDA and the California Department of naturally occurring or result from urban storm water runoff, industrial Public Health regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or that provide the same protection for public health farming. • Pesticides and herbicides that may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban storm water runoff, and residential uses. Your water is treated at Treatment Plant Service Areas OUR IMPORTED WATER SUPPLY AND THE IMPACT three municipal water treatment plants — Alvarado, Miramar and Otay. ON WATER QUALITY The City maintains nine reservoirs and purchases imported water from the The City of San Diego imports an average of 85 percent San Diego County Water Authority, of its water supply. This imported water is provided by the Water from the Colorado River Aqueduct, the State Water Project and Carlsbad Desalination San Diego County Water Authority, which not only purchases water Plant, as well as local runoff, constitute the from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California but source waters for these plants. A small amount provides desalinated ocean water from its Carlsbad Desalination of treated water is also imported from the MWD Skinner Treatment Plant. Plant in Carlsbad, CA. Ultimately, our imported water is a blend of Colorado River water and State Water Project water (see map). Throughout the year, the blend changes. Several forces negatively impact the quality of water from the Colorado River and State Water Project. Imported Water Sources The Colorado River winds through thousands of miles of unprotected watershed containing towns, farms, old mining sites and industrial sites. Water from the State Water Project is also subject to potential contaminants such as pesticides and herbicides. This water source also has a higher organic carbon and bromide level than the Colorado River water. As organic carbon and bromide levels increase, the potential for creating higher levels of disinfection by-products exists. The City continually alters its treatment process to adjust MEXICO for changing water supplies. The City of San Diego regularly monitors the quality of our water to ensure all drinking water quality standards are met. 4 2015 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report Our Water Treatment Process The City’s Public Utilities Department provides high-quality drinking water by utilizing proven technology, updated facilities, and state-certified operators. Water is treated at the City’s three treatment plants using several processes, with each process providing additional water quality improvements. Using several treatment processes provides multiple barriers for added safety. Our treatment plants employ a combination of time-tested Conventional water treatment processes and innovative disinfection strategies to produce high-quality drinking water. Conventional water treatment consists of coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, and sand/multi-media