Water Quality Testing Summary
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
WATER QUALITY TESTING SUMMARY A DETAILED REVIEW OF THE TEST RESULTS FOR THE DRINKING WATER PRODUCED BY THE CARY/APEX WATER TREATMENT FACILITY 2020 JOHN CONLEY (Senior Laboratory Analyst) has been employed by the Town of Cary at the Cary/Apex Water Treatment Facility Laboratory since September 2001. CARY/APEX WATER TREATMENT FACILITY 2020 WATER QUALITY TESTING SUMMARY We are pleased to present to you the Cary/ If you have any questions or concerns regarding this Apex Water Treatment Facility Test Result report, please contact Rachel Monschein, Water System Summary for 2020. This report is a snapshot of last Laboratory Supervisor, at (919) 362-5507. year’s water quality. The values contained in this report In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA are based on single measurements or yearly averages depending on the contaminant. The Environmental prescribes regulations that limit the amount of certain Protection Agency and/or the State requires us to contaminants in water provided by public water systems. monitor for certain substances less than once per year Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably because the concentrations of these substances are not be expected to contain at least small amounts of some expected to vary significantly from year to year. Some of contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not the data, though representative of the water quality, is necessarily indicate the water poses a health risk. To obtain more than one year old. In these cases, the most recent more information about contaminants and potential data is included, along with the year in which the sample health effects, call the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline was taken. It is our constant goal to provide you with a safe at (800) 426-4791. and dependable supply of drinking water. 2 CARY/APEX WATER TREATMENT FACILITY 2020 WATER QUALITY TESTING SUMMARY IMPORTANT DRINKING WATER DEFINITIONS: Action Level (AL) Locational Running Annual Average (LRAA) The concentration of a contaminant that, if exceeded, The average of sample analytical results for triggers treatment or other requirements which a water samples taken at a particular monitoring system must follow. location during the previous four calendar quarters under the Stage 2 Disinfectants and Amount Detected Disinfection Byproducts Rule. The annual average value, not the maximum value, for the parameter listed. EPA requires that maximum Microsiemens per centimeter (µS/cm) amounts detected be reported in the Annual Water A measure of the conductivity of water. Quality Report (CCR). Million Fibers per Liter (MF/L) Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) A measure of the presence of asbestos fibers that are The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in longer than 10 micrometers. drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology. Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU) A measure of the clarity or turbidity of water. Note: MCLs are set at very stringent levels. To understand the possible health effects described for Not Applicable (N/A) many regulated constituents, a person would have to Information not applicable or not required. drink two liters of water every day at the MCL level for a Non-Detects (ND) lifetime to have a one-in-a-million chance of having the The contaminant is not present at the level of detection described health effect. set for the particular method used. Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) Parts Per Billion (ppb) or Micrograms The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which Per Liter (µg/L) there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow One part substance per billion parts water. for a margin of safety. Parts Per Million (ppm) or Milligrams Maximum Residual Disinfection Level (MRDL) Per Liter (mg/L) The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking One part substance per million parts water. water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial Parts Per Trillion (ppt) or Nanograms contaminants. Per Liter (nanograms/L) One part substance per trillion parts water. Maximum Residual Disinfection Level Goal (MRDLG) Picocuries Per Liter (pCi/L) The level of a drinking water disinfectant below which A measure of the radioactivity in water. there is no known or expected risk to health. MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to Running Annual Average (RAA) control microbial contaminants. Compliance calculations based on a running annual average of reported values. Method Reporting Limit (MRL) The lowest reportable concentration set for the particular Standard Units (SU) method used. A measure of the pH of water. Treatment Technique (TT) A treatment technique is a required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water. 3 CARY/APEX WATER TREATMENT FACILITY 2020 WATER QUALITY TESTING SUMMARY LEAD AND COPPER SITES CONTAMINANT YEAR TEST HIGHEST LEVEL HIGHEST LEVEL AMOUNT ABOVE VIOLATION TYPICAL SOURCE (UNITS) SAMPLED FREQUENCY ALLOWED (MCL) GOAL (MCLG) DETECTED AL/TOTAL Y/N SITES Corrosion of household plumbing Copper (ppm) AL = 1.3 1.3 0.121 0/60 systems; erosion of natural deposits; (90th percentile) 60 samples 2018 once every N leaching from wood preservatives Lead (ppb) 3 years Corrosion of household plumbing AL = 15 0 <0.003 0/60 (90th percentile) systems, erosion of natural deposits NITRATE AND NITRITE CONTAMINANT YEAR TEST HIGHEST LEVEL HIGHEST LEVEL AMOUNT RANGE VIOLATION TYPICAL SOURCE (UNITS) SAMPLED FREQUENCY ALLOWED (MCL) GOAL (MCLG) DETECTED DETECTED Y/N Runoff from fertilizer use; leaching Nitrate (as Nitrogen) 10 10 <1 from septic tanks, sewage; erosion of (ppm) 2 times natural deposits 2020 N/A N a week Runoff from fertilizer use; leaching Nitrite (as Nitrogen) 1 1 <0.01 from septic tanks, sewage; erosion of (ppm) natural deposits ASBESTOS CONTAMINANT YEAR TEST HIGHEST LEVEL HIGHEST LEVEL AMOUNT RANGE VIOLATION TYPICAL SOURCE (UNITS) SAMPLED FREQUENCY ALLOWED (MCL) GOAL (MCLG) DETECTED DETECTED Y/N Once every Decay of asbestos cement water mains; Total Asbestos (MF/L) 2020 7 7 < 0.19 N/A N 9 years erosion of natural deposits DISINFECTANTS AND DISINFECTION BYPRODUCTS CONTAMINANT YEAR TEST HIGHEST LEVEL HIGHEST LEVEL AMOUNT RANGE VIOLATION TYPICAL SOURCE (UNITS) SAMPLED FREQUENCY ALLOWED (MCL) GOAL (MCLG) DETECTED DETECTED Y/N 40 26 – 47 TTHM (ppb) 8 samples By-product of drinking water 80 N/A (Maximum (individual [Total Trihalomethanes] quarterly chlorination LRAA) sample sites) 16 10– 21 HAA5 (ppb) 8 samples By-product of drinking water 60 N/A (Maximum (individual [Total Haloacetic Acids] quarterly disinfection LRAA) sample sites) 8 10 1 – 4 Once a (running By-product of drinking water Bromate (ppb) (running annual 0 (individual month annual disinfection average) measurements) average) 2020 N 127 samples 3.05 MRDL = 4 1.23– 3.96 a month (running Water additive used to control Chloramines (ppm) (running annual MRDLG = 4 (individual except for annual microbes average) sites) March average) 2.05 MRDL = 4 0.67– 2.91 127 samples (running Water additive used to control Chlorine, Free (ppm) (running annual MRDLG = 4 (individual in March annual microbes average) sites) average) Total Organic Carbon Weekly TT N/A 1.62 1.32 – 1.92 Naturally present in the environment (removal ratio) 4 CARY/APEX WATER TREATMENT FACILITY 2020 WATER QUALITY TESTING SUMMARY TURBIDITY (COMBINED FILTER EFFLUENT TURBIDITY VALUES) CONTAMINANT YEAR TEST HIGHEST LEVEL HIGHEST LEVEL AMOUNT RANGE VIOLATION TYPICAL SOURCE (UNITS) SAMPLED FREQUENCY ALLOWED (MCL) GOAL (MCLG) DETECTED DETECTED Y/N 0.09 and TT = 1 NTU and Turbidity (NTU) 2020 Every 4 hours N/A 100% < 0.02 – 0.09 N Soil runoff 95% <0.3 NTU 0.3% NTU Note: Compliance with the MCL for turbidity is based on the combined filter effluent turbidity values, not the finished water turbidity values. RADIOLOGICALS CONTAMINANT YEAR TEST HIGHEST LEVEL HIGHEST LEVEL AMOUNT VIOLATION TYPICAL SOURCE (UNITS) SAMPLED FREQUENCY ALLOWED (MCL) GOAL (MCLG) DETECTED Y/N Gross Alpha (pCi/L) 15 < 3 Erosion of natural deposits Decay of natural and Gross Beta (pCi/L) 50 4.2 man-made deposits Once every 2017 0 N Radium 226 (pCi/L) 9 years 3 < 1 Erosion of natural deposits Radium 228 (pCi/L) 2 < 1 Erosion of natural deposits Uranium (pCi/L) 20.1 < 0.67 Erosion of natural deposits MICROBIOLOGICALS CONTAMINANT YEAR TEST HIGHEST LEVEL ALLOWED HIGHEST LEVEL AMOUNT VIOLATION TYPICAL SOURCE (UNITS) SAMPLED FREQUENCY (MCL) GOAL (MCLG) DETECTED Y/N TT = If greater than 5% of monthly samples Total Coliform Bacteria 127 samples Naturally present in 2020 are positive in one month, an assessment N/A 0.77% N/A (presence or absence) a month the environment is required. 0 (Note: Routine and repeat samples are total coliform-positive and either is E. coli-positive or system fails to take Fecal Coliform or E. coli 127 samples Human and animal 2020 repeat samples following E. coli-positive 0 0 N (presence or absence) a month fecal waste routine sample or system fails to analyze total coliform-positive repeat sample for E. coli.) Cryptosporidium Human and animal 2020 Once TT = 99 % removal 0 <0.010 N (oocysts/L) fecal waste Giardia lamblia Human and animal 2020 Once TT = 99 % removal/inactivation 0 <0.010 N (cysts/L) fecal waste TRIHALOMETHANES (THMs) CONTAMINANT YEAR AMOUNT VIOLATION TEST FREQUENCY RANGE DETECTED TYPICAL SOURCE (UNITS) SAMPLED DETECTED Y/N Chloroform (ppb) 12.7 6.6 – 21.0 Bromodichloromethane (ppb) 8 samples 13.6 9.9– 16 2020 N By-product of drinking water chlorination Bromoform (ppb) quarterly 1.6 1.0 – 2.6 Chlorodibromomethane (ppb) 9.7 7.5 – 11.0 Note: Not individually regulated. 5 CARY/APEX WATER TREATMENT FACILITY 2020 WATER QUALITY TESTING SUMMARY HALOACETIC ACIDS (HAAs) CONTAMINANT YEAR AMOUNT VIOLATION TEST FREQUENCY RANGE DETECTED TYPICAL SOURCE (UNITS) SAMPLED DETECTED Y/N Trichloroacetic Acid (ppb) 3.0 1.6 – 5.7 Dichloroacetic Acid (ppb) 8.7 6.2 – 13 8 samples Monochloroacetic Acid (ppb) 2020 <2.0 No range N By-product of drinking water chlorination quarterly Monobromoacetic Acid (ppb) <1.0 <1 - 1.9 Dibromoacetic Acid (ppb) 2.3 1.4– 3.7 Note: Not individually regulated.