2016 Water Quality Report The Consumer Confidence Reports (CCR) Rule, 40 CFR 141 Subpart O, contains the Right-To-Know provisions in the 1996 Amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act. The South Adams County Water & Sanitation District’s Public Water System Identification Number is CO0101140. Esta información acerca de su agua potable es importante. Si no la pueden leer, necesitan que alguien se la traduzca. which draw from the Arapahoe that contamination has or will WHAT IS formation, and treated surface occur. As a part of the assessment, water from Denver Water. Eight the CDPHE identified potential of the District’s shallow wells are sources of contamination in our THIS REPORT first pumped to the Klein Water source water, such as District Treatment Facility for treatment, customers and neighbors with then mixed with Denver Water chemical storage tanks, EPA ABOUT? before delivery to storage hazardous waste generators, The Environmental Protection reservoirs. The Denver Water chemical inventory storage sites Agency (EPA) requires South portion comes entirely from and Superfund sites (e.g. Rocky Adams County Water & Sanitation surface sources over a watershed Mountain Arsenal, Chemical District (District) and all other covering 3,100 square miles on Sales Co). We use this information public water suppliers to provide both sides of the Continental to evaluate the need to improve consumer confidence reports Divide. The sources include our current water treatment (CCR) to their customers. These the South Platte River and its capabilities and prepare for future reports are also known as annual tributaries, the streams that feed contamination threats. This helps water quality reports. This report Dillon Reservoir and creeks and us ensure that quality finished summarizes the quality of the canals above the Fraser River. water is delivered to your home. water that the District provided last year (2015). It includes The Denver Water Quality Report You may obtain a copy of the information about where the is available online at Assessment Phase Report at District’s water comes from, what www.denverwater.org. http://www.colorado.gov/ it contains, and how it compares cs/Satellite/CDPHE-WQ/ to the standards set by the EPA SOURCE WATER CBON/1251596793639. The and the Colorado Department of ASSESSMENT (SWAP) reports are by county. The District Public Health and Environment is located in Adams County; select 101140 - South Adams County (CDPHE). State and Federal regulations WSD. require safe handling of chemicals WHERE DOES YOUR and protection of our environment. WATER COME FROM? The Source Water Assessment Report (prepared by the Colorado The District’s water consists of Department of Public Health groundwater from eleven wells and Environment) provides a which draw from the alluvial screening-level evaluation of aquifer tributary to the South potential contamination that Platte River, eight deep wells could occur. It does not mean The South Adams Board of Directors meets at 7:00 PM on the second Wednesday of each month in the Board Room at the Stevenson Administrative Offices located at 6595 East 70th Avenue in Commerce City. Board Meetings are open to the public. Please visit the District’s Website at www.sacwsd.org for additional information. 2 2016 WATER QUALITY REPORT www.sacwsd.org Devoted to Water Quality Klein Water Treatment Lab South Adams County Water analyze samples throughout In fact, it is so important and Sanitation District our water system - from to us that we would like serves a population of over production wells to customer your help! All residents 57,000 people (17,305 water taps. The Water Quality and business owners are connections) and delivers Lab and Water Operations encouraged to report over 2.7 billion gallons of conduct over 1,240 tests suspicious behavior that may water per year. South Adams every month resulting in affect our water resources. distributes drinking water 14,886 tests performed every to its customers traveling year! For a complete list of the across a 65 sq-mi area contaminants tested for - but throughout an extensive not detected, please call the network of 350 miles of pipe. District’s Water Quality Lab The District tests for over at 303.286.0447, or send an 241 compounds on a regular email to [email protected]. For specific questions or basis. Some compounds, Protection of our water comments, please contact such as free-chlorine, are sources is a continuous the Water Systems Manager tested continuously. Our process at the District. We are or the Water Quality Water Operators and doing everything we can to Supervisor at 303.286.0447 Water Chemists collect and safeguard our water supplies. The Water Quality Lab and Water Operations conduct over 1,240 tests every month resulting in 14,886 tests performed every year! 2016 WATER QUALITY REPORT www.sacwsd.org 3 urban storm water runoff, not necessarily indicate that the industrial or domestic water poses a health risk. Some WATER AT wastewater discharges, oil and people may be more vulnerable gas production, mining and to contaminants in drinking water farming. than the general population. A GLANCE • Pesticides and herbicides Immuno-compromised persons Example: may come from a such as persons with cancer variety of sources including undergoing chemotherapy,persons Sources of drinking water (both tap agricultural applications, who have undergone organ water and bottled water) include urban storm water runoff and transplants, people with HIV-AIDS rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, residential uses. or other immune system disorders, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As some elderly, and infants can be water travels over the surface of • Organic chemical contaminants particularly at risk of infections. the land or through the ground, Example: synthetic and volatile These people should seek drinking it dissolves naturally-occurring organic chemicals which are water advice from their healthcare minerals and, in some cases, by-products of industrial providers. radioactive material. It can also processes, and petroleum pick up substances resulting from production. These also may For more information about the presence of animals or human come from gas stations, urban contaminants and potential health activity. Contaminants that may be storm water runoff and septic effects, or to receive a copy of the present in source water include: systems. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Centers • Microbial contaminants • Radioactive contaminants for Disease Control guidelines on Example: viruses and bacteria Example: may be naturally- appropriate means to lessen the risk which may come from sewage occurring or may be the result of infection by cryptosporidium treatment plants, septic of oil and gas production and and microbiological contaminants, systems, agricultural livestock mining activities. call the EPA Safe Drinking Water operations and wildlife. All drinking water, including Hotline at 1-800-426-4791 or online • Inorganic contaminants bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small at http://water.epa.gov/drink/ Example: salts and metals, contaminants. which can be naturally- amounts of some contaminants. occurring or can result from The presence of contaminants does The District is committed to delivering water that meets or exceeds all state and federal drinking water standards. Providing you with safe, high quality drinking water is our priority every day. 4 2016 WATER QUALITY REPORT www.sacwsd.org pumped from our wells has been The water sent to your home or exposed to nontoxic, naturally business meets all EPA water occurring minerals containing quality requirements. If you Water Quality calcium and magnesium as it choose to install a softening travels underground making system or other point of use Data it “hard.” Although the hard treatment in your home please water contributes these minerals follow the recommendations In order to ensure that tap water to your daily dietary needs, it below. is safe to drink, the Colorado has its drawbacks as well. Hard • Make sure you do your Department of Public Health water can leave spots on dishes, research or talk to a and Environment prescribes films on shower doors, and clog knowledgeable and regulations limiting the amount faucet aerators if not cleaned reputable dealer. Different of certain contaminants in regularly. Commercial products devices include softeners, water provided by public water can be purchased to reduce carbon adsorption systems, systems. The Food and Drug the effects of hardness in you particulate filters, and Administration regulations dishwasher or remove scale and reverse osmosis systems. establish limits for contaminants calcium deposits from fixtures. These technologies are in bottled water that must Another option for dealing with designed to treat for different provide the same protection hard water may be installation of things so make sure you for public health. The State a water softener in your home. get the right system for the permits monitoring for some concerns you have. contaminants less than once per SOFTENERS AND IN-HOME year because the concentrations of TREATMENT • Know what you are doing or these contaminants do not change hire a qualified professional frequently. Therefore, some of to do the work. Softener this data, though representative, Personal preferences for water and treatment systems is more than one year old. hardness vary greatly. If installed by a plumber Unregulated contaminants lowering hardness is desired, will need to have a permit are those for which the EPA it can be managed by installing issued by the Commerce has not established drinking a residential water softening City Building department. water standards. The purpose system. There are various types Proper installation will of unregulated contaminant of residential softening systems ensure the system is safe monitoring is to assist the EPA including whole house, and and any hazards such as in determining the occurrence under sink varieties. Softening contamination due to drain- of unregulated contaminants of water used for outdoor line backflow or cross- in drinking water and whether irrigation is not efficient or connections are avoided.