2013 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report

10 2013 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report Johnston County Public Utilities PWS # 40 - 51 - 018 EAST PWS # 03 - 51 - 070 WEST ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ We are pleased to present to you this year’s Annual Drinking Water Quality Report This report is a snapshot of last year’s water quality Included are details about from where your water comes , what it contains , and how it compares to standards set by regulatory agencies Our constant goal is to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water We want you to understand the efforts we make to continually improve the water treatment process and protect our water resources We are committed to ensuring the quality of your water and to providing you with this information Éste informe contiene información muy importante sobre la calidad de su agua potable Una copia de este reporte en español está disponible en la Oficina de Servicio Público en el Centro de Land Use The Johnston County water system has two service areas called Johnston East and Johnston West The Johnston East service area is generally described as the area east of the Neuse River and south of I - 95 The Johnston West service area is the area west of the Neuse River and north of I - 95 Please refer to the map Water supplied to the Johnston East service has free chlorine as a secondary disinfectant since April 2011 Water supplied to the Johnston West service area has chloramines a combination of chlorine and ammonia as a secondary disinfectant The quality data for both service areas are provided to all customers We provide service for communities , towns and cities throughout our county including most unincorporated parts of the county and the towns of Archer Lodge , Four Oaks , Princeton , Kenly , Clayton , and Wilson’s Mills The County system also supplements the towns of Micro , Benson , Pine Level , Smithfield , Selma , and Fuquay Varina with additional water In 2013 our water department produced and provided approximately 26 billion gallons of water to our customers Our water source is surface water from the Neuse River , which forms just above Durham where the Eno and Flat Rivers converge The Neuse River flows approximately 190 miles through eastern North Carolina to the Pamlico Sound Our intake and treatment facility are located one half mile east of Wilson’s Mills , NC There are two reservoirs on site Each reservoir contains 35 million gallons The treatment system has five main steps to remove or reduce harmful contaminants presedimentation , coagulation , clarification , filtration by multimedia high rate filters , and disinfection Once treatment is complete , water is pumped into elevated storage tanks for distribution throughout the water system Johnston County also purchases water from the Town of Smithfield system on a bulk basis The source of the Smithfield supply is the Neuse River and the treatment processes are similar to the county’s Water purchased from Smithfield mixes with water produced by the county in the distribution system The US Environmental Protection Agency EPA wants you to Know 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 Environmental Protection Agencys EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline 800 - 426 - 4791 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 microbial contaminants , such as viruses and bacteria that may come from sewage treatment plants , septic systems , agricultural livestock operations , and wildlife ; 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 ; pesticides and herbicides , which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture , urban storm water runoff , and residential uses ; organic chemical contaminants , including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals , which are by - products of industrial processes and petroleum production , and can also come from gas stations , urban storm water runoff , and septic systems ; and radioactive contaminants , which can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink , EPA prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems FDA regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants 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 about drinking water from their health care providers EPA CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Water Drinking Hotline 800 - 426 - 4791 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 Johnston County Public Utilities 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 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 http wwwepagov safewater lead The North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources DENR , Public Water Supply PWS Section , Source Water Assessment Program SWAP conducted an assessment of the drinking water sources across North Carolina The purpose of the assessment was to determine the susceptibility of each drinking water source well or surface water intake to Potential Contaminant Sources PCSs The results of the assessment are available in SWAP Assessment Reports that include maps , background information and a relative susceptibility rating of Higher , Moderate or Lower The relative susceptibility rating of the source for Johnston County Public Utilities was determined by combining the contaminant rating number and location of PCSs within watershed and the inherent vulnerability rating ie , characteristics or existing conditions of the watershed and its delineated assessment area It is important to understand that a susceptibility rating of “ higher ” does not imply poor water quality , only the systems ’ potential to become contaminated by PCS’s in the assessment area The assessment findings are summarized in the table below Susceptibility of Sources t o Potential Contaminant Sources PCSs Source Name Susceptibility Rating SWAP Report Date Neuse River Higher February 19 , 2010PageThe complete SWAP Assessment report for Johnston County Public Utilities may be viewed on the Web at http wwwncwaterorg pws swap Please note that because SWAP results and reports are periodically updated by the PWS Section , the results available on this web site may differ from the results that were available at the time this CCR was prepared To obtain a printed copy of this report , please mail a written request to Source Water Assessment Program – Report Request , 1634 Mail Service Center , Raleigh NC 27699 - 1634 , or email request to swap @ ncdenrgov Please indicate the system name of Johnston County , PWS # 03 - 51 - 070 , and provide your name , mailing address and phone number If you have any questions about the SWAP report please contact the Source Water Assessment staff by phone at 919 - 707 - 9098 It is important to understand that a susceptibility rating of “ higher ” does not imply poor water quality , only the systems ’ potential to become contaminated by PCS’s in the assessment area If you have any questions about this report or concerning your water utility , please contact Chandra Coats , PE , Director of Utilities and Engineering , by calling 919 209 - 8333 or by writing to this address Johnston County Utility Dept PO Box 2263 , Smithfield , North Carolina 27577 We want our valued customers to be informed about their water utility You can attend Board of Commissioners meetings on the first Monday of each month , at 10 00 am , in the Johnston County Courthouse , at 212 Market Street , Smithfield , NC Find out more on the Internet at wwwjohnstonnccom Definitions AL – Action Level – The concentration of a contaminant which , if exceeded , triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow MCL – Maximum Contaminant Level – The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology MCLG – Maximum Contaminant Level Goal – The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health MCLGs allow for a margin of safety MRDLG - Maximum Residual Disinfection Level Goal – The level of a drinking water disinfectant below which there is no known or expected risk to health MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contaminants MRDL - Maximum Residual Disinfection Level – The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants 90th Percentile – 90 of samples are equal to or less than the number in the chart ND – Non - Detects – Laboratory analysis indicates that the contaminant is not present at the level of detection set for the particular methodology used NTU – Nephelometric Turbidity Units – A measure of the clarity of water Turbidity in excess of 5 NTU is just noticeable to the average person N A – Not - applicable – Information not applicable not required for that particular water system or for that particular rule Picocuries per liter pCi L – Picocuries per liter is a measure of the radioactivity in the water ppb – parts per billion – micrograms per liter ug l – One part per billion corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years , or a single penny in 10,000,000 ppm – parts per million – milligrams per liter mg l – One part per million corresponds to one minute in two years or a single penny in 10,000 RAA – Running annual average TT – Treatment Technique – A treatment technique is a required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water We routinely monitor for over 150 possible contaminants in your drinking water according to Federal and State laws The tables below list all the drinking water contaminants that we detected in the last round of sampling for the particular contaminant group The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk Unless otherwise noted , the data presented in this table is from analyses completed from January 1 through December 31 , 2013 The EPA or the State requires us to monitor for certain contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants are not expected to vary significantly from year to year Some of the data , though representative of the water quality , is more than one year old Water Quality Data Table s Johnston County WEST PWS # 03 - 51 - 070 Contaminant Units MCLG MCL Your Water Range Low High Sample Date Violation Yes No Likely Source of Contamination Disinfectants & Disinfection By - Products Contaminants Total Haloacetic Acids HAA5 ppb N A 60 35 RAA 153 - 815 2013 No Byproduct of drinking water chlorination Total Trihalomethanes TTHM ppb N A 80 48 RAA 124 - 97 2013 No Byproduct of drinking water chlorination Chlorine ppm MRDLG 4 MRDL 4 321 Average 026 – 362 20 1 3 No Water ad ditive used to control microbes Chloramine ppm MRDLG 4 MRDL 4 283 RAA 089 – 384 20 1 3 No Water ad ditive used to control microbes For TTHM Some people who drink water containing trihalomethanes in excess of the MCL over many years may experience problems with their liver , kidneys or central nervous systems , and may have and increased risk of getting cancer For HAA5 Some people who drink water containing haloacetic acids in excess of the MCL over many years may have an increased chance of getting cancer Inorganic Contaminants Mercury Inorganic ppb 2 2 1 N A March 2013 No Erosion of natural deposits ; discharge from refineries and factories ; runoff from landfills ; runoff from cropland Fluoride ppm 4 4 059 N A March 2013 No Erosion of natural deposits ; Water additive which promote strong teeth ; discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factoriesPageTurbidity Contaminant units Treatment Technique TT Violation Y N Your Water Treatment Technique TT Violation if Likely Source of Contamination Turbidity NTU - Highest single turbidity measurement N 0167 NTU Turbidity gt; 1 NTU Soil runoff Turbidity NTU - Lowest monthly percentage of samples meeting turbidity limits N 100 Less than 95 of monthly turbidity measurements are lt; 03 NTU Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness of the water We monitor it because it is a good indicator of the effectiveness of our filtration system The turbidity rule requires that 95 or more of the monthly samples must be less than or equal to 03 NTU L ead and Copper Contaminants Pregnant women , infants and young children are typically more vulnerable to lead in drinking water than the general population It is possible that lead levels at your home may be higher than at other homes in the community as a result of materials used in your home’s plumbing If you are concerned about elevated lead levels in your home’s water , you may wish to have your water tested and flush your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using tap water Additional information is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline 800 - 426 - 4791 Contaminant Units Sample Date Your Water # of sites found above the AL MCLG MCL Likely Source of Contamination Copper 90th percentile ppm July 2012 0088 0 13 AL 13 Corrosion of household plumbing systems ; erosion of natural deposits ; leaching from wood preservatives Lead 90 th percentile ppb July 2012 0 0 0 AL 15 Corrosio n of household plumbing systems ; erosion of natural deposits Radioactive Contaminants Contaminant units Sample Date MCL Violation Yes No Your Water RAA MCLG MCL Likely Source of Contamination Alpha emitters pCi L 2007 No 013 0 15 Erosion of natural deposits Beta photon emitters pCi L 2007 No 157 0 50 Decay of natural and man - made deposits Combined radium pCi L 2007 No 005 0 5 Erosion of natural deposits Note The MCL for beta particles is 4 mrem year EPA considers 50 pCi L to be the level of concern for beta particles Total Organic Carbon TOC Depending on the TOC in our source water , the system MUST have a certain removal of TOC or must achieve alternative compliance criteria If we do not achieve that removal , there is an alternative removal If we fail to meet the alternative removal , we are in violation of a Treatment Technique Contaminant units TT Violation Yes No Your Water RAA Removal Ratio Range Monthly Removal Ratio Low - High MCLG MCL Likely Source of Contamination Compliance Method Step 1 or ACC # __ Volatile Organic Chemical VOC Contaminants Total Organic Carbon removal ratio TOC - TREATED No 134 116 – 149 N A TT Naturally present in the environment Step 1 Synthetic Organic Chemical SOC Contaminants Including Pesticides and Herbicides Contaminant units Sample Date MCL Violation Y N Your Water Range Low High MCLG MCL Likely Source of Contamination Simazine ppb 2013 N 0375 024 – 0 51 4 4 Herbicide runoff Contaminant units Sample Date MCL Violation Y N Your Water Range Low High MCLG MCL Likely Source of Contamination Toluene ppm March 2013 N 00008 ND – 00008 1 1 Discharge from factories Water Characteristics Contaminants Secondary Contaminants , required by the NC Public Water Supply Section , are substances that affect the taste , odor , and or color of drinking water These aesthetic contaminants normally do not have any health effects and normally do not affect the safety of your water Contaminant units Sample Date Your Water Range Low High Secondary MCL Sodium ppm March 2013 293 N A N A pH March 2013 68 N A 65 to 85 Step 1 TOC Removal Requirements Source Water TOC mg L Source Water Alkalinity Mg L as CaCO3 in percentages 0 – 60 gt; 60 – 120 gt; 120 gt; 20 – 40 350 250 150 gt; 40 – 80 450 350 250 gt; 80 500 400 300PageWater Quality Data Table s Town of Smithfield Water Treatment Plant Town of Smithfield Water Treatment Plant 2013 Data Contaminant Units Level Detected Range Low High Sample Date Haloacetic Acids Haa5 ppb 498 AVG 22 - 66 201 3 Total Trihalomethanes TTHMs ppb 589 AVG 22 - 96 20 1 3 Chloramine ppm 28 3 11 - 4 0 20 1 3 Chlorine ppm 16 0 006 - 1 83 20 1 3 Fluoride ppm 0 63 N A 2013 Turbidity NTU 0 30 highest 100 of samples below limit 2013 Copper ppm 0 135 90 th percentile N A 2013 Lead ppb 23 90th percentile N A 2013 Sulfate ppm 617 N A 2013 pH N A 7 4 N A 2013 Sodium ppm 5 958 N A 2013 Step 1 TOC Removal Requirements Source Water TOC mg L Source Water Alkalinity Mg L as CaCO3 in percentages 0 – 60 gt; 60 – 120 gt; 120 gt; 20 – 40 350 250 150 gt; 40 – 80 450 350 250 gt; 80 500 400 300 Smithfield Water Treatment Plant 2013 Data Susceptibility of Sources to Potential Contaminant Sources PCSs Source Name Susceptibility Rating SWAP Report Date Neuse River Higher February 2010 Alt 1 Source Water SUVA lt; 20 L mg - m Alt 2 Treated Water TOC lt; 20 mg L Alt 3 Source Water SUVA lt; 20 L mg - m Alt 4 Treated Water SUVA lt; 20 L mg - m Alt 5 Treated Water Alkalinity lt; 60 mg L for softening systems only Alt 6 THM & HAA RAAs lt; 1 2 MCL & uses only chlorine Alt 7 Source TOC RAA lt; 40 mg L and Source Alkalinity gt; 60 mg L and THM & HAA RAAs lt; 1 2 MCL Town of Smithfield Water Treatment Plant Disinfection Byproduct Precursors Contaminants 2013 Dat a Contaminant units TT Violation Yes No Your Water RAA Removal Ratio Range Monthly Removal Ratio Low - High MCLG MCL Likely Source of Contamination Compliance Method Step 1 or ACC # __ Total Organic Carbon removal ratio TOC - TREATED No 107 090 – 120 N A TT Naturally present in the environment Step 1 and ACC # 4 Alternative Compliance Criteria ACC PagePage pageNumber5Water Quality Data Table s Johnston County EAST PWS # 40 - 51 - 018 Contaminant Units MCLG MCL Your Water Range Low High Sample Date Violation Yes No Likely Source of Contamination Disinfectants & Disinfection By - Products Total Haloacetic Acids Haa5 ppb N A 60 21 RAA 30 - 349 2013 No Byproduct of drinking water chlorination Total Trihalomethanes TTHMs ppb N A 80 54 RAA 5 - 82 2013 No Byproduct of drinking water chlorination Chlorine ppm MRDLG 4 MRDL 4 132 Average 021 – 255 2013 No Water additive used to control microbes Inorganic Contaminants Fluoride ppm 4 4 018 N A April 2013 No Erosion of natural deposits ; Water additive which promote strong teeth ; discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories For TTHM Some people who drink water containing trihalomethanes in excess of the MCL over many years may experience problems with their liver , kidneys , or central nervous systems , and may have an increased risk of getting cancer For HAA5 Some people who drink water containing haloacetic acids in excess of the MCL over many years may have an increased chance of getting cancer Turbidity Contaminant units Treatment Technique TT Violation Y N Your Water Treatment Technique TT Violation if Likely Source of Contamination Turbidity NTU - Highest single turbidity measurement N 026 NTU Turbidity gt; 1 NTU Soil runoff Turbidity NTU - Lowest monthly percentage of samples meeting turbidity limits N 100 Less than 95 of monthly turbidity measurements are lt; 03 NTU Lead and Copper Contaminants Pregnant women , infants and young children are typically more vulnerable to lead in drinking water than the general population It is possible that lead levels at your home may be higher than at other homes in the community as a result of materials used in your home’s plumbing If you are concerned about elevated lead levels in your home’s water , you may wish to have your water tested and flush your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using tap water Additional information is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline 800 - 426 - 4791 Contaminant Units Sample Date Your Water # of sites found above the AL MCLG MCL Likely Source of Contamination Copper 90th percentile ppm July 2013 0077 0 13 AL 13 Corrosion of household plumbing systems ; erosion of natural deposits ; leaching from wood preservatives Lead 90 th percentile ppb July 2013 0 0 0 AL 15 Corrosion of household plumbing systems ; erosion of natural deposits Total Organic Carbon TOC Depending on the TOC in our source water , the system MUST have a certain removal of TOC or must achieve alternative compliance criteria If we do not achieve that removal , there is an alternative removal If we fail to meet the alternative removal , we are in violation of a Treatment Technique Contaminant units TT Violation Yes No Your Water RAA Removal Ratio Range Monthly Removal Ratio Low - High MCLG MCL Likely Source of Contamination Compliance Method Step 1 or ACC # __ Total Organic Carbon removal ratio TOC - TREATED No 171 162 – 184 N A TT Naturally present in the environment Step 1 Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness of the water We monitor it because it is a good indicator of the effectiveness of our filtration system The turbidity rule requires that 95 or more of the monthly samples must be less than or equal to 03 NTU PagePage pageNumber6Synthetic Organic Chemical SOC Contaminants Including Pesticides and Herbicides Contaminant units Sample Date MCL Violation Y N Your Water Range Low High MCLG MCL Likely Source of Contamination Simazine ppb 2013 N 032 019 - 045 4 4 Herbicide runoff Water Characteristics Contaminants Secondary Contaminants , required by the NC Public Water Supply Section , are substances that affect the taste , odor , and or color of drinking water These aesthetic contaminants normally do not have any health effects and normally do not affect the safety of your water Contaminant units Sample Date Your Water Range Low High Secondary MCL Sodium ppm April 2013 442 N A N A pH April 2013 75 N A 65 to 85 Step 1 TOC Removal Requirements Source Water TOC mg L Source Water Alkalinity Mg L as CaCO3 in percentages 0 – 60 gt; 60 – 120 gt; 120 gt; 20 – 40 350 250 150 gt; 40 – 80 450 350 250 gt; 80 500 400 300 _____________________________________________________________________________________________ In our continuing efforts to maintain a safe and dependable water supply it may be necessary to make improvements in the water system The costs of these improvements may be reflected in the rate structure Rate adjustments may be necessary in order to address these improvements Our staff in the Johnston County Utility Department work around the clock to provide top quality water to every tap We ask that all our customers help us protect our water sources , which are the heart of our community , our way of life and our children’s future This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer Discrimination is prohibited by Federal Law To file a complaint of discrimination , write USDA , Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights , 1400 Independence Avenue SW , Stop 9410 , Washington , DC 20250 - 9410 or call toll - free at 866 632 - 9992 English or 800 877 - 8339 TDD or 866 377 - 8642 English Federal - relay or 800 845 - 6136 Spanish Federal - relay Page