Annual Drinking Water Quality Report
Gloucester County Public Utilities
INTRODUCTION
This Annual Drinking Water Quality Report
for calendar year 2005 is designed to inform you, the customer,
about your drinking water quality. Our goal is to provide you
with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water, and we want
you to understand the efforts we make to protect your water
supply. The quality of your drinking water must meet state and
federal requirements administered by the Virginia Department of
Health (VDH). Gloucester County Public Utilities has not had
any violations of a contaminant level or any other water quality
standard during the reporting year. Included in this report are
details about where your water comes from, what it contains and
how it compares to standards set by the EPA and VDH. Gloucester
County Public Utilities is committed to providing you with
information about your water supply, because customers who are
well informed are our best allies in supporting improvements
necessary to maintain the highest drinking water standards. If
you have any questions about this report or any aspect of your
drinking water or want to know how to participate in decisions
that may affect the quality of your drinking water, please
contact Lawrence A. Dame, Director of Public Utilities, at (804)
693-1230 (ldame@gloucesterva.info).
GENERAL INFORMATION
Drinking water, including bottled drinking 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 can be
obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency’s 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:
(1) Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria,
which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems,
agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife. (2)
Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be
naturally-occurring or result from urban stormwater runoff,
industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas
production, mining, or farming. (3) Pesticides and
herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as
agricultural, urban stormwater runoff, and residential uses.
(4) 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 stormwater runoff, and septic systems. (5)
Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or be
the results of oil and gas production and mining activities.
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. Food and Drug
Administration 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 that 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 microbiological
contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline
(800-426-4791).
Your drinking water comes from two sources. The first is known
as surface water, which comes from the Beaverdam Reservoir. The
water is treated at the County’s water treatment plant. Your
water treatment plant employs state of the art technology which
includes chemical coagulation, sedimentation and filtration.
Raw water is pumped from the Beaverdam Reservoir where potassium
permanganate and carbon are added. Potassium permanganate is
used to remove iron, organics and some manganese. Carbon is
used to remove color, organics and to control taste and odor.
This water is pumped into a mixing basin where alum and polymer
are added for coagulation. The mixed water is then drawn into
vacuum chambers where it “pulsates” into our super pulsator
units, which separates large particles from the water. These
large particles are removed from the treatment process and
disposed at the local landfill. Settled water from the super
pulsator is then filtered where chlorine is first added for
disinfection and manganese removal. The filtered water is
stored at the plant where it is pumped out into the system. The
second source of your drinking water comes from groundwater.
The County’s Reverse Osmosis (RO) plant went into operation in
April of 2003, and we began blending this water with the treated
surface water from two deep wells. These wells are
approximately 1400 feet deep. The water is then pumped to the
RO plant where we first add the only chemical in the process, an
antiscalant that prevents fouling of the membranes used in the
process. Once at the plant, the well water passes through a
series of sock filters that remove tiny particles that may have
been brought up from the well. This also prevents the fouling
of the membranes. After the filters, high-pressure pumps are
used to pump the water through the membranes used in the reverse
osmosis process. This removes dissolved solids from the
groundwater, leaving water that is nearly the same as bottled
water. We then pump the water over to the County’s clearwell,
located at the surface water plant where chlorine is added for
disinfection and then pumped out into the system for your use.
Under a new program developed by VDH, a detailed source water
assessment has been conducted to find ways to better protect our
water sources. This assessment allows our staff, along with the
VDH, to implement measures to reduce or eliminate the sources of
contamination.
As a first step toward protection of our sources of drinking
water, the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission (HRPDC)
and Virginia Department of Health (VDH), evaluated the
susceptibility of this water supply to contamination.
Contamination sources and pathways were reviewed using maps,
known and observed activities, water quality data and
information about the water source. Using criteria developed by
the State in its EPA‑approved Source Water Assessment Program,
the following was determined:
Source
Susceptibility
i. Beaverdam Reservoir High
ii. R.O. Well
#1 Low
iii. R.O. Well
#2 Low
This
does not mean that your drinking water is currently unsafe.
Your current water quality is described in the rest of this
report. A copy of the source water assessment report is
available by contacting Mr. Lawrence A. Dame, Director of Public
Utilities, at (804) 693-4044.
DEFINITIONS
Contaminants in your drinking water are routinely monitored
according to Federal and State regulations. The tables on the
next few pages show the results of our monitoring for calendar
year 2005. In the tables and elsewhere in this report you will
find many terms and abbreviations you might not be familiar
with. The following definitions are provided to help you better
understand these terms:
Non-detects (ND) - lab analysis indicates that the contaminant
is not present.
Parts per million (ppm) or Milligrams per liter (mg/l) - one
part per million corresponds to one minute in two years or a
single penny in $10,000.
Parts per billion (ppb) Micrograms per liter - one part per
billion corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years or a single
penny in $10,000,000.
Parts per trillion (ppt) or Nanograms per liter (nanograms/l) - one
part per trillion corresponds to one minute in 2,000,000 years
or a single penny in $10,000,000,000.
Picocuries per liter (pCi/L) - picocuries per liter is a
measure of the radioactivity in water.
Action Level (AL) - the concentration of a contaminant which,
if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a
water system must follow.
Treatment Technique (TT) - a required process intended to
reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.
Maximum Contaminant Level, or MCL - 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.
Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level, or SMCL - set recommended
levels for contaminants that affect water’s taste, color, odor
or appearance.
Maximum Contaminant Level Goal, or MCLG - 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.
NTU (Nephelometric Turbidity Unit) - the amount of turbidity
in a water sample as measured by the amount of light scattered
by turbidity of the sample.
Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level (MRDL) - the level of a
disinfectant added for water treatment that may not be exceeded
at the consumer’s tap without an acceptable possibility of
adverse health effects.
Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal (MRDLG) - the level
of a disinfectant added for water treatment at which no known or
anticipated adverse effect on the health of persons would occur.
WATER QUALITY RESULTS
I.
Microbiological Contaminants
|
Contaminant |
MCLG |
MCL |
No.
of Samples Indicating Presence of Bacteria |
Violation (Y/N) |
Month
of Sampling |
Typical Source of Contamination |
|
Total
Coliform Bacteria |
0 |
Presence of coliform bacteria in more than one sample
per month |
1 |
No |
November 2005 |
Naturally present in the environment |
II. Contaminants
Regulated at the Treatment Plant
Contaminant |
Ideal
Goals EPA's MCLG |
Highest Allowable Level EPA's MCL |
Level
Detected |
Typical Source of Contaminant |
|
Aluminum |
|
- |
<0.05
ppm |
Natural geology, mining |
|
Antimony |
6 ppb |
6 ppb |
<2
ppb |
Discharge from petroleum refineries, soldering |
|
Arsenic |
N/A |
50
ppb |
<5
ppb |
Natural geology; runoff from orchards |
|
Barium |
2 ppm |
2 ppm |
<0.2
ppm |
Natural geology, mining |
|
Beryllium |
4 ppb |
4 ppb |
<2
ppb |
Discharge from metal refineries, coal burning |
|
Cadmium |
5 ppb |
5 ppb |
<2
ppb |
Natural geology, corrosion of galvanized pipes |
|
Chromium |
100
ppb |
100
ppb |
<10
ppb |
Natural geology, discharge pulp mills |
|
Cyanide† |
200
ppb |
200
ppb |
<10
ppb |
Discharge metal, plastic, fertilizer factories |
|
Lead |
0 |
AL =
15 ppb |
<2
ppb |
Corrosion of household plumbing |
|
Mercury |
2 ppb |
2 ppb |
<0.2
ppb |
Natural geology, runoff farms |
|
Nickel |
100
ppb |
100
ppb |
<10
ppb |
Natural geology |
|
Selenium |
50
ppb |
50
ppb |
<10
ppb |
Natural geology, discharge metal refinery |
|
Thalium |
2 ppb |
2 ppb |
<2
ppb |
Natural Geology |
|
Nitrate/Nitrite-Nitrogen |
10
ppm |
10
ppm |
<0.05
ppm |
Natural geology, fertilizer runoff, septic leachate |
|
Gross
Alpha* |
0 |
15
pCi/L |
0.2
pCi/L |
Erosion of natural deposits |
|
Gross
Beta** |
0 |
50
pCi/L |
1.0
pCi/L |
Decay of man-made products and natural deposits |
|
Combined Radium* |
0 |
5 pCi/L |
0.4
pCi/L |
Erosion of natural deposit |
Samples were collected November 2, 2005. *The MCL for beta
particles is 4 mrem/year. EPA considers 50 pCi/L to be the level
of concern for beta particles. †Sample was tested December 2,
2004. **Samples collected on March 7, 2005.
Contaminant |
Ideal
Goals EPA's MCLG |
Highest Allowable Level EPA's MCL |
Highest Detected |
Lowest Monthly Percentage of Samples Meeting the
Turbidity |
Typical Source of Contaminant |
|
Turbidity |
NA |
95% Below 0.3 NTU |
0.771 NTU |
100% |
Soil runoff |
|
Date |
- |
- |
08-08-2005 |
|
|
Contaminant |
MCLG |
Required Removal Ratio |
Removal Ratio |
Running Annual Average |
Typical Source of Contaminant |
|
Lowest Quarterly |
Monthly Range |
|
Total
Organic Carbon* |
TT |
1.0 |
1.24 |
1.08
- 1.73 |
1.31 |
Naturally present in the environment |
*Total
organic carbon results are given as removal ratios. Running
annual average equal to or greater than one meets water quality
standards.
III. Other Contaminants
Regulated in the Distribution System
Contaminant |
MCLG |
Required Removal Ratio |
Removal Ratio |
Typical Source of Contaminant |
|
Highest Compliance Level |
Quarterly Range |
|
Trihalomethanes (THM) |
0 |
80
ppb |
49 |
11-90
ppb |
Disinfection interaction |
|
Haloacetic Acids (HAA) |
0 |
60
ppb |
17 |
0-39
ppb |
Disinfection interaction |
IV. Contaminants
Regulated at the Customer’s Tap
Contaminant |
Ideal Goals EPA's MCLG |
Highest Allowable Level EPA's MCL (Action Level) |
90th Percentile |
No. of Sites Exceeding A.L. |
Typical Source of Contamination |
|
Lead** |
0 ppb |
15
ppb |
12.1
ppb |
4 |
Customer's plumbing and service connection |
|
Copper** |
1.3
ppm |
1.3
ppm |
0.156
ppm |
0 |
Customer's plumbing and service connection |
**Samples
were collected last in December of 2005.
V. Disinfectants
Disinfectant |
Units of Measurement |
MRDLG |
MRDL |
Level
Detected (Annual Average) |
Violation (Y/N) |
Range of Detection at Sampling Points |
Typical Source |
|
Chlorine |
ppm |
4 |
4 |
2.54 |
N |
1.5 -
3.5 |
Water
additive used to control microbes |
VI. Other Contaminants That
Affect Taste, Odor and Appearance But Do Not Normally Affect the
Health of Humans
|
Contaminant |
SMCL |
Level
Detected |
Source of Contaminant |
|
Ammonia† |
|
<0.04
ppm |
Natural geology |
|
Chloride† |
250
ppm |
53.5
ppm |
Minerals and nutrients |
|
Copper |
1.3
ppm |
<0.2
ppm |
Natural geology |
|
Fluoride† |
2 ppm |
<0.2
ppm |
Natural geology |
|
Iron |
300
ppb |
<200
ppb |
Natural geology |
|
Manganese |
50
ppb |
<10
ppb |
Natural geology |
|
Ortho-Phosphate |
NL |
0.6
ppm |
|
|
Silica† |
NL |
2.5
ppm |
Natural geology |
|
Sulfate† |
250
ppm |
14.1
ppm |
Minerals and nutrients |
|
Sulfide† |
NL |
<0.03
pm |
Minerals and nutrients |
|
Zinc |
5 ppm |
<0.31
ppm |
Natural geology |
|
pH |
8.5
Su |
7.5
Su |
|
|
Total Dissolved Solids† |
500
ppm |
164
ppm |
|
Samples were
tested November 2, 2005. †Samples were tested December 2,
2004.
We
constantly monitor for various contaminants in the water supply to
meet all regulatory requirements. The table lists only those
contaminants that had some level of detection. Many other
contaminants have been analyzed but were not present or were below
the detection limits of the lab equipment. The water quality
results in the preceding tables are from testing done in 2005,
unless otherwise noted. The state allows us to monitor for some
contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of
these contaminants do not change frequently. Some of our data in
Table VI, though accurate, is more than one year old.
MCLs are set at very stringent levels by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency. In developing the standards, EPA assumes that
the average adult drinks 2 liters of water each day throughout a
70-year life span. EPA generally sets MCLs at levels that will
result in no adverse health effects for some contaminants or a
one-in-ten-thousand to one-in-a-million chance of having the
described health effect for other contaminants.
VIOLATION INFORMATION
There
were no MCL or TT violations during the year nor were there any
reporting violations during the year for the Gloucester County water
system. The State Health Officials have advised us that we may have
failed to comply with the National Primary Drinking Water
Regulations and the Commonwealth of Virginia Waterworks
Regulations. Even though this was not an emergency, as our
customers, you have a right to know what happened and what we are
doing to correct this situation.
We are required to monitor your drinking water for specific
contaminants on a regular basis. Results of regular monitoring are
an indicator of whether or not our drinking water meets health
standards. During 2005, we did not monitor for inorganics and,
therefore, cannot be sure of the quality of our drinking water
during that time.
WHAT THIS MEANS
There is
nothing you need to do at this time. The table below lists the
contaminant we did not properly test for, how often we are supposed
to sample for it and how many samples we are supposed to collect,
how many samples we collected, when samples should have been
collected, and the date on which follow-up samples were collected.
Contaminant |
Required Sampling |
Number of Samples Collected |
When
All Samples Should Have Been Collected |
When Samples Were Collected |
|
Inorganics |
One
sample for 2005 |
None |
During 2005 |
Sample was collected on March 29, 2006 |
STEPS WE HAVE TAKEN
We have collected one sample in 2006 and will continue to do so
every year.
ADDITIONAL HEALTH
INFORMATION
This Drinking Water Quality Report was prepared by:
Lawrence A. Dame, Director of Public
Utilities
6582 Main Street
P.O. Box 329
Gloucester, Virginia 23061
804-693-1230
ldame@gloucesterva.info
A copy of this report is also available by
visiting the Gloucester County website at
www.gloucesterva.info
and accessing the “Services” page of the Public Utilities
Department.
