PWSID# 142900

2008 - Water Quality Report

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Montezuma Water Company

209 Central Avenue- PO Box 817

Dolores, Colorado 81323

(970) 882-2226  (970) 882-2201 fax

www.montezumzwater.org   

Esta es informacion importante.

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Water Quality Report

We are pleased to present to you this year’s Annual Water Quality Report.  This report is designed to inform you about the quality water and services MWC deliver to you every day.  Our constant goal is to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water. MWC has two sources of water (1.) McPhee Reservoir (2.) Lost Canyon Wells, (Well #2- 185’, Well #3-195’ and Well #7-109’ ), which draws from the Lost Canyon Streambed Aquifer.

If you have any questions regarding this report or our service, please contact Mike Bauer , Company Manager (970) 882-2226 or Conrad Hover, Plant Superintendent (970) 882-7480.  MWC also mails a newsletter monthly to assist in informing our members on many issues.

Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the public in general.

All 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 the water poses a health risk.  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 of infections.  These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers.  More information about contaminants and potential health effects, or to receive a copy of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by cryptosporidium and microbiological contaminants call the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.

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:

Ø      Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria that may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife.

Ø      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.

Ø      Pesticides and herbicides that may come from a variety of sources, such as agriculture, urban storm-water runoff, and residential uses.

Ø      Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are byproducts of industrial processes and petroleum production, and also may come from gas stations, urban storm-water runoff, and septic systems.

Ø      Radioactive contaminants, that 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.  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water that must provide the same protection for public health.

The table contains many terms and abbreviations that may be unfamiliar. To help you better understand these terms we've provided the following definitions:

·        Action Level ( AL ):  The concentration of a contaminant if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements a water system must follow.

·        Discrete contaminant sources: Generally include facility-related operations from which the potential release of contaminant would originate from a relatively small area.

·        Dispersed contaminant sources: Generally include broad based land uses and miscellaneous sources from which the potential release of contamination would be spread widely over a relatively large area.

·        Ground water source: Any “untreated” water source that is diverted directly from an underground source of water (i.e., an aquifer).

·        Ground water source under the direct influence of surface water: Any “untreated”, shallow ground water source that testing has shown to be in hydrologic connection to a nearby surface water body.

·        High Solids (HS):  High Solids, alpha was not tested.

·        Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL):  The “maximum allowed” is 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.

·        Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG):  The “goal” is 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.

·        Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal (MRDLG):  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.

·        Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level (MRDL):  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.

·        Million Fibers per Liter (MFL):  A measure of the presence of asbestos fibers in water longer than 10 micrometers.

·        Millirems per Year (mrem/year):  A measure of radiation absorbed by the body.

·        Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU):  Nephelometric turbidity unit is a measure of the clarity of water. Turbidity in excess of five NTU is just noticeable to the average person.

·        Non-Detects (ND) or Below Detection Level (BDL):  Laboratory analysis indicates that the constituent is not present.  (“<” Symbol for less than, the same as ND or BDL)

·        Not Tested (NT):  Not tested.

·        Parts per billion (ppb) or Micrograms per liter (mg/l):  One part per billion corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years, or one penny in $10,000,000.

·        Parts per million (ppm) or Milligrams per liter (mg/l):  One part per million corresponds to one minute in two years or one penny in $10,000.

·        Parts per quadrillion (ppq) or Picograms per liter (pg/l):  One part per quadrillion corresponds to one minute in 2,000,000,000 years or one penny in $10,000,000,000,000.

·        Parts per trillion (ppt) or Nanograms per liter (ng/l):  One part per trillion corresponds to one minute in 2,000,000 years, or one penny in $10,000,000,000.

·        PicoCuries per Liter (pCi/l):  A measure of radioactivity in water.

·        Surface water source: Any “untreated” water source that is diverted directly from a stream, river, lake, pond or similar surface water body.

·        Treatment Technique (TT):  A treatment technique is a required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Nitrate in drinking water at levels above 10 ppm is a health risk for infants of less than six months of age.  High nitrate levels in drinking water can cause blue baby syndrome.  Nitrate levels may rise quickly for short periods-of-time because of rainfall or agricultural activity.  If you are caring for an infant, and detected nitrate levels are above 5 ppm, you should ask advice from your health care provider.

While your drinking water meets EPA’s standard for arsenic, it does contain low levels of arsenic.  EPA’s standard balances the current understanding of arsenic’s possible health effects against the costs of removing arsenic from drinking water.  EPA continues to research the health effects of low levels of arsenic, which is a mineral known to cause cancer in humans at high concentrations and is linked to other health effects such as skin damage and circulatory problems.

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.  Flush your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using tap water.  Additional information is available from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791 or at www.epa.gov/safewater.

Montezuma Water Company routinely monitors for constituents in your drinking water according to Federal and State laws.  The table will show results of our monitoring for the period of January 1^st 2007 to December 31^st, 2007.

All drinking water may be reasonably expected to contain at least small amounts of some constituents.  It is important to remember that the presence of these constituents does not necessarily pose a health risk.  For More information call the EPA Safe drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791 of at www.epa.gov/safewater.

If you have any questions regarding this report or our services, please contact Mike Bauer , Company Manager (970) 882-2226 or Conrad Hover, Plant Superintendent (970) 882-7480. MWC also mails a newsletter monthly to assist in informing our Members on many issues. Montezuma Water Company Board of Directors conduct a monthly meeting on the second Tuesday of every month at the Company office at 209 Central Avenue , Dolores , Colorado , call 882-2226 for the time the meeting will begin. The Water Quality is posted at the office at 209 Central Avenue , Dolores , Colorado , and is available on our web site www.montezumawater.org.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has completed a source water assessment for Montezuma Water Co, as required by the 1996 Safe Drinking water Act amendments and in accordance with Colorado ’s Source Water Assessment and Protection (SWAP) program.  The purpose of this assessment is to analyze the potential susceptibility of each public drinking water source to contamination, and to supply pertinent information so that decision-makers voluntarily can develop and implement appropriate preventive measures to protect these water sources. 

The total susceptibility ratings for the Surface Water Source and Ground Water Source under the direct influence of surface water, were determined to have a Moderate ratting for the ground water source under the direct influence. And a Moderately High susceptibility rating for the Surface water source,  The water sources have the greatest risk to potential contamination from the following types of discrete contaminant sources.  Aboveground, Underground, and Leaking Storage Tank Sites. Permitted Wastewater Discharge Sites, Existing/Abandoned Mine Sites, and Other Facilities. The water sources have the greatest risk to potential contamination from the following types of Dispersed Contaminant Sources.  Commercial/Industrial/Transportation, High Intensity Residential, Low Intensity Residential, Urban Recreational Grasses, Row Crops, Pasture/Hay, Deciduous Forest , Evergreen Forest , Mixed Forest , Septic Systems, Oil/Gas Well, and Road Miles.

The total susceptibility ratings for the Ground Water Sources, were determined to have a Moderately High susceptibility rating. The water sources have the greatest risk to potential contamination from the following types of Dispersed Contaminant Sources. Low Intensity Residential, Row Crops, Pasture/Hay, Deciduous Forest, Evergreen Forest , Septic Systems, and Road Miles.

Note: The susceptibility assessment identified in this report is Not a reflection of the quality of water leaving are facility. Rather, it is simply an indication based on available data, of potential future risks to are untreated water supply should the unanticipated occur.

Our constant goal is to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water.

For more information or a copy of the report call the above contact. In addition, consumers can obtain a copy of the source water assessment reports by going to the Source Water Assessment and Protection web site located at :

(www.cdphe.state.co.us/wq/sw/swaphom.html)

LEAD IN DRINKING WATER

“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. Montezuma Water Company is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components. When you 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 to drink 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://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.”