HomeMy WebLinkAboutWater Quality Report 2005 Water Quality Report for 2005
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) requires
each water purveyor in the state to provide its customers with an
annual water quality report. Georgetown Utility Systems (GUS) is
dedicated to providing high quality drinking water. Last year we
conducted more than 500 water quality tests and never exceeded
the safe drinking water standards established by the EPA.
Our water comes from the Edwards Aquifer and Lake Georgetown.
Generally, customers living to the west of IH-35 are served by
water from Lake Georgetown with a hardness of 200 mg/L (11-12
grains/gal). This hardness level is low in the “hard” range. All other
areas are served by the Edwards Aquifer with a hardness of 300
mg/L (17-18 grains/gal), and is considered to be “hard”. If you
have any questions about this report or any other details about
your water utility, please contact us at 512-930-3555.
The demand for water continues to increase
The demand for treated water continues to grow at a rate of 7% per
year. Peak demand last summer was over 20 million gallons per
day (MGD), or equal to 72% of the current system capacity.
However, Georgetown Utility Systems (GUS) must always maintain
the necessary capacity to handle the summer peak.
This year, the Williamson County Raw Water Line began
operating to provide for the transfer of water from Lake
Stillhouse to Lake Georgetown. The pipeline completed
in January 2003, is designed to transfer water needed
for the drinking water supply for the City of Georgetown
and four other area water utilities. The operation of this
pipeline increases our protection against the influence
of drought.
Conservation rates in effect
As part of the City’s Water Conservation Plan, the City enters the
first phase of its Drought Contingency Plan, Voluntary
Conservation, on May 1 of each year. The City also enacts the
Residential Conservation Water Rates on billings from June 1
through October 31. The increase in cost during this period is
meant to provide incentive to conserve during the peak demand
period. Any additional revenue is used to finance the construction
of water capacity projects to serve the peak demand.
The conservation rates per 1,000 gallons are:
Use City Outside City
0 – 19 $2.25 $2.60
20 – 29 $3.00 $3.35
30 – 39 $4.50 $4.85
40 or more $6.00 $6.35
The most effective method for conserving water is to control use of
water for landscape irrigation. Use of water for irrigation causes
the peak demand in the summer that puts a strain on the system
and eventually requires the installation of expensive treatment
facilities. For best results, follow a 5-day watering schedule and
irrigate between the hours of 7 p.m. and 10 a.m., preferably during
the time period when customers will not be using water for cooking
and bathing (8 p.m. to 4 a.m.). Using the 5-day schedule will
promote deep root growth and make your lawn more drought
resistant. Watering during the late evening and early morning
hours also minimizes the water lost to evaporation. The 5-day
schedule is provided on our website located at
www.georgetown.org.
“ A Safe Place” program enters its 10th year
The “A Safe Place” program was started in 1997 to provide a point
of contact for children who need help in an emergency. The GUS
and Parks Service vehicles and staff supplement the Police and
Fire Department vehicles by giving children another avenue to
seek help. To learn more about “A Safe Place”, ask a child.
Georgetown’s “A Safe Place” program received the American
Public Power Association’s Community Service Award in 2003.
Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone Testing Program
Continues
GUS is conducting its fourth year of testing for flaws in the
wastewater collection system. The testing, required by the TCEQ,
uses various methods to check piping and manholes for flaws that
allow water to either enter or exit the system. This testing is being
performed in Oak Crest, Georgetown Village, and the eastern
area of downtown Georgetown. The remaining collection
system will be tested over the next four years. Once
completed, the system will undergo continuous testing on a 5-
year cycle.
Protect your drinking water
The use of drinking water in many industrial processes
requires the use of a functioning and properly-tested backflow
prevention device. These devices prevent the inadvertent
introduction of hazardous materials into the drinking water
system by preventing flow of the material in the reverse
direction. Each device must be tested at least annually with
the test results reported to GUS. Please call 930-3555 for
further information.
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. Sources
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 can
pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or
from human activity. Contaminants that may be present in
source water before we treat it include:
• Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria,
which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic
systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife.
• Turbidity, which has no health effects, can interfere with
disinfection and provide a medium for microbial growth.
Turbidity may indicate the presence of disease-causing
organisms
• Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, can be
naturally occurring or result from urban stormwater runoff,
industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas
production, mining or farming.
• Pesticides & herbicides, which may come from a variety of
sources such as agriculture and residential use.
• Radioactive contaminants, which are naturally occurring.
• Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and
volatile organic chemicals, which are by-products of
industrial processes and petroleum production, and also
can come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff, and
septic systems.
Special population advisory
Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in
drinking water such as immuno-compromised 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 from their health care providers. EPA/Center for
Disease Control guidelines on how to reduce the risk of
infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants
are available at: Safe Drinking Water Hotline: 1-800-426-4791.
Este informe contiene información muy importante sobre
el agua potable. Tradúzcalo ó hable con alguien que lo
entienda bien.
This water quality report was prepared by OMI, Inc., and
Georgetown Utility Systems., May 1, 2006.
Water quality monitoring
To ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the EPA prescribes regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by
public water systems. We treat our water according to the EPA regulations. Food and Drug Administration regulations establish limits for
contaminants in bottled water, which must provide the same protection for public health.
Water quality data
The table in this report lists all the drinking water contaminants we detected during tests conducted from January 1 through December 31,
2004, unless otherwise noted. 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. Therefore, some of the data, though
representative of the water quality, is more than one year old.
Terms & Abbreviations
• AL: Action Level-concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment/other requirements a water system must follow.
• MCL: Maximum Contaminant Level - the “Maximum Allowed” (MCL) 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.
• MCLG: Maximum Contaminant Level Goal - the “Goal” (MCLG) 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.
• N/A: not applicable
• NTU: Nephelometric Turbidity Units – measure of the clarity of water
• ND: not-detectable – laboratory analysis indicates that the constituent is not present.
• Ppm: parts per million or milligrams per liter
• ppb: parts per billion or micrograms per liter
• TT : Treatment Technique – a required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.
Microbiological Contaminants
Constituent MCL MCLG Highest
Measurement
Lowest Monthly % of
samples meeting limits
Violation
(Y or N) Typical Source of Contamination
Total Coliform 2 100 N Naturally present in the environment.
Fecal Coliform ND 100 N Human and animal fecal waste
Turbidity (NTU) TT 0.3 0.50 100 N Soil runoff
Inorganic Contaminants
Constituent MCL MCLG
Highest
Level
Range of
Detection
Sample
Date
Violation
(Y or N) Typical Source of Contamination
Barium (ppm) 2 2 0.049 0.0290 –
0.0490
2005-2005 N Discharge of drilling wastes; Discharge from metal
refineries; Erosion of natural deposits
Fluoride (ppm)
4 4 0.3 0.2 - 1.0 2005 N Erosion of natural deposits; water additive which
promotes strong teeth; Discharge from fertilizer and
aluminum factories
Nitrate (ppm) 10 10 3.78 0.01 - 3.78 2005 N Runoff from fertilizer use; Leaching from septic
tanks, sewage; Erosion of natural deposits
Nickel (ppb) 100 100 2.9 1.0 - 2.9 2002-2005 N Erosion of natural deposits
Chromium (ppb) 100 100 6.0 1.0– 6.0 2002-2005 N Discharge from steel and pulp mills; Erosion of
natural deposits
Lead and Copper
Constituent
Action
Level
90th
Percentile
# of sites exceeding
Action Level
Violation
(Y or N) Typical Source of Contamination
Copper (ppm) 1.3 0.283 0 N Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural
deposits; Leaching from wood preservatives
Lead (ppb) 15 402 0 N Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural
deposits
Disinfection By-Products
Constituent MCL MCLG
Average of All
Sampling Points
Range of Detected
Levels
Sample
Date Typical Source of Contamination
HAA5 Haloacedic Acids (ppb) 60 0 12 2 - 28 2005 By-product of drinking water chlorination
THM Trihalomethanes (ppb) 80 0 27 2 - 41 2005 By-product of drinking water chlorination
Unregulated Contaminants
Constituent
Average of All
Sampling Points
Range of
Detected Levels Sample Date Typical Source of Contamination
Chloroform (ppb) 2 0.0 - 25.3 2005
Bromoform (ppb) 2 0.0 - 3.0 2005
Bromodichloromethane (ppb) 3 0.0 - 12.2 2005
Dibromochloromethane (ppb) 3 1 - 9 2005
Perchlorate (ppb) < 4.0 0.0 - 4.6 2004-05
Unregulated contaminant monitoring helps EPA to
determine where certain contaminants occur and
whether it needs to regulate those contaminants