HomeMy Public PortalAboutCCR2012CityofTybee.pdfDrinking 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 Agency's (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:
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 stormwater
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 stormwater 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 stormwater 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 that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by
public water systems. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations establish limits for
contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health.
City of Tybee Island 2012 Annual Water
Quailty Report GA0510005
We are pleased to present this year's Annual Water Quality Report (Consumer Confidence
Report) as required by the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). This report is designed to provide
details about where your water comes from, what it contains, and how it compares to standards
set by regulatory agencies. This report is a snapshot of last year's water quality. We are
committed to providing you with information because informed customers are our best allies.
Is my water safe?
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/Centers for Disease Control (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).
Do I need to take special precautions?
Groundwater is the only source for the city of Tybee Island and pumped for the upper Floridan
Aquifer.
Where does my water come from?
Not required for groundwater systems at this time.
Source water assessment and its availability
Why are there contaminants in my drinking water?
Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least smallamounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate thatwater poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects canbe obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Safe Drinking WaterHotline (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:
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 stormwater
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 stormwater 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 stormwater 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 that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by
public water systems. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations establish limits for
contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health.
City hall is located at 403 Butler Avenue. City council meetings are held on the second and
fourth Thursday of each month at 7:00 pm.
How can I get involved?
Did you know that the average U.S. household uses approximately 400 gallons of water per day
or 100 gallons per person per day? Luckily, there are many low-cost and no-cost ways to
conserve water. Small changes can make a big difference – try one today and soon it will
become second nature.
·Take short showers - a 5 minute shower uses 4 to 5 gallons of water compared to up to 50
gallons for a bath.
·Shut off water while brushing your teeth, washing your hair and shaving and save up to
500 gallons a month.
·Use a water-efficient showerhead. They're inexpensive, easy to install, and can save you
up to 750 gallons a month.
·Run your clothes washer and dishwasher only when they are full. You can save up to
1,000 gallons a month.
·Water plants only when necessary.
·Fix leaky toilets and faucets. Faucet washers are inexpensive and take only a few
minutes to replace. To check your toilet for a leak, place a few drops of food coloring in
the tank and wait. If it seeps into the toilet bowl without flushing, you have a leak.
Fixing it or replacing it with a new, more efficient model can save up to 1,000 gallons a
month.
·Adjust sprinklers so only your lawn is watered. Apply water only as fast as the soil can
absorb it and during the cooler parts of the day to reduce evaporation.
·Teach your kids about water conservation to ensure a future generation that uses water
wisely. Make it a family effort to reduce next month's water bill!
·Visit www.epa.gov/watersense for more information.
Water Conservation Tips
Protection of drinking water is everyone’s responsibility. You can help protect your
community’s drinking water source in several ways:
Source Water Protection Tips
Typical SourceViolationDateHighLowWaterMRDLMRDLGContaminants
SampleRangeYourTT, oror
MCL,MCLG
community’s drinking water source in several ways:
·Eliminate excess use of lawn and garden fertilizers and pesticides – they contain
hazardous chemicals that can reach your drinking water source.
·Pick up after your pets.
·If you have your own septic system, properly maintain your system to reduce leaching to
water sources or consider connecting to a public water system.
·Dispose of chemicals properly; take used motor oil to a recycling center.
·Volunteer in your community. Find a watershed or wellhead protection organization in
your community and volunteer to help. If there are no active groups, consider starting
one. Use EPA’s Adopt Your Watershed to locate groups in your community, or visit the
Watershed Information Network’s How to Start a Watershed Team.
·Organize a storm drain stenciling project with your local government or water supplier.
Stencil a message next to the street drain reminding people “Dump No Waste - Drains to
River” or “Protect Your Water.” Produce and distribute a flyer for households to remind
residents that storm drains dump directly into your local water body.
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. City of Tybee Island 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://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.
Additional Information for Lead
Water Quality Data Table
In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations which limit the amount of contaminants in
water provided by public water systems. The table below lists all of the drinking water contaminants that we detected
during the calendar year of this report. Although many more contaminants were tested, only those substances listed
below were found in your water. All sources of drinking water contain some naturally occurring contaminants. At low
levels, these substances are generally not harmful in our drinking water. Removing all contaminants would be
extremely expensive, and in most cases, would not provide increased protection of public health. A few naturally
occurring minerals may actually improve the taste of drinking water and have nutritional value at low levels. Unless
otherwise noted, the data presented in this table is from testing done in the calendar year of the report. The EPA or the
State requires us to monitor for certain contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these
contaminants do not vary significantly from year to year, or the system is not considered vulnerable to this type of
contamination. As such, some of our data, though representative, may be more than one year old. In this table you will
find terms and abbreviations that might not be familiar to you. To help you better understand these terms, we have
provided the definitions below the table.
Typical SourceViolationDateHighLowWaterMRDLMRDLGContaminants
SampleRangeYourTT, oror
MCL,MCLG
(There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants)
Disinfectants & Disinfectant By-Products
By-product of drinking water
disinfectionNo2010NA2.580NA
TTHMs [Total
Trihalomethanes]
(ppb)
Water additive used to control
microbesNo20121.220.871.0244Chlorine (as Cl2)
(ppm)
Microbiological Contaminants
Naturally present in the
environmentNo2012NA110
Total Coliform
(positive
samples/month)
Typical SourceALExceeding ALDateWaterALMCLGContaminants
Exceeds# SamplesSampleYour
Inorganic Contaminants
Corrosion of household
plumbing systems; Erosion
of natural deposits
No020100.161.31.3
Copper - action level
at consumer taps
(ppm)
Corrosion of household
plumbing systems; Erosion
of natural deposits
No020102.5150Lead - action level at
consumer taps (ppb)
Unit Descriptions
DefinitionTerm
ppm: parts per million, or milligrams per liter (mg/L)ppm
ppb: parts per billion, or micrograms per liter (µg/L)ppb
positive samples/month: Number of samples taken monthly that were
found to be positivepositive samples/month
NA: not applicableNA
ND: Not detectedND
NR: Monitoring not required, but recommended.NR
Important Drinking Water Definitions
DefinitionTerm
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.
MCLG
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.
MCL
TT: Treatment Technique: A required process intended to reduce the level
of a contaminant in drinking water.TT
AL: Action Level: The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded,
triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must
follow.
AL
Variances and Exemptions: State or EPA permission not to meet an MCL
or a treatment technique under certain conditions.Variances and Exemptions
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.
MRDLG
MRDL: Maximum residual disinfectant 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.
MRDL
MNR: Monitored Not RegulatedMNR
MPL: State Assigned Maximum Permissible LevelMPL
Health Effects Language
Steps Taken to
Correct the
Violation
LengthExplanationTT Violation
Infants and children who
drink water containing lead
in excess of the action level
could experience delays in
their physical or mental
development. Children
could show slight deficits in
attention span and learning
abilities. Adults who drink
this water over many years
could develop kidney
problems or high blood
pressure. Copper is an
essential nutrient, but some
people who drink water
containing copper in excess
of the action level over a
relatively short amount of
time could experience
gastrointestinal distress.
Some people who drink
water containing copper in
excess of the action level
over many years could
suffer liver or kidney
damage. People with
Wilson's Disease should
consult their personal
doctor.
The city will take
all 20 required
sample sites in the
fiscal year of 2013.
Violation period
was 1/1/2010
thru 12/31/2012.
The city of Tybee
failed to monitor 20
sites for Lead and
Copper. We sampled
10 sites in 2010 of
which non exceeded
any permitted MCL.
Lead and copper rule
violations
For more information please contact:
Contact Name: George E. Reese
Address:
PO Box 2749
Tybee Island, GA 31328
Phone: 9124725051
Fax: 9127864432
E-Mail: greese@cityoftybee.org
Website: PO Box 2749