HomeMy Public PortalAboutCCR2013CityofTybee.pdfCity of Tybee Island 2013 Annual Water
Quality Report GA0510005
Is my water safe?
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.
Do I need to take special precautions?
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).
Where does my water come from?
Groundwater is the only source for the City of Tybee Island and pumped from the Upper
Floridan Aquifer.
Source water assessment and its availability
Not required for groundwater systems at this time.
Why are there contaminants in my drinking water?
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 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 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 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.
How can I get involved?
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.
Description of Water Treatment Process
Your water is treated by disinfection. Disinfection involves the addition of chlorine or
other disinfectant to kill dangerous bacteria and microorganisms that may be in the water.
Disinfection is considered to be one of the major public health advances of the 20th
century.
Water Conservation Tips
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.
Cross Connection Control Survey
The purpose of this survey is to determine whether a cross-connection may exist at your home
or business. A cross connection is an unprotected or improper connection to a public water
distribution system that may cause contamination or pollution to enter the system. We are
responsible for enforcing cross-connection control regulations and insuring that no
contaminants can, under any flow conditions, enter the distribution system. If you have any of
the devices listed below please contact us so that we can discuss the issue, and if needed,
survey your connection and assist you in isolating it if that is necessary.
· Boiler/ Radiant heater (water heaters not included)
· Underground lawn sprinkler system
· Pool or hot tub (whirlpool tubs not included)
· Additional source(s) of water on the property
· Decorative pond
· Watering trough
Source Water Protection Tips
Protection of drinking water is everyone’s responsibility. You can help protect your
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.
Additional Information for Lead
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.
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.
MCLG
or
MCL,
TT,
or
Your
Range
Samp
le
Contaminant
s
MRDL
G
MRDL Wate
r
Lo
w
Hig
h
Date Violatio
n
Typical Source
Disinfectants & Disinfectant By-Products
(There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of
microbial contaminants) Chlorine (as
Cl2) (ppm)
4
4
1.11
0.9
6
1.3
2013
No Water additive used to
control microbes
TTHMs [Total
Trihalomethan
es] (ppb)
NA
80
22.1
NA
2013
No
By-product of drinking
water disinfection
Microbiological Contaminants
Total
Coliform
(positive
samples/mo
nth)
0
1
0
NA
2013
No
Naturally present
in the environment
Your Sampl
e
#
Samples
Excee
ds
Contaminant
s
MCLG AL Water Date Exceeding
AL
AL Typical Source
Inorganic Contaminants
Copper - action
level at
consumer taps
(ppm)
1.3
1.3
0.26
2013
0
No Corrosion of
household plumbing
systems; Erosion of
natural deposits
Lead - action
level at
consumer taps
(ppb)
0
15
3.5
2013
0
No Corrosion of
household plumbing
systems; Erosion of
natural deposits
Unit Descriptions
Ter
m
Definition
ppm ppm: parts per million, or milligrams per liter
(mg/L) ppb ppb: parts per billion, or micrograms per liter
(µg/L)
positive samples/month positive samples/month: Number of samples taken
monthly that were found to be
positive NA NA: not
applicable ND ND: Not
detected NR NR: Monitoring not required, but recommended.
Important Drinking Water Definitions
Ter
m
Definition
MCLG 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.
MCL 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.
TT TT: Treatment Technique: A required process intended to
reduce the level of a contaminant in
drinking water.
AL AL: Action Level: The concentration of a contaminant
which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other
requirements which a water system must follow.
Variances and Exemptions Variances and Exemptions: State or EPA permission not to
meet an MCL
or a treatment technique under certain
conditions.
MRDLG
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
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. MNR MNR: Monitored Not Regulated
MPL MPL: State Assigned Maximum Permissible Level
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: www.cityoftybee.org