2015 CCR / CONSUMER CONFIDENCE REPORT
We're pleased to present to you our Annual Drinking Water Quality Report, also known as the Consumer Confidence Report. This report, a requirement of the 1996 amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act, is designed to inform you about the quality water and services we deliver to you every day. Our constant goal is to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water. We want you to understand the efforts we make to continually improve the water treatment process and protect our water resources. We are committed to ensuring the quality of your water.
WATER SOURCE
Our water is drawn from three drilled wells, located on the Nokomis Road one-tenth of a mile west of the town office. We treat our water with hypochlorination to protect against potential bacteriological contaminants.
SOURCE WATER ASSESSMENT
The Maine Drinking Water Program (DWP) has evaluated all public water supplies as part of the Source Water Assessment Program (SWAP). The assessments included geology, hydrology, land uses, water testing information, and the extent of land ownership or protection by local ordinance to see how likely our drinking water source is to being contaminated by human activities in the future. Assessment results are available at public water suppliers, town offices, and the DWP. For more information about the SWAP, please contact the DWP at telephone207-287-2070.
If you have any questions about this report or concerning your water system, please contact Sandee Kerr at telephone number 207-278-4183 or mailing address 8 Levi Stewart Drive, Corinna, ME 04928. We want our valued customers to be informed about their water utility. If you want to learn more, please inquire about our meetings. Likewise, if you have special concerns about the water and would like to hold a meeting, this can be arranged.
WATER QUALITY
Corinna Water District routinely monitors for contaminants in your drinking water according to Federal and State laws. The following table shows any detection resulting from our monitoring for the period of January 1st to December 31st,2015.
The sources of drinking water include rivers, lakes, ponds and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and radioactive material and can pick up substances resulting from human or animal activity. All sources of drinking water are subject to potential contamination by substances that are naturally occurring or man-made. Contaminants that may be present in source water include:
Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, may come from sewage treatment plants, septicsystems, agricultural livestock operations, andwildlife.
Inorganiccontaminants,suchassaltsand metals,canbenaturallyoccurringorresultfromurbanstormwaterrunoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, orfarming.
Pesticidesandherbicides maycome fromavarietyofsourcessuchasagriculture,urbanstormwaterrunoff,and residentialuses.
Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, are by-products of industrial processesandpetroleumproduction,andcanalsocome fromgasstations, urbanstormwaterrunoff,andsepticsystems. Radioactivecontaminantscanbenaturally-occurringorbetheresultofoiland gasproductionand mining activities. In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. U.S.Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health.
The table below lists all of the drinking water contaminants that were detected throughout water quality monitoring and testing. The presence of contaminants in the water does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a healthrisk.
Corinna Water District had no violations in 2015
TEST RESULTS Unless otherwise noted, testing was done in2015. | ||||||
Contaminant | Violation Y/N | Level Detected | Unit Measurement | MCLG | MCL | Likely Source ofContamination |
MicrobiologicalContaminants | ||||||
Total ColiformBacteria |
N | 0 positive | Highestmonthly # ofpositive samples | 0 positive | 1 positive |
Naturally present in theenvironment. |
RadioactiveContaminants | ||||||
Radium-228 (4/29/13) |
N |
0.71 |
pCi/L |
0 |
5 | Erosion of natural deposits. |
Uranium-238 (3/10/14) |
N |
1.4 |
ppb |
0 |
30 | Erosion of naturaldeposits. |
InorganicContaminants | ||||||
Antimony, Total (3/10/14) |
N |
2.3 |
ppb |
6 |
6 | Discharge from petroleumrefineries, fire retardants, ceramics, electronics andsolder. |
Arsenic (3/10/14) |
N |
2.5 |
ppb |
0 |
10 | Erosion of natural deposits. Runoff from orchards, glassand electronics productionwastes. |
Barium (3/10/14) | N | 0.034 | ppm | 2 | 2 | Discharge of drilling wastes. Discharge from metal refineries. Erosion of naturaldeposits. |
Chromium (3/10/14) | N | 3.1 | ppb | 100 | 100 | Discharge from steel and pulpmills. Erosion of naturaldeposits |
Copper* (1/1/12-12/31/14) | N | 0.16 | ppm | 1.3 | AL=1.3 | Corrosion of household plumbing systems. |
Fluoride (3/10/14) | N | 0.1 | ppm | 4 | 4 | Erosion of naturaldeposits. Water additive that promotes strong teeth. Discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories. |
Lead* (1/1/12-12/31/14) | N | 5.7 | ppb | 0 | AL=15 | Corrosion of household plumbing systems. |
Nitrate (1/19/15) |
N |
1 |
ppm |
10 |
10 | Runoff from fertilizer use. Leaching from septic tanks, sewage. Erosion of naturaldeposits. |
* = Reported results are the 90th percentile value (the value that 90% of all samples are lessthan). | ||||||
DisinfectionBy-Products | ||||||
TTHM [Total Trihalomethanes] (8/19/13) |
N | RAA = 16.4 (16.4-16.4) |
ppb |
0 |
80 | By-product of drinkingwater chlorination. |
Note: The state allows us to monitor for some contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants do notchangefrequently.Notallcontaminantsaretestedforeveryyearduetomonitoringwaiversandtherefore we mustusethemostrecent roundofsampling.Someofourdataismorethanoneyearold,however,islimitedtonoolderthan5years.
Definitions:
ActionLevel(AL)-Theconcentrationofacontaminantwhich,ifexceeded,triggerstreatmentorotherrequirementswhichawatersystem mustfollow.
Maximum Contaminant Level (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 treatmenttechnology.
Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) - is the level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there isno known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin ofsafety.
Maximum Residual Disinfection 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 microbialcontaminants.
MaximumResidual Disinfection Level Goal (MRDLG) – The level of a drinking water disinfectant below which there is no known or expectedrisktohealth.MRDLGs donotreflectthebenefitsoftheuseofdisinfectantstocontrolmicrobialcontaminants.
Not Applicable (N/A) - Does notapply
RunningAnnualAverage(RAA) -Theaverageofallmonthlyorquarterlysamples forthelastyearatallsamplelocations.
Treatment Technique (TT) - A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water (e.g. treatment technique forturbidity).
Variances,Exemptions,andWaivers-StateorEPApermissionnottomeetanMCL,atreatmenttechniqueortestforagiven contaminant under certainconditions.
Units:
NephelometricTurbidityUnit(NTU)-nephelometricturbidityunitisameasureoftheclarityofwater.Turbidityinexcessof5NTUis just noticeable to the averageperson.
Parts per billion (ppb) or micrograms per liter (µg/L) - One part per billion corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years, or a single penny in$10,000,000.
Partsper million(ppm) or milligramsperliter(mg/L)-Onepartpermillioncorrespondstooneminuteintwoyearsorasinglepenny in$10,000.
Picocuries per liter (pCi/L) - A measure of the radioactivity inwater.
Notes:
Arsenic: The U.S. EPA adopted the new MCL standard of 10 ppb, in October 2001. Water systems must meet this new standard by January2006.
Barium: Some people who drink water containing barium in excess of the MCL over many years could experience an increase in their bloodpressure.
Total Coliform Bacteria: Reported as the highest monthly number of positive samples, for water systems that take less than 40 samples permonth.
Fluoride: For those systems that fluoridate, fluoride levels must be maintained between 0.5 to 1.2 ppm. The optimum level is0.7ppm.
Lead/Copper: Action levels (AL) are measured at consumer’s tap. 90% of the tests must be equal to or below the action level; therefore, the listed results above have been calculated and are listed as the 90thpercentile.
Nitrate: 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 you should ask advice from your health care provider.
Gross Alpha: Action level over 5pCi/L requires testing for Radium -226 and -228. Action level over 15 pCi/L requires testingforUranium. ComplianceisbasedonGrossAlpharesultsminusUraniumresults=NetGrossAlpha.
Radon: The State of Maine adopted a Maximum Exposure Guideline (MEG) for Radon in drinking water at 4000 pCi/L, effective1/1/07.IfRadon exceedstheMEGinwater,treatmentisrecommended.Itisalsoadvisabletotestindoorairfor Radon. The U.S.EPA is proposing setting federal standards for Radon in public drinkingwater.
TTHM/HAA5: Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) and Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) are formed as a by-product of drinking water chlorination. This chemical reaction occurs when chlorine combines with naturally occurring organic matter in water. Compliance is based on running annual average.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Since our system chlorinates its water, we are required to report our annual average for chlorineresidual.
Chlorine Residual was found to be 0.50 ppm, with a range of 0.22 ppm to 0.78ppm.
As you can see by the table, our system had no violations. We’re proud that your drinking water meets all Federal and State requirements. The EPA has determined that your water IS SAFE at theselevels.
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. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at1-800-426-4791.
For most people, the health benefits of drinking plenty of water outweigh any possible health risk from these contaminants. However, 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/Center of Disease Control (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).
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. We are 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 thirty (30) seconds to two (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 athttp://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.
We, at Corinna Water District, work hard to provide top quality water to every tap. We ask that all our customers help us protect and preserve our drinking water resources, which are the heart of our community, our way of life, and our children’s future. Please contact us with any questions. Thank you for working together for safe drinking water.