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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20212021 Annual Drinking Water Report The City of Port Townsend is pleased to present our Annual Water Quality Report for the year 2021. The following report shares informa�on about the high-quality drinking water provided to the residents and visitors of Port Townsend. State cer�fied operators diligently work to provide mul�-barrier protec�on for safe and clean water from the source to the tap. For over ninety years, the U.S. Forest Service has cooperated with the City of Port Townsend for the management to protect our municipal watershed and maintain high quality source water. Our treat- ment process u�lizes ultra-filtra�on membranes for contaminant removal and chlorine is added as a disinfectant to prevent biological contamina�on. A�er treatment, the finished water is delivered to our customers via the 100 plus miles of well-maintained water distribu�on pipeline. Water tes�ng in 2021 shows that Port Townsend’s drinking water meets all State and Federal regulatory standards. Our essen�al workers remain commi�ed to serving our residents in the best way possible. Water Sources The City of Port Townsend’s water supply (System ID # 69000R) is surface water from the Big Quilcene and Li�le Quilcene Rivers (Source # 01 and 02) in the northeast corner of the Olympic Na�onal Forest. Water is stored in Lords Lake and City Lake Reservoirs. The Washington State Department of Health, by defini�on, rates all surface water sources as highly suscep�ble to contamina�on. More informa�on on Source Water is available through the Source Water Assessment Program (SWAP) data on WA State Department of Health: www.doh.wa.gov/community-and-environment/drinking-water/source-water/source-water-protection#intro Water Use Efficiency Report Efficient water use benefits the environment, water system opera�ons, and our customers by maintaining more water in the streams and lowering opera�ng costs. Last year an average of 962,550 gallons of water per day was delivered to more than 11,000 customers and many visitors. Total City consump�on was 382 million gallons with residen�al consump�on averaging 61 gallons per person per day. Of the total water produced, 7% or 26.9 million gallons was unaccounted for by customer meters or other measurement. The loss was slightly below the 3-year average loss of 7.8%. Unaccounted for water is lost through such things as under-registering meters, use of fire hydrants, and leaking underground pipes. During 2021, the City replaced 78 old water meters with a new model featuring increased reliability and accuracy. (Lords Lake Reservoir) 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/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791). Water quality sampling results are for the monitoring performed January 1 - December 31, 2021, unless otherwise noted in the tables. Sampling for certain contaminants occurs less than once per year because concentra�ons of these contaminants are not expected to vary significantly from year to year. While the City tests for more than eighty regulated contaminants, the substances listed in the following tables were the only ones detected in our water. Contaminants Sample Date/ Frequency Detected Levels Units MCL/MCLG or Viola�ons Typical Source Total Coliform Bacteria 15 �mes per month *1 NA NTU Contaminant Present No No Viola�on Naturally present in the environment Turbidity Con�nuous 0.012-0.268 TT Soil runoff Chlorine Con�nuous 0.32-1.23 Water addi�ve used to control microbes ppb NoHaloace�c-Acids Quarterly **11.7-61.2 ***LRAA 33.3 60 No80 By-product of drinking water chlorina�on ppbTotal Trihalomethane Quarterly **17.3-66.8 ***LRAA 44 By-product of drinking water chlorina�on No15ppbLead 30 sites sampled(1 of 30 exceeded AL) July 2019 every 3 years 4 (90th Percen�le) Corrosion of plumbing in certain homes No1.3ppm ppm Copper 30 sites sampled July 2019 every 3 years 0.36 (90th Percen�le) Corrosion of plumbing in certain homes No2Barium2020 every 7 years 0.38 Erosion of natural deposits Residen�al Tes�ng Inorganics *All follow up samples for the detected contaminant were sa�sfactory. An unsa�sfactory sample does not necessarily represent a public health threat. Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness of water. We monitor it because it is a good indicator of the effec�veness of our filtra�on system. 100% of our turbidity samples were within specified limits. No4ppm 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. Port Townsend is responsible for providing high quality drinking water but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components. If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water tested. Informa�on on lead in drinking water, tes�ng methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at www.epa.gov/safewater/lead. **Lowest and highest actual value. ***Highest Loca�onal Running Annual Average of the 4 sites. The HAA5s and TTHMs are results from 4 tes�ng loca�ons in Port Townsend, which are monitored quarterly to comply with regula�ons. Some people who drink water containing trihalomethanes in excess of the MCL over many years may experience problems with liver, kidneys, or central nervous systems, and may have an increased risk of ge�ng cancer. Some people who drink water containing haloace�c acids in excess of the MCL over many years may have an increased risk of ge�ng cancer. Chlorine provides the required microbiological disinfec�on of our drinking water. Some people who use water containing chlorine well in excess of the MRDL could experience an irrita�ng effect to their eyes and nose and may experience stomach discomfort. Disinfec�on By-Products Disinfec�on Residual Microbiological (Water Treatment Facility ) (Water Treatment Facility ) (Water Distribution Crew) Waiver Informa�on: The Washington State Department of Health reduced the monitoring requirements for IOCs, VOCs and SOCs because the sources are not at risk for contamina�on. The last samples collected for these contaminants were found to meet all applicable standards. To ensure tap water is safe to drink, the Department of Health and EPA prescribe regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Washington Department of Agriculture regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water, which must provide the same protection for public health. Drinking water, including bo�led 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 informa�on about contaminants and poten�al health effects can be obtained by calling the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791). The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bo�led 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, radioac�ve material, and can pick up substances resul�ng from the presence of animals or from human ac�vity. Contaminants that may be present in source water include: Microbial contaminants, such as viruses, protozoans, and bacteria, which may come from wildlife, people, and pets visi�ng the watershed. Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally occurring. Pes�cides and herbicides, which may come from sources such as forestry management. Organic chemical contaminants, including synthe�c and vola�le organic chemicals, which can come from vehicles in the watershed or that result from chlorine combining with naturally occurring organic ma�er. Radioac�ve contaminants, which can occur naturally or result from oil and gas produc�on and mining ac�vi�es. The public is invited to par�cipate in decisions that affect drinking water through comments to the Port Townsend City Council. Informa�on about scheduled mee�ngs is available through the City Administra�on Office (360) 385-3000 or via the City’s website: www.cityofpt.us/calendar. If you have any addi�onal ques�ons about the drinking water or would like a complete list of substances for which we test, please call Ian Jablonski at the Port Townsend Department of Water Quality (360-379-5001). Informa�on is also available on the City’s website: www.cityofpt.us/Water Monitoring Waivers Inorganic Chemicals (I0C) Vola�le Organics (VOC) Radionuclides (Gross Alpha, Radium) Herbicides (SOC) Frequency Every 9years Every 6 years Every 6 years Every 9years Last Sampled 2020 2017 2021 2013 Viola�on No No No No Definitions: Action Level (AL): The concentra�on of a contaminant that, when exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements that a water system must follow.Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL): 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 level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected health risk. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety.Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level (MRDL): The highest level of disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that the addi�on of a disinfectant is necessary for the control of microbial contaminants.Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal (MRDLG): The level of a drinking water disinfectant below which there is no known or expected health risk. MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contaminants.NA: Not ApplicableND: Not Detected or below State Repor�ng Limit.NTU: Nephelometric Turbidity Units - a measure of the cloudiness of the water.ppb: Parts per billion or micrograms per liter (µg/L).ppm: Parts per million or milligrams per liter (mg/L).Treatment Technique (TT): A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water. City of Port Townsend | 250 Madison Street, Port Townsend WA 98368 | www.cityofpt.us (Public Works Director inspecting repaired OGWS transmission pipeline) At the end of 2021 the City of Port Townsend and Port Townsend Paper Corpora�on signed an agreement for the Mill to con�nue to operate and maintain the Olympic Gravity Water System. The City and the Mill will jointly fund annual opera�ons and future capital expenditures based on their respec�ve raw water consump�on. Approximately $4.5 million of raw water use fees will be collected annually to to pay for opera�ons and capital improvements such as replacement of the aging transmission line.