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City of Chubbuck Newsletter
Vol. 7 Issue 7 City Hall 5160 Yellowstone / PO Boz 5604 237-2400 Tiny 2012 n12
This report replaces the July Newsletter.
CITY OF CHUBBUCK ANNUAL WATER QUALITY REPORT
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 con-
tains, 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. Immune -
compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ trans-
plants, 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 Dis-
ease Control (CDC) guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other micro-
bial contaminants are available from the Safe Water Drinking Hotline (800-426-4791).
Where does my water come from?
Your drinking water comes from three wells drilled into the Lower Portneuf River Aquifer. They are located throughout
the city. This water is very high quality and is disinfected with chlorine before delivery to your home. Well No. 4 does
have a special treatment system. It is described below.
The only man -caused contaminant in the water is Tetrachloroethylene (PCE or PERC). The source of PCE contamination
is unknown at this time. We are able to treat the water using an air stripping process to remove high concentrations of
PCE.
Source water assessment and its availability
The state has completed an assessment of our source water. That report is available for review at the City Offices.
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 contami-
nants. 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:
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, agricul-
tural 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 run-
off, 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 run-
off, and septic systems; and radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas pro-
duction 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) regula-
tions establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health.
I".
Page 2 City of Chubbuck Annual Water Quality Report Continued.
How can I get involved?
The City has attempted to make this report informative and readable. This report shows our water quality and what it means.
If you have questions about the report or your drinking water, please call the City Public Works offices at (208) 237-2430, and
further assistance will be provided. If you would like to have input on how your drinking water is provided, you may either
call the number above, or attend the City Council meetings. The Chubbuck City Council meets at 7:00 P.M. every second and
fourth Tuesday of the month. The meetings are held in the City Offices located at 5160 Yellowstone Ave. Please feel free to
participate in these meetings.
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 Rod
• Watering trough
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
CHUBBUCK 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.
Monitoring Requirements Not Met
Our water system violated drinking water requirements last year by not sampling at one of our wells for VOC's and Nitrates.
These have been below MCL limits in past years and have met health standards. We will sample and monitor this site, as well
as the others in current and future years.
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 cal-
endar 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 consid-
ered 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.
See Table Next Page.
Page 3 City of Chubbuck Annual Water Quality Table.
MCLG
MCL,
or
TT, or
Your
Range
Sample
Contaminants
MRDLG
MRDL
Water
Low I Hi2h
Date
Violation
Typical Source
Disinfectants & Disinfectant By -Products
There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of
microbial contaminants)
Haloacetic Acids
By-product of drinking water
HAAS b
NA
60
0
0
0
2011
No
chlorination.
TTHMs [Total Triha-
By-product of drinking water
lomethanes] b
NA
80
1.30
1.30
5.1
2011
No
disinfection.
Chlorine (as C12)
Water additive used to control
(pp"')
4
4
0.2630
0.200
0.386 1
2011 1
No
microbes.
Inorganic Contaminants
Discharge from petroleum
refineries; fire retardants; ce-
ramics; electronics; solder; test
Antimony b
6
6
0
ND
0
2010
No
addition.
Erosion of natural deposits;
Runoff from orchards; Runoff
from glass and electronics
Arsenic b
0
10
3.48
1.95
3.48
2010
No
production wastes.
Discharge from steel and pulp
mills; Erosion of natural de -
Chromium b
100
100
7.21
ND
7.21
2010
No
posits.
Erosion of natural deposits;
Water additive which pro-
motes strong teeth; Discharge
from fertilizer and aluminum
Fluoride m)
4
4
0
ND
0.34
2010
1 No
factories.
Runoff from fertilizer use;
Leaching from septic tanks,
sewage; Erosion of natural
Nitrate [measured as
Nitrogen] m 10 10 4.02 4.02 5.71 2011 No deposits.
Discharge from petroleum and
metal refineries; Erosion of
natural deposits; Discharge
Selenium b) 50 50 2.07 2.07 2.49 2010 No Ifrom mines.
Volatile Organic Contaminants
Discharge from factories and
Tetrachloroethylene
0 5 0.79 0.79 0.83 2011 No d cleaners.
b)
Your Sample # Samples Exceeds
Contaminants I MCLG I AL 1 Water Date I Exceedin AL AL TvDical Source
inorganic Contaminants
Corrosion of household
plumbing systems; Erosion of
Lead - action level at
9 2010 2 No natural deposits.
consumer taps b 0 15
Page 4 City of Chubbuck Annual Water Quality Report Definitions.
Unit Descriptions
Term
Definition
Pm
m: parts per million, or milligrams per liter m L
b
b: parts per billion, or micrograms per liter L
NA
NA: not applicable
ND
ND: Not detected
NR
NR: Monitoring not required, but recommended.
Important Drinking Water Definitions
Term
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
waters stem must follow.
Variances and Exem tions
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 expectbd risk to health. MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial con-
taminants.
MRDL
MRDL: Maximum residual disinfectant level. The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convinc-
ing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants.
MNR
MNR: Monitored Not Regulated
MI'L
MPL: State Assigned Maximum Permissible Level
For more information please contact:
City of Chubbuck Public Works Office
Address: 5160 YELLOWSTONE AVE.
CHUBBUCK, ID 83202
Phone: 208-237-2430
Fax: 208-237-2409