We at the Big Bend Water Authority work around the clock to provide top quality water to every tap. We ask that all of our customers help us protect our water sources, which are the heart of our community, our way of life and our children’s future.

 

 

 

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.  Big Bend Water Authority 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.

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

We constantly monitor for various contaminants in the water supply to meet all regulatory requirements. Our water system was in violation of federal and state water quality standards for failing to pull the required 3 samples for Coliform in August 2015 and only pulled 2 samples, which did not detect Coliform. Our water system was also in violation for total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs) during April- June, Jul-Sep and Oct-Dec 2015. The levels of TTHMs and HAAs are shown in the Test Results Table above.  The by-products include total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) and Haloacetic acids (HAAs). Drinking water containing these by-products in excess of the MCL may lead to adverse health effects, liver or kidney problems, or nervous systems effects, and may lead to an increased risk of getting cancer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contaminants that may be present in source water include:

 

 

 

(A)          Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife.

 

(B)          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.

 

(C)         Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and residential uses.

 

(D)         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.

 

(E)          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, the EPA prescribes regulations, which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems.  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water, which must provide the same protection for public health.

 

 

 

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 at 1-800-426-4791.

 

 

 

Thank you for allowing us to continue providing your family with clean, quality water this year. In order to maintain a safe and dependable water supply, we sometimes need to make improvements that will benefit all of our customers. These improvements are sometimes reflected as rate structure adjustments. Thank you for understanding.

 

 

 

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 microbiological contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).

 

 

 

We at Big Bend Water Authority would like you to understand the efforts we make to continually improve the water treatment process and protect our water resources.  We are committed to insuring the quality of your water.  If you have any questions or concerns about the information provided, please feel free to call any of the numbers listed.