2022 Water Quality Report

 

 

 

2022AnnualDrinkingWaterQualityReport Big Bend Water Authority

PWS: 2621102

We’re pleased to present to you this year’s Annual Water Quality Report.This report 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 thewater treatment process and protect our water resources.We are committed to ensuring the quality of your water.

 

Our water source is two groundwater wells that draw from the Floridan Aquifer. We treat your water with aluminum sulfate for filtration, polyphosphate for corrosion control, and chlorine for disinfection purposes.

 

In 2022,the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) performed a Source Water Assessment on our system. The assessment was conducted to provide information about any potential sources of contamination in the vicinity of our wells.There are four potential sources of contamination identified for this system with low susceptibility levels. The assessment results are available on the DEP Source Water Assessment and Protection Program (SWAPP) website at https:/lprodapps.dep.state.f/.us/swapp/.

 

lfyou have any questions about this report or concerning your water utility, please contact Garrett Dodd at (352) 498-3576. We encourage our valued customers to be informed about their water utility. Jfyou want to learn more, please attend any of our regularly scheduled meetings held on the fourth Tuesday of each month, 6:00pm, at the Big Bend Water Authority Treatment Plant, 1313 Isl Ave N, Steinhatchee, FL 32359.

 

Big Bend Water Authority routinely monitors for contaminants in your drinldng water according to federal and state laws, rules, and regulations. Except where indicated otherwise, this report is based on the results of our monitoring for the period of January I, to December 31, 2022. Data obtained before January I, 2022, and presented in this report are from the most recent testing done in accordance with the laws, rules,and regulations.

 

In the table below, you may find urifamiliar terms and abbreviations. To help you better understand these terms we’ve provided the following definitions:

 

Maximum Contaminant Level or MCL:The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinldng water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology.

 

Maximum Contaminant Level Goal or MCLG:The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow/or amargin of safety.

 

Action Level (AL):The concentration of a contaminant that, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements that a water system must follow.

 

Locational Running Annual Average (LRAA): The average of sample analytical results for samples taken at a particular monitoring location during the previous four calendar quarters.

 

Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level or MRDL:The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinldng water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants.

 

Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal or MRDLG: The level of a drinking water disinfectant belowwhich there is no known or expected risk to health. MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contaminants.

 

Parts per million (ppm) or milligrams per liter (mg/L):one part by weight of analyte to I million parts by weight of the water sample.

 

Parts per billion (ppb) or micrograms per liter (µg/L): one part by weight of analyte to I billion parts by weight of the water sample.

 

 

 

Picocurie per liter (pCi/L): measure of the radioactivity in water.

 

RadioactiveContaminants

Contaminant and Unit of Measurement	Date of sampling (mo/yr)	MCL Violation YIN	Level Detected	Range of Results	MCLG	MCL	Likely Source of Contamination
Alpha emitters (pCi/L)	03/2021	N	1.30	NIA	0	15	Erosion of natural deposits
Radium226 + 228, or Combined Radium (pCi/L)	03/2021	N	3.80	NIA	0	5	Erosion of natural deposits

Inorganic Contaminants

Contaminant and Unit of Measurement	Date of sampling (mo/vr)	MCL Violation YIN	Level Detected	Range of Results	MCLG	MCL	Likely Source of Contamination
Barium (ppm)	03/2021	N	0.017	NIA	2	2	Discharge of drilling wastes; discharge from metal refineries; erosion of natural deposits
Chromium (ppb)	03/2021	N	1.20	NIA	100	100	Runoff from fertilizer use; leaching from septic tanks, sewage; erosion of natural deposits
Fluoride (ppm)	03/2021	N	0.367	NIA	4	4	Erosion of natural deposits; discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories. Water additive which promotes strong teeth when at the optimum level of0.7 ppm
Sodium (ppm)	03/2021	N	13.10	NIA	NIA	160	Saltwater intrusion, leaching from soil

 

Stage 1 Disinfectants

Disinfectant and Unit of Measurement	Date of sampling fmo/vr)	MRDL Violation YIN	Level Detected	Range of Results	MRDLG	MRDL	Likely Source of Contamination
Chlorine (ppm)	Monthly 2022	N	1.23	0.66-1.35	4	4	Water additive used to control microbes
For chlorine, the level detected is the highest running annual average (RAA) that occun-ed in 2022, computed quarterly, of monthly averages of all samples collected. Range of results is the range of all individual samples collected in 2022.

 

Stage 2 Disinfection By-Products

Contaminant and Unit of Measurement	Date of sampling (mo/vr)	MCL Violation YIN	‘ Level Detected	Range of Results	MCLG	MCL	Likely Source of Contamination
Haloacetic Acids (HAA5s) (pob)	Quarterly 2022	N	29.40 (highest LRAA of2022)	23.00-33.10	NIA	60	By-product of drinking water disinfection
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) (ppb)	Quarterly 2022	N	78.79 (highest LRAA of2022)	59.90-93.22	NIA	80	By-product of drinking water disinfection
For HAASs and TTHMs, the level detected is the highest locational running annual average (LRAA) that occurred in 2022, computed quarterly. Range of results is the range of all individual samples collected in 2022.

 

 

 

Two TTHM samples during 2022 had results that exceeded the MCL of 80 ppb. However, our system did not incur an MCL violation, as all annual average results at all sites were at or below the MCL.

Some people who drink water containing TTHMs in excess of the MCL over many years may experience problems with their liver, kidneys, or central nervous systems, and may have an increased risk of getting cancer.

 

Lead and Copper (Tap Water)

Contaminant and Unit of Measurement	Date of sampling /mo/vr)	ALExceeded YIN	90111Percentile Result	No. of Sampling Sites Exceeding the AL	MCLG	AL (Action Level)	Likely Source of Contamination
Copper (tap water) (ppm)	10/2022	N	0.0331	0	1.3	1.3	Corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits; leaching from wood preservatives

lf present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children.Lead indrinldng water is primarily from materials andcomponents associated withservice 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 youare concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water tested. Information on lead in drinldng water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Sqfe Drinking Water Hotlineor athttp://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 occurringminerals and, in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity.

 

Contaminants that may be present in source water include:

 

(A)             Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may comefrom 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/arming.

 

(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 number of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water, which must provide the same protection for publichealth.

 

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 Drinldng Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.