2007
We are
pleased to provide you with this year's Annual Water Quality Report also known
by the federal acronym CCR (Consumer Confidence Report). We want to keep you informed
about the excellent water and services we have delivered to you over the past
year. Our goal is, and always has been, to provide to you a safe and dependable
supply of drinking water. The well that serves your area is located on
Your
drinking water is safe and meets federal and state requirements.
If you
have any questions about this report or concerning your water utility, please
contact Mike Galante, District Manager, at (208) 772-3619. If you want to learn more, please attend any of our regularly
scheduled Board meetings that are held at 12:30 PM on the first and third Thursday of
each month at the District office:
North
Kootenai Water District routinely monitors for
contaminants in your drinking water according to Federal and State laws. The
table below shows the results of our monitoring for the period of January 1 to December 31, 2007. As water travels over the land or underground
it can pick up contaminants such as microbes, inorganic and organic chemicals,
and radioactive substances.
All
drinking water, including bottled drinking water, may reasonably be expected to
contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. It's important to remember that the presence
of these contaminants does not necessarily pose a health risk.
In the
following table you will find some terms and abbreviations that you may not be
familiar with. To help you better understand these
terms we provide the following definitions:
Action Level - the concentration of
a contaminant that, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements that
a water system must follow.
Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) - The “Maximum
Allowed” 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 treatment technology.
Maximum Contaminant Level Goal
(MCLG) - The “Goal” is 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.
Non-Detects (ND) - laboratory analysis indicates that the constituent is
not present.
Parts per million (ppm) or Milligrams per liter (mg/l) - one part per million corresponds to one minute in two
years or a single penny in $10,000.
Parts per billion (ppb) or
Micrograms per liter - one part per billion corresponds to one minute in 2,000
years, or a single penny in $10,000,000.
Picocuries per liter (pCi/L) - picocuries per liter is a measure of the
radioactivity in water.
Variances & Exemptions
(V&E) - State or EPA permission not to meet a MCL or a treatment
technique under certain conditions.
|
Inorganic Contaminants
|
MCL |
MCLG |
Our Water |
|
Sample
Date |
Violation? |
Typical Source of
Contaminant |
|
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|
Arsenic
Well #1 Well #2 |
10
ppb |
NA
|
0.0
|
NA
|
12/26/07 08/30/2007 |
No No |
Erosion
of natural deposits, runoff from orchards; runoff from glass and electronics
production wastes |
|
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|
Nitrate
Well #1 Well #2 |
10
ppm |
10
ppm |
0.5 ppm 0.06
ppm |
NA NA |
09/14/2007 08/30/07 |
No No |
Runoff from fertilizer use, leaching from septic tanks, ,erosion of natural deposits
|
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Sodium
|
None
|
None
|
2.6
ppm |
NA |
4/01
|
No
|
Leaching from natural mineral deposits
|
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Fluoride
|
4 ppm |
4 ppm |
0.3
ppm |
NA
|
4/01
|
No
|
Erosion
of natural deposits; water additive that promotes strong teeth; discharge
from fertilizer and aluminum factories. |
|
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|
Barium
Well # 2 |
2
ppm |
2
ppm |
.02
ppm |
NA |
08/30/200 |
No |
Discharge
of drillin wastes; Dis-charge from metal refineries; Erosion of natural
deposits |
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Uranium
Well # 2 |
30
m/L |
30
mg/L |
.004
mg/l |
NA |
08/30/2007 |
No |
Erosion
of natural deposits |
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Organic Chemical Contaminants
|
MCL |
MCLG |
Our Water |
|
Sample
Date |
Violation? |
Typical Source of
Contaminant |
|
|
Volatile Organic Compounds
Synthetic
Organic Compounds |
NA
NA
|
NA
NA
|
ND
ND
|
|
11/01
4/99
|
No
No
|
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Radionuclides
|
MCL |
MCLG |
Our Water |
|
Sample
Date |
Violation? |
Typical Source of
Contaminant |
|
|
Alpha
Activity Well
#1 Well #2 |
15
pCi/l |
0
|
2.5
pCi/1 2.5
pCi/1 |
+/- 1.0 +/-
1.0 |
12/02/03 08/30/07 |
NO NO |
Erosion
of natural deposits |
|
|
Beta
Activity |
50
pCi/l |
0 |
2.9 pCi/l |
Na |
11/99
|
No
|
Erosion
of natural deposits |
|
|
Lead/Copper |
Action Level |
MCLG |
Our Water |
|
Sample
Date |
Violation? |
Typical Source of
Contaminant |
|
Copper
|
1.3
PPM |
1.3
PPM |
0.12 PPM
|
ND
– 0.14 PPM |
1/1/05 |
No
|
Corrosion
of pipes within the water system, erosion of natural mineral deposits |
|
Lead
|
15
PPB |
0
|
.003
MG/L |
ND
– 3 PPB |
1/1/05 |
No
|
Corrosion
of pipes within the water system, erosion of natural mineral deposits |
|
Bacteria |
MCL |
MCLG |
Our Water |
|
Sample
Date |
Violation? |
Typical Source of
Contaminant |
|
Total
Coliform |
Present
|
Not Present |
Coliform Bacteria Present
in May
2007 |
NA
|
Monthly |
No
|
Naturally
Present in Environment |
Microbiological Contaminants:
(1)
Total Coliform--Coliform
are bacteria that are naturally present in the environment and are used as an
indicator that other, potentially harmful, bacteria may be present.
Radioactive Contaminants:
(2)
Beta/photon emitters--Certain minerals are radioactive and may emit forms of
radiation known as photons and beta radiation. Some people who drink water
containing beta and photon emitters in excess of the MCL over many years may
have an increased risk of getting cancer.
(3)
Alpha emitters--Certain minerals are radioactive and may emit a form of
radiation known as alpha radiation. Some people who drink water containing
alpha emitters in excess of the MCL over many years may have an increased risk
of getting cancer.
Inorganic Contaminants:
(4)
Arsenic--Some people who drink water containing arsenic in excess of the MCL
over many years could experience skin damage or problems with their circulatory
system, and may have an increased risk of getting cancer.
(5)
Nitrate--Infants below the age of six months who drink water containing nitrate
in excess of the MCL could become seriously ill and, if untreated may die.
Symptoms include shortness of breath and blue-baby syndrome.
(6)
Copper--Copper is an essential nutrient, but some people who drink water
containing copper in excess of the action level over a relatively short amount
of time could experience gastrointestinal distress. Some people who drink water
containing copper in excess of the action level over many years could suffer
liver or kidney damage. People with Wilson's Disease should consult their personal doctor.
(7)
Lead--Infants and children who drink water containing lead in excess of the
action level could experience delays in their physical or mental development.
Children could show slight deficits in attention span and learning abilities.
Adults who drink this water over many years could develop kidney problems or
high blood pressure.
(8)
Fluoride—Some people who
drink water containing fluoride in excess of the MCL over many years could get
bone disease, including pain and tenderness of the bones. Children may get
mottled teeth.
As you
can see from the table, our system had no violations. We’re proud that your
drinking water meets or exceeds all Federal and State requirements. We have learned, through our monitoring and
testing, that some regulated compounds are present at levels below the
MCL. The EPA has determined that your
water is safe at these detected levels.
All
sources of water are subject to potential contamination by substances that are
naturally occurring or man made.
These
substances can be microbes, inorganic or organic chemicals and radioactive
substances. 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 at 1-800-426-4791.
MCL’s are set at very stringent levels. To understand the possible
health effects described for many regulated constituents, a person would have
to drink 2 liters of water every day at the MCL level for a lifetime to have a
one-in-a-million chance of having the described health effect.
Total Coliform: The Total Coliform Rule requires water systems to meet a strict limit
for coliform bacteria. Coliform
bacteria are usually harmless, but their presence in water can be an indication
of disease-causing bacteria. When coliform bacteria
are found, special follow-up tests are done to determine if harmful bacteria
are present in the water supply. If this limit is exceeded, the water supplier
must notify the public by newspaper, television or radio.
Nitrates: As a precaution we
always notify physicians and health care providers in this area if there is
ever a higher than normal level of nitrates in the water supply.
Lead: Lead in drinking
water is rarely the sole cause of lead poisoning, but it can add to a person's
total lead exposure. All potential sources of lead in the household should be
identified and removed, replaced or reduced.
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 1-800-426-4791.
Our system well is within the Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer Wellhead Protection Area. This is a geographical and geological area where strict regulations to protect ground water (drinking water) are applied. The Federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has granted the Sta