2010
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 wells that
serve your area are located on
If you have any questions about this
report or concerning your water utility, please contact
North Kootenai Water District
monitors for contaminants in your drinking water according to Federal and State
laws. The table below shows any detection of contaminants over the past five
years. We are pleased to notify you that
our water has not exceeded any allowable detection levels. 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 be reasonably 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've provided 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 Federal Environmental
Protection Agency (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 |
|
Nitrate |
10 ppm |
10 ppm |
0.9 ppm |
NA |
06/10 |
No |
Runoff from fertilizer use,
leaching from septic tanks, erosion of natural deposits. |
|
Arsenic |
0.01 ppm |
0 ppm |
0.005 ppm |
NA |
06/10 |
No |
Erosion of natural deposits. |
|
Barium |
2.0 ppm |
2.0 ppm |
0.02 ppm |
NA |
06/10 |
No |
Erosion of natural deposits. |
|
Disinfectant |
MCL |
MCLG |
Our Water |
|
Sample Date |
Violation? |
Typical Source of Contaminant |
|
Sodium Hypochlorite |
4.0 |
4.0 |
0.23 |
.15-.63 |
2010 |
No |
Distribution disinfectant. |
|
Lead and Copper |
MCL |
MCLG |
Our Water |
|
Sample Date |
Violation? |
Typical Source of Contaminant |
|
Copper |
1.3 |
1.3 |
.11 |
.01-.05 |
09/10 |
No |
Corrosion of household
plumbing. |
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. North Kootenai Water
District 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 drinking 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.
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. The Federal Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Center for Disease Control (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 wells are 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.
North Kootenai Water District works diligently to
provide quality water to every tap. We ask that all our customers help us
protect our water sources, which are the heart of our community, our way of
life and our children’s future.
PLEASE DON’T DUMP ANYTHING ON THE GROUND THAT YOU
WOULD NOT WANT TO DRINK!