Annual Drinking Water Quality Report for 2007
Village of Waterville Water System
122 Barton Ave - Waterville, NY 13480
(Public Water Supply ID# NY3202415)

Introduction

To comply with State regulations, the Village of Waterville, will be annually issuing a report describing the quality of your drinking water. The purpose of this report is to raise your understanding of drinking water and awareness of the need to protect our drinking water sources. Last year (2007), your tap water met all State drinking water health standards. We are proud to report that our system has never violated a maximum contaminant level or any other water quality statement. This report provides an overview of the water quality for 2007. Included are details about where your water comes from, what it contains, and how it compares to State standards.

If you have any questions about this report or concerning your drinking water, please contact Anthony (Jamie) Bechy, Superintendent of Public Works at 841- 4221. We want you to be informed about your drinking water. If you want to learn more, please attend any of our regularly scheduled village board meetings. The meetings are generally held the 1st and 3rd Monday each month at the Village Hall, 122 Barton Ave at 7:00pm.

Where does our water come from?

In general, 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 activities. Contaminants that may be present in source water include microbial contaminants; inorganic contaminants; pesticides and herbicides; organic chemical contaminants; and radioactive contaminants. In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the State and the EPA prescribe regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. The State Health Department’s and the FDA’s regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health.

Our water system serves 688 service connections (homes and businesses) providing water to approximately 1724 residents. Our water source is from two, drilled groundwater wells located in the village. The water is treated with liquid chlorine prior to entering the distribution system.

Source Water Assessment Information

A Source Water Assessment has been completed for the WATERVILLE VILLAGE Water System. Possible and actual threats to drinking water source(s) were evaluated. The state source water assessment includes a susceptibility rating based on the risk posed by each potential source of contamination and how easily contaminants can move through the subsurface to the source(s). The susceptibility rating is an estimate of the potential for contamination of the source water, it does not mean that the water delivered to consumers is, or will become contaminated. The Source Water Assessment Program (SWAP) is designed to compile, organize and evaluate information to make better decisions regarding protecting sources of public drinking water. A copy of the assessment, including a map of the assessment area, can be obtained by contacting us, as noted above.

The land uses around the WATERVILLE VILLAGE Water System sources were rated for their potential to cause contamination to the sources. The sources were considered at a medium risk for pesticides/herbicides, nitrates, protozoa and enteric bacteria. This is combined with a medium risk of contamination from petroleum from discrete sources and a high natural sensitivity based on soils, surficial geology, aquifer information and bedrock geology to create a medium high to high susceptibility for the sources to contamination. See section “Are there contaminants in our drinking water?” for a list of the contaminants that have been detected. The source water assessments provide resource managers with additional information for protecting source waters into the future.

Based upon the SWAP Report determinations, good judgement should be used and caution should be exercised when determining placement of certain materials, actions and facilities, including septic systems, high-risk businesses or chemical storage near the source(s). We work hard to ensure that the source of water for our system is protected from contamination.

Groundwater Under the Direct Influence of Surface Water (GWUDI) Information

From 2003-2005, the Oneida County Health Department conducted a study of our water system to determine if our source was under the direct influence of surface water. Based upon the data collected (e.g. temperature, conductivity, and precipitation), geology, construction methods, and soils, the OCHD has determined that the water source for the water system is a true groundwater source, and does not demonstrate characteristics of a groundwater source that is under the direct influence of surface water (GWUDI).

 

Are there contaminants in our drinking water?

As the State regulations require, we routinely test your drinking water for numerous contaminants. These contaminants include total coliform, inorganic compounds, nitrate, nitrite, lead and copper, volatile organic compounds, and synthetic organic compounds. The table presented below depicts which compounds were detected in your drinking water. The State allows us to test for some contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants do not change frequently. Some of our data, though representative, are more than one year old.

It should be noted that all drinking water, including bottled drinking water, might be reasonably expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. 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 EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline - 800-426-4791 or the Oneida County Health Department at 315-798-5064.

What does this information mean?

As you can see by the table, our system had no violations. We have learned through our testing that some contaminants have been detected; however, most of these contaminants were detected below the level allowed by the State. On July 27, 2007, total coliforms were detected in 1 of the 4 routine monthly compliance samples collected at our system. Coliforms are bacteria that are naturally present in the environment and are used as an indicator that other, potentially-harmful bacteria may be present. Four (4) additional samples were subsequently collected and total coliforms were not detected in those samples. It should be noted that E. Coli, associated with human and animal fecal waste, was not detected in any of the samples collected.
 

Is our water system meeting other rules that govern operations?

During 2007, our system was in general compliance with applicable State drinking water operating, monitoring and reporting requirements. We test for free chlorine residuals on a daily basis. Each month we submit to the Health Department a report with these measurements. Unfortunately, we failed to submit the February 2007 report by the 10^th of March 2007 as required. Once we were made aware of this situation, we immediately forwarded the report.

Do I Need to Take Special Precautions?

Some people may be more vulnerable to disease causing microorganisms or pathogens 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 from their health care provider about their drinking water. EPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium, Giardia and other microbial pathogens are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).

Why Save Water and How to Avoid Wasting It?

Although our system has an adequate amount of water to meet present and future demands, there are a number of reasons why it is important to conserve water:

• Saving water saves energy and some of the costs associated with both of these necessities of life;

• Saving water reduces the cost of energy required to pump water and the need to construct costly new wells, pumping systems and water towers; and

• Saving water lessens the strain on the water system during a dry spell or drought, helping to avoid severe water use restrictions so that essential fire fighting needs are met.

You can play a role in conserving water by becoming conscious of the amount of water your household is using, and by looking for ways to use less whenever you can. It is not hard to conserve water. Conservation tips include:

• Automatic dishwashers use 15 gallons for every cycle, regardless of how many dishes are loaded. So get a run for your money and load it to capacity.

• Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth.

• Check every faucet in your home for leaks. Just a slow drip can waste 15 to 20 gallons a day. Fix it up and you can save almost 6,000 gallons per year.

• Check your toilets for leaks by putting a few drops of food coloring in the tank - watch for a few minutes to see if the color shows up in the bowl. It is not uncommon to lose up to 100 gallons a day from one of these otherwise invisible toilet leaks. Fix it and you save more than 30,000 gallons a year.

Closing

Thank you for allowing us to continue to provide your family with quality drinking 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. The costs of these improvements may be reflected in the rate structure. Rate adjustments may be necessary in order to address these improvements. We ask that all our customers help us protect our water sources, which are the heart of our community. Please call our office if you have questions.