Water testing performed in 2010

Presented By:
TOWN of CARY

PWS ID#: 03-92-020

TOWN of CARY
Dept. of Public Works & Utilities
PO Box 8005
Cary, NC 27512-8005
www.townofcary.org

We're proud to report that in 2010 the Cary/Apex Water Treatment Facility once again received the Partnership for Safe Water Director's Award for its efforts to achieve excellence in water quality. For more information about the Partnership for Safe Water and this award, please visit the American Waterworks Association website at www.awwa.org/science/partnership.

Maintaining High Standards for Our Customers

Once again we are proud to present our annual drinking water quality report. This report covers all testing performed between January 1 and December 31, 2010. The Town of Cary continues to be committed to delivering drinking water that meets all state and federal drinking water standards. Our constant goal is to provide you with a safe and reliable drinking water supply. To that end, we remain vigilant in meeting the challenges of new regulations, source water protection, water conservation, and community outreach and education while continuing to serve the needs of all of our water users.

At the Town of Cary, we focus every day on enriching the lives of our citizens by creating an exceptional environment and by providing exemplary services that enable our community to thrive and prosper. To that end, we strive to provide our customers with the highest quality drinking water possible.

Where Does Our Water Come From?

The Town of Cary’s drinking water source is the B. Everett Jordan Reservoir, more commonly known as Jordan Lake, which lies approximately 10 miles west of Cary in eastern Chatham County. The lake is a surface water supply developed and managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and is part of the Cape Fear River basin. Your drinking water is produced at the Cary/Apex Water Treatment Facility, a plant co-owned by the towns of Cary and Apex and located on Wimberly Road in western Wake County.

Community Participation

The Town of Cary encourages public input in decisions affecting our community’s drinking water. Regular meetings of the Cary Town Council are typically held on the second and fourth Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Town Hall, located at 316 N. Academy Street in Cary. The public is welcome. More information about Council meetings can be found on the Town’s Web site at www.townofcary.org.

Water Conservation

Established in 1996, the Town of Cary’s nationally recognized Water Conservation Program uses a combination of educational outreach initiatives, financial incentives, and regulations to manage our water resources effectively for the long term as well as during times of water shortage. Help preserve and protect our natural resources by using water wisely. Visit the Water Conservation Web section at www.townofcary.org for water conservation tips as well as information about our incentive programs such at the High Efficiency Toilet Rebate Program, our year-round water conservation regulations such as the Alternate Day Watering Ordinance, and our interactive educational programs that are available to schools and civic groups.

What You Should Know About Lead and Drinking Water

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. The Town of Cary 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 at (800) 426-4791 or at www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

Important Health Information

Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immunocompromised 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 may be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. The U.S. EPA/CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791 or http://water.epa.gov/drink/hotline.

Cross-Connection Control Program

Cross-connections that can potentially contaminate drinking water distribution lines are a major concern.

We have surveyed all industrial, commercial, institutional, and irrigation facilities in the Town’s service area to make sure that all potential cross-connections are identified and eliminated or protected by a backflow preventer. We also require annual inspection and testing of each backflow preventer to make sure that it is providing maximum protection. These annual inspections are also required for all residential irrigation systems.

For more information, visit the Town’s Web site or contact Customer Service at (919) 469-4090. You can also find additional information by reviewing the Cross-Connection Control Manual from the U.S. EPA’s Web site at http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/drinkingwater/pws/crossconnectioncontrol/index.cfm.

Substances That Could Be in Water

To ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the U.S. EPA prescribes regulations limiting the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. U.S. Food and Drug Administration 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 these contaminants does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk.

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, in some cases, radioactive material, and substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity. Substances that may be present in source water include:

Microbial Contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, or wildlife;

Inorganic Contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally occurring or may result from urban stormwater runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming;

Pesticides and Herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources, such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and residential uses;

Organic Chemical Contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production and may also come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff, and septic systems;

Radioactive Contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or may be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.

For more information about contaminants and potential health effects, call the U.S. EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791.

Source Water Assessment Program (SWAP) Results

The North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Public Water Supply (PWS) Section, Source Water Assessment Program (SWAP) conducted assessments for all drinking water sources across North Carolina. The purpose of the assessments was to determine the susceptibility of each drinking water source (well or surface water intake) to potential contaminant sources (PCSs). The results of the assessments are available in SWAP Assessment Reports that include maps, background information, and a relative susceptibility rating of Higher, Moderate, or Lower.

The relative susceptibility rating of Jordan Lake, the water source for the Town of Cary, was determined by combining the contaminant rating (number and location of PCSs within the assessment area) and the inherent vulnerability rating (i.e., characteristics or existing conditions of the well or watershed and its delineated assessment area).

Susceptibility of Sources to Potential Contaminant Sources (PCSs)

The complete SWAP Assessment Report for the Town of Cary may be viewed on the Web at http://swap.deh.enr.state.nc.us/swap/. Please note that because SWAP results and reports are periodically updated by the PWS Section, the results available on this Web site may differ from the results that were available at the time this water quality report was prepared. To obtain a printed copy of this report, please mail a written request to Source Water Assessment Program – Report Request, 1634 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1634, or email a request to swap@ncmail.net. Please indicate your system’s name, your PWSID, and your name, mailing address, and phone number. If you have any questions about the SWAP Report, please contact Source Water Assessment staff by phone at (919) 715-2633.

Please understand that a susceptibility rating of Higher does not imply poor water quality, but rather the system’s potential to become contaminated by PCSs in the assessment area.

Questions?

For any questions or concerns relating to your drinking water or water service, please contact the Department of Public Works and Utilities Customer Service at (919) 469-4090. For more information about this report, please contact Penny Rosser, PhD, Chemist at the Cary/Apex Water Treatment Facility, at (919) 362-5507 or penny.rosser@townofcary.org

Testing Results

Once again we’re proud to report that your drinking water continues to be safe and in compliance with all state and federal regulations. During the past year, we have tested tens of thousands of water samples in order to determine the presence of any contaminants. The table below shows only those substances that were detected in the water. We feel that it is important that you know exactly what was detected and how much of the substance was present in your water. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. Unless otherwise noted, the data presented in this table are from testing performed from January 1 to December 31, 2010.

The state requires us to monitor for certain substances less than once per year because the concentrations of these substances do not change frequently. In these cases, the most recent sample data are included, along with the year in which the sample was taken.

Unregulated substances are those for which the U.S. EPA has not established drinking water standards. The purpose of unregulated substance monitoring is to assist the U.S. EPA in determining the occurrence of unregulated substances in drinking water and whether future regulation is warranted.

Regulated Substances

Tap water samples were collected for lead and copper analyses from sample sites throughout the community

SECONDARY Substances

UNREGULATED AND OTHER Substances

1) Compliance with the MRDLs for disinfectants and MCLs for disinfection by-products is based on the running annual average (RAA) shown in the “Your Water” column. The RAA reported is the highest RAA for the year.

2) Compliance with the MRDLs for disinfectants and MCLs for disinfection by-products is based on the running annual average (RAA) shown in the “Your Water” column. The RAA reported is the highest RAA for the year. In 2010, the highest RAA for HAA5 was 27 ppb and occurred in the first quarter of the year. The first quarter RAA includes quarterly average values for the last three quarters of the previous year in addition to the first quarter results from 2010. The range reported for HAA5 is the range of the lowest to highest value of individual samples collected in 2010 only. Hence, the RAA reported in the “Your Water” column is higher than the range of values for all samples collected in 2010 due to the effect of quarterly average results from the previous year on the 2010 RAA.

3) Based on the average Total Organic Carbon (TOC) and alkalinity levels in our source water, we are required to meet an average percent removal of 45 percent, which equates to a removal ratio of 1.0 and is classified by the State as the Step 1 compliance method. If we do not achieve that percent removal, there is an alternate percent removal requirement. If we also fail to meet that, we are in violation of a Treatment Technique. In 2010, our running annual average percent removal for TOC was 61.2 percent, or a removal ratio of 1.36. We utilized the Step 1 compliance method and were in compliance with regulatory requirements for TOC removal throughout the year.

4) Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness of the water. We monitor it because it is a good indicator of the effectiveness of our filtration system. The turbidity rule requires that 95 percent or more of the monthly samples must be less than or equal to 0.3 NTU.

Definitions

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

MCL (Maximum Contaminant Level): 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.

MCLG (Maximum Contaminant Level Goal): 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.

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

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

NA: Not applicable.

ND (Not detected): Indicates that the substance was not found by laboratory analysis.

NTU (Nephelometric Turbidity Units): Measurement of the clarity, or turbidity, of water. Turbidity in excess of 5 NTU is just noticeable to the average person.

ppb (parts per billion): One part substance per billion parts water (or micrograms per liter).

ppm (parts per million): One part substance per million parts water (or milligrams per liter).

ppt (parts per trillion): One part substance per trillion parts water (or nanograms per liter).

removal ratio: A ratio between the percentage of a substance actually removed to the percentage of the substance required to be removed.

TT (Treatment Technique): A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.