Annual Water Quality Report

Annual Water Quality Report
Water testing performed in 2008

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

Meeting the Challenge

We are once again proud to present to you our annual drinking water quality report. This edition covers all testing completed from January 1, 2008 through December 31, 2008. Over the years, we have dedicated ourselves to producing drinking water that meets all state and federal drinking water standards. We continually strive to adopt new and better methods for delivering the best-quality drinking water to you. As potential threats to drinking water safety emerge, we remain vigilant in meeting the challenges of source water protection, water conservation, and community education while continuing to serve the needs of all our water users.

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

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.

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.

Partnership for Safe Water

Once again and for each year since 2003, in 2008 the Cary/Apex Water Treatment Facility received the Partnership for Safe Water Directors Award. Our facility proudly joins less than 5% of major water utilities nationwide in receiving this award. For information about the Partnership for Safe Water and this award, please visit the American Waterworks Association Web site at www.awwa.org/science/partnership/.

Community Participation

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

Questions?

For any questions or concerns relating to your drinking water or water service, please contact Customer Service for the Town's Department of Public Works and Utilities at (919) 469-4090. For more information about this report, please contact Penny Rosser, Chemist, at the Cary/Apex Water Treatment Facility at (919) 362-5502.

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 ten 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 Wimberley Road in western Wake County.

Testing Results

Once again, we're proud to report that your drinking water continues to be safe. During the past year we have tested tens of thousands of water samples in order to determine the presence of any radioactive, biological, inorganic, volatile organic, or synthetic organic contaminants. The table below shows only those contaminants that were detected in the water. We feel it is important that you know exactly what was detected and how much of the substance was present in your water. Unless otherwise noted, the data presented in this table are from testing performed from January 1, 2008 through December 31, 2008. The U.S. EPA and/or the state requires us to monitor for certain substances less than once per year because the concentrations of these substances are not expected to vary significantly from year-to-year. Some of this data, though representative of the water's quality, is more than one
year old.

Regulated Substances

Substance

(Unit of Measure)

Year

Sampled

MCL

[MRDL]

MCLG

[MRDLG]

Your Water

Range

Low-High

Violation

Typical Source

Chloramines1 (ppm)

2008

[4]

2.68

1.36–3.99

Water additive used to control microbes

Chlorine1 (ppm)

2008

[4]

0.20

0.07–0.91

Water additive used to control microbes

Fluoride (ppm)

2008

1.25

ND–1.25

Erosion of natural deposits; Water additive that promotes strong teeth; Discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories

Haloacetic Acids [HAA]1 (ppb)

2008

19–43

By-product of drinking water disinfection

TTHMs [Total Trihalomethanes]1 (ppb)

2008

49–85

By-product of drinking water chlorination

Total Coliform Bacteria
(% positive samples)

2008

5% of monthly samples are positive

2.5

Naturally present in the environment

Total Organic Carbon [TOC]2 (removal ratio)

2008

1.19

0.93–1.42

Naturally present in the environment

Turbidity3 (NTU)

2008

TT = 1 NTU

0.18

0.03–0.18

Soil runoff

Turbidity (Lowest monthly percent of samples meeting limit)

2008

TT = 1 NTU

100

Soil runoff

Tap water samples were collected for lead and copper analyses from sample sites throughout the community. (Lead was not detected at the 90th percentile.)

Substance

(Unit of Measure)

Year

Sampled

MCLG

Your Water (90th%tile)

Sites Above AL/Total Sites

Violation

Typical Source

Copper (ppm)

2006

1.3

0.138

0/50

Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits; Leaching from wood preservatives

Lead (ppb)

2006

1/50

Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits

Secondary Substances

Substance

(Unit of Measure)

Year

Sampled

MCL

MCLG

Your Water

Range

Low-High

Violation

Typical Source

Iron (ppb)

2008

300

110

ND–110

Leaching from natural deposits; Industrial wastes

Manganese (ppb)

2008

ND–30

Leaching from natural deposits

Sulfate (ppm)

2008

250

NA–NA

Runoff/leaching from natural deposits; Industrial wastes

Unregulated Substances

Substance

(Unit of Measure)

Year

Sampled

Your Water

Range

Low-High

Typical Source

Bromodichloromethane (ppb)

2008

17–31

By-product of drinking water disinfection

Bromoform (ppb)

2008

2–6

By-product of drinking water disinfection

Chlorodibromomethane (ppb)

2008

14–28

By-product of drinking water disinfection

Chloroform (ppb)

2008

16–29

By-product of drinking water disinfection

Sodium (ppm)

2008

43.4

18.7–43.4

Naturally occurring

Footnotes:

¹ Compliance with the MRDLs for disinfectants and the MCLs for disinfection by-products is based on the running annual average shown in the Your Water column.

² Based on the average Total Organic Carbon (TOC) and alkalinity levels in our source water, we are required to meet an average percent removal for TOC of 45% 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 "alternative percent removal" requirement. If we

also fail to meet that, we are in violation of a Treatment Technique. In 2008, our running annual average percent removal for TOC was 53.6% or a removal ratio of 1.19. We utilized the Step 1 compliance method and were in compliance with regulatory requirements for TOC removal throughout the year.

³ 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% 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).

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.

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 higher, moderate, or lower relative susceptibility rating.

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.

The assessment reported a higher rating for Jordan Lake. This assessment was most recently updated on
May 17, 2007.

The complete SWAP Assessment Report for the Town of Cary may be viewed on the Web at www. deh.enr.state.nc.us/pws/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 e-mail 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 the Source Water Assessment staff by phone at (919) 715-2633.

Please understand that a higher susceptibility rating does not imply poor water quality but rather the

system's potential to become contaminated by PCSs in the assessment area.

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 your home's plumbing. The Town of Cary is responsible for providing highquality 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 two minutes before using the 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.

Water Conservation

The recent severe drought in our area reminds us all of how important it is to use water wisely. 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 create and maintain our community's culture of conservation and responsible water use. You can play a role in using our water resources wisely by being mindful of the amount of water your household uses and by looking for ways to use less when possible. Visit the Water

Conservation Web section at www.townofcary.org for more information about our program as well as many helpful tips on easy steps you can take to minimize water waste.

LT2 Rule

The U. S. EPA has created the Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (LT2) for the sole purpose of reducing illness linked to the contaminant Cryptosporidium and other disease-causing microorganisms in drinking water. The rule, for which compliance will begin April 1, 2012, will bolster existing regulations and provide a higher level of protection of your drinking water supply.

Sampling of our water source, Jordan Lake, has shown the following:

Cryptosporidium: None Detected

E. coli: Range of results = ND - 31 MPN/100 ml

It is important to note that these results are from our raw water source only and not our treated drinking water supply. For more information, contact the U.S. EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791.