Item 8BAGENDA ITEM # 8B
MAY 24, 2010
CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH
CITY COMMISSION MEETING
STAFF REPORT
AGENDA ITEM: Annual Water Quality Report
SUBMITTED BY: Donna Kaluzniak, Utility Director
DATE: May 4, 2010
BACKGROUND: A copy of the 2009 Water Quality Report for the City of Atlantic Beach is
provided for the City Commission's review. The Florida Deparkment of Environmental
Protection requires annual water quality reports be mailed to all customers by the first of July
every year.
The City is required to test for over 80 drinking water contaminants, but only those detected
during analysis are included in the report. As shown, detected values were within the levels
allowed and we had no violations of water quality limits.
BUDGET: A total of $800 is budgeted in the Water Fund for printing the reports, under account
numbers 400-5502-533-4700.
RECOMMENDATION: No action necessary. The report is provided for information only.
ATTACHMENTS: 1. 2009 Atlantic Beach Water Quality Report
REVIEWED BY CITY MANAGER:
AGENDA ITEM # 8B
MAY 24, 2010
2009 Water Quality Report
CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH, FLORIDA
We are very pleased to provide you with this year's Annual Water Quality Report. We want to
keep you informed about the excellent water and services we have delivered to you over the past
year. Our constant goal is to provide you with safe and dependable drinking water. We want
you-our valued customers-to understand our water quality results and what they mean.
Our water source is the Floridan Aquifer, which is similar to a large underground river.
Groundwater is pumped from eight wells that are approximately 700 to 1000 feet deep. This
water is aerated to remove sulfides and chlorinated for disinfection at the four sepazate Water
Treatment Plants. Trained, state certified plant operators ensure proper treatment of neazly three
million gallons per day of water provided to our customers. We are pleased to report that our
drinking water quality meets all Federal and State requirements.
If you have any questions about this report or concerning your water utility, please contact Mr.
Harry McNally, Plants Division Director at 904-247-5838.
If you want to become informed about upcoming water-related projects or programs, please
attend any of our City Commission meetings which are scheduled on the 2nd and 4~' Monday of
every month at 6:00 p.m. at City Hall, 800 Seminole Road, Atlantic Beach, Florida 32233, or call
or a-mail our Public Utilities Director, Ms. Donna Kaluzniak, at 904-270-2535,
dkaluzniak@coab.us.
The City of Atlantic Beach routinely monitors for contaminants in your drinking water according
to Federal and State laws. Except where indicated otherwise, this report is based on the results
of our monitoring for the period of January 1st to December 31st, 2009. Data obtained before
January 1, 2009 and presented in this report aze from the mast recent testing done in accordance
with the laws, rules and regulations.
As authorized and approved by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), the State has
reduced monitoring requirements for certain contaminants to less often than once per year
because the concentrations of these contaminants are not expected to vary significantly from yeaz
to yeaz.
In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the EPA prescribes regulations which limit the
amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. The Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) 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 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 EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.
AGENDA TI'EM ~! 8B
MAY 24, 2010
The EPA requires monitoring of over 80 drinking water contaminants. Those contaminants
listed in the table are the only ones detected in your drinking water.
MCLs are set at very stringent levels. To understand the possible health effects described for
many regulated contaminants, a person would have to drink 2 liters of water every day at the
MCL level for a lifetime to have aone-in-a-million chance of having the described health effect.
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 micro-biological contaminants are available from EPA's Safe
Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791.
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. Atlantic Beach 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 or at
http://www.epa. Gov/safewater/lead.
In 2009 the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) performed a Source Water
Assessment on our system. The assessment was conducted to provide information about any
potential sources of contamination in the vicinity of our wells. There are 13 potential sources of
contamination identified for our system with low to moderate susceptibility levels, mostly due to
petroleum storage tanks. To protect our source waters, the City enacted a Wellhead Protection
Ordinance. Also, FDEP has a very active petroleum contamination prevention program and
some of the most stringent rules in the country. The assessment results are available on the
FDEP Source Water Assessment and Protection Program website at www.dep.state.fl.us/swapp.
Thank you for allowing us to continue providing your family with clean, quality water this
year. We at the City of Atlantic Beach work around the clock to provide top quality water
to every tap. We ask that all our customers help us protect our water sources.
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AGENDA ITEM # 8B
MAY 24, 2010
2009 Water Quality Report
CITY OF ATLANTIC BEACH, FLORIDA
In the table you will find many terms and abbreviations you might not be familiar with. To help you better
understand these terms, we have provided the following definitions:
Action Level (AL) -The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other
requirements which a water system must follow.
Initial Distribution System Evaluation (IDSE}--An important part of the Stage 2 Disinfection Byproducts Rule
(DBPR). The IDSE is a one-time study conducted by water systems to identify distribution system locations with
high concentrations of trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAS). Water systems will use results from
the IDSE, in conjunction with their Stage 1 DBPR compliance monitoring data, to select compliance monitoring
locations for the Stage 2 DBPR.
Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) -The "Maximum Allowed" (MCL) 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" (MCLG) 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.
Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level (MRDL) - T`he highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water.
There is a convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants.
Maximum Residual Disinfectant Levet Goal (MRDLG) -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.
Non-Detects (ND) -Means not detected and indicates that the substance was not found by laboratory analysis.
Not Applicable (N/A) -The information does not apply in this category or for this contaminant.
Parts per billion (ppb} or Micrograms per liter (ug/L) -One part by weight of analyte to one billion parts by
weight of the water sample.
Parts per million (ppm) or Milligrams per liter (mg/L) -One part by weight of analyte to one million parts by
weight of the water sample.
Picocuries per liter (pCi/O -Measure of the radioactivity in water.
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 activity. Contaminants that may be present in source water include:
(A) Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants or septic
systems. While the City's wastewater treatment plant meets strict effluent limitations and does not discharge to the
groundwater, private septic systems are not monitored, and may discharge to the groundwater.
(B) Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally occurring from erosion of deposits
within the aquifer.
(C) Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as residential uses, and can be
minimized or eliminated by cross-connection control.
(D) Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are by-products of
industrial processes, and can also come from leaking underground fuel tanks at gas stations, and septic systems.
(E) Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally present in the aquifer.
AGENDA ITEM # 8B
MAY 24, 2010
WATER QUALITY DATA
2009
MCL
Sample Maximum Goal Highest Range Typical Source of Viola-
Substance Date Level (MCLG Level of Contaminant tion
-Units Allowed or Detected Results (yp~)
(MCL or MRDL (HLD)
MRDL) G) (Max.)
INORGANIC CONTAM INANTS: Results in the H D column are the i hest detected level at an sam in oint
Discharge of drilling wastes;
Barium 2/08 2 2 03
0 0.027 - discharge from metal
-ppm . 0.03 refineries; erosion of natural N
deposits
Erosion of natu deposits;
discharge from fertilizer and
Fluoride 76-'
0 aluminum factories. Water
2108 4 4 0.88 .
0 88 additive which promotes N
_ppm strong teeth when at
optimum levels between 0.7
and 1.3 ppm.
Residue from man-made
Lead (point _
N pollution such as auto
of entry) 2/08 15 N/A 1.9 9 emissions and paint; lead N
-ppb pipe, casing
and solder
Sodium
2/08
160
N/A
20
13 - 20 Salt water intrusion,
N
_ ppm leaching from soil
Nitrate (as Runoff from fertilizer use;
Nitrogen) - 4/09 10 10 0.058 ND - leaching from septic tanks, N
0.058 sewage; erosion of natural
ppm deposits
RADI LOGICAL CONTAMINANT S: Results in t e HLD column are t e hi hest detected level at an sam lip oii
Radium
226+228 or
combined 3/08 5 0 0.4 ND - 0.4 Erosion of natural deposits N
radium
- pCi/L
DISINFECTI N BY-PRODUCTS: (7 7re result in the HLD column for Chlorine is the annual averaee ofthe quarterly
averages of results from all sample sites. The result in the HLD column for HAASs and TTHMs is the average ofsamples
taken for compliance. The Range of Results for HAASs and TTHMs is the range of individual sample results-lowest to
highest- for all monitoring locations. includine IDSE' results as well as Stage 1 compliance results. )
C lorine
-ppm Monthly
2009 4 4 1.3 0.2-2.5 ater additive used to
control microbes N
a s c 7/09 60 N/A 27.93 0.95- By- rod~t Affdrinking
~
t
t N
_ 37.72 v
ton
a
er ism ee
Total
Trihalo-
methanes 7/09 80 N/A 54
02 18-75 By-product of drinking N
. water disinfection
(,1„1,I-Il~is)
-ppb
LEAD AND COPPER HOME TAP SAMPLING:
Copper 90 0 of 60 Corrosion of household
(tap water) 7/08 - AL=1.3 1.3 percentile homes plumbing systems; erosion N
8/08 results exceeded of natural deposits; leaching
_ppm = 0.17 the AL from wood preservatives
Lead
7/08 - 90
percentile 0 of 0
homes Corrosion of household
(tap water)
8/08 AL=15 0
results
exceeded plumbing systems; erosion N
ppb = 2.6 the AL of natural deposits
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