We are pleased to present to you this year's Annual Water Quality Report. This report is designed to inform you about the quality water and services we deliver to you every day. Our constant goal is to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water. We want you to understand the efforts we make to continually improve the water treatment process and protect our water resources. We are committed to ensuring the quality of your water. Our water sources are three groundwater wells. The water we supply comes from the Alluvial Sand of the Quaternary Age Aquifer. Well #1A is located on Plateau Avenue. Well #2 located on the corner of Third Street and Plateau Avenue and Well # 3 at the corner of Woodland Avenue and Seventh Street. We add chlorine to the water to kill bacteria, lime to produce a desirable water quality by raising the pH level to reduce corrosion and acidic conditions. Zinc orthophosphate is used for corrosion control. We serve approximately 2300 customers and have 2 storage tanks for a combined capacity of 950,000 gallons. We also have additional connections with Saraland Water for emergency purposes only.
In compliance with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM), The Water and Sewer Board of the City of Satsuma has developed a Source Water Assessment that will assist in protecting our water sources. This plan provides additional information such as potential sources of contamination. It includes a susceptibility analysis, which classifies potential contaminants as high, moderate, or non-susceptible to contaminating the water source. Over 75% percent of the potential contaminants sited in our assessment areas were ranked as non-susceptible and medium risk. The report has been completed and approved by ADEM. A copy of the report is available in our office for review, or you may purchase a copy upon request for a nominal reproduction fee. I'm pleased to report our drinking water is safe and meets federal and state requirements. Please help us make this effort worthwhile by protecting our source water. Carefully follow instructions on pesticides and herbicides you use for your lawn and garden, and properly dispose of household chemicals, paints and waste oil.
If you have questions about this report or concerning your water utility, please contact Bud McCrory, (251) 675-1257. We want our valued customers to be informed about their water utility. If you want to learn more, please attend our regularly scheduled meetings held on the first Monday of every month at 5:00 P.M. at the Water and Sewer Board office located at 5502 Old Highway 43. Please visit our Website at www.satsumawater.com for more information.
BOARD MEMBERS
William L. Bush, Chairman Patricia Hicks David Flint Larry R. Landrum, Vice-Chairman
Jeff Hardegree, Secretary-Treasurer Billy Joe McCrory, Jr., Director
Important Drinking Water Definitions:
Action Level (AL) - The concentration of a contaminant that triggers treatment or other requirements that a water system shall follow.
Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) - 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 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) – 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.
Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level 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.
Millirems per year (mrem/yr) - Measure of radiation absorbed by the body.
Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU) - Nephelometric turbidity unit is a measure of the clarity of water. Turbidity in excess of 5 NTU is just noticeable to the average person.
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 (µg/L) - One part per billion corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years, or a single penny in $10,000,000.
Parts per trillion (ppt) or Nanograms per liter (ng/L) - One part per trillion corresponds to one minute in 2,000,000 years, or a single penny in $10,000,000,000.
Parts per quadrillion (ppq) or Picograms per liter (pg/L) - One part per quadrillion corresponds to one minute in 2,000,000,000 years or one penny in $10,000,000,000,000.
Picocuries per liter (pCi/L) - Picocuries per liter is a measure of the radioactivity in water.
Treatment Technique (TT) - A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.
Threshold Odor Number (T.O.N.) - The greatest dilution of a sample with odor-free water that still yields a just-detectable odor.
Variances & Exemptions - ADEM or EPA permission not to meet an MCL or a treatment technique under certain conditions.
Explanation of reasons for variance/exemptions
Based on a study conducted by ADEM with the approval of the EPA a statewide waiver for the monitoring of asbestos and dioxin was issued. Thus monitoring for these contaminants was not required.
The Water and Sewer Board of the City of Satsuma routinely monitors for contaminants in your drinking water according to Federal and State laws. Unless otherwise noted, the data presented in the following tables show the results of our monitoring period of January 1st to December 31st, 2007.
|
Table of Primary Drinking Water Contaminants |
|
At high levels some primary contaminants are known to pose a health risks to humans. This table provides a quick glance of any primary contaminant detections. |
|
CONTAMINANT |
MCL |
AMOUNT DETECTED |
CONTAMINANT |
MCL |
AMOUNT DETECTED |
|
Bacteriological |
|
|
Chloramines (ppm) |
4 |
ND |
|
Total Coliform Bacteria |
< 5% |
ND |
Chlorite (ppm) |
1 |
ND |
|
Turbidity (NTU) |
TT |
ND |
Endothall (ppb) |
100 |
ND |
|
Fecal Coliform & E. coli |
0 |
ND |
Endrin (ppb) |
2 |
ND |
|
Radiological |
|
|
Epichlorohydrin (ppb) |
TT |
ND |
|
Beta particle and photon (mrem/yr) |
4 |
ND |
Glyphosate (ppb) |
700 |
ND |
|
Gross Alpha particle (pCi/L) |
15 |
ND |
Heptachlor (ppt) |
400 |
ND |
|
Combined radium 226 & 228 (pCi/L) |
5 |
0.5 ± 0.7 |
Heptachlor Epoxide (ppt) |
200 |
ND |
|
Tritium (pCi/L) |
20,000 |
ND |
Hexachlorobenzene (ppb) |
1 |
ND |
|
Strontium 90 (pCi/L) |
8 |
ND |
Hexachlorocyclopentadiene (ppb) |
50 |
ND |
|
Uranium (ppb) |
30 |
ND |
Lindane (ppt) |
200 |
ND |
|
Inorganic |
|
|
Methoxychlor (ppb) |
40 |
ND |
|
Antimony (ppb) |
6 |
ND |
Oxamyl [Vydate] (ppb) |
200 |
ND |
|
Arsenic (ppb) |
10 |
ND |
Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)(ppt) |
500 |
ND |
|
Asbestos (MFL) |
7 |
ND |
Pentachlorophenol (ppb) |
1 |
ND |
|
Barium (ppm) |
2 |
0.095 |
Picloram (ppb) |
500 |
ND |
|
Beryllium (ppb) |
4 |
ND |
Simazine (ppb) |
4 |
ND |
|
Cadmium (ppb) |
5 |
ND |
Toxaphene (ppb) |
3 |
ND |
|
Chromium (ppb) |
100 |
ND |
Benzene (ppb) |
5 |
ND |
|
Copper (ppm) |
AL=1.3 |
0.14 |
Carbon Tetrachloride (ppb) |
5 |
ND |
|
Cyanide (ppb) |
200 |
ND |
Monochlorobenzene (ppb) |
100 |
ND |
|
Fluoride (ppm) |
4 |
ND |
Dibromochloropropane (ppt) |
200 |
ND |
|
Lead (ppb) |
AL=15 |
0.49 |
0-Dichlorobenzene (ppb) |
600 |
ND |
|
Mercury (ppb) |
2 |
ND |
Para-dichlorobenzene (ppb) |
75 |
ND |
|
Nickel (ppb) |
100 |
ND |
1,2-Dichloroethane (ppb) |
5 |
ND |
|
Nitrate (as N)(ppm) |
10 |
0.39 |
1,1-Dichloroethylene (ppb) |
7 |
ND |
|
Nitrite (as N)(ppm) |
