Sinclair Water Authority 2021 Annual Consumer Confidence Report WSID GA2370087 Accessibility transcript This plain-text companion follows the published report page by page. The PDF remains the filed visual report. For help interpreting a table or to request another format, call 706-485-8993. PAGE 1 ====== Sinclair Water Authority 2021 Annual Water Quality Report WSID #GA2370087 www.sinclairwaterauthority.com WATER QUALITY YOUR WATER MEETS ALL FEDERAL AND STATE REGULATIONS FOR WATER QUALITY The Sinclair Water Authority is pleased to present this year's Annual Water Quality Report. This water quality report details where your water comes from, what it contains, and how it compares to standards set by regulatory agencies. Our goal is to always provide clean, safe, and reliable drinking water. WHERE YOUR DRINKING WATER COMES FROM Your water comes from Lake Sinclair, an approved public water source. Once withdrawn from the lake, your water makes its way to the Sinclair Water Authority and through our treatment process. Up to six million gallons of water per day undergoes coagulation, sedimentation, membrane ultrafiltration, and disinfection, before being sent to our communities. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION OPPORTUNITIES If you have any questions about this report or your water utility, please contact James Cupo at (706) 485-8993. We want our valued customers to be informed about their water utility. If you want to learn more, please attend any of our regularly scheduled meetings at the Sinclair Water Authority, 126 Cay Drive, Milledgeville, Ga. 31061. Meeting dates will be posted on our website at sinclairwaterauthority.com. PAGE 2 ====== The staff at the Sinclair Water Authority is honored to serve our customers and we are proud of the facilities we operate and maintain. CONTAMINANTS THAT MAY BE PRESENT IN SOURCE 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 can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity. The following is a list of contaminants that may be present in source water before it is treated. Microbial Contaminants: Such as viruses and bacteria which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural operations involving livestock, and wildlife. Pesticides and Herbicides: May come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff and residential uses. Inorganic Contaminants: Such as salts and metals, which can be naturally occurring or result from urban storm runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining or farming. Organic Chemical Contaminants: Includes synthetic and volatile organic chemicals. Sources include industrial-process and petroleum by-products, gas stations, urban stormwater runoff and septic systems. Radioactive Contaminants: Can be naturally occurring or result from oil and gas production and mining activities. 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. PAGE 3 ====== WATER QUALITY DATA — 2021 CHEMICAL ANALYSIS Sinclair Water Authority routinely monitors for constituents in your drinking water according to Federal and State laws. The following table shows the results of our monitoring for the period of January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020. Table 1 columns: Contaminant | MCL | MCLG | SWA Plant Results | Date | Violation | Likely Source of Contamination Fluoride (ppm) | 4 | 4 | 0.86 | 2021 | No | Erosion of natural deposits; water additive which promotes strong teeth; discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories. Sodium (ug/l) | N/A | N/A | 7600 | 2018 | No | N/A Chlorine (ppm) | 4 | 4 | 1.55–2.90 | 2021 | No | Water additive used to control microbes. Total Coliform Bacteria | 0 positive monthly sample | 0 | 0 positive out of 12 samples | 2021 | No | Naturally present in the environment. Turbidity (NTU) | TT = 95% of sample results 0.10 NTU or less | 0 | Less than 0.1 | 2021 | No | Soil runoff. Total Organic Carbon (ppm) | TT | N/A | 1.07 | 2021 | No | Naturally present in the environment. Table 2 columns: Contaminant | MRDL | MRDLG | SWA Plant Results | Date | Violation | Likely Source of Contamination Chlorine Dioxide (ppb) | 800 | 800 | 540 | 2021 | No | Water additive used to control microbes. Table 3 columns: Contaminant | MRDL | MRDLG | Average | SWA Plant Results | Date | Violation | Likely Source of Contamination Chlorite (ppm) | 1.0 | 0.80 | 0.350 | 0.00–0.690 | 2021 | No | By-product of drinking water chlorination. Table 4 columns: Contaminant | MRDL | MRDLG | Average | Range | Date | Violation | Likely Source of Contamination Trihalomethanes (ppm) | 80 | N/A | 22.6 (Locational Running Annual Average) | 12.1–34.7 (Individual sample site test results—2020) | 2021 | No | By-product of drinking water chlorination. Haloacetic Acids (ppm) | 60 | N/A | 22.3 (Locational Running Annual Average) | 11.2–33.46 (Individual sample site test results—2020) | 2021 | No | By-product of drinking water chlorination. During this monitoring period, the Sinclair Water Authority had no violations. We achieve this by continuously monitoring water according to state and federal regulations and completing additional water quality tests every three hours. YOUR WATER IS SAFE TO DRINK! TERMS AND ABBREVIATIONS Non-Detects (N/D): Laboratory analysis indicates that the constituent is not present. Parts per million (ppm) or Milligrams per liter (tns/l) [sic]: 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: One part per billion corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years, or a single penny in $10,000,000. Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU): A measure of the clarity of water. Turbidity in excess of 5 NTU is just noticeable to the average person. Action Level: The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow. Treatment Technique (TT)—mandatory language: A treatment technique is a required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water. Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL)—mandatory language: 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)—mandatory language: 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)—mandatory language: The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. Evidence shows that adding a disinfectant is needed to control microbial contaminants. Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal (MRDLG)—mandatory language: 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 using disinfectants to control microbial contaminants. PAGE 4 ====== SPECIAL POPULATION ADVISORY All sources of drinking water are subject to potential contamination by substances that are naturally occurring or manufactured. These substances can be microbes, inorganic or organic chemicals, and radioactive substances. All 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. For more information about contaminants and potential health effects, call the Environmental Protection Agency's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791. Maximum Contamination Levels vary between contaminants but are all set at very stringent levels. For every 10,000 people (1,000,000 for some contaminants) drinking 2 liters of water every day, for a lifetime, only 1 of those people may experience the described health effect. In order to ensure tap water is safe to drink, the EPA prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems> [sic] The Food and Drug Administration regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health. If present, elevated lead levels can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. Sinclair Water Authority is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components. After water has sat for several hours, flush your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking to reduce potential lead exposure. If concerned about lead, you may wish to have your water tested. Information on lead, testing methods, and exposure-reduction steps is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead. Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. This includes immuno-compromised people, such as those undergoing cancer chemotherapy, organ-transplant recipients, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune-system disorders, some elderly people, and infants. These people can be particularly at risk from infections and should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. EPA/CDC guidance on lessening the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbiological contaminants is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791. 24/7 SERVICE: We're here 24 hours a day, making certain your water is safe to drink. Please call our office if you have questions. The staff at Sinclair Water Authority work around the clock to provide top quality water to every tap. We ask that all our customers help us protect our water sources, which are the heart of our community, our way of life, and our children's future. This annual report was prepared by ESG Operations, Inc., a utility operations and public works management company, proudly serving the Sinclair Water Authority. www.esginc.net