2000 Annual Water Quality
Report
Nome
Joint Utility System (NJUS) is pleased to present you with the 2000 Annual
Water Quality Report. This report is designed to inform you about the quality
of drinking water and services we provide to you every day. Our constant goal
is to provide you with safe and dependable supply of drinking water. We want
you to understand the effort we make to continually improve and protect our
water resource a well as the distribution and treatment system. We are
committed to ensure the quality of your water.
Nome’s
water is safe. NJUS continues to make
system improvements which will insure the water provided will meet or exceed
the standards established for water quality.
OUR WATER SOURCE
Nome
has one source of water known as Moonlight Springs, infiltration gallery. The
infiltration gallery is located north of the Beltz High school, at the base of
the southwest face of Anvil Mountain. Our source water is currently classified
as ground water under the direct influence of surface water, (GUDISW). Nome
Joint Utility System currently has funding from the Alaska Department of
Environmental Conservation (A.D.E.C.) to upgrade our water source to a ground
water source classification by drilling wells. Nome Joint
Utility System drilled two new wells last summer at
Moonlight Springs and will complete construction and bring the wells on-line by
July 31, 2001. This upgrade will be the lowest cost option to avoid
building a new water filtration plant to provide filtration for high turbidity
events that occur each spring. Our source has the capacity to supply Nome’s
water system year round. In 2000 Nome Joint Utility System monitored, treated
and distributed 151 million gallons of safe potable water to the City of Nome.
Nome’s
potable water is chlorinated to kill disease-causing organisms, and fluoridated
to promote dental health. Inadequately treated water may contain disease –
causing organisms. These organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites,
which can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated
headaches. Our water treatment facility is located to the west of the Beltz
Apartments. At this location, we monitor, disinfect and fluoridate the water
before it is distributed to the Beltz School & the City of Nome.
WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM
In
1997, Nome Joint Utility System Utilidor Replacement Project began upgrading
our water distribution system. A total
of 15,500 feet of old water main has already been replaced with another 4052
feet scheduled for replacement in 2001. The Project has also replaced 350 of
our customer’s water and sewer service laterals with
another 101 scheduled for replacement this year. 24 new fire hydrants have also been
installed as part of the project.
Funding is also in place to replace and upgrade 9 direct bury and Tee
based fire hydrants in 2001.
Nome
Joint Utility System remains committed to maintaining and operating our system
as efficiently as possible. By
implementing tighter monitoring procedures, making timely repairs and
installing new energy saving equipment, water usage and electrical costs have
been reduced. Further cost reduction
improvements are scheduled for 2001.
Water usage was reduced by nearly 17.5 million gallons in 2000 compared
to 1999.
WATER TESTING RESULTS
The
drinking water testing results, contained in this report, are gathered from a
five-year period of testing. In 2000 our water plant operators & certified
laboratory performed a total of 6,104 tests on our drinking water.
Our
state certified water treatment operators, routinely monitor for contaminates
in your drinking water in accordance with federal and state drinking water
regulations. The State of Alaska and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),
limit the amount of certain contaminates in drinking water provided by public
water systems in order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink. When
appropriate, drinking water quality tests are performed by the certified water treatment
plant operators. Most tests are performed by an independent, A.D.E.C.
certified, laboratory.
All
drinking water, including bottled water, may be expected to contain at least
small amounts of some contaminants. Water is a universal solvent that naturally
picks up material as it falls from the sky as rain or snow, and travels over or
through the ground. Some of this water ends up as drinking water.
The
sources of drinking water (both tap 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 our source water include:
A)
Microbial contaminants,
such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants,
septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife.
B)
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.
C)
Pesticides and
herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, storm
water runoff, and residential uses.
D)
Organic chemical
contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organics, which are by-products
of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas
stations, urban storm water runoff and septic systems.
E)
Radioactive
contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas
production and mining activities.
In
order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations which
limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water
systems. FDA regulations establish for
contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public
health.
Inorganic Chemicals include heavy metals, fluoride and nitrate. Our water
is no longer tested for asbestos since there is no asbestos water pipe in the
distribution system. NJUS currently has A.D.E.C. testing waivers for Arsenic,
Barium, Cadmium, Chromium, Mercury, Selenium, Antimony, Beryllium, Cyanide,
Nickel, and Thallium. Fluoride occurs naturally in Nome’s water at about 0.2
mg/l. Additional fluoride is added to
promote dental health. Less than 1 mg/l of Nitrate (as nitrogen) occurs
naturally in Nome’s water and is not a concern at this low level. Lead and
copper are from the corrosion of copper pipes, fittings, and old lead / tin
solder inside houses and service lines. The Lead and Copper rule is based on 90
percent of the results being less than or equal to the action level which, if
exceeded, would require additional water treatment or the addition of corrosion
inhibiting chemicals to our water. Nome is currently under a reduced monitoring
requirement for lead and copper because historically our test results sites
have been 90% less than the maximum contaminant level (MCL). Compliance testing is scheduled for once
every three years, and was completed in 1999. Compliance testing was completed
in 1999 with 90% of the samples under the maximum contaminant level for both
lead and copper.
Volatile
Organic Chemicals (VOC)
Volatile Organic Chemicals
are either disinfections residual byproducts such as total Trihalomethane
(TTHM) that are formed when naturally occurring organics in the water are
chlorinated or from contamination by petroleum and other products. Of the over
80 VOC's tested, TTHMs were the only VOC detected and were at levels much lower
than the maximum contaminant level (MCL). They are not considered a heath risk
at these very low levels.
Synthetic / Other Organic Chemicals include pesticides
and herbicides. Nome is a non-agricultural area and these chemicals are not
used. As a result A.D.E.C. has granted Nome a testing waiver. This testing
waiver saves Nome about $6,000 annually in laboratory testing fees.
Radioactive Contaminates has never been detected in Nome’s water.
The
presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a
health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects
can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking
Water Hotline (800-426-4791)
VULNERABILITY
Some
people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the
general population. Immuno-compromised persons such as people 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 are
available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791)
HOW TO READ THE
TABLE
This
report is based upon tests conducted in the years 1996 through 1999 by Nome
Joint Utility System. Terms used in the water quality table and in other parts
of this report are defined hear.
Maximum
Contaminant Level (MCL): The maximum
permissible level of a contaminant in water delivered to a user of a public
water system. MCL’s 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.
Action
Level (AL): The concentration of a
contaminate, which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements that
a water system must follow.
Treatment
Technique (TT): A required process
intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in the drinking water.
KEY TO TABLE
AL = Action level
MCL= Maximum Contaminant Level
MCLG = Maximum Contaminant Level Goal
NTU = Nephelometric Turbidity Units
ppm = parts per million, or milligrams per liter
(mg/l)
ppb = parts
per billion, or micrograms per liter (ug/l)
TT = Treatment technique
NOME JOINT UTILITY SYSTEM
Public Water System ID # AK2340010
TABLE
Contaminate Date Unit MCL MCLG Detected
Major Sources
Violation
Tested Level
Inorganic
Lead –
2 8/24/99 ppb AL=15
0 5.0 Corrosion of household plumbing NO
Systems, and lead solder joints.
Nitrate
– N 9/2/99 ppm 10
10 0.10 Erosion of natural deposits, And NO
Decaying vegetation or Tundra.
Copper
– 3 8/27/99 ppm
AL=1.3 1.3 0.248 Corrosion of household plumbing, NO
and copper tubing.
Fluoride 12/31/99 ppm 4 4 1.05
Water
additive which promotes, NO
Strong teeth.
Volatile Organic Chemicals
TTHMs 9/15/99 ppb 100 0 0.60
By- product of drinking NO
water chlorination.
EXPLANATION OF VIOLATIONS
In
June of 2000 we exceeded the 5 NTU Maximum Contaminant Level at Moonlight
Springs. This means that suspended
particles were detected in the raw water in excess of current ADEC
regulations. These suspended
particulates were a result of spring runoff and well drilling activities at
Moonlight Springs. Through increased disinfection and monitoring procedures,
water distributed throughout the system met or exceeded all treatment and
disinfection requirements.
Moonlight
Springs – Under the influence of surface water.
In
May of 1995, Moonlight Springs was determined to be ground water under the
direct influence of surface water (GWUDISW).
Once that determination was made, state and federal regulations required
that actions be taken to address the issue within a certain amount of
time. Had we had another three weeks in
the fall of 2000 to complete ongoing construction of the Moonlight Springs Well
Project, the Notice of Violation would not have been issued. Even though we knew a Notice of Violation
was pending, weather and construction personnel safety concerns were the reason
for putting the project on hold until the spring of 2001. However though continued disinfection and
monitoring procedures, no bacterial contaminants above the maximum contaminant
levels (MCL) were detected in 2000.
QUESTIONS
If
you have any questions about this report or are interested in learning more
about the drinking water system in Nome, please call the Utility Manager’s
Office – 443- NJUS. The Utility Board holds regularly scheduled meetings the
third Tuesday of each month, and the public is invited to direct any concerns
not addressed by management to the board. You may also call the Alaska
Department of Environmental Conservation – Drinking Water Division in Fairbanks,
AK. (907- 451- 2179).
To the best of our ability, we strive to provide good
service, protect and preserve public health, public property and the
environment by correctly operating and upgrading our water system.