City of South Haven City Hall  539 Phoenix Street  South Haven, Michigan 49090-1499 Telephone (269) 637-0700  Fax (269) 637-5319 2011 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report For drinking water customers of South Haven, South Haven Township, Casco Township, and Covert Township Is my water safe? We are pleased to present this year's Annual Water Quality Report (Consumer Confidence Report) as required by the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). This report is designed to provide details about where your water comes from, what it contains, and how it compares to standards set by regulatory agencies. This report is a snapshot of last year's water quality. We are committed to providing you with information because informed customers are our best allies. Do I need to take special precautions? 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 can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. EPA/Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Water Drinking Hotline (800-426-4791). Where does my water come from? The South Haven Water Treatment Plant's source water comes from Lake Michigan. Water is pumped to the plant through submerged steel intake cribs that extends approximately a mile off shore. Source water assessment availability A source water assessment by the USGS and the Michigan DEQ for our water supply concluded we have a moderately high susceptibility to contamination. A final report entitled "Source Water Assessment Report for the City of South Haven Water Supply" is available upon request. Why are there contaminants in my water? 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 water poses a health risk. 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: microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, that may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife; inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally occurring or 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 can also come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff, and septic systems; and 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 that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791). Additional Information for Lead 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. South Haven 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. How can I get involved? The City of South Haven staff is committed to educating their drinking water customers on the process that brings safe, clean drinking water to their taps. The South Haven Board of Public Utilities meets the last Monday of every month at 4:00 p.m. in the Department of Public Works conference room, located at 1199 8th Avenue, South Haven, Michigan. General questions about your water and other utilities may be directed to the Department of Public Works at (269)637-0737. Questions about this report, or the treatment and analysis of you drinking water can be directed to Bob Miller at (269)637-0715 or [email protected]. 2011 Water Quality Data In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the EPA prescribes regulations that limit the amount of contaminants in water provided by public water systems (PWS). The table below lists all the drinking water contaminants that we detected in the calendar year 2011. although many more contaminants were tested, only those listed below were found in your water. All sources of drinking water contain some naturally occurring contaminants. At low levels, these substances are generally not harmful in your drinking water. Removing all contaminants would be extremely expensive and in most cases would not provide increased protection to public health. In some instances as noted below, the EPA or State requires us to monitor for certain contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these substances do not vary significantly from year to year, or our system is not considered vulnerable to a particular contaminant. CONTAMINANT MONITORING AT THE PLANT Detected Highest Level Substance Allowed (MCL) Your Water Violation EPA Goal Likely Sources (MCLG) Fluoride (ppm) 4.0 0.6 NO 4.0 Total Organic Carbon (TOC) (TT) removal ratio >1.0 see footnote* NO (TT) removal ratio >1.0 Sodium (ppm) N/A 9.0 NO N/A of Contaminants Water additive to promote strong teeth Erosion of natural deposits Naturally present in the environment Erosion of natural deposits *TOC Explanation Because the Total Organic Carbon level in your source water is so low (<2.0 mg/L), there is no removal requirement. If the source TOC rises above 2.0 mg/L, the MCL is set as a removal ratio from the initial level in the source, to the finished water at the tap. Highest Level Allowed (TT) Filter Effluent Turbidity (NTU) 0.3* TURBIDITY MONITORING AT THE PLANT Highest Single Violation Lowest Monthly % Measurement Meeting the Limits 0.13 NO Likely Sources of Contaminants 100% Soil runoff * The Turbidity level of the filtered water shall be less than or equal to 0.3 NTU in 95% of the measurements taken each month and shall not exceed 1.0 NTU at any time. Turbidity is the cloudiness of water. We measure it because it is a good indicator of the effectiveness of our filtration system. Detected Substance Lead (ppb) (2010) Copper (ppb) (2010) Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) (ppb) Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) (ppb) Chlorine (ppm) Total Coliform (positive samples per month)* Highest Level Allowed (TT) DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM MONITORING 90th Percentile Sites found Violation Detected Above the AL EPA Goal (MCLG) Likely Sources of Contaminants 15 3 0 NO 0 Corrosion of household plumbing 1300 80 0 NO 0 Corrosion of household plumbing Highest Level Allowed (MCL) Range of levels detected Running Annual Average (RAA) Violation 80 11-61 37 NO Byproduct of chlorine disinfection 60 16-42 29 NO Byproduct of chlorine disinfection MRDL MRDLG Highest Level detected (RAA) Range of Levels Detected 4.0 4.0 1.0 0.1 - 2.2 Highest Level Allowed (MCL) Your Water Violation EPA Goal (MCLG) 1 0 NO 0 Water additive used for disinfection Naturally present in the environment *The distribution system is being continuously monitored for total coliform bacteria. Sampling sites are chosen based on different characteristics represented in the distribution system. A positive coliform sample does not necessarily indicate a health risk, only that additioal monitoring should be conducted. DEFINITIONS ~ MCL --Maximum Contaminant Level -- The highest level of contaminant 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. ~ NTU -- Nephelometeric Turbidity Unit -- a measure of particles in water. ~ ppm -- parts per million; parts of contaminant per million parts of water. ~ ppb -- parts per billion; parts of contaminant per billion parts of water. ~ AL -- Action Level -- The concentration of a contaminant which, when exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow. ~ TT -- Treatment Techniques -- A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water. ~ 90th Percentile -- 90 percent of the samples were below the number listed. ~ MRDL -- Maximum Residual Disinfection Level, means the highest level of disinfection 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 -- means 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. ~ RAA -- Running Annual Average, often tracked for compliance purposes.