2008 Water Quality Report

The City of Social Circle is committed to supplying you with the highest quality of water possible. The purpose of this report is to raise your understanding of drinking water safety. The city will not be providing copies of this water report by mail to each customer. Copies are available at City Hall upon request. The following data will explain where your water comes from and the processes that are used.

Social Circle’s main source is surface water drawn from the Alcovy River, four miles west of town on Social Circle-Jersey Rd. Our plant can produce one million gallons per day. The other source is mainly for emergencies and comes from the Walton County Water and Sewage Authority with a water purchase agreement set at one half million gallons per day.

Water Department staff test and monitor the water continuously. Also, monthly samples are sent to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Environmental Protection Division for testing at state labs. These tests ensure that proper chemical levels are maintained and that the water remains free of unwanted contaminants.

A Source Water Assessment Plan was completed by the Northeast Georgia Regional Development Center. (Website: www.negrdc.org). The majority of potential pollution sources within the Social Circle water supply watershed were marked as low release and low risk potential (sewer leaks and spills, urban run-off, road crossings, agricultural operations, pipelines, oil and gas). This source assessment and protection plan can be used by Social Circle in times when emergency response is needed.

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 risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Water Drinking Hotline (1-800-426-4791)

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. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).

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 materials, and can pick up substance resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity.

Contaminants that may be present in source water before treatment include the following:

*Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife.

*Inorganic contaminantssuch 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.

*Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban storm water 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 storm water runoff, and septic systems.

*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 that amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. Food and Drug Administration regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water that provide the same protection for public health.

Definitions

*MG: Million Gallons

*MGD: Million Gallons per day

*Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL): The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCL’s are set as close to the MCLG’s as feasible using the best available treatment technology.

*Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG): The level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water below which there is known or expected risk to health.

*Action Level (AL): The concentration of a contaminant which if exceeded, trigger treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow.

*Treatment Technique (TT): A requires process intended to reduce the level of contaminant in drinking water.

*Turbidity: A measure of the cloudiness of water. We monitor turbidity because it’s a good indicator of the effectiveness of our filtration system.

*PPM: parts per million (one pound of a substance per one million pounds of water)

N/A: non-applicable

NTU: Nephelometric Turbidity Units (measures cloudiness of water)

REGULATED CONTAMINANTS DETECTED 2008

PARAMETERS REGULATED AT WATER PLANT

SUBSTANCE

MCL

MCLG

LEVEL DETECTED

IS THE WATER SAFE?

SOURCES OF CONTAMINATION

HALOACETIC ACID (4 QTR AVG)

.06 PPM

0

.01 PPM

YES

TREATMENT BY-PRODUCT

TRIHALOMETHANE (4 QTR AVG)

.080 PPM

0

.05 PPM

YES

TREATMENT BY-PRODUCT

FILTER TURBIDITY

TT=% OF

0

.01-.53 PPM

YES

TREATMENT BY-PRODUCT

SAMPLES

<0.3 NTU 95%

0.5 NTU

PARAMETERS REGULATED AT CUSTOMER'S TAP

SUBSTANCE

MCL

MCLG

LEVEL DETECTED

IS THE WATER SAFE?

SOURCES OF CONTAMINATION

LEAD

.015 PPM

0

.001 PPM

YES

HOUSEHOLD PIPES

COPPER

1.3 PPM

1.3 PPM

.17 PPM

YES

HOUSEHOLD PIPES

UNREGULATED PARAMETERS

SUBSTANCE

MCL

MCLG

LEVEL DETECTED

IS THE WATER SAFE?

SOURCES OF CONTAMINATION

CHLOROFORM

NOT REGULATED

N/A

.036 PPM

YES

TREATMENT PROCESS       BY-PRODUCT

CHLORODIBRO-METHANE

NOT REGULATED

N/A

.002 PPM

YES

TREATMENT PROCESS       BY-PRODUCT

BROMEDI-CHLOROMETHANE

NOT REGULATED

N/A

.009 PPM

YES

TREATMENT PROCESS       BY-PRODUCT

NITRATE

NOT REGULATED

N/A

YES

TREATMENT PROCESS       BY-PRODUCT

TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON REMOVAL SUMMARY

JAN-DEC 2006 AVG.

SOURCE WATER

TREATED WATER

ACTUAL TOC REMOVAL %

REQUIRED TOC REMOVAL %

TOC (MG/L)

TOC (MG/L)

2.4

1.4

42%

35%

* 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. [Water System] 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.

A Community Partnership: We encourage public interest and participation in our community’s decisions affecting water. Here’s how you can help: Immediately report any problems you experience or witness to our Customer Service Department. Our representatives can help determine the source of the problem and respond with a course of action. Any inquiries about your water quality should be directed to Quentin Colbert at (770) 464-2516. (Spanish translation available if needed).

Population increasing places great demand on available water supplies. In the future communities will be forced to increase water efficiency by avoiding water waste and treatment of the waste water. Conservation will help protect this valuable resource. Water, sewer, and energy bills decrease when water is used more efficiently.