Town of Cary Annual Water Quality Report – 2004 Test Results
Distributed by Cary Public Works and Utilities Department
Continuing Our Commitment
Once again we proudly present our annual drinking water quality report. This edition covers all testing completed from January through December 2004. As in the past, we are committed to delivering the best quality drinking water. To that end, we remain vigilant in meeting the challenges of source water protection, water conservation, and community education while continuing to serve the needs of all of our water users. In 2004 the Cary/Apex Water Treatment Facility was certified for the second consecutive year with the Partnership for Safe Water Director’s Award. The facility proudly joins less than 1% of water utilities nationwide in this honor. For more information about this report, or for any questions relating to your drinking water, please call the Department of Public Works and Utilities at (919) 469-4090.
The Town of Cary encourages public interest and participation in our community’s decisions affecting drinking water. Regular meetings of Cary’s town council are held the second and fourth Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers, currently located in the Herbert C. Young Community Center. The public is welcome.
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 may be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. EPA/CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).
To meet the drinking water needs of residents today and of future generations, wise water use is essential. In April 2000 the town council adopted a long-term water conservation plan that reduces per capita usage by 20% by 2015. Using water efficiently not only helps preserve our limited natural resources, but also potentially defers expensive capital projects and allows the town to extend the number of years we can use our allocated amount from Jordan Lake. For more information on how you can do your part to conserve water, call the Department of Public Works and Utilities at (919) 469-4090 or visit the water conservation pages on our Web site at www.townofcary.org.
Lead is a naturally occurring element in our environment. Consequently, our water supply is expected to contain small, undetectable amounts of lead. However, most of the lead in household water usually comes from the plumbing in your own home, not from the local water supply. The U.S. EPA estimates that more than 40 million U.S. residents use water that can contain lead in excess of EPA’s Action Level of 15 ppb. Lead in drinking water is a concern because young children, infants and fetuses appear to be particularly vulnerable to lead poisoning. A dose that would have little effect on an adult can have a big effect on a small body. On average, it is estimated that lead in drinking water contributes between 10% and 20% of the total lead exposure in young children.
All kinds of water, however, may have high levels of lead. We maintain our drinking water supply at an optimum pH and mineral content level to help prevent corrosion in your home’s pipes. To reduce lead levels in your drinking water you should flush your cold-water pipes by running the water until it becomes as cold as it will get (anywhere from 5 seconds to 2 minutes or longer) and use only water from the cold-water tap for drinking, cooking, and especially for making baby formula. Hot water is likely to contain higher levels of lead. For more information, please contact National Lead Information Center at (800) LEAD-FYI and the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791.
About Our Violation
During September 2003, we collected samples to be analyzed for inorganic compounds in our drinking water. The testing was completed by a commercial lab. Due to a certification deficiency by this commercial lab, some of the results of that analysis were not certifiable and therefore the town received a monitoring and reporting violation for this incident. Results of the analysis indicated no impact on public health and safety. We have taken the steps necessary to ensure that adequate monitoring and reporting will be performed in the future so that this oversight will not be repeated. We are reporting this incident in this report because we were informed of the violation during March 2004.
Substances Potentially Found in Drinking Water
To ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the U.S. EPA prescribes regulations limiting the amount
Of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. U.S. Food and Administration regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water, which must provide the same protection for public health. Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of these contaminants does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk.
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 can acquire naturally occurring minerals, in some cases, radioactive material; and substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity.
For more information about contaminants and potential health effects, call the U.S. EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791
Substances that may be present in source water include:
Microbial Contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, or wildlife;
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 which may also come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff, and septic systems;
Radioactive Contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or may be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.
Where Does Our Water Come From?
The Town of Cary's drinking water is supplied by the B. Everett Jordan Reservoir, more commonly known as Jordan Lake, which lies 10 miles west of Cary in the Cape Fear River Basin. Water is treated at the Cary/Apex Water Treatment Facility, a surface water treatment plant co-owned by the towns of Cary and Apex and located in western Wake County.
This report is based on tests conducted at the laboratory of the Cary/Apex Water Treatment Facility and at subcontracted commercial labs. To ensure that your water is safe, our lab continually monitors the quality of your drinking water. More than 3,000 tests are conducted each month to analyze for substances such as trace metals, volatile organic chemicals, pesticides, and bacteria. Although our laboratory runs numerous tests, only those substances that were actually detected are listed in this report. All substance levels detected meet federal and state regulatory limits.
Source Water Assessment Program
The North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Public Water Supply (PWS) Section, Source Water Assessment Program (SWAP) conducted assessments for all drinking water sources across North Carolina. The purpose of the assessments was to determine the susceptibility of each drinking water source to potential contaminant sources (PCSs). The results of the assessments are available in SWAP Assessment Reports that include maps, background information and a relative susceptibility rating of high, moderate, or low for each source.
The relative susceptibility rating of the water source for the Town of Cary was determined by combining the contaminant rating (number and location of PCSs within the assessment area) and the inherent vulnerability rating (i.e., characteristics or existing conditions of the watershed and its delineated assessment area). The assessment reported a susceptibility rating of high for the Jordan Lake Watershed. A susceptibility rating of "high" does not imply poor water quality; rather, if signifies the system's potential to become contaminated by PCSs in the assessment area.
The complete SWAP Report for the Town of Cary may be viewed on the Web at www.deh.enr.state.nc.us/pws/swap, To obtain a printed copy of this report, please mail a written request to Source Water Assessment Program - Report Request, 1634 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1634, or email a request to swap@ncmail.net. Please indicate the name of your system and PWS, and provide your name, mailing address and phone number. If you have any questions about the SWAP Report please contact Source Water Assessment staff by phone at (919) 715-2633.
Testing Results
During the past year we have tested thousands of water samples in order to determine the presence of any radioactive, biological, inorganic, volatile organic or synthetic organic contaminants. The table below shows only those contaminants that were detected in the water.
Although all of the substances listed here are under the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL), we feel it is important that you know exactly what was detected and how much of the substance was present in the water. The state requires us to monitor for certain substances less than once per
year because the concentrations of these substances do not change frequently. In these cases, the most recent sample data are included, along with the year in which the sample was taken.
Tap water samples were collected for lead and copper analyses from 60 homes throughout the service area.
For test results, contact the Public Works and Utilities Department at (919) 469-4090.