2020 consumer confidence report
Annual Drinking Water Quality Report
The Rib Mountain Sanitary District is pleased to present this year’s Annual Water Quality Report. This report is designed to inform you of the quality water and services we deliver every day. Our constant goal is to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water. We want you to understand the efforts we make to continually improve the water treatment process and protect our water resources. By testing for over 250 parameters every year, we are committed to ensuring the quality of your drinking water.
Health Information
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 the Environmental Protection Agency's safe drinking water hotline (800-426-4791).
Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immuno-compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemo-therapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune systems 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 and other microbial contaminants are available from the Environmental Protection Agency's safe drinking water hotline (800-426-4791).
Additional Health Information
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. Rib mountain Sanitary District is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, does not have any lead water services, 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 www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.
Our Water Source
Our water is pumped from four wells located along the west bank of the Wisconsin River. Each well is approximately 90 feet deep and produces about 500 gallons per minute. The water is treated with a specialized system to remove some of the iron and manganese. Fluoride is added to help promote healthy teeth and chlorine is added to kill bacteria. The pH is also adjusted to make the water non-corrosive, so it does not damage your water pipes.
To obtain a summary of the source water assessment please contact, Mike Heyroth at (715) 359-6177.
Detected Contaminants
Your water was tested for many contaminants last year. We are allowed to monitor for some contaminants less frequently than once a year. The following tables list only those contaminants which were detected in your water. If a contaminant was detected last year, it will appear in the following tables without a sample date. If the contaminant was not monitored last year, but was detected within the last 5 years, it will appear in the tables below along with the sample date. There was no presence of other contaminants.
Rib Mountain Sanitary District—MAY 2021 Page 2
Inorganic Contaminants
|
Contaminant (units)
|
Action
level
|
MCLG
|
90th Percentile
Level Found
|
# of
Results
|
Sample Date (if prior to 2020)
|
Violation
|
Typical Source of Contaminant
|
|
COPPER (ppm)
|
AL=1.3
|
1.3
|
0.30
|
0 of 20 results were above the action level.
|
|
NO
|
Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits; Leaching from wood preservatives
|
|
LEAD (ppb)
|
AL=15
|
0
|
3.50
|
0 of 20 results were above the action level.
|
|
NO
|
Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits
|
|
Contaminant (units)
|
MCL
|
MCLG
|
Level Found
|
Range
|
Sample Date (if prior to 2020)
|
Violation
|
Typical Source of Contaminant
|
|
BARIUM (ppm)
|
2
|
2
|
.170
|
.034 -.170
|
|
NO
|
Discharge of drilling wastes; Discharge from metal refineries; Erosion of natural deposits
|
|
CHROMIUM
(ppb)
|
100
|
100
|
1
|
0 - 1
|
|
NO
|
Discharge from steel and pulp mills; Erosion of natural deposits.
|
|
FLUORIDE (ppm)
|
4
|
4
|
0.3
|
0.2 - 0.3
|
|
NO
|
Erosion of natural deposits; Water additive which promotes strong teeth; Discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories
|
|
NICKEL (ppb)
|
100
|
|
13.0000
|
1.300 -13.000
|
|
NO
|
Nickel occurs naturally in soils, ground water and surface waters and is often used in electroplating, stainless steel and alloy products.
|
|
NITRATE (N03-N) (ppm)
|
10
|
10
|
2.0
|
1.50 – 2.00
|
|
NO
|
Runoff from fertilizer use; Leaching from septic tanks, sewage; Erosion of natural deposits
|
|
SODIUM (ppm)
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
210.00
|
49.00 -
210.00
|
|
NO
|
n/a
|
Disinfection Byproducts
|
Contaminant
|
Site
|
MCL
|
MCLG
|
Level Found
|
Range
|
Sample Date (if prior to 2020)
|
Violation
|
Typical Source of Contaminant
|
|
HAA5 (ppb)
|
B1
|
60
|
60
|
2
|
2
|
|
NO
|
By-product of drinking water chlorination
|
|
TTHM (ppb)
|
B1
|
80
|
0
|
11.6
|
11.6
|
|
NO
|
By-product of drinking water chlorination
|
Radioactive Contaminants
|
Contaminant (units)
|
MCL
|
MCLG
|
Level Found
|
Range
|
Sample Date (if prior to 2020)
|
Violation
| |
Typical Source of Contaminant
|
|
GROSS ALPHA, EXCL.R & U (pCi/l)
|
15
|
0
|
2.3
|
0.1 - 2.3
|
|
NO
|
Erosion of natural deposits
|
|
COMBINED URANIUM
|
30
|
0
|
0.3
|
0.00 -0.3
|
|
NO
|
Erosion of natural deposits
|
Rib Mountain Sanitary District—MAY 2021 Page 3
Definition of Terms
|
Term
|
Definition
|
|
AL
|
Action Level: The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow.
|
|
Level 1
Assessment
|
A Level 1 assessment is a study of the water system to identify potential problems and determine, if possible, why total coliform bacteria have been found in our water system.
|
|
Level 2
Assessment
|
A Level 2 assessment is a very detailed study of the water system to identify potential problems and determine, if possible, why an E. coli MCL violation has occurred or why total coliform bacteria have been found in our water system, or both, on multiple occasions.
|
|
MCL
|
Maximum Contaminant Level: 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.
|
|
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.
|
|
MFL
|
million fibers per liter
|
|
MRDL
|
Maximum residual disinfectant level: The highest level of disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants.
|
|
MRDLG
|
Maximum residual disinfectant goal: 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.
|
|
mrem/year
|
millirems per year (a measure of radiation absorbed by the body)
|
|
NTU
|
Nephelometric Turbidity Units
|
|
pCi/l
|
picocuries per liter (a measure of radioactivity)
|
|
ppm
|
parts per million, or milligrams per liter (mg/l)
|
|
ppb
|
parts per billion, or micrograms per liter (ug/l)
|
|
ppt
|
parts per trillion, or nanograms per liter
|
|
ppq
|
parts per quadrillion, or picograms per liter
|
|
TCR
|
Total Coliform Rule
|
|
TT
|
Treatment Technique: A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.
|
Educational Information
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 material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity.
Contaminants 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 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.
· 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. FDA regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water, which shall provide the same protection for public health.
Rib Mountain Sanitary District—MAY 2021 Page 4
Any Questions?
If you have any questions about this report or concerning your water utility, please contact Mike Heyroth, Director at (715) 359-6177 or email at mheyroth@rmsd1.com. We want our valued customers to be informed about their water utility. If you want to learn more, please attend any of our regular monthly meetings. They are held on the third Wednesday of each month at 6:00 P.M. at the district administration office, 224505 Lilac Avenue.
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