MO4010279
CITY OF PARK HILLS WATER DEPARTMENT
1998 Annual Water Quality Report

This report is intended to provide you with important information about your drinking water and the efforts made to provide safe drinking water.

What is the source of my water?

The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and groundwater 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 pickup substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity.

Our water comes from the following source: 3 Ground Water Wells

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. More information about contaminants and potential health effect can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).

Contaminants that my be present in source water include:

  1. Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife.
  2. 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.
  3. Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and residential uses.
  4. 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.
  5. 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, the Department of Natural Resources prescribe regulations, which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. Department of Health regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water, which must provide the same protection for public health. Is our water system meeting other rules that govern our operations?

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources regulates our water system and requires us to test our water on a regular basis to ensure its safety. Our system has been assigned the identification number MO4010279 for the purposes of tracking our test results. Last year, we tested for a variety of contaminants. The detectable results of these tests are on the following pages of this report. Any violations of state requirements or standards will be further explained later in this report.

How might I become actively involved?

If you would like to observe the decision-making process that affect drinking water quality or if you have any further questions about your drinking water report, please call us at 573-431-2280 to inquire about scheduled meetings or contact persons.

Do I need to take special precautions?

Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general populations. Immuno-compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ trans-plants, 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 and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).

MO4010279
Contaminants Report

Definitions:

MCLG: Maximum Contaminant Level Goal, or 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. MCL: Maximum Contaminant Level, or 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. AL: Action Level, or the concentration of a contaminant which, when exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow. TT: Treatment Technique, or a required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.

Abbreviations:

PPB: Parts per billion or micrograms per liter. ppm: parts per million or milligrams per liter. n/a: not applicable. NTU: Nephelometric Turbidity Unit, used to measure cloudiness in drinking water. MFL: million fibers per liter, used to measure asbestos concentration. Nd: not detectable at testing limits.

The state has reduced monitoring requirements for certain contaminants to less often than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants are not expected to vary significantly from year to year. Records marked with *, though representative, are more than one year old.

Regulated Contaminants
 
Inorganic Units MCL MCLG Level Found Range of Detection Violation Sources
Barium, Dissolved*
Ppm
2
2
0.0164
0.0164
No
Discharge of drilling wastes: Discharge from metal refineries; Erosion of natural deposits
 
 
Chromium, Dissolved*
Ppb
100
100
2.370
2.37
No
Discharge from steel and pulp mills; Erosion of natural deposits
 
Flouride
Ppm
4
4
1.024
0.89 – 1.17
No
Erosion of natural deposits; Water additive which promotes strong teeth; Discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories
 
Volatile Organic
Units
MCL
MCLG
Level Found
Range of Detections
Violation
Sources
TTHM’s
Ppb
100
0
9.353
2.7 – 22.2
No
By-product of drinking water chlorination
 
 
Gross Alpha Particles
Units
Collection Date
Result
PCi/L
10/24/95
6.8
 
Combined Radium Level RA226 and Ra228
Units
Combines Radium Detected
MCL
MCLG
pCi/L
0.4
5
0
Copper
Collection Period
Units
MCL
MCLG
90th Percentile
Sites Exceeding AL
Sources
6/1/98-9/30/98
Ppm
AL=1.3
AL=1.3
0.102
0
Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits; Leaching from wood preservatives
Lead
Collection Period Units MCL MCLG 90th Percentile Sites Exceeding AL
Sources
6/1/98 –9/30/98
Ppm
AL=.015
AL=.015
< .004
0
Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits.
             
  MO4010279
Unregulated Contaminants

Unregulated contaminants are those for which the EPA has not established drinking water standards. The purpose of unregulated contaminant monitoring is to assist the EPA in determining the occurrence of unregulated contaminants in drinking water and whether future regulation is warranted. Information on all the contaminants that were monitored for, whether regulated or unregulated, can be obtained from this water system or the Department of Natural Resources.
 

Inorganic Units Level Found Range of Detection
Nickel, Dissolved* ppb 35.100 35.1
Sulfate* ppm 31.300 31.3
Volatile organic Units Level Found Range of Detection
Bromodichloromethane ppb 2.513 nd – 5.5
Bromoform ppb 1.507 nd – 4.2
Chloroform ppb 0.853 nd – 2.6
Dibromochloromethane ppb 4.513 1.6 –9.9
 
Radon
Radon is a naturally occurring gas present in soil and most ground waters in Missouri. Radon in home indoor air comes mainly from infiltration from soil in contact with foundations, slabs, and basement walls. EPA recommends that indoor air levels not exceed 4 pCi/L (picocuries per liter). EPA uses a conversion factor of 10,000 to 1 to determine indoor air contribution from water (see figured below). Radon poses a risk for lung cancer (estimated at 160deaths/year nationally from drinking water, 85% of these in smokers), and stomach cancer (5 deaths annually). However, experts are not sure exactly what the cancer risk is from a given level of radon in drinking water. If you are concerned about radon in your home, tests are available to determine the exact levels. Call your local health department for details.
Units
Level Found
Range of detections
Indoor Air Contribution
PCI/L
60.740
60.74
0.0061
Optional Monitoring (not required by EPA)
Optional Contaminants

Monitoring is not required for optional contaminants.
 

Inorganic Units Level Found Range of Detections
Calcium, Dissolved* ppm 147.000 147
Chloride* ppm 10.200 10.2
Hardness as CaCO3* ppm 710.000 710
Magnesium, Dissolved* ppm 82.100 82.1
Manganese, Dissolved* ppb 7.700 7.7
PH*   7.340 7.34
Potassium, Dissolved* ppm 3.100 3.1
Sodium, Dissolved* ppm 9.620 9.62
Total Alkalinity as CaCO3* ppm 273.000 273
Total dissolved Solids* ppm 322.000 322
Zinc, Dissolved* ppb 155.000 155
Volatile Organic Units Level Found Range of Detections
Total HAA5 ppb 24.277 nd– 166
 
Gross Beta Particles
Units
Collection Date Result
pCi/L
3/31/98
4.5
 
Violations and Health Effects Information

There were no MCL, Monitoring, or treatment technique violations for this report.

 

Monday, July 12, 1999

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