The City Of Yerington
Water System

2005 Consumer Confidence Report
"Quality On Tap"

 

 

CCR for City of Yerington 2005

 

 

 

Spanish (Espanol)

 

Este informe contiene informacion muy importante sobre la calidad de su agua beber.  Traduscalo o  hable con alguien que lo entienda bien.

 

Is my water safe?

 

Last year, we conducted tests for over 80 contaminants.  We only detected 13 of those contaminants, and found only 1 at a level higher than the EPA allows.  As we told you at the time, our water temporarily exceeded drinking water standards.  (For more information see the section labeled Violations at the end of the report.)  This report is a snapshot of last year's water quality.  Included are details about where your water comes from, what it contains, and how it compares to standards set by regulatory agencies.  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. 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 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?

 

Four (4) Wells located throughout Mason Valley

 

Source water assessment and its availability

 

The State of Nevada will conduct a source water assessment for the year 2005.  The results of that report will be available at this office when received.  Office locations 227 S. Main Street and 102 S. Main Street, Yerington, Nevada.

 

Why are there contaminants in my drinking 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 effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Safe Drinking Water Hotline (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 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 storm water 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 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.

 

How can I get involved?

 

Monthly City Council meetings are held on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month at City Hall, 102 S. Main Street, at 7:00 p.m.  Your participation is welcome and encouraged.

 

Other Information

 

Some people who drink water containing arsenic in excess of the MCL over many years could experience skin damage or problems with their circulatory system, and may have an increased risk of getting cancer.

 

 

 

Water Quality Data Table

 

The table below lists all of the drinking water contaminants that we detected during the calendar year of this report. The presence of contaminants in the water does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk.  Unless otherwise noted, the data presented in this table is from testing done in the calendar year of the report.  The EPA or the State requires us to monitor for certain contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants do not change frequently.

 

 

 

 

MCLG

MCL,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

or

TT, or

Your

Range

Sample

 

 

Contaminants

MRDLG

MRDL

Water

Low

High

Date

Violation

Typical Source

 

Inorganic Contaminants

Antimony (ppb)

6

6

1

1

6

2004

No

Discharge from petroleum refineries; fire retardants; ceramics; electronics; solder; test addition.

Arsenic (ppb)

0

50

0.17

0.7

0.17

2004

No

Erosion of natural deposits; Runoff from orchards; Runoff from glass and electronics production wastes

Barium (ppm)

2

2

0.07

0.05

0.07

2002

No

Discharge of drilling wastes; Discharge from metal refineries; Erosion of natural deposits

Chromium (ppb)

100

100

13

4

13

2002

No

Discharge from steel and pulp mills; Erosion of natural deposits

Fluoride (ppm)

4

4

0.62

0.34

0.62

2004

No

Erosion of natural deposits; Water additive which promotes strong teeth; Discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories

Nitrate [measured as Nitrogen] (ppm)

10

10

0.66

0.05

0.66

2005

No

Runoff from fertilizer use; Leaching from septic tanks, sewage; Erosion of natural deposits

Sodium (optional) (ppm)

 

MPL

35

23

35

2005

No

Erosion of natural deposits; Leaching

Microbiological Contaminants

Total Coliform (positive samples/month)

0

1

1

NA

 

2005

No

Naturally present in the environment

Radioactive Contaminants

Alpha emitters (pCi/L)

0

15

15.1

1.1

15.1

2005

Yes

Erosion of natural deposits

Beta/photon emitters (pCi/L)

0

50

12

5.11

12

2005

No

Decay of natural and man-made deposits.

Uranium (ug/L)

0

30

1

0.001

20

2005

No

Erosion of natural deposits

 

 

                   

 

 

 

Your

Sample

# Samples

Exceeds

 

Contaminants

MCLG

AL

Water

Date

Exceeding AL

AL

Typical Source

 

Inorganic Contaminants

Copper - action level at consumer taps (ppm)

1.3

1.3

0.009

2004

0

No

Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits

Lead - action level at consumer taps (ppb)

0

15

9

2004

0

No

Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits

 

 

 

 

Unit Descriptions

 

Term

Definition

 

ug/L

ug/L : Number of micrograms of substance in one liter of water

 

ppm

ppm: parts per million, or milligrams per liter (mg/L)

 

ppb

ppb: parts per billion, or micrograms per liter (µg/L)

 

pCi/L

pCi/L: picocuries per liter (a measure of radioactivity)

 

positive samples/month

positive samples/month: Number of samples taken monthly that were found to be positive

 

NA

NA: not applicable

 

ND

ND: Not detected

 

NR

NR: Monitoring not required, but recommended.

 

 

 

Important Drinking Water Definitions

 

Term

Definition

 

MCLG

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.

 

MCL

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.

 

TT

TT: Treatment Technique: A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.

 

AL

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

 

Variances and Exemptions

Variances and Exemptions: State or EPA permission not to meet an MCL or a treatment technique under certain conditions.

 

MRDLG

MRDLG: Maximum residual disinfection level 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.

 

MRDL

MRDL: Maximum residual disinfectant level. The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants.

 

MNR

MNR: Monitored Not Regulated

 

MPL

MPL: State Assigned Maximum Permissible Level

 

                   


 

Violations and Exceedances

 

Alpha emitters

Certain minerals are radioactive and may emit a form of radiation known as alpha radiation. Some people who drink water containing alpha emitters in excess of the MCL over many years may have an increased risk of getting cancer. This test was taken in November of 2005 and is right at the limit of 15 pCi/L.  The City will continue to monitor this closely. The City is working with the State of Nevada to continue to monitor this contaminant.

 

 

For more information please contact:

 

Roy McDonald

Address:

227 S. Main Street

Yerington, NV 89447

775-463-2729

775-463-0030

pwdirector@yerington.net

www.yerington.net


 

Nevada Source Water Assessment Program Summary Sheet

State of Nevada Division or Environmental Protection

Bureau of Safe Drinking Water

Summary Date: 5/26/2006                 Assessor:  State

The Federal Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) was amended in 1996 to require states to develop and implement Source Water Assessment Programs (SWAP) to analyze existing and potential threats to the quality of public drinking water throughout the state.  The 1996 Amendments also required a summary of the findings of the assessment to be included in the water system's annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR).  The 1996 Amendments specifically required states to delineate areas that are sources of public drinking water, identify potential contamination sources within the delineated area, assess the water system's susceptibility to contamination, and to inform the public of the results.  These results are summarized below.  

Water System Contact Information 

Water System Name:  YERINGTON CITY OF                                County:  LYON

BSDW System ID Number:  NV0000255        Number of Connections:  1,835        Population Served:  2,900

Owner's Rep:  ROY MCDONALD    Telephone:  775-463-2729    Fax:  775-463-0030   

EMail:  pwdirector@yerington.net

Address:  CITY OF YERINGTON  227 S MAIN STREET, YERINGTON, NV 89447

Operator:  DAVID WARR    Telephone:  775-463-2729    Fax:      EMail:  pwdirector@yerington.net

Address:     1 FARRELL LN, YERINGTON, NV 89447   

Federal and State Water Quality Standards Compliance 

[  ]  If checked, the above referenced water system is in compliance with all State of Nevada and Federal water quality standards.

Comments:  THE CITY OF YERINGTON PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM HAS FOUR ACTIVE WELLS AND ONE INACTIVE WELL.  EFFECTIVE JANUARY 23, 2006, THE ARSENIC MAXIMUM CONTAMINANT LEVEL (MCL) FOR PUBLIC DRINKING WATER WAS REDUCED FROM 50 PARTS PER BILLION (ppb) TO 10 ppb.  PUBLIC DRINKING WATER SYSTEMS WITH A MAXIMUM ARSENIC CONTAMINANT LEVEL THAT IS LESS THAT 51 ppb AND GREATER THAN 10 ppb ARE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR AN EXEMPTION.  IF GRANTED, THE EXEMPTION ALLOWS THE WATER SYSTEM UNTIL JANUARY 23, 2009 TO COME INTO COMPLIANCE WITH THE 10 ppb STANDARD.  THIS WATER SYSTEM’S WELLS CURRENTLY EXCEED THE 10 ppb STANDARD.  THE WATER SYSTEM HAS APPLIED FOR AN EXEMPTION THAT IS PENDING APPROVAL BY THE NEVADA ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION IN SEPTEMBER OF THIS YEAR. 

Water System Contamination Vulnerability 

[  ]  If checked, the above referenced water system is considered to have low vulnerability potential from contamination.

                The above referenced water system is considered potentially vulnerable to the following contaminant groups:

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) [X]            Inorganic Compounds (IOC) [X]            Microbiological [X]            Synthetic Organic Compounds (SOC) [X]             Radionuclides [  ] 

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) are typically associated with gas stations and dry cleaners; Synthetic Organic Compounds (SOC) are typically associated with herbicides and insecticides; Inorganic Compounds (IOC) are typically associated with natural deposits, fertilizers, septic systems, and asbestos components in the distribution system; microbiological contaminates are typically associated with lakes, streams, and animal holding facilities; and radionuclides are typically associated with erosion of natural deposits and industrial activities. 

The water system is considered vulnerable to the activities/sources associated with the contaminant groups checked in the boxes above for the following reasons:  TWO WELLS ARE CONSIDERED TO BE MODERATELY VULNERABLE TO VOC CONTAMINATION, ONE WELL IS MODERATELY VULNERABLE TO SOC CONTAMINATION, AND ONE WELL IS MODERATELY VULNERABLE TO MICROBIOLOGICAL CONTAMINATION.  THERE IS A MODERATE TO LOW RISK FOR ASBESTOS TO CONTAMINATE THE DRINKING WATER.  PORTIONS OF THE WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM HAVE BEEN CONSTRUCTED USING ASBESTOS CEMENT PIPE.  THE WELLS ARE CONSIDERED TO BE HIGHLY VULNERABLE TO ARSENIC AS THE