CITY OF COLUMBIA CITY
2006 WATER QUALITY REPORT
In
compliance with federal reporting requirements, Columbia City now provides you
with an annual report of the outcome of our many water quality tests. Our
constant goal is to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking
water. The cities of St. Helens and Columbia City test water frequently, and we
meet or exceed all quality standards required by federal and state
requirements. We are required by the Oregon State Health Division to take 2 routine
water samples each month, along with other quarterly and annual tests.
We have been upgrading our distribution and storage
systems by replacing old water mains, repairing leaks, cleaning our storage
reservoirs and updating system maps. We added a new storage reservoir in 2005
to meet current storage demands. Our cross-connection program is designed to
help prevent any potentially-contaminated water from reentering the City water
supply. Columbia City requires a backflow assembly where that potential exists
in our system to ensure quality drinking water. This report presents water
quality data and explains what it means.
WHERE
DOES OUR WATER COME FROM?
The City of Columbia City purchases water from the
City of St. Helens. St. Helens supplies water from a new water treatment
facility located in Columbia City and one ground well located near the
Scappoose Bay Marina in St. Helens. The
Scappoose Bay well only operates during very high usage days in the summer. There are two Ranney collector wells in
Columbia City that supply water to the treatment plant. The collector wells are located in Columbia
City at "K" and First Streets and "E" Street and The
Strand.
The water treatment facility is a membrane plant
that works by running water through a series of synthetic filters that capture
sediment, germs and organisms. These
filter systems are fully computer-controlled for automatic backwashing and
cleaning. There are not chemical
additions, except for standard chlorine disinfection and acidity controls.
WATER
SERVICE INFORMATION
For
information and/or participation in decisions about your drinking water, please
contact Leahnette Rivers by calling City Hall, (503) 397-4010. We want our
valued customers to be informed about their water utility. In case of
emergencies, our Public Works personnel are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week by calling (503) 397-1521. Our regularly scheduled City Council meetings
are held on the first and third Thursdays of each month at 7:30 p.m.
Public Works personnel are certified by the Oregon
State Health Department (OSHD) and are trained in all aspects of water
distribution and cross-connection. They are required to complete continuing
education classes in order to maintain their certification and to keep up-to-date
on the latest information and technology in their field.
HOW TO
READ THIS TABLE
This report is
based upon the most recent tests conducted by the Columbia City and St. Helens
Water Departments. The frequency of
required testing ranges from daily to every nine years, depending upon the
nature of test. Terms used in the Water
Quality Table and in other parts of this report are defined here.
·
Maximum
Contaminant Level (MCL) – The
"Maximum Allowed" (MCL) is 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.
·
Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) – The "Goal" (MCLG) is 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.
·
Treatment Technique or TT – A required process intended to reduce the level
of a contaminant in drinking water.
The data
presented in this report is from the most recent testing done in accordance
with regulations. Test results can also be viewed on the Oregon Health
Division’s website at http:/170.104.158.45/ to view the test results on
the website, enter PWS number 4100724 for St. Helens, and PWS number 4100203
for Columbia City.
Key to
Table
MCL =
Maximum Contaminant Level
MCLG =
Maximum Contaminant Level Goal
ppm = Parts
per million or milligrams per liter (mg/l)
ppb = parts
per billion or micrograms per liter (ug/l)
Inorganic Contaminants
|
Contaminant
|
Date Tested
|
Violation
|
Range Min.-Max.
|
Detected Level
|
Unit
|
MCL
|
MCLG
|
Major Sources
|
|
Sodium
|
04/17/03
|
No
|
n/a
|
126.00
|
ppm
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
Naturally occurring
|
|
Sulfate
|
12/08/05
|
No
|
n/a
|
7.0
|
ppm
|
250.0
|
n/a
|
Naturally occurring
|
|
Nitrate
|
11/03/05
|
No
|
n/a
|
1.5
|
ppm
|
10.0
|
n/a
|
Naturally occurring
|
|
Uranium
|
04/03/03
|
No
|
n/a
|
0.04
|
ppb
|
30.0
|
n/a
|
Natural or industrial
|
|
TTHMs
|
Quarterly
|
No
|
3.2-25.1
|
23.23 (avg.)
|
ppb
|
80.0
|
n/a
|
Disinfection byproduct
|
|
HAAs
|
Quarterly
|
No
|
ND-7.3
|
4.1 (avg.)
|
ppb
|
60.0
|
n/a
|
Disinfection byproduct
|
|
Turbidity
|
Daily
|
No
|
0.02-0.25
|
0.25
|
NTU
|
TT=0.3
|
n/a
|
Soil runoff, sediment
|
Water
Quality Table Footnotes
All contaminants tested were below the Maximum
Contaminate Level, and none were in violation.
Although we were required to sample for TTHMs and HAAs quarterly during
the reporting period, we missed the 3rd quarter sampling. This was a violation of the rules. However, when we tested for TTHMs and HAAs
during the 1st, 2nd and 4th quarters, the contaminants were below the maximum
allowed.
MANDATORY
TESTING
The contaminants we monitor are listed below. Only
the ones listed in the previous table had detectable levels.
Microbiological Contaminants
Total Coliform Bacteria
Fecal Coliform
Turbidity
Radioactive Contaminants
Beta/photon emitters
Alpha emitters
Combined Radium
Inorganic Contaminants
Antimony
Arsenic
Barium
Beryllium
Cadmium
Chromium
Copper
Cyanide
Fluoride
Lead
Mercury (inorganic)
Nickel
Nitrate (as Nitrogen)
Nitrite (as Nitrogen)
Selenium
Sodium
Sulfate
Thallium
Synthetic Organic Contaminants
2,4D
2,4,5-TP (Silvex)
Alachlor
Atrazine
Benzo(a)pyrene(PAH)
Carbofuran
Chlordane
Dalapon
Di(2-ethylhexl)adipate
Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthate
Dibromochloropropane
Dinoseb
Diquat
Endothall
Endrin
Ethylene dibromide
Glyphosate
Heptachlor
Heptachlor epoxide
Hexachlorobenzene Hexchlorocyclopentadiene
Lindane
Methoxychlor
Oxamyl (Vydate)
PCBs (Polychlorinated)
Pentachlorophenol
Picloram
Simazene
Toxaphene
Volatile Organic Contaminants
Benzene
Carbon Tetrachloride
Chlorobenzene
o-Dichlororbenzene
p-Dichlororbenzene
1,2-Dichloroethane
1,1-Dichloroethylene
cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene
trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene
Dichloromethane
1,2-Dichloropropane
Ethylbenzene
Stryrene
Tetrachloroethylene
1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene
1,1,1-Trichloroethane
1,1,2-Trichloroethane
Thrichloroethylene
THHMs
Toluene
Vinyl Chloride
Xylenes
Lead and Copper Testing
|
Substance
|
Units
|
Goal
|
Action
Level (AL)
|
90th
Percentile
|
Homes
Exceeding Action Level
|
Complies?
|
Source
of Contaminate
|
|
Copper
|
ppm
|
1.3
|
1.3
|
0.58
|
0
|
Yes
|
Corrosion
of household plumbing
|
|
Lead
|
ppm
|
0
|
0.015
|
0.002
|
0
|
Yes
|
Corrosion
of household plumbing
|
The 90th
percentile is the highest result found in 90% of the samples when they are
listed in order from the lowest to the highest results. EPA requires
testing for lead and copper at customers’ taps most likely to contain these
substances based on when the house was built. The EPA determined that the
sample results exceeded the Action Level (AL), and the City must take action in
reducing the risk of leaching of lead and/or copper. The City previously
added phosphate to the water to reduce lead and copper levels, but the Water Filtration Facility, which was placed
on-line in February 2006, has a new method of pH control to address this issue.
ADDITIONAL
HEALTH INFORMATION
To ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA
prescribes limits on the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by
public water systems. FDA 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 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 at (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 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 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, stormwater runoff and residential uses.
·
Organic
chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organics, 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.
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 for 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 are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline 1 (800)
426-4791.
THANK
YOU! The City of Columbia City works around the clock to
provide top quality water to every tap. Should you experience any problems with
your water or, just want to ask a question, please contact us. We ask that all
our customers help us protect our water sources, which are the heart of our
community, our way of life and our children’s future.
CITY
HALL: Hours: 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. – 5 p.m., Monday–Friday
Phone (503) 397-4010 Fax (503)
366-2870
CITY
SHOP: Hours 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday–Friday Phone (503) 366-0454
AFTER
HOURS EMERGENCY PHONE: (503) 397-1521
VISIT
OUR WEB SITE: www.columbia-city.org
E-MAIL
US AT: colcity@columbia-city.org
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