The Columbia City Parks Committee is in the process of developing detailed master plans for each of the City's parks. To help them with this process, they would like to gather feedback from interested citizens about what they would like to see in the parks.

Please be as specific as you can. Would you like shade trees? Fencing? Picnic tables? Trash receptacles? Drinking fountains? Fishing docks? What park improvements would be most beneficial to you and your family? Which parks do you use? What changes would you like to see in the parks? What do you like or dislike about the parks?

Please return completed surveys to City Hall by Monday, July 24, 2006. Return your survey by the due date and receive a free gift from the Parks Department! Your input is important to us. Thank you for taking the time to send in your comments! (Gifts limited to one per family while supplies last.)

Harvard Park (located on Sixth Street between Calvin and Penn Streets)_________________________________________________________________________

Jim Bundy Memorial Park (located at the northwest corner of Highway 30 and "E" Street) _______________________________________________________________________________

Datis Park (located on The Strand at "H" Street) _______________________________________________________________________________

Carolyn King Memorial Park (located at the corner of Ninth and "K" Streets)

 _______________________________________________________________________________

Columbia City Bike Path (runs along the west side of Highway 30 at the north end of the City)___________________________________________________________________________

We would like to extend a very special thank you to the following:

• Stan Hopkins and Marian Calnon for continuing to spruce up Jim Bundy Memorial Park.

• St. Helens Garden Club for donating a floral bouquet to City Hall in celebration of National Garden Week.

• Norm Jones for mowing the grass in Datis Park.

• Marian Calnon for planting flowers in the flowerbeds around City Hall.

• Columbia County Community Corrections Crew for assembling our new picnic tables in Jim Bundy Memorial Park.

• Bernie Albertine, Marian Calnon, Gloria Chinell, Nel Harrison, Dolores Heinz, Sheila Jackson, Phyllis Moss, Phyllis Rowley, Arlene Younce for helping with the June utility bills.

If your property abuts a sidewalk, street or alley, please remember to keep them clear of shrubs, bushes, blackberries, and other items that might interfere with pedestrians and traffic. Overhanging limbs must be trimmed to a height of at least 8 feet above sidewalks, and at least 12 feet above the roadway or alley.

COLUMBIA CITY COMMUNITY LIBRARY

Reading fun for preschool and early elementary. Listen to stories, play games, and do crafts.

Monday, July 24th at 11:30 a.m.

Make a fish print (supply your own T-shirts). Create an animal rubbing book and more.

Monday, August 21st at 11:30 a.m.

Learn about the wild animals in your own backyard and make a bird feeder. Are you a wild thing? Get your face painted or create a mask. Make a wild animal picture frame.

Reading fun for grades 4th - 7th. We meet. We listen to a book and talk. We do an activity. We eat pizza! This summer's book talks and activities are selected from the Young Readers Choice Award 2007 nominees. Pick up the book talk schedule for details of titles and activities. We meet most Mondays from 12:30 - 1:30 p.m.

Kids can't have all the fun! Reading fun for teens to seniors!

Friends of the Library Meeting: July 17, 7 p.m. Novel Quilters Meeting: July 19, 6:30 p.m.

Monday, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Wednesday, 4 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Saturday, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Closed: July 3, 2006

Phone: (503) 366-8020

E-Mail: cclibrary@opusnet.com

July 3rd - 7:30 PM - Municipal Court at City Hall

July 4th - CLOSED - City Hall is closed on Independence Day

July 6th - 7:30 - PM Regular City Council Meeting at City Hall

July 11th - 7:00 - PM Regular Planning Commission Meeting at City Hall

July 17th - 7:00 - PM Friends of the Library Meeting at the Library

July 19th - 7:30 - PM Municipal Court at City Hall

July 20th - 7:30 - PM Regular City Council Meeting at City Hall

July 25th - 7:00 - PM Parks Committee Meeting at City Hall

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 monthly to test for contaminants.

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 recently constructed a new reservoir to meet current storage demands. Our cross-connection program is designed to help prevent any potentially contaminated water from re-entering 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.

The City of Columbia City purchases water from the City of St. Helens.  St. Helens draws water from three Ranney Collector Wells and a groundwater well. The collector wells are located in Columbia City at "K" and First Streets, "E" Street and The Strand, and ½ mile to the north on Port of St. Helens property. The groundwater well is located near the Scappoose Bay Marina in St. Helens. Ranney Wells #2 and #3 were determined to be under direct influence of surface water. For this reason, the City of St. Helens recently built a new water treatment plant that uses a new technology called membrane filtration process to disinfect and treat the water. The plant was completed and started supplying water to the system in February 2006.

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.

This report is based upon the most recent tests conducted by the City of St. Helens Water Department. These tests are done every three years. 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:/170.104.158.16/inventory.php3. To view the test results on the website, enter PWS number 4100724 for St. Helens, and PWS number 4100203 for Columbia City.

• 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)

All contaminants tested were below the Maximum Contaminate Level and none were in violation.

The contaminants we monitor are listed below. Only the ones listed in the previous table had detectable levels.

• Total Coliform Bacteria

• Fecal Coliform

• Turbidity

• Beta/photon emitters

• Alpha emitters

• Combined Radium

• Antimony

• Arsenic

• Barium

• Beryllium

• Cadmium

• Chromium

• Copper

• Cyanide

• Fluoride

• Lead

• Mercury (inorganic)

• Nickel

• Nitrate (as Nitrogen)

• Nitrite (as Nitrogen)

• Selenium

• Sodium

• Sulfate

• Thallium

• 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

• 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

• Toluene

• Vinyl Chloride

• Xylenes

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), 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 newly constructed Water Filtration Facility has a new method of ph control to address this issue.

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 a 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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