2020 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report
Town of Keysville- PWSID# 5037300
INTRODUCTION
This Annual Drinking Water Quality Report for calendar year 2020 is designed to inform you about your drinking water quality. Our goal is to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water, and we want you to understand the efforts we make to protect your water supply. The quality of your drinking water must meet state and federal requirements administered by the Virginia Department of Health (VDH).
If you have questions about this report, or if you want additional information about any aspect of your drinking water or want to know how to participate in decisions that may affect the quality of your drinking water, please contact: Cory Rosche, Superintendent of Water at 434-579-1266 or William Samples at
434-579-2564.
GENERAL INFORMATION
The sources of drinking water (both tap 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 byproducts 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. Food and Drug Administration regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water, which must provide the same protection for human health.
All drinking water, including bottled drinking water; may reasonably be expected to contain at le small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. More information can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency's Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).
Turbidity has no health effects. However, turbidity can interfere with disinfection and provide a medium for microbial growth. Turbidity may indicate the presence of disease-causing organisms. These organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites that can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea and associated headaches.
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/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by cryptosporidium and other microbiological contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).
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. Samples' Monitoring Service, LLC is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, 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 lead exposure by flushing your tap for 15 to 30 seconds or until it becomes cold or reaches a steady temperature 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 http://www.epa.aov/safewater/lead.
SOURCE OF YOUR DRINKING WATER (HAS This been conducted)
The source of your drinking water is Spring Creek Impoundment located in Keysville Virginia.
Treatment of the raw water consists of chemical addition, coagulation, flocculation, settling, filtration, fluoridation and chlorination. All of these processes work together to remove the physical, chemical, and biological contaminants to make the water safe for drinking.
A source water assessment of our system was conducted in 2002 by the Virginia Department of Health. The assessment report consists of maps showing the source water assessment area, an inventory of known land use activities of concern, and documentation of any known contamination within the last 5 years. The report is available by contacting your water system representative at the phone number or address given elsewhere in this drinking water quality report.
DEFINITIONS
Contaminants in your drinking water are routinely monitored according to Federal and State regulations. The table on the next page shows the results of our monitoring for calendar year 2020. In the table and elsewhere in this report you will find many terms and abbreviations you might not be familiar with. The following definitions are provided to help you better understand these terms:
Non-detects (ND) - lab analysis indicates that the contaminant is not present within the detection limits of the instrument used.
Parts per billion (ppb) or Micrograms per liter (ugh) - one part per billion corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years, or one penny in $10,000,000.
Parts per million (ppm) or Milligrams per liter (mg!) - one part per million corresponds to one minute in two years or one penny in $ 10,000.
Picocuries per liter (pCi/L) - picocuries per liter is a measure of the radioactivity in water.
Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU) - nephelometric turbidity unit is a measure of the cloudiness of the water. Turbidity in excess of 5 NTIJ is just noticeable to the average person.
Action Level (AL) - the concentration of a contaminant, which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements, which a water system must follow.
Treatment Technique (TT) - a required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.
Maximum Contaminant Level Goal, or MCLG - 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.
Maximum Contaminant Level, or MCL - 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 residual disinfection level goal (MRDLG) — 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.
Maximum residual disinfectant level (MRDL) — 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.
Abbreviations: NA — Not Applicable. WATER QUALITY RESULTS
Inorganic Contaminants |
|
|
Contaminant/ Unit of
Measurement
|
MCLG |
MCL |
Level Found I Range |
Exceedance |
Date of
Sam le
|
Typical Source of Contamination |
Nitrates ppm |
10 |
10 |
0.07 |
No |
July 2020 |
Runoff from fertilizer use; Leaching from septic tanks, sewage; Erosion of natural
deposits.
|
ppb |
|
|
32.6 (90th percentile)
Range: ND - 53.2
Of the 10 samples collected 2 exceeded the AL.
|
Yes |
July 2020 |
Corrosion of household plumbing systems;
Erosion of natural deposits
|
Copper ppm |
1.3 |
AL=.057 |
0.0114 (90th percentile)
Range: ND to 0.127 Of the 10 samples collected only two exceeded the AL.
|
No |
July 2020 |
Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits |
Fluoride ppm |
4 |
4 |
Average: 0.44
Range: 0.2-0.6
|
No |
Monthly 2020 |
Erosion of natural deposits; water additive which promotes strong teeth; discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories |
Manganese ppm |
2 |
2 |
0.074 |
No |
July 2020 |
Erosion of natural deposits |
Microbiological Contaminants |
|
|
Contaminant I Unit of
Measurement
|
MCLG |
MCL |
Level Found I Ran e |
Violation |
Date of
Sam le
|
Typical Source of Contamination |
Turbidity / NTU |
N/A |
1.0 Max
0.3 in 95% of monthly samples
|
0.02-0.09 (Range) 99% <0.3 |
No |
Daily 2020 |
Soil Runoff |
Total Coliform Bacteria |
|
|
|
|
Monthly 2020 |
Naturally present in the environment |
|
Disinfection Byproducts |
|
|
|
Contaminant I Unit of
Measurement
|
MCLG |
MCL |
Level Found I Ran e |
Violation |
Date of
Sample
|
Typical Source of Contamination |
|
Chlorine ppm |
MRDLG |
MRDL = 4.0 |
Avg. 1.23
Range: 0.88 - 1.4
|
No |
Monthly at bacti sample points |
Water additive used to control microbes |
|
HAA5s (Total
Haloacetic Acids) ppb
|
N/A |
.06
4 Qtr. Avg.
|
Highest Qtr. .057
Range: .028-.057
|
No |
Quarterly 2020 |
By-product of drinking water disinfection |
|
TTHMs (Total
Trihalomethanes) b
|
N/A |
.08
4 Qtr. Avg.
|
Highest Qtr. .082 Range: .033-.094 |
Yes |
Quarterly 2020 |
By-product of drinking water disinfection |
|
Total Organic
Carbon (TOC) ppm
|
N/A |
TT-TOC removal ratio greater than or equal to 1.00 |
Lowest Quarterly Ave.
Ratio:
1.19
Range:
1.19-1.51
|
No |
Tested quarterly at raw and treated water |
Naturally present in the environment |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Water Quality Results
We regularly monitor for various contaminants in the water supply to meet all regulatory requirements. The table lists only those contaminants that had some level of detection. Many other contaminants have been analyzed but were not present or were below the detection limits of the lab equipment.
Most of the results in the table are from testing done in 2020. However, the state allows us to monitor for some contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants do not change frequently.
MCL's are set at very stringent levels. To understand the possible health effects described for many regulated constituents, a person would have to drink 2 liters of water every day at the MCL level for a lifetime to have a one-in-a-million chance of having the described health effect.
In the compliance samples collected during 2020, the sodium content was determined to be 17.6 ppm, which is below the maximum recommended level of 20 ppm by EPA. The recommended level is established for those individuals on a sodium-restricted diet. If you have any concerns about the sodium level in your drinking water, you may wish to consult with your physician.
The manganese concentration was determined to be 0.074 ppm which is above the Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level of 0.05 ppm. Manganese is a naturally occurring mineral in many surfaces and ground water sources and in soils that may erode into these waters. This mineral is not considered a health concern; however, its presence above the Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level can result in aesthetic problems affecting the clarity and taste of the water as well as staining of plumbing fixtures
Cryptosporidium is a microbial parasite found in surface water throughout the United States. Although Cryptosporidium can be removed by filtration, the most commonly used filtration cannot guarantee 100% removal. Our monitoring of source water indicates the presence of these organisms at a result of 0.016 oocysts per liter. Current test methods do not enable us to determine if these organisms are dead or alive. Symptoms of infection include nausea, diarrhea and abdominal cramps. Most healthy persons are able to overcome the disease within a few weeks. However, immuno-compromised people (such as those with AIDS, undergoing chemotherapy or recent organ transplant recipients) are at a greater risk of developing a severe, life-threatening illness. Immuno-compromised persons should contact their doctor to learn about appropriate precautions to prevent infection. Cryptosporidium must be taken in through the mouth to cause disease and it may be passed by other means than drinking water
VIOLATION INFORMATION
We are also pleased to report to you that there were no detections of total coliforms or fecal coliforms in the monthly samples collected during the calendar year 2020.
After sampling for Trihalomethanes (TTHMS) we did receive a NOV for being out of compliance with our four-quarter running average of results. The MCL is .08 for TTHMS, we received a result average of .082. See page 6 for further information regarding the NOV for 2020.
However, after sampling for lead at 10 residences we did receive a violation for two samples, one sample being 32.6ppb and the other 53.2ppb. Further sampling is being done in 2021 to confirm that these are isolated samples due to old plumbing and fixtures.
Town of Keysville
The town of Keysville holds their town council meetings every month on the second Monday at 7:00pm
This Drinking Water Quality Report was prepared by Cory Rosche, Superintendent of Water, Samples' Monitoring Service, LLC at 1099 Bold Springs Road, South Boston Virginia 24592.
Tests indicate that the Town of Keysville has exceeded a drinking water standard. Although this is not an emergency, as our customers, you have a right to know what happened, what you should do, and what we are doing to correct this situation.
To ensure satisfactory water quality, the Town of Keysville routinely monitors for the presence of many drinking water contaminants. Based on receipt of test results of routine quarterly samples collected from the second quarter (April - June) 2019 through the first quarter (January - March) 2020, our system exceeded the standard or primary maximum contaminant level (PMCL) for total trihalolmethanes (TTI-OI). The standard for TTY-m is 0.080 mg/L based on a locational running annual average. The average concentration for TTHM based on the four calendar quarters is 0.082 mg/L.
TTHMs, along with other disinfection byproducts, are formed when trace amounts of naturally-occurring organic compounds in the raw water source combine with chlorine that is used to disinfect the treated water. The concentration of TTHMs in your drinking water can vary because of changes in source water quality, water temperature, distribution storage time, and other factors. We will continue to monitor your drinking water for TTHMs. The next samples will be collected in April.
For more information, please contact Clay Samples, Waterworks Operator, at (434) 575-4256.
Please share this information with all other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or by distributing copies by hand or mail.
This notice is being sent to you by the Town of Keysville.
State Water System ID No. 5037300 Date Distributed: March 9, 2020