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To customers of the City/County
Utility Commission:
The Utility Commission operates three water treatment facilities
drawing water from both the Yadkin River and Salem Lake. The
Neilson and Swann water plants can treat 48"and 25 million
gallons per day, respectively, from the Yadkin River. The Thomas
Wafer Plant treats 18 million gallons per day from Salem Lake and
the Yadkin River. These facilities have a combined capacity of 91
million gallons per day and will ensure sufficient capacity to meet
water demand for the next 25 years.
For 2014, as in previous years, these treatment facilities have met
or exceeded all state and federal standards for drinking water
quality. This accomplishment reflects the quality and dedication of
the employees who work year-round to provide adequate supplies
of safe drinking water.
This page includes details about where your drinking water comes
'from, how it is treated, what it contains, and exactly how it
compares to state and federal standards. The Utility Commission is
providing this information to you because it is committed to
delivering a quality product for its customers. This report is
produced annually and is updated on a regular basis.
Thank you for taking time to read the 2014 Water Quality Report.
Ron Hargrove, Director
City/County Utilities
Cryptosporidium sp.
Cryptosporidium sp. is a microscopic organism that,
when ingested, can cause diarrhea, fever and other
gastrointestinal symptoms. The organism occurs
naturally in surface waters (lakes & streams) and comes
from animal waste. Cryptosporidium sp. is eliminated
by an effective treatment combination of coagulation,
sedimentation, filtration, and disinfection. Both of the
city's water sources are currendy being tested monthly
for Cryptosporidium sp. and to date
it has not been detected.
Cryptosporidium sp. has never been
detected in our treated drinking
water.
Special Concerns
Some people may be more
vulnerable to contaminants in
drinking water than the general
population. People whose immune
systems have been compromised -
such as people with cancer undergo
ing 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 caie providers.
Environmental Protection Agency
and Centers for Disease Control
guidelines on appropriate means to
lessen risk of infection by Cryptosporidium sp. and
other microbiological contaminants are available from
the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791.
Treated Water Quality
The following substances were detected in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County public water supply during the 2014 calendar year.
IH*?MO.) IERAi MCIG) Detections Detected Source
B*T ppb f __~?p . 2000. 7.0 - 27.0 IS O Nstvel gedopy. iWfcig operations, metal refinery wastes
Fluoride, ppm 4.0" 4.0 0.33 - 0.99 0.60 Eriraon ct natual depmrts, Water ad<?tw promotes strong teetti
Nitrate, ppm , '0 0 10.0 NO - 0.87 0.51 Eroacn ot natual daposro, terttuer runoff; eoctvng (torn sepoc tarts
Orthophosphate, ppm 0.5 - 5.0 1 0 0.05 ? L05 0.69 Water treatment additive to prevent pipe conosion
Total Organic Carbon Treatment Technique' n/a 0 97O.26 1.44 Naturaivpresent ai the envaonnent
Turbidity, NTU Treatment Technique' n/a 0.02 - 0.14 0.06 Soiwoaon
Total Trihalomethanes, ppb 80LRAA9 0.0 9.0-93.0 38.6 Byproducts of drinking water disinfection
Total Haloacetic Acids, ppb 601RAA 0.0 10.3 -40.9 24.3 Byproducts of dnnkmg water disinfection
Asbestos, MfL' 7 0.0 rVa 0.39 Erosion of natural deposits, decay of asbestos cement water mams
Chlonne, ppm 4.0 4.0 ? <0.10 -2.0 0.94 Water treatment additive for disinfection
Orthophosphate, ppm 0.25 - 1.5 1.0 0.41 - 0.92 0.67 Water treatment addrtive to prevent pipe corroiioi
Alpha Emitters, pCi/l" 15 0.0 0.0 0.0 Erosion of natural deposits
Beta Emitters, pCi/l _50 0.0 0.0 0.0 Decay of natural and man-made deposits
Total CoHforms Less than 5% positive 0.0 n/a 0.0 Naturally present in the environment
Sulfate, ppni 500 proposed Not Regulated 7 87 24 98 12 4
Chlorate, ppb Not Regulated 88 - 230 144 I
Chfomium-6 +, ppb Not Regulated 0.032-0.150 0.07
Strontium.ppb Not Regulated 32 - 44 40.1
Vanadium, ppb Not Regulated 0.26 - 1 0 0.62
Chlorate, ppb 500 proposed Not Regulated 61 -220 147.0
Chromium-6 +, ppb Not Regulated 0.035 -0.071 0.052
Strontium.ppb Not Regulated 39 - 77 51.0
Vanadium, ppb Not Regulated 0.26 -1.00 0.6 |
These compounds are being sampled under the
Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule 3
(UCMR 3). Every three years the EPA develops a
list of compounds for potential regulation to
? determine their relative occurence around the
country. Based on this data the EPA win
determine the relative health risks to average
consumers and develop assessments of the health
benefits vs costs associated with regulation.
.
Substance (EPAsMCL) (EWsMCLG) Sites Sampled Above the Action Level Concentration, ppb (Dottt lead and copperl
Lead, ppb 15.0 (action level") 0.0 50 0 <3.0 Corrosion of household plumbing; " .:
Copper, ppb 1300.0 (action level") 1300.0 50 0 <50.0 Erosion ot natural deposits
Physical & Mineral Characteristics
For Calendar Year 2014
SKt^pm niMSnminittrm AauaLAniiflt
Aluminum, ppm 0.004 - 0.111 0.012
Calcium, ppm 2.60 - 6.70 3.88
Carbon Dioxide ppm 1.0-7.0 3.82
Chloride, ppm 5.21 -17.46 7.67
Chlorine, ppm 0.87-1.90 1.43
Chromium, ppm NO - 0.004 <0.001
Conductivity, racromhoj/cm 88.1 -174.3 1.12.2
Copper, ppm NO - 0.003 0.001
Hardness, ppm 11.0 - 36.0 20.3
Iron, ppm NO - 0.035 0.004
Magnesium, ppm 1.2-3.6 2.02
Manganese, ppm NO - 0.014 0.001
Nrcket, ppm NO-0.002 <0.001
pH, Standard Units 6.8 - 8.8 7.49
Phosphate, ppm 0,060-1.42 0.81
Potassium, ppm 1.30 - 3490 2.41
Silica, ppm 7.03- 14.75 11.20
Silver, ppm NO-0.004 <0.001
Sodium, ppm 7.80 - 57.7 16.24 )
Temperature, Deg. C 5.7 -27.3 16.5
Zinc, ppm 0.028 - 0.250 0.170
NO* - Not detected
Definitions:
1 Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL) - The highest
level of a contaminant that is
allowed in drinking water.
2 Maximum Contaminant
Level Goal (MCLG) - The
level of a contaminant in
drinking water below which
there is no known or
expected risk to health.
' ppb - One part per billion.
(For example, one penny in
$10,000,000.)
' ppm - One part per million.
(For example, one penny in
$10,000.)
5 The EPAs maximum
contaminant level for
fluoride is 4.0 me/L, however
the State of Notth Carolina
has established a maximum
contaminant level of 2.0
^ mg/L.
' Treatment technique -
Treatment technique for total
organic carbon was complied
with throuehout 2014.
^
NTU - nephelometric tuibidity unit, a measure of the
cloudiness of water.
' Treatment technique - 95% of the measurements
taken in one month must be below 0.3 NTU.
* Location*! running annual average - average of last four
quarters of samples collected at each location at 12 monitoring
sites.
"MFL-A measure of asbestos contamination as measured by
millions of fibers per liter of water
" PCi/L - Picocuries per liter is a measure of the radioactivity in
water. A picocurie is 1G"'2 curies and is the quantity t?f
radioactive material producing 2.22 nuclear transformations per
minute.
" Action Level - The concentration of a contaminant that triggers
treatment or other requirement that a water system must follow.
Action levels are reported at the 90th percentile for homes at
greatest risk. . ?.
Copies of this report are available
at Utilities.CityofWS.pig, or by
calling CityLink 311.
Report a problem
iUqiiMt a new i?rvtc?
Open X4 hnV7 day*
Call 311 op 336-727-8000
cituljnkOcitgofuis.org
EN ESPANOL
Si desea recibir una copia de este reporte en Espafiol o si
tiene preguntas con respecto a la calidad del agua que
consume, por favor comuniquese con el departamento the
servicios publicos durante las horas de trabajo, el teltfono
311 es (336) 727-8000. \
Protecting Our Water Sources
Sources of drinking water (both tap and bottled)
include rivers, lakes, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As
water travels over the surface of the land or thrash the
ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerafs 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.
Where does Forsyth County's
water come from?
Inorganic Contaminants such as salts and metals
which can be naturally-occurring or result from
urban storm water runoff, industrial or wastewater
discharges, oil and gas productions, mining or
firming.
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 come from gas stations, urban
storm water runoff, and septic systems.
Radioactive contaminants which can be naturally
occurring or the result of oil and gas production and
mining activities.
To ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the
Environmental Protection Agency limits the amount of
certain contaminants in water provided by public water
systems. Food and Drug Administration regulations
establish limits for contaminants in bottled water, whicf
must provide the same protection for public health.
Drinking water, including bottled water, may
reasonably be expected to contain at least small amount!
of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants
docs not necessarily indicate the water poses a health
risk. More information about contaminants and
potential health effects can be obtained by calling the
EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hodine at (800) 426-4791
The raw water reservoirs at the Swann Water Treatment Plant hold 150 million gallons - enough to keep the
plant operating/or six days. This gives plant operators the ability to avoid drawing water from the Yadkin River
when it is filled with sediment from a storm. This reduces the cost of running the plant.
Lead Exposure From Water
Elevated levels of lead in drinking water can cause
serious health problems, especially for pregnant
women and young children. Lead in drinking water
comes primarily from materials and components
associated with service lines and home plumbing.
The City/County Utility Commission 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 for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30
seconds to two minutes 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 and
steps you can take to minimize exposure is available
from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426
4791 or go online at www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.
The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County water system is
operated by the City/County'Utility Commission. The
commission meets monthly the second Monday of each
month at 2 p.m. in City Hall, Room 230, 101 N. Main
Street, Winston-Salem, N.C For questions about this report
or the quality of our drinking water, call Utilities
Administration at (336) 727-8000.
Gty of Wintton-SaJem
Mayer: AUrn Joina; City CouncilVivian H Burke. Mayor Pro
Tempore, Northeast Ward; Denise D. Adams, North Ward; Dan
Bessr, Southwest Ward; Robert C Clark. West Ward; Molly Leight.
South Ward; Jeff Macintosh, Northwest Ward: Derwin L
Montgomery. East Ward; James Taylor Jr., Southeast Ward;
City Manager: Lee D. Garrity
rorsytn bouncy
County Commissioner*: David R PlyUr, Chairman; Don Martin,
Vice Chain Ted Kaplan; Richard V LinviUe; Walter Marshall;
Gloria D. Whisenhunt; Everette Witherspoon;
County Manager: Dudley Watts, Jr.
City-County Utility Commission
Oovid NriU Cheirmen; Randall S. Tuttie, Vtct-choir; Wnlty
Cssrtis. Jr.; HenUE. Day. Tom Griffin; HnroU R. Holmes; II; heist
S. McGilt; Chris heritor. At H Seymour; J. Hill Stockton