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HomeMy WebLinkAboutWQR_2002_Report_FINAL.pdfPl a n n i n g / B u i l d i n g / P u b l i c W o r k s Ci t y o f R e n t o n 10 5 5 S o u t h G r a d y W a y Re n t o n , W A 9 8 0 5 5 BULK RATE U.S. POSTAGE PAID RENTON, WA PERMIT NO. 137 ECRWSS Postal Customer T h e E a r t h h a s b e e n k e e p i n g i t s f i n i t e s u p - p l y o f w a t e r c o n s t a n t l y i n m o t i o n b y r e c y c l i n g t h e s a m e w a t e r o v e r a n d o v e r s i n c e t h e b e g i n - n i n g o f t i m e . T h i s p r o c e s s o f w a t e r r e u s e i s k n o w n a s t h e w a t e r c y c l e o r t h e h y d r o l o g i c c y c l e . A s t a r t i n g p o i n t i n t h i s c y c l e i s w h e n t h e s u n ’ s h e a t e v a p o r a t e s w a t e r f r o m l a k e s , s t r e a m s , o c e a n s , a n d t h e e a r t h ’ s s u r f a c e i n t o t h e a t m o s p h e r e t o f o r m c l o u d s . W h e n t h e c o n - d i t i o n s a r e r i g h t , t h e c l o u d s r e l e a s e t h i s w a t e r a s r a i n o r s n o w . M o s t o f t h e r a i n f a l l s i n t o t h e o c e a n s , a n d t h e r e s t f a l l s o n t o l a n d w h e r e i t c a n r u n o f f i n t o r i v e r s o r l a k e s o r s e e p ( i n f i l - t r a t e ) i n t o t h e s o i l . T h i s i n f i l t r a t i n g w a t e r p e r - c o l a t e s d o w n a n d f i l l s t h e c r a c k s b e t w e e n r o c k s a n d p a r t i c l e s o f s o i l . W h e n a l l t h e c r a c k s i n a l a y e r a r e f u l l o f w a t e r i t i s s a i d t o b e s a t u - r a t e d . I f w e c a n d r i l l a w e l l d o w n i n t o t h i s s a t u r a t e d l a y e r a n d p u m p u s e a b l e a m o u n t s o f w a t e r o u t , w e h a v e a n a q u i f e r . A l l o f R e n t o n ’ s d r i n k i n g w a t e r c o m e s f r o m t h e g r o u n d w a t e r f o u n d i n a q u i f e r s o r s p r i n g s . E v e n t h o u g h i t m a y s e e m c o u n t e r i n t u i t i v e , g r o u n d w a t e r i s g e n e r a l l y a v e r y c l e a n s o u r c e o f w a t e r , r e q u i r i n g l i t t l e o r n o f i l t r a t i o n . T h i s i s b e c a u s e t h e s o i l a n d r o c k t h a t t h e r a i n w a t e r p a s s e s t h r o u g h o n i t s w a y t o t h e a q u i f e r f i l t e r s a n d c l e a n s i t . D e b r i s a n d l a r g e p a r t i c l e s a r e f i l t e r e d o u t b y t h e s m a l l c r a c k s t h a t t h e w a t e r m u s t p a s s t h r o u g h . C h e m i c a l s a n d p o l l u t a n t s a d h e r e t o s o i l p a r t i c l e s o r a r e b r o k e n d o w n b y f r i e n d l y m i c r o b e s . T h i s p r o c e s s i s v e r y r e l i - a b l e — u n l e s s , o f c o u r s e , i t i s o v e r l o a d e d . G r o u n d w a t e r c o n t a m i n a t i o n c a n c o m e f r o m a n u m b e r o f n a t u r a l a n d h u m a n - m a d e s o u r c e s . T h e C i t y o f R e n t o n h a s , t h r o u g h e d u c a t i o n , r e g u l a t i o n , a n d m o n i t o r i n g , u n d e r - t a k e n t h e t a s k o f p r o t e c t i n g o u r w a t e r s u p p l y f r o m i n d u s t r i a l a n d c o m m e r c i a l p o l - l u t i o n s o u r c e s . T h e r e a r e a l s o m a n y w a y s t h a t c i t i z e n s c a n h e l p p r o t e c t o u r w a t e r . E x c e s s f e r t i l i z e r s a n d p e s t i c i d e s a p p l i e d t o y o u r l a w n a n d g a r d e n o v e r l o a d t h e n a t u r a l g r o u n d w a t e r c l e a n s i n g s y s t e m s . O v e r - w a - t e r i n g c a n q u i c k l y f l u s h e v e n m o d e r a t e a m o u n t s o f c h e m i c a l s d e e p i n t o t h e g r o u n d . E v e n w a s h i n g y o u r c a r o n t h e l a w n c a n l e a d t o a n o v e r l o a d o f t h e s o i l ’ s c l e a n s i n g s y s t e m . T a k e y o u r c a r t o a c o m m e r c i a l c a r w a s h w h e r e t h e w a s h w a t e r i s r e c y c l e d o r s e n t t o a s a n i t a r y s e w e r . D r i n k i n g W a t e r Q u a l i t y R e p o r t 2 0 0 2 Who Do I Call?Who Do I Call?Who Do I Call?Who Do I Call?Who Do I Call?6Questions about this report?Call Water Utility Engineering at 425-430-72876Questions about water discoloration, taste, or odor problems?Call Water Quality at 425-430-7400 (7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.)or 425-430-7500 after hours.6To report water pressure problems, a broken water main,water leaks in street hydrants or at a meter,call Water Maintenance at 425-430-7400 (7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.)or 425-430-7500 after normal working hours or on weekends.6Moving? To arrange a change of water servicebilling, or for general billing questions, call Utility Billingat 425-430-6852.6Emergencies after 3:30 p.m. or on weekends, call 911.WWWWWant Tant Tant Tant Tant To G e o G e o G e o G e o G e t I n v o l v e d ? t I n v o l v e d ? t I n v o l v e d ? t I n v o l v e d ? t I n v o l v e d ? The City of Re n t o n w e l c o m e s y o u r i n t e r e s t i n i t s w a t e r system. The Renton C i t y C o u n c i l i s t h e C i t y ’ s d e c i s i o n m a k i n g body. The Council m e e t s o n t h e f i r s t f o u r M o n d a y s o f e a c h month at 7:30 p.m. i n t h e C o u n c i l C h a m b e r s o n t h e s e v e n t h floor of City Hall. C a l l t h e C i t y C l e r k ’ s o f f i c e a t 4 2 5 - 4 3 0 - 6510 or visit the ci t y ’ s w e b s i t e a t w w w . c i . r e n t o n . w a . u s f o r meeting or agenda i n f o r m a t i o n . I f y o u a r e i n t e r e s t e d i n g e t - ting involved with ou r A q u i f e r P r o t e c t i o n E d u c a t i o n o r G r o u n d - water Guardian Tea m , y o u c a n c a l l 4 2 5 - 4 3 0 - 7 2 8 7 . A b o u t T h i s A b o u t T h i s A b o u t T h i s A b o u t T h i s A b o u t T h i s R R R R R e p o r e p o r e p o r e p o r e p o r t t t t t T h e p u r p o s e o f t h i s r e p o r t i s t o l e t o u r c u s t o m e r s k n o w t h a t t h e C i t y ’ s w a t e r m e t o r e x - c e e d e d s t a t e a n d f e d e r a l s t a n - d a r d s f o r d r i n k i n g w a t e r q u a l - i t y d u r i n g t h e 2 0 0 1 c a l e n d a r y e a r . T h i s r e p o r t i s w r i t t e n a n d d i s t r i b u t e d i n c o m p l i a n c e w i t h t h e f e d e r a l S a f e D r i n k i n g W a - t e r A c t , w h i c h r e q u i r e s w a t e r u t i l i t i e s t o p r o v i d e a n n u a l “ c o n - s u m e r c o n f i d e n c e ” r e p o r t s w h i c h d e s c r i b e w h e r e d r i n k - i n g w a t e r c o m e s f r o m , w h a t i t c o n t a i n s , h o w i t c o m p a r e s t o s t r i n g e n t w a t e r q u a l i t y s t a n - d a r d s a n d h o w w a t e r s u p p l i e s a r e p r o t e c t e d . W e h o p e t h i s W a t e r Q u a l i t y R e p o r t w i l l h e l p o u r c u s t o m e r s t o b e t t e r u n d e r s t a n d o u r d r i n k i n g w a t e r a n d t o h e i g h t e n t h e i r a w a r e n e s s o f t h e n e e d t o p r o - t e c t o u r w a t e r r e s o u r c e s . W e w o u l d a l s o l i k e t o a s s u r e o u r c u s - t o m e r s t h a t p r o v i d i n g h i g h q u a l i t y , s a f e d r i n k i n g w a t e r i s R e n t o n ’ s h i g h e s t p r i o r i t y . c o n t . o n p a g e 3 W W W W W a t a t a t a t a t e r G o e s R e r G o e s R e r G o e s R e r G o e s R e r G o e s R o u n d a n d R o u n d a n d R o u n d a n d R o u n d a n d R o u n d a n d R o u n d o u n d o u n d o u n d o u n d p a g e 1 F r o m J u n e o f 1 9 9 9 t h r o u g h t h e e n d o f 2 0 0 1 , t h e M a p l e w o o d W e l l s s u p p l i e d w a t e r t o a p o r t i o n o f t h e R e n t o n H i g h l a n d s . T h e M a p l e w o o d W e l l f i e l d w a s d e v e l o p e d t o s e r v e a s a n a l t e r n a t e s o u r c e o f d r i n k i n g w a t e r t o t h e C i t y o f R e n t o n i n t h e e v e n t t h a t t h e D o w n t o w n W e l l s b e c o m e c o n t a m i n a t e d . A d d i t i o n a l l y , t h e s e w e l l s a n d t h e a s s o c i a t e d b o o s t e r p u m p s t a t i o n p r o v i d e a n a b u n d a n t s u p p l y o f w a t e r f o r f i r e f i g h t i n g a n d d r i n k i n g w a t e r , a s w e l l a s p r o v i d e a s u p p l y t o h e l p m e e t f u t u r e p e a k s u m m e r d e m a n d s . T h e M a p l e w o o d W e l l s p u m p f r o m a d e e p a q u i - f e r t h a t i s l e s s v u l n e r a b l e t o n a t u r a l c o n t a m i - n a t i o n . H o w e v e r , t h e w a t e r f r o m t h i s a q u i - f e r c o n t a i n s d i s s o l v e d i r o n , m a n g a n e s e , h y d r o g e n s u l f i d e , a n d a m m o n i a . W h i l e t h e w a t e r , a s c u r r e n t l y t r e a t e d , i s s a f e t o d r i n k , i t s t a s t e a n d o d o r i s o b j e c t i o n a b l e t o s o m e p e o p l e a n d i t c a n s t a i n d i s h e s , l a u n d r y , a n d p l u m b i n g f i x t u r e s . H e a l t h I n f o r m a t i o n M o s t p e o p l e g i v e l i t t l e t h o u g h t t o t h e w a t e r t h a t c o m e s o u t o f t h e i r t a p . B u t e v e n i n a c r y s t a l c l e a r g l a s s o f w a t e r , t h e r e a r e m a n y o t h e r p o s s i b l e i n g r e d i e n t s b e - s i d e s H 2 O . O u r d r i n k i n g w a t e r c o m e s f r o m w e l l s a n d s p r i n g s . A s o u r w a t e r t r a v - e l s t h r o u g h t h e g r o u n d t o t h e w e l l s , i t c a n d i s s o l v e n a t u r a l l y o c c u r r i n g m i n e r a l s a s w e l l a s s u b s t a n c e s f r o m h u m a n a c t i v i t y . D r i n k i n g w a t e r , i n c l u d i n g b o t t l e d w a t e r , m a y r e a s o n a b l y b e e x p e c t e d t o c o n t a i n a t l e a s t s m a l l a m o u n t s o f s o m e c o n t a m i n a n t s . T h e p r e s e n c e o f c o n t a m i n a n t s d o e s n o t n e c e s s a r i l y i n d i c a t e t h a t w a t e r p o s e s a h e a l t h r i s k . M o r e i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t c o n - t a m i n a n t s a n d p o t e n t i a l h e a l t h e f f e c t s c a n b e o b t a i n e d b y c a l l i n g t h e E n v i r o n m e n t a l P r o t e c t i o n A g e n c y ’ s S a f e D r i n k i n g W a - t e r H o t l i n e a t ( 1 - 8 0 0 - 4 2 6 - 4 7 9 1 ) . M a k i n g P r o g r e s s w i t h M a p l e w o o d M a k i n g P r o g r e s s w i t h M a p l e w o o d M a k i n g P r o g r e s s w i t h M a p l e w o o d M a k i n g P r o g r e s s w i t h M a p l e w o o d M a k i n g P r o g r e s s w i t h M a p l e w o o d W W W W W a t a t a t a t a t e r I m p r e r I m p r e r I m p r e r I m p r e r I m p r o o o o o v e m e n t s v e m e n t s v e m e n t s v e m e n t s v e m e n t s D u r i n g t h e s u m m e r o f 2 0 0 1 , t h e C i t y c o n d u c t e d a p i l o t t e s t o f c a n d i d a t e t r e a t m e n t m e t h o d s t o d e a l w i t h t h e a e s t h e t i c p r o b l e m s o f t h e M a p l e w o o d W e l l w a t e r . T h e t e s t i n g i n c l u d e d e v a l u a t i o n o f t h e t a s t e a n d f l a v o r o f t h e t r e a t e d w a t e r b y a p a n e l o f R e n t o n c i t i z e n s a n d C i t y s t a f f m e m b e r s . B a s e d u p o n t h e r e s u l t s o f t h e p i l o t s t u d y , t h e C i t y c h o s e a t r e a t m e n t s c h e m e t h a t i n c l u d e s u s i n g s p e c i a l l y c o a t e d s a n d f i l t e r s , g r a n u l a t e d a c t i v a t e d c a r b o n f i l t e r s , a n d c h l o r i n a t i o n . A p r o j e c t t o m o d i f y t h e e x i s t i n g t r e a t m e n t f a c i l i t y a n d a d d a d d i t i o n a l t r e a t m e n t f a c i l i t i e s i s c u r r e n t l y b e i n g d e s i g n e d . C o n s t r u c t i o n o f t h e p r o j e c t i s s c h e d u l e d t o b e g i n i n 2 0 0 3 w i t h c o m p l e t i o n i n 2 0 0 4 . T h e M a p l e w o o d W e l l f i e l d h a s b e e n t a k e n o u t o f a c t i v e s e r v i c e a n d w i l l r e m a i n i n s t a n d - b y m o d e u n t i l t h e c o m p l e t i o n o f t h e c o n s t r u c - t i o n p r o j e c t . B a s e d u p o n t h e r e s u l t s o f t h e p i l o t s t u d y t h e C i t y c h o s e a t r e a t m e n t s c h e m e t h a t i n c l u d e s u s i n g s p e c i a l l y c o a t e d s a n d f i l t e r s , g r a n u l a t e d a c t i v a t e d c a r - b o n f i l t e r s a n d c h l o r i n a t i o n . S p e c i a l I n f o r m a t i o n A v a i l a b l e S o m e p e o p l e m a y b e m o r e v u l n e r a b l e t o c o n t a m i n a n t s i n d r i n k i n g w a t e r t h a n t h e g e n e r a l p o p u l a t i o n . I m m u n o - c o m p r o - m i s e d p e r s o n s s u c h a s p e r s o n s w i t h c a n - c e r u n d e r g o i n g c h e m o t h e r a p y , p e r s o n s w h o h a v e u n d e r g o n e o r g a n t r a n s p l a n t s , p e o p l e w i t h H I V / A I D S o r o t h e r i m m u n e s y s t e m d i s o r d e r s , s o m e e l d e r l y , a n d i n f a n t s c a n b e p a r t i c u l a r l y a t r i s k f r o m i n f e c t i o n s . T h e s e p e o p l e s h o u l d s e e k a d v i c e a b o u t d r i n k i n g w a t e r f r o m t h e i r h e a l t h c a r e p r o v i d e r s . E P A / C e n t e r f o r D i s e a s e C o n t r o l g u i d e l i n e s o n a p p r o p r i - a t e m e a n s t o l e s s e n t h e r i s k o f i n f e c t i o n b y m i c r o b i a l c o n t a m i n a n t s a r e a v a i l a b l e f r o m t h e S a f e D r i n k i n g W a t e r H o t l i n e ( 1 - 8 0 0 - 4 2 6 - 4 7 9 1 ) . page 2 p a g e 7 N N N N N o t o t o t o t o t e s f r e s f r e s f r e s f r e s f r o m t h e E P o m t h e E P o m t h e E P o m t h e E P o m t h e E P A A A A A D E T E C T E D C O M P O U N D M a x i m u m T o t a l T r i h a l o m e t h a n e P o t e n t i a l F l u o r i d e N i t r a t e S u l f a t e S o d i u m F l u o r o t r i c h l o r o m e t h a n e M C L N o M C L e s t a b l i s h e d . A L = 1 0 0 p p b 4 p p m ( s e e n o t e 2 ) 1 0 p p m N o p r i m a r y M C L , S e c o n d a r y M C L = 2 5 0 p p m N o M C L e s t a b l i s h e d ( s e e n o t e 3 ) N o t r e g u l a t e d M C L G N o M C L G E s t a b l i s h e d 4 p p m ( s e e n o t e 2 ) 1 0 p p m N o M C L G e s t a b l i s h e d N o M C L G e s t a b l i s h e d ( s e e n o t e 3 ) N o t r e g u l a t e d P O S S I B L E S O U R C E S O F D E T E C T E D C O M P O U N D S B y - p r o d u c t o f d r i n k i n g w a t e r c h l o r i n a t i o n W a t e r a d d i t i v e w h i c h p r o m o t e s s t r o n g t e e t h R u n o f f f r o m f e r t i l i z e r u s e ; L e a c h i n g f r o m s e p t i c t a n k s ; E r o s i o n o f N a t u r a l D e p o s i t s E r o s i o n o f n a t u r a l d e p o s i t s E r o s i o n o f n a t u r a l d e p o s i t s R e f r i g e r a n t , D e g r e a s i n g a g e n t a n d p r o p e l l a n t H I G H E S T A M O U N T A N D R A N G E D E T E C T E D 2 9 . 9 p p b ( 1 3 . 9 - 2 9 . 9 p p b , t e s t e d 3 / 2 9 / 2 0 0 0 ) 1 . 3 p p m ( 0 . 8 - 1 . 3 p p m ) 2 . 3 p p m 1 4 p p m 6 . 9 p p m 0 . 7 1 p p b ( t e s t e d 1 2 - 6 - 2 0 0 0 ) What’s in our Drinking WWhat’s in our Drinking WWhat’s in our Drinking WWhat’s in our Drinking WWhat’s in our Drinking Watatatatater?er?er?er?er?Lead and Copper MonitoringLead and Copper MonitoringLead and Copper MonitoringLead and Copper MonitoringLead and Copper MonitoringThe EPA requires monitoring for the presence of lead andcopper to minimize human exposure to these substances indrinking water. Neither lead norcopper has been detected inRenton’s water sources. How-ever, our water is naturally cor-rosive which could cause leadand/or copper present in yourhome plumbing to leach into yourdrinking water.To reduce its potential to cor-rode household plumbing, we treatour water with sodium hydroxideto raise its pH. The City then testsfor lead and copper at householdtaps to make sure that our Corro-sion Control Treatment is work-ing.Results of Lead and Copper Sampling at Reside n t i a l W a t e r T a p s Includes areas served by the Downtown Wells, Springbrook Springs a n d M a p l e w o o d W e l l s To ensure that the tap water delivered to your homeis safe to drink, the EPA adopts regulations setting thewater quality standards for public water systems. Thedata in the following Water Quality Monitoring tablesshow what is in our water. As you can see, the water from the Downtow n W e l l s , S p r i n g b r o o k S p r i n g s a n d t h e Maplewood Wells a l l m e t o r e x c e e d e d f e d e r a l a n d s t a t e primary drinking w a t e r q u a l i t y s t a n d a r d s . I n 2 0 0 1 , n o n e of the 67 samples t e s t e d e x c e e d e d t h e a c t i o n l e v e l f o r lead and copper. 2 0 0 2 0 0 2 0 0 2 0 0 2 0 0 1 W 1 W 1 W 1 W 1 W a t a t a t a t a t e r Q u a l i t y D a t e r Q u a l i t y D a t e r Q u a l i t y D a t e r Q u a l i t y D a t e r Q u a l i t y D a t a f a f a f a f a f o r t h e 2 0 0 2 C o n s u m e r C o n f o r t h e 2 0 0 2 C o n s u m e r C o n f o r t h e 2 0 0 2 C o n s u m e r C o n f o r t h e 2 0 0 2 C o n s u m e r C o n f o r t h e 2 0 0 2 C o n s u m e r C o n f i d e n c e R i d e n c e R i d e n c e R i d e n c e R i d e n c e R e p o r e p o r e p o r e p o r e p o r t t t t t P O S S I B L E S O U R C E S O F D E T E C T E D C O M P O U N D S B y - p r o d u c t o f d r i n k i n g w a t e r c h l o r i n a t i o n W a t e r a d d i t i v e w h i c h p r o m o t e s s t r o n g t e e t h E r o s i o n o f n a t u r a l d e p o s i t s E r o s i o n o f n a t u r a l d e p o s i t s D E T E C T E D C O M P O U N D M a x i m u m T o t a l T r i h a l o m e t h a n e P o t e n t i a l F l u o r i d e S o d i u m M a n g a n e s e M C L N o M C L e s t a b l i s h e d . A L = 1 0 0 p p b 4 p p m ( s e e n o t e 2 ) N o M C L e s t a b l i s h e d ( s e e n o t e 3 ) N o p r i m a r y M C L , S e c o n d a r y M C L = 5 0 p p b M C L G N o M C L G E s t a b l i s h e d 4 p p m ( s e e n o t e 2 ) N o M C L G e s t a b l i s h e d ( s e e n o t e 3 ) N o M C L G e s t a b l i s h e d H I G H E S T A M O U N T A N D R A N G E D E T E C T E D 4 2 . 5 p p b ( t e s t e d 8 - 9 - 2 0 0 0 ) 1 . 3 p p m ( 0 . 8 - 1 . 3 p p m ) 1 4 p p m 8 9 p p b Y e a r 2 0 0 1 W a t e r Q u a l i t y D a t a F o r D o w n t o w n W e l l s a n d S p r i n g b r o o k S p r i n g s R e g u l a t e d a t t h e G r o u n d W a t e r S o u r c e B e f o r e T r e a t m e n t R e g u l a t e d a t t h e G r o u n d W a t e r S o u r c e A f t e r T r e a t m e n t Y e a r 2 0 0 1 W a t e r Q u a l i t y D a t a F o r M a p l e w o o d W e l l s N o t e s : N o t e s : N o t e s : N o t e s : N o t e s : 2 . T h e p r i m a r y M C L a n d M C L G f o r f l u o r i d e i s 4 p p m . T h e s e c o n d a r y M C L f o r f l u o r i d e i s 2 p p m . 3 . T h e E P A h a s e s t a b l i s h e d a r e c o m m e n d e d l e v e l o f 2 0 p p m f o r s o d i u m a s a l e v e l o f c o n c e r n f o r t h o s e c o n s u m e r s t h a t m a y b e r e s t r i c t e d f o r d a i l y s o d i u m i n t a k e i n t h e i r d i e t s . City staff monitoring pH at t h e C o r r o s i o n C o n t r o l F a c i l i t y . M C L G ( M a x i m u m C o n t a m i n a n t L e v e l G o a l ) : T h e l e v e l o f a c o n t a m i n a n t i n d r i n k i n g w a t e r b e l o w w h i c h t h e r e i s n o k n o w n o r e x p e c t e d r i s k t o h e a l t h . M C L G s a l l o w f o r a m a r g i n o f s a f e t y . M C L ( M a x i m u m C o n t a m i n a t e L e v e l ) : T h e h i g h e s t l e v e l o f a c o n t a m i n a n t t h a t i s a l l o w e d i n d r i n k i n g w a t e r . M C L s a r e s e t a s c l o s e t o t h e M C L G s a s f e a s i b l e u s i n g t h e b e s t a v a i l a b l e t r e a t m e n t t e c h n o l o g y . D e f D e f D e f D e f D e f i n i t i o n s f i n i t i o n s f i n i t i o n s f i n i t i o n s f i n i t i o n s f o r R o r R o r R o r R o r R e a d i n g W e a d i n g W e a d i n g W e a d i n g W e a d i n g W a t a t a t a t a t e r Q u a l i t y T e r Q u a l i t y T e r Q u a l i t y T e r Q u a l i t y T e r Q u a l i t y T a b l e s a b l e s a b l e s a b l e s a b l e s A L ( A c t i o n L e v e l ) : T h e c o n c e n t r a t i o n o f a c o n t a m i n a n t w h i c h , i f e x c e e d e d , t r i g g e r s t r e a t m e n t o r o t h e r r e q u i r e m e n t s w h i c h a w a t e r s y s t e m m u s t f o l l o w . p p b ( p a r t s p e r b i l l i o n ) : O n e p a r t p e r b i l l i o n i s e q u i v a l e n t t o 1 / 2 o f a d i s s o l v e d a s p i r i n t a b l e t i n 1 0 0 0 f u l l b a t h t u b s o f w a t e r ( a p p r o x i m a t e l y 5 0 , 0 0 0 g a l l o n s o f w a t e r ) . p p m ( p a r t s p e r m i l l i o n ) : O n e p a r t p e r m i l l i o n i s e q u i v a l e n t t o 1 / 2 o f a d i s s o l v e d a s p i r i n t a b l e t i n a f u l l b a t h t u b o f w a t e r ( a p p r o x . 5 0 g a l l o n s ) . U n r e g u l a t e d a t t h e G r o u n d w a t e r S o u r c e a f t e r T r e a t m e n t R e g u l a t e d a t t h e G r o u n d W a t e r S o u r c e A f t e r T r e a t m e n t R e g u l a t e d a t t h e G r o u n d W a t e r S o u r c e B e f o r e T r e a t m e n t IDEAL GOAL(MCLG)0 ppb1.3 ppm 90TH PERCEN T I L E V A L U E S 3 ppb * (see not e 1 ) 1.03 ppm * (see n o t e 1 ) P O S S I B L E S O U R C E S O F D E T E C T E D C O M P O U N D S C o r r o s i o n o f h o u s e h o l d p l u m b i n g s y s t e m s . C o r r o s i o n o f h o u s e h o l d p l u m b i n g s y s t e m s . ACTION LEVEL15 ppb1.3 ppm PARAMETERLeadCopperNotes:Notes:Notes:Notes:Notes:1.1.1.1.1.90 percent of the samples tested had levels at or below this value (10 percent of the s a m p l e s t e s t e d h a d l e v e l s 90 percent of the samples tested had levels at or below this value (10 percent of the s a m p l e s t e s t e d h a d l e v e l s 90 percent of the samples tested had levels at or below this value (10 percent of the s a m p l e s t e s t e d h a d l e v e l s 90 percent of the samples tested had levels at or below this value (10 percent of the s a m p l e s t e s t e d h a d l e v e l s 90 percent of the samples tested had levels at or below this value (10 percent of the s a m p l e s t e s t e d h a d l e v e l s above this value).above this value).above this value).above this value).above this value).The City has tested f o r t h e p r e s e n c e o f a r s e n i c a n d r a d o n and found that bo t h c o m p o u n d s a r e e i t h e r n o n - d e t e c t o r are below the curr e n t E P A ’ s m a x i m u m c o n t a m i n a n t l e v e l s . page 4 p a g e 5 T h e C i t y W a t e r Q u a l i t y a n d W a t e r M a i n t e n a n c e s t a f f r e g u l a r l y m o n i t o r s t h e q u a l i t y o f o u r w a t e r s u p p l y . F i e l d a n d l a b o - r a t o r y a n a l y s e s i n c l u d e t e s t s f o r b a c t e r i a , a s w e l l a s c h e m i c a l , p h y s i c a l , a n d r a d i o - l o g i c a l i n d i c a t o r s . W e t e s t f o r o v e r 1 2 0 c o m p o u n d s t o m a k e s u r e o u r d r i n k i n g w a - t e r i s s a f e . I n 2 0 0 1 , R e n t o n d r e w i t s d r i n k i n g w a t e r f r o m t h r e e s o u r c e s : f i v e d o w n t o w n w e l l s , w h i c h d r a w w a t e r f r o m t h e C e d a r V a l l e y A q u i f e r ; S p r i n g b r o o k S p r i n g s , a s m a l l s p r i n g s l o c a t e d a t t h e e x t r e m e s o u t h e r n c i t y l i m i t s ; a n d t w o w e l l s , w h i c h d r a w f r o m t h e M a p l e w o o d A q u i f e r s o u r c e . T h e d o w n t o w n w e l l s a r e o u r m a j o r s o u r c e o f w a t e r , p r o d u c i n g o v e r 6 4 p e r c e n t o f R e n t o n ’ s w a t e r , o r a n a v e r a g e o f 4 . 6 m i l l i o n g a l l o n s a d a y . A p p r o x i m a t e l y 1 4 p e r - c e n t , o r o n e m i l l i o n g a l l o n s p e r d a y , o f R e n t o n ’ s d r i n k i n g w a t e r i s s u p p l i e d b y S p r i n g b r o o k S p r i n g s . T h e w a t e r p u m p e d f r o m t h e s e s o u r c e s i s v e r y c l e a n a n d n e e d s m i n i m a l t r e a t m e n t . W e a d d c h l o r i n e f o r d i s i n f e c t i o n , w h i c h d e s t r o y s &QADoes the City add fluoride to thewater?Yes. In 1985, the citizens of Rentonvoted to have fluoride added to the City’sdrinking water. Fluoride is added at a rateof one part per million to help prevent toothdecay.Is Renton’s water soft or hard?A water’s hardness is dependent uponthe levels of two naturally occurringsoluble minerals - calcium and magnesium.Renton’s water falls within the soft rangewith about 3.0 grains per gallon of hard-ness. This means that dishwashing andclothes washing require relatively lesssoap than in other areas where the wateris hard.Why does my water sometimessmell or taste like chlorine?Renton’s water is very clean when itcomes from the ground. Chlorine is addedto stop bacteria from growing in the wa-ter delivery pipelines. If you are sensitiveto the smell or taste of chlorine, you canuse one of the following techniques. Keepa pitcher of water in the refrigerator, thechlorine will dissipate within a few hoursand you will conserve water by not hav-ing to run the tap to get a cool drink. Youcan speed the chlorine dissipation processup by pouring water back and forth be-tween two pitchers. Many faucet filterswill also remove chlorine taste and smell– make sure you maintain the filter, as animproperly maintained filter can actuallymake water less safe. I s b o t t l e d w a t e r s a f e r t h a n t a p w a t e r a n d d o I n e e d a h o m e w a t e r t r e a t m e n t d e v i c e ? N o t n e c e s s a r i l y . T h e s a f e t y o f b o t t l e d w a t e r d e p e n d s o n t h e s o u r c e o f w a t e r a n d t h e t r e a t m e n t i t r e c e i v e s . B o t t l e d w a t e r i s r e g u l a t e d b y t h e F o o d a n d D r u g A d - m i n i s t r a t i o n , w h i c h h a s l e s s r i g o r o u s t e s t - i n g a n d p u r i t y s t a n d a r d s t h a n t h e U S E n v i r o n m e n t a l P r o t e c t i o n A g e n c y , w h i c h r e g u l a t e s t a p w a t e r . T h e u s e o f b o t t l e d w a t e r o r a h o m e w a t e r t r e a t m e n t d e v i c e i s a p e r s o n a l c h o i c e t h a t m a y b e b a s e d o n t a s t e p r e f e r - e n c e s . I f y o u u s e a t r e a t m e n t d e v i c e , b e s u r e t o s e l e c t a u n i t a p p r o v e d b y t h e N a - t i o n a l S a n i t a t i o n F o u n d a t i o n ( N S F ) a n d a l s o b e s u r e t o p r o p e r l y m a i n t a i n t h e d e v i c e t o a v o i d w a t e r q u a l i t y p r o b l e m s . 6 6 6 Frequently Asked QuestionsFrequently Asked QuestionsFrequently Asked QuestionsFrequently Asked QuestionsFrequently Asked Questions a n y b a c t e r i a a n d v i r u s e s . B e c a u s e o u r w a - t e r i s n a t u r a l l y s o f t , s o d i u m h y d r o x i d e i s a d d e d t o s t o p c o r r o s i o n o f p l u m b i n g . F l u o r i d e i s a l s o a d d e d t o p r e v e n t t o o t h d e c a y . I n t h e a r e a s o f R e n t o n H i l l , T a l b o t H i l l , a n d W e s t H i l l , o r t h o p o l y p h o s p h a t e s a r e a d d e d t o r e - d u c e c o r r o s i o n o f i r o n w a t e r p i p e s . U n t i l r e c e n t l y , o u r s e c o n d m a j o r s o u r c e o f d r i n k i n g w a t e r w a s f r o m t w o w e l l s t h a t t a p i n t o t h e d e e p M a p l e w o o d a q u i f e r a n d p r o - d u c e d 2 2 p e r c e n t , o r 1 . 5 m i l l i o n g a l l o n s o f w a t e r p e r d a y . T h i s w a t e r w a s u s e d t o s u p - p l y c u s t o m e r s i n a p o r t i o n o f t h e R e n t o n H i g h - l a n d s , a n d a l s o s e r v e d a s a b a c k u p w a t e r s u p p l y t o t h e d o w n t o w n w e l l s . T h e C i t y d i s i n f e c t e d M a p l e w o o d w a t e r w i t h c h l o r i n e , w h i c h r e a c t s w i t h n a t u r a l l y o c - W h e r e D o e s R W h e r e D o e s R W h e r e D o e s R W h e r e D o e s R W h e r e D o e s R e n t e n t e n t e n t e n t o n ’ s D r i n k i n g W o n ’ s D r i n k i n g W o n ’ s D r i n k i n g W o n ’ s D r i n k i n g W o n ’ s D r i n k i n g W a t a t a t a t a t e r C o m e F e r C o m e F e r C o m e F e r C o m e F e r C o m e F r r r r r o m ? o m ? o m ? o m ? o m ? c u r r i n g a m m o n i a t o f o r m c h l o r a m i n e s . C h l o r a m i n e s a c t a s a s e c o n d a r y d i s i n f e c - t a n t t o d e s t r o y a n y h a r m f u l b a c t e r i a t h a t m a y e n t e r t h e w a t e r d i s t r i b u t i o n s y s t e m . S o d i u m f l u o r i d e w a s a d d e d t o p r e v e n t t o o t h d e c a y . S u l f u r i c a c i d a n d s o d i u m h y d r o x i d e w e r e u s e d i n a p r o c e s s t o r e m o v e n a t u r a l l y o c c u r r i n g h y d r o g e n s u l f i d e . A l t h o u g h t h e M a p l e w o o d w a t e r s u p p l y m e e t s a l l h e a l t h - r e l a t e d w a t e r q u a l i t y s t a n - d a r d s , i t c o n t a i n s l o w l e v e l s o f m a n g a n e s e t h a t c a n s t a i n p l u m b i n g f i x t u r e s , d i s h w a s h - e r s , a n d s o m e t i m e s c l o t h i n g . T o r e d u c e m a n - g a n e s e p r e c i p i t a t i o n , o r t h o p o l y p h o s p h a t e s w e r e a d d e d t o t h e w a t e r . S t a r t i n g i n F e b r u a r y 2 0 0 2 , t h e c i t y s t o p p e d p u m p i n g w a t e r f r o m t h e M a p l e w o o d w e l l s . W a t e r G o e s R o u n d & R o u n d K K K K K e e p i n g Y e e p i n g Y e e p i n g Y e e p i n g Y e e p i n g Y o u r W o u r W o u r W o u r W o u r W a t a t a t a t a t e r S a f e r S a f e r S a f e r S a f e r S a f e a n d M o e a n d M o e a n d M o e a n d M o e a n d M o v i n g v i n g v i n g v i n g v i n g I n g e n e r a l , a n y t h i n g t h a t i s l a b e l e d w i t h t h e w o r d s “ D A N G E R ” , “ W A R N I N G ” o r “ C A U T I O N ” , s h o u l d b e c o n s i d e r e d h a z - a r d o u s a n d s h o u l d n o t b e p o u r e d o u t o n t o t h e g r o u n d . D i s p o s e o f h a z a r d o u s p r o d - u c t s s u c h a s o i l - b a s e d p a i n t s , p e s t i c i d e s , t h i n n e r s , s o l v e n t s , a n t i f r e e z e , a n d g a s o l i n e a t t h e W a s t e m o b i l e o r t a k e t h e m t o a f i x e d c o l l e c t i o n s i t e . M a n y a u t o p a r t s s t o r e s a n d a u t o r e p a i r b u s i n e s s e s t a k e u s e d o i l s . L a - t e x p a i n t c a n b e r e c y c l e d a t t h e W a s t e m o b i l e a n d o t h e r l o c a t i o n s . P l e a s e c o n t a c t t h e H a z a r d s L i n e a t ( 2 0 6 ) 2 9 6 - 4 6 9 2 o r v i s i t t h e L o c a l H a z a r d - o u s W a s t e M a n a g e m e n t P r o g r a m W e b s i t e w w w . m e t r o k c . g o v / h a z w a s t e f o r s c h e d - u l e s , m a p s , a n d m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n . I f e a c h o f u s d o e s a l i t t l e b i t t o h e l p p r o t e c t o u r g r o u n d w a t e r , w e c a n k e e p o u r s u p p l y o f d r i n k i n g w a t e r c l e a n a n d s a f e f o r e v e r . W a t e r G o e s R o u n d & R o u n d , c o n t . f r o m p a g e 1 T h e h i g h e s t w a t e r d e m a n d d a y f o r 2 0 0 1 o c c u r r e d o n A u g u s t 1 0 w h e n 1 2 m i l l i o n g a l l o n s o f w a t e r w e r e c o n s u m e d . T h e W a t e r D i s t r i b u t i o n M a i n t e n a n c e t e a m r o u t i n e l y m o n i t o r s a n d m a i n t a i n s 9 r e s e r v o i r s , 1 8 p u m p s t a t i o n s , 2 w a t e r t r e a t m e n t f a c i l i - t i e s , 2 7 8 m i l e s o f w a t e r m a i n s , 3 , 0 0 0 f i r e h y d r a n t s , a n d 1 4 , 3 0 0 w a t e r m e t e r s . T h i s t e a m i s e v e r r e a d y t o r e p a i r t h e m o r e t h a n 2 6 3 l e a k i n g s e r v i c e s a n d 2 0 w a t e r m a i n b r e a k s t h a t o c c u r e a c h y e a r . What’s New?What’s New?What’s New?What’s New?What’s New?Major Water Utility projects for the2002 -2003 year:6Complete construction of the well houseand pump station in Downtown Well fieldfor emergency water source.6Construct large piping for additional dis-infection contact time in Liberty Park.6Repair and construct seismic upgrade tothe Rolling Hills and Highlands elevatedwater storage tanks. 6 In 2001, R e n t o n W a t e r U t i l i t y p r o d u c e d a n a v e r a g e o f 7.1 millio n g a l l o n s o f d r i n k i n g w a t e r p e r d a y . s e e r e l a t e d a r t i c l e o n p a g e 7 page 6 p a g e 3