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Home My WebLink About7 Public Hearing for Water Utility Public Health Goals ReportAgendaItem#7.-TRUCKEEDONNERPUBLICHEARINGTo:BoardofDirectorsFrom:BrianWrightDate:June05,2019Subject:PublicHearingfortheReviewoftheWaterUtilityPublicHealthGoalsReport____1.WHYTHISMATTERISBEFORETHEBOARDTheBoardsetaPublicHearingforJune5,2019toreceiveinputfromthepublicregardingtheDistrict’s2019PublicHealthGoalsReport.2.HISTORYTheCaliforniaSafeDrinkingWaterActof1996,theCaliforniaCodeofRegulationsandSB1307includeprovisionsfortheCaliforniaOfficeofEnvironmentalHealthHazardAssessment(OEHHA)todevelopPublicHealthGoals(PHGs)associatedwithdrinkingwatercontaminants.UnlikeMaximumContaminantLevels(MCLs),whichsetsafelimitsoncontaminantconcentrationlevelsindrinkingwater,PHGsarenotenforceable,andaresetbasedupontheoreticalhealthrisksatlowlevelexposures.PHGsarenotenforceableduetothefactthatBestAvailableTechnology(BAT)toachievesuchlowdetectionlevelshasnotbeendefinedandmaynotrealisticallybeavailable.InaccordancewithSB1307,publicwatersystemswithgreaterthan10,000serviceconnectionsarerequiredtoprovideaPublicHealthGoalsReporteverythreeyears.ThisreportshallincludeanoverviewofcontaminantsforwhichwaterqualitytestinghasbeenidentifiedasexceedingPHGlevelsduringthepreviousthreeyearperiod.InadditiontoidentifyingcontaminantsexceedingPHGlevels,thereportmustalsoincludeproposedmitigationplansandpotentialfiscalimpacts.SB1307requiresthatpublicwatersystemspresentthereportintheformofapublichearing,providingopportunityforcustomerinput.Previously,theTDPUD2016WaterUtilityPublicHealthGoalReportwaspresentedinapublichearingheldattheDistrict’sJune,2016BoardMeeting.3.NEWINFORMATIONTheTruckeeDonnerPublicUtilityDistrict2019PublicHealthGoalsReporthasbeenpreparedforreviewandpublication.InaccordancewithSB1307,followingthePublicHearingstaffwillnotifytheCaliforniaStateWaterResourcesControlBoard,DivisionofDrinkingWaterthataPublicHeathGoalsReporthasbeenpreparedpriortotheJuly1,2019deadline,andhasbeenpresentedtotheDistrict’swaterutilitycustomers intheformofapubliclyscheduledhearing.PublicnoticeofthehearingtoreceivepublicinputregardingtheDistrict’s2019PublicHealthGoalsReportrequirespublicationofanoticeinagenerallycirculatednewspaperfortwosuccessiveweeks,withatleastfivedaysbetweentherespectivepublicationdatesandatleast10dayspriortothepublichearing.ThenoticehasbeenpublishedintheSierraSuninaccordancewithDistrictCode.TheDistrict’s2019PublicHealthGoalsReportisAttachment1.4.FISCALIMPACTThereisnodirectfiscalimpactwiththispublichearing.5.RECOMMENDATIONConductaPublicHearingtoreceivecommentsontheDistrict’s2019PublicHealthGoalsReport.,%zMichaelD.HolteyGeneralManagerIWaterUtilityDirector TruckeeDonnerPublicUtilityDistrictDirectorsJosephR.AgueraJeffBenderBobEllisChristaFinnTonyLaliotisGeneralManagerMichaelD.HolleyTRUCKEEDONNERPUBLICUTILITYDISTRICT2019PUBLICHEALTHGOALSREPORTBackgroundProvisionsintheCaliforniaHealthandSafetyCodespecifythatlargerwaterutilities(>10,000serviceconnections)prepareaPublicHealthGoalsReporteverythreeyears(duebyJulyfst)ifwaterqualitymonitoringandtestingresultshaveexceededPublicHealthGoals(PHGs).PHGsarenon-enforceablegoalsestablishedbytheCal-EPA’sOfficeofEnvironmentalHealthHazardAssessment(OEHHA).TheregulationalsorequiresthatwhereOEHHAhasnotadoptedaPHGforacontaminant,thewatersuppliersaretousetheMaximumContaminantLevelGoals(MCLGs)adoptedbytheUnitedStatesEnvironmentalProtectionAgency(USEPA).OnlycontaminantswhichhaveaCaliforniaprimarydrinkingwaterstandardandforwhicheitheraPHGorMCLGhasbeensetaretobeaddressedwithinthePublicHealthGoalsReport.TherearevariouscontaminantsthatareroutinelydetectedinwatersystemsatlevelsusuallywellbelowthedrinkingwaterstandardsforwhichnoPHGnorMCLGhavebeenadoptedbyOEHHAorUSEPAincludingTotalTrihalomethanes.ContaminantsofthisnaturemaybeaddressedinfuturereportsonceaPHGhasbeenadopted.Thisreportshallsatisfythecompliancerequirementsforthewaterqualitymonitoringandtestingperiodtakingplacebetween2016and2018.Theregulationoutlinesingeneraltermswhatinformationistobeprovidedinthereport.Minimumreportingstandardsrequireidentificationofqualifyingcontaminants,thepublichealthriskassociatedwiththeMCLandthePHGorMCLG,thecategoryortypeofrisktohealththatcouldbeassociatedwitheachcontaminant,theBestAvailableTechnology(BAT)forremovalortreatmenttoreducethecontaminantconcentrationlevel,andanestimatedmitigationcosts.WhatArePHGs?PHGsaresetbytheCaliforniaOfficeofEnvironmentalHealthHazardAssessment(OEHHA)whichispartofCal-EPAandarebasedsolelyonpublichealth2016PublicHealthGoalReportTruckeeDonnerPublicUtilityDistrict riskconsiderations.Noneofthepracticalrisk-managementfactorsthatareconsideredbytheUSEPAortheCaliforniaDepartmentofHealthServices(CDHS)insettingdrinkingwaterstandards(MCLs)areconsideredinsettingthePHGs.Thesefactorsincludeanalyticaldetectioncapability,treatmenttechnologyavailable,benefitsandcosts.ThePHGsarenotenforceableandarenotrequiredtobemetbyanypublicwatersystem.MCLGsarethefederalequivalenttoPHGs.WaterQualityDataConsideredAllofthewaterqualitydatacollectedbyourwatersystembetween2013,and2015forpurposesofdeterminingcompliancewithdrinkingwaterstandardswasconsidered.Thisdatawasallsummarizedinour2013,2014,and2015AnnualWaterConsumerConfidenceReportswhichwerepostedontheDistrict’swebsiteforcustomerstoreviewbyJuly1stofeachsubsequentyear.GuidelinesFollowedTheAssociationofCaliforniaWaterAgencies(ACWA)formedaworkgroupwhichpreparedguidelinesforwaterutilitiestouseinpreparingthesenewlyrequiredreports.TheACWAandCaliforniaDepartmentofPublicHealthguidelineswereusedinthepreparationofourreport.BestAvailableTreatmentTechnologyandCostEstimatesBoththeUSEPAandCDHSadoptwhatareknownasBATsorBestAvailableTechnologieswhicharethebestknownmethodsofreducingcontaminantlevelstotheMCL.Costscanbeestimatedforsuchtechnologies.However,sincemanyPHGsandallMCLGsaresetmuchlowerthantheMCL,itisnotalwayspossiblenorfeasibletodeterminewhattreatmentisneededtofurtherreduceaconstituentdownwardtoornearthePHGorMCLG,manyofwhicharesetatzero.EstimatingthecoststoreduceaConstituenttozeroisdifficult,ifnotimpossiblebecauseitisnotpossibletoverifybyanalyticalmeansthatthelevelhasbeenloweredtozero.Insomecases,installingtreatmenttotryandfurtherreduceverylowlevelsofoneconstituentmayhaveadverseeffectsonotheraspectsofwaterquality.ConstituentsDetectedThatExceedaPHGoraMCLGThefollowingisadiscussionofconstituentsthatweredetectedinoneormoreofourdrinkingwatersourcesatlevelsabovethePHG,orifnoPHG,abovetheMCLG.Arsenic:TheMCLforarsenicis10partsperbillion(ppb).ThePHGandMCLGforarsenicisO.OO4ppb(establishedin2004).TheDistricthasdetectedarsenicin6ofthe12wellsactivegroundwaterwellsincluding:GlenshireDriveWellat9.9ppb,MartisValleyWellat9.9ppb,AirportWellat9.9ppb,OldGreenwoodWellat6.Oppb,ProsserVillageWellat4.Oppb,SandersWellat9.5ppb.2016PublicHealthGoalReportTruckeeDonnerPublicUtilityDistrict Thecategoryofhealthriskassociatedwitharsenic,andthereasonthatadrinkingwaterstandardwasadoptedforit,isthatcontinuouslongtermexposurestodrinkingwatercontainingarseniclevelsabovetheMCLmayincreasetheriskofcancer.TheCaliforniaOfficeofEnvironmentalHealthHazardAssessment(OEHHA)hassetthePHGatO.OO4ppb.ThecalculatedhealthriskforarsenicattheMCL(lOppb)is2.5perthousand.ThePHG(O.OO4ppb)isbasedonalevelthatwillresultinnotmorethan1excesscancerin1millionpeoplewhodrink2litersdailyofthiswaterfor70years.Theactualcancerriskmaybelowerorzero.TheBATthatweareusingforthisreporttolowerthelevelbelowtheMCLto.OO4ppbisfixedbedadsorptionsystem.Theestimatedcosttoinstallandoperatesuchatreatmentsystemonall6WellsthatwouldreliablyreducetheArseniclevelto.OO4ppbwouldbeapproximately$7,585,000initialconstructioncostwithadditionalestimatedO&Mcostofan$6,500,000peryear.Thiswouldresultinanassumedincreasedcostforeachcustomerofapproximately$525peryear.Lead:TheMCLforLeadindrinkingwateris1Sppb,whilethePHGandMCLGis0.2ppb.ThecurrentPHGforLeadwasestablishedin2009,loweredfromthepreviousPHGof2.Oppbestablishedin1997,baseduponcalculatedcarcinogenichealtheffectsandneurobehavioraldeficits.TheDistrictconductssamplingforthepresenceofleadeverythreeyearsinaccordancewiththeLeadandCopperRule(LCR).Actionlevelsforleadarebasedon90thpercentileconcentrationlevelsfromfirstdrawresidentialsampletaps.TheDistrict’slastLCRmonitoringperiodandsamplecollectionwasin2016,inwhichsampletestingresultsindicatedapercentilelevelof3.Oppb.LevelsofleadinsurfaceandgroundwaterthroughouttheUnitedStatestypicallyrangebetween5and30ppb(OEHHA,2009).Indrinkingwater,themajorsourceofleadisduetotheleachingfromresidentialplumbingandsolderusedinpipejoints.Theleachingofleadfromresidentialplumbingisofparticularconcernincircumstancewhereolderplumbinginfrastructureisexposedtoaggressivewaterqualityconditions.LeadislistedasacarcinogenandasareproductiveanddevelopmentaltoxicchemicalundertheSafeDrinkingWaterandToxicEnforcementActof1986(CaliforniaHealthandSafetyCode).ThecalculatedhealthriskforleadattheMCL(l5ppb)istwopermillion.ThecalculatedhealthriskatthePHG(0.2ppb)isnotavailable.BATfordrinkingwatersystemsexceedingthe90thpercentilefortheactionlevelofleadconcentrations(15ppb)is“optimizedcorrosioncontrol”.forsystemsinwhichtheleadconcentrationlevelsareabovethePHGof0.2ppb,itisnotclearwhatadditionalstepscouldbeconsidered,particularlywithoutcausingotherpotentialwaterqualityproblems.Withoutfurthercomprehensivestudy,itisuncertainifatrueassessmentofthecostofmitigationforleadconcentrationswellbelowtheactionlevelcanbedeterminedwithanydegreeofaccuracy.2016PublicHealthGoalReportTruckeeDormerPublicUtilityDistrict RECOMMENDATIONSFORFURTHERACTIONThedrinkingwaterqualityoftheTruckeeDonnerPublicUtilityDistrictatthistimemeetsallCaliforniaStateWaterResourcesControlBoardandUSEPAdrinkingwaterstandardssettoprotectpublichealth.Tofurtherreducethelevelsoftheconstituentsidentifiedinthisreportthatarealreadybelowthehealth-basedMaximumContaminantLevelsestablishedtoprovide“safedrinkingwater”,additionalcostlytreatmentprocesseswouldberequired.Theeffectivenessofthetreatmentprocessestoprovideanysignificantreductionsincontaminantlevelsatthesealreadylowvaluesisuncertain.Thehealthprotectionbenefitsofthesefurtherhypotheticalreductionsarenotatallclearandmaynotbequantifiable.Therefore,noactionisproposed.Themoneythatwouldberequiredfortheseadditionaltreatmentprocessesmightprovidegreaterpublichealthprotectionbenefitsifspentonotherwatersystemoperation,surveillance,andmonitoringprograms.2016PublicHealthGoalReportTruckeeDonnerPublicUtilityDistrict