HomeMy WebLinkAboutHirschdale System 2019 CCRTruckee Donner Public Utility District
2019 WATER QUALITY REPORT
In This Document
Water Quality General Information
Source Water Assessment
Where Our Water Comes From
Lead In Drinking Water
Definitions
Sampling Results
Este informe contiene información muy importante sobre su agua potable. Tradúzcalo o hable
con alguien que lo entienda bien.
Customer Views Are Welcome
T he Truckee Donner Public Utility District encourages community par-
ticipation in the public process. If you are interested in participating in
the TDPUD’s decision-making process, you are welcome to attend Board
Meetings.
The TDPUD Board of Directors meets at 6:00 PM on the first and third
Wednesday of each month in the TDPUD Board room, located at 11570
Donner Pass Road, Truckee, California. Agendas for upcoming meetings
may be obtained on our website or from the Deputy District Clerk ’s of-
fice, (530)582-3980.
For More Information:
About this report or the water treatment process, contact Truckee
Donner Public Utility District’s Senior Water Quality Technician, Clay
Walker at (530)582-3926.
About water conservation and efficiency, the TDPUD has water
conservation programs that will help customers save water and save
money. Information can be found on our website or by calling (530)
587-3896.
Hirschdale Water System PWS# 2910010
For more
information about
us, please visit our
website at
www.tdpud.org .
Water Quality
T ruckee Donner Public Utility District is able to report that it has met all State
and Federal drinking water standards. The data in this report is a snapshot of
the quality of water provided to TDPUD customers for the 2019 calendar year.
This report includes details about your local water sources, annual water quality
sampling data, and how it compares to State and USEPA standards.
Truckee Donner Public Utility District is committed to providing you with the
information about your water supply because customers who are well informed
are key to the collaborative process in identifying improvements that are neces-
sary to maintain the highest drinking water standards.
It is important to note, that while the TDPUD strives to meet all State and Federal
drinking water standards, 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, people who have undergone
organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some
elderly individuals, and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These
people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers.
USEPA/Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines on appropriate means to
lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbiological contami-
nants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800)426 -4791 or
https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/safe-drinking-water-hotline.
Lead in Residential Plumbing
I f present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially
for pregnant women and young children. In circumstances where lead is de-
tected in drinking water, it is primarily derived from materials and components
associated with service lines and residential plumbing. The TDPUD is responsible
for providing high quality water, but cannot control the variety of materials used in
plumbing components. When your water has been sitting for a prolonged period of
time, you can minimize the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30
seconds to 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking.
We conduct routine sampling for lead every three years. The last sampling was
performed in 2019, where all sites tested below the Federal action level for lead.
More information about lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can
take to minimize exposure can be found at www.epa.gov /lead.
Where Our Water Comes From
T he source of drinking water served to our Hirschdale customers comes from
a well drawing from a deep aquifer. We filter this water to remove iron,
manganese, and arsenic before delivering it to your home.
Additionally, each month the system is sampled for microbial quality. Because of
natural filtration, the groundwater aquifer is protected from surface water
contamination, giving us a high quality of drinking water.
Cryptosporidium and Giardia
R ecognizing that our potable water sources are exclusively drawn from a deep
groundwater well, the presence of microscopic organisms such as Cryptos-
poridium and Giardia in our water is highly unlikely. If ingested, Cryptosporidium
and Giardia can cause diarrhea, fever, and other gastrointestinal symptoms.
Source Water
Assessment
A source water assessment has
been completed for the well
serving the Hirschdale area. The well
is considered most vulnerable to the
following activities not associated
with any detected contaminants:
septic systems, drinking water
treatment plants, and transportation
corridors. A copy of the complete
assessment may be viewed at the
Truckee Donner Public Utility District
office, located at 11570 Donner Pass
Road, Truckee, California, or by
calling Clay Walker at
(530)582-3926.
Substances That May Be Found In Water
S ources 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.
In order to ensure that tap water is safe to
drink, the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (USEPA) and the State Water
Resources Control Board (State Board)
prescribe regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water
provided by public water systems. Drinking water, including bottled water, may
contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of many
of these contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health
risk.
Examples of contaminants that may be present in source water include:
Microbial Contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, that may come
from stormwater or wastewater, septic systems, agricultural livestock opera-
tions, and wildlife;
Inorganic Contaminants, such as salts and metals, that can be
naturally occurring or can result from erosion, urban stormwater runoff, industri-
al or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farm-
ing;
Pesticides and Herbicides, that 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 by-products of industrial processes and petroleum
production, and which can also come from gas stations, urban stormwater
runoff, agricultural applications, and septic systems;
Radioactive Contaminants, that can be naturally occurring or can be the
result of oil and gas production and mining activities.
More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be
obtained by calling the U.S. EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-
4791.
Definitions
Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL): The highest
level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water.
Primary MCLs are set as close to the PHGs (or MCLGs)
as is economically and technologically feasible.
Secondary MCLs are set to protect the odor, taste, and
appearance of drinking water.
Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG): The level
of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is
no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs are set by
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA).
Public Health Goal (PHG): The level of a contaminant
in drinking water below which there is no known or
expected risk to health. PHGs are set by the California
Environmental Protection Agency.
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.
Maximum Residual Disinfectant 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.
Primary Drinking Water Standards (PDWS): MCLs
and MRDLs for contaminants that affect health along with
their monitoring and reporting requirements, and water
treatment requirements.
Secondary Drinking Water Standards (SDWS): MCLs
for contaminants that affect taste, odor, or appearance of
the drinking water. Contaminants with SDWSs do not
affect the health at the MCL levels.
Regulatory Action Level (AL): The concentration of a
contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or
other requirements that a water system must follow.
Table Key
N/A: not applicable
N/D: not detectable at testing limit
ppm: parts per million or milligrams per liter (mg/L)
ppb: parts per billion or micrograms per liter (µg/L)
ppt: parts per trillion or nanograms per liter (ng/L)
pCi/L: picocuries per liter (a measure of radiation)
(μS/cm): micro Siemens per centimeter
(NTU): nephelometric turbidity unit (measures water cloudiness)
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q. Why does my water smell and taste like chlorine?
A. Chlorine is regularly injected into the water at the source as a disinfectant that aids in elimi-
nating potentially harmful bacteria present in water. In high demand summer month ’s chlorine taste may be
more noticeable because the water is "fresh" or "new" and chlorine has not had time to dissipate through the
system. Chlorine can also gas off in warm/hot water which produces a smell stronger than normal. Some peo-
ple are more sensitive than others to the taste and smell of chlorine and may become aware of occasional
changes. This is normal and safe. Chlorine levels are continually monitored.
Q. Why does my water taste like metal?
A. The source water is ground water, which has a mineral content that might give off a metal
taste some are not used too. Sometimes plumbing can cause a metal taste, especially if water has been sitting
in pipes for several hours. It’s best to flush the lines for of couple minutes if water has sat in pipes for an extend-
ing period of time, however, this does not indicate a higher or lower degree of water quality.
Q. Why is there white crust on my shower head?
A. The minerals in water may leave white spots on glasses, coffeepots, shower heads and shower
doors. These spots are calcium deposits and are not harmful to health.
Q. Why is there a black ring around my toilet?
A. This black ring some may find after returning home when water has sat in the bowl for extending
period of time is mold. Mold will grow in dark, wet, cool places making the toilet bowl a perfect place for that. If
this accrues adding bleach to the bowl and letting it sit works best. To avoid this, leave a small amount of bleach
in the bowl before leaving for more than a couple days.
Q. What clauses cloudy water?
A. Cloudy or milky water is usually caused by trapped air picked up from an air pocket in the water
main or internal plumbing. Sometimes flows or water cascading within the aqueduct can also trap air, similar to a
waterfall. If water sits in a glass or pitcher for a few minutes the air will dissipate and become clear.
The data in the following tables is from the most recent monitoring done in compliance with Federal and California drinking
water regulations. Some data may be more than one year old. Based upon Federal and State requirements, the monitoring
interval for each constituent varies, and can be any one of the following: weekly, monthly, semi-annually, annually, biennially,
or once every three, six, or nine years, or as deemed necessary by regulatory agencies.
TABLE 1 – SAMPLING RESULTS SHOWING THE DETECTION OF COLIFORM BACTERIA
Microbiological Contami-
nants
Highest No.
of Detec-
tions
No. of months in
violation MCL MCLG Typical Source of Bacteria
Total Coliform Bacteria 0 0
More than 5% of samples
in a month with a detec-
tion
0 Naturally present in the environment
TABLE 2 – DISINFECTION BY-PRODUCTS
Contaminant # Samples,
Frequency
Average
Level Range MCL (MRDL) MCLG
(MRDLG) Typical Source of Contaminant
Chlorine Residual (ppm) 1 per month 0.50 .39-.75 4 4 Drinking water disinfectant added for
treatment
Total Trihalomethanes
(ppb)
1 on
8/12/19 22 N/A 80 N/A By-product of drinking water
disinfection
Haloacectic Acids (ppb) 1 on
8/12/19 9.7 N/A 60 N/A By-product of drinking water
disinfection
TABLE 3 – DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM CUSTOMER TAP SAMPLING FOR LEAD AND COPPER
Lead and Copper Date Last
Sampled
No. of
samples
collected
90th per-
centile
level de-
tected
No. sites
exceeding
AL
AL PHG Typical Source of Contaminant
Lead (ppb) 08/07/19 5 1 0 15 0.2
Internal corrosion of household water
plumbing systems; discharges from
industrial manufacturers; erosion of
natural deposits
Copper (ppm) 08/07/19 5 0.061 0 1.3 0.3
Internal corrosion of household
plumbing systems; erosion of natu-
ral deposits; leaching from wood
preservatives
TABLE 4 – SAMPLING RESULTS FOR SODIUM AND HARDNESS
Chemical or Constituent
(reporting units)
Date Last
Sampled
Level De-
tected Range of Detections MCL PHG
(MCLG) Typical Source of Contaminant
Sodium (ppm) 2019 50 N/A N/A N/A Salt present in the water and is general-
ly naturally occurring
Hardness (as CaCO3) (ppm) 2019 62 N/A N/A N/A
Sum of polyvalent cations present
in the water, generally magnesium
and calcium, and are usually natu-
rally occurring
TABLE 5- UNREGULATED COMPOUNDS
Chemical or Constituent
(reporting units)
Date Last
Sampled Level Detected Range of Detec-
tions MCL PHG
(MCLG) Typical Source of Contaminant
Alkalinity (as CaCO3) (ppm) 2019 150 N/A N/A N/A Erosion of natural deposits
Bicarbonate Alkalinity (as
HCO3) (ppm) 2019 180 N/A N/A N/A Leaching of natural deposits
Calcium (ppm) 2019 11 N/A N/A N/A Erosion of natural deposits
Magnesium (ppm) 2019 8 N/A N/A N/A Erosion of natural deposits
Potassium (ppm) 2019 4.8 N/A N/A N/A Erosion of natural deposits
TABLE 6 – DETECTION OF CONTAMINANTS WITH A PRIMARY DRINKING WATER STANDARD
Chemical or Constituent
(reporting units)
Date Last
Sampled Level Detected Range of Detec-
tions MCL PHG
(MCLG) Typical Source of Contaminant
Inorganic Contaminants
Arsenic (ppb) 2019 3.0 N/D-7.0 10 0.004 Erosion of natural deposits
Barium (ppm) 2019 56 N/A 1000 2000 Erosion of natural deposits
Fluoride (ppm) 2019 0.16 N/A 2 1 Erosion of natural deposits
Turbidity (NTU) 2019 3.20 N/A 5 5 Soil runoff
Radioactive Contaminants
Gross Alpha Particle
Activity (pCi/L) 2018 N/D 3 15 0 Erosion of natural deposits
Radon (pCi/L) 2005 570 N/A N/A* N/A* Erosion of natural deposits
*Note The State of California does not have an MCL for Radon. The EPA has an advisory MCL of 4000 pCi/L
for Radon.
TABLE 7 – DETECTION OF CONTAMINANTS WITH A SECONDARY DRINKING WATER STANDARD
Chemical or Constituent
(reporting units)
Date Last
Sampled Level Detected Range of Detec-
tions MCL PHG
(MCLG) Typical Source of Contaminant
Chloride (ppm) 2019 7 N/A 250 N/A Leaching of natural deposits
Iron (ppb) 2019 76 N/A 300 N/A Leaching of natural deposits
Manganese (ppb) 2019 8.30 N/A 50 N/A Leaching of natural deposits
pH 2019 7.8 7.7 - 8.3 6.5 - 8.5 N/A Erosion of natural deposits
Specific Conductance
(μS/cm) 2019 340 N/A 1600 N/A Substances that form ions when in
water.
Sulfate 2019 13 N/A 250 N/A Leaching of natural deposits
Total Dissolved Solids
(ppm) 2019 220 N/A 500 N/A Leaching of natural deposits