TOWN OF
Each year we are required by Title 30 of the Texas Administrative Code to report to our water customers regarding the quality of the drinking water during the previous calendar year. In the following report you will find that some of our test results from last year showed contaminants above the allowable levels. The good news is that our test results have been excellent for the first two quarters of 2006 and we expect this to continue. -- Jeanne Minton, City Secretary
Special Notice for the ELDERLY, INFANTS, CANCER PATIENTS, people with
HIV/AIDS or other immune problems
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/Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines on
appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other
microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Water Drinking Hotline
(800-426-4791).
Public Participation Opportunities
You are invited to participate in monthly meetings held the
second Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at either the Town of Indian Lake,
OUR DRINKING WATER IS REGULATED
Our drinking water is regulated by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and they have determined that certain water quality issues exist which prevent our water from meeting all of the requirements as stated in the Federal Drinking Water Standards. Each issue is listed in this report as a violation and we are working closely with TCEQ to achieve solutions.
Water Sources 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 before treatment include: microbes, inorganic contaminants, pesticides, herbicides, radioactive contaminants, and organic chemical contaminants.
En Español
Este informe incluye información importante sobre el agua potable. Si tiene preguntas o comentarios sobre éste informe en español, favor de llamar al tel. (956) 233-4021 – para hablar con una persona bilingüe en español.
Where do we get our drinking water?
Our drinking water is obtained from SURFACE water sources. It comes from the following Lake/River/Reservoir/Aquifer: The Rio Grande Our water is purchased from the East Rio Hondo Water Supply Corporation. The TCEQ has completed a Source Water Susceptibility for all drinking water systems that own their sources. This report describes the susceptibility and types of contaminants that may come into contact with the drinking water source based on human activities and natural conditions. They system from which we purchase our water received the assessment report. For more information on source water assessments and protection efforts at our system, please contact us.
ALL drinking water may contain contaminants. When drinking water meets federal standards there may not be any health based benefits to purchasing bottled water or point of use devices. Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).
Secondary Constituents Many constituents (such as calcium,
sodium, or iron) which are often found in drinking water can cause taste,
color, and odor problems. The taste and odor constituents are called secondary
constituents and are regulated by the State of
About the Following Pages
The pages that follow list all of the federally regulated or monitored contaminants which have been found in your drinking water. The U.S. EPA requires water systems to test for up to 97 contaminants.
|
DEFINITIONS |
|
|
Term |
|
|
MCLG |
Maximum Contaminant Level Goal: The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected health risk. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety. |
|
MCL |
Maximum Contaminant Level: The highest permissible level of a contaminant in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology. |
|
TT |
Treatment Technique: A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water. |
|
|
Action Level: The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow. |
|
MRDLG |
Maximum Residual Disinfection Level Goal: 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 contamination. |
|
MRDL |
Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level: The highest level of disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants. |
|
ABBREVIATIONS |
|
|
Term |
Definition |
|
NTU |
Nephelometric Turbidity Units |
|
MFL |
Million fibers per liter (a measure of asbestos) |
|
pCi/L |
picocuries per liter (a measure of radioactivity) |
|
ppm |
parts per million, or milligrams per liter (mg/L) |
|
ppb |
parts per billion, or micrograms per liter |
|
ppt |
parts per trillion, or nanograms per liter |
|
ppq |
parts per quadrillion, or picograms per liter |
Inorganic Contaminants
|
Year or Range |
Contaminant |
Average Level |
Minimum Level |
Maximum Level |
M C L |
M C L G |
Unit of Measure |
Source of Contaminant |
|
2002 |
Barium |
0.142 |
0.142 |
0.142 |
2 |
2 |
ppm |
Discharge of drilling
wastes; discharge from metal refineries; erosion of natural deposits |
|
2005 |
Fluoride |
0.3 |
0.26 |
0.26 |
4 |
4 |
ppm |
Erosion of natural
deposits; water additive which promotes strong teeth; discharge from
fertilizer and aluminum factories |
|
2005 |
Nitrate |
0.13 |
0.13 |
0.13 |
10 |
10 |
ppm |
Runoff from fertilizer use;
leaching from septic tanks, sewage; erosion of natural deposits |
|
2002 |
Selenium |
50 |
50 |
50 |
50 |
50 |
ppb |
Discharge from petroleum
and metal refineries; erosion of natural deposits; discharge from mines |
|
2005 |
Gross beta emitters |
5 |
5.2 |
5.2 |
50 |
0 |
pCi/L |
Decay of natural and
man-made deposits |
Organic Contaminants: TESTING
WAIVED, NOT REPORTED OR NONE DETECTED
Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level
|
Year |
Disinfectant Used |
Average Level |
Minimum Level |
Maximum Level |
MRDL |
MRDLG |
Unit of Measure |
Source of Chemical |
|
2005 |
Chloramines |
2.4 |
2 |
3.2 |
4.0 |
<4.0 |
ppm |
Disinfectant used to control microbes |
|
Year |
Contaminant |
Average Level |
Minimum Level |
Maximum Level |
MCL |
Unit of Measure |
Source of Contaminant |
|
2005 |
Total Haloacetic Acids |
42.6 |
23 |
115.7 |
60 |
ppb |
Byproduct of drinking water disinfection |
|
2005 |
Total Trihalomethanes |
83.4 |
59.3 |
210 |
80 |
ppb |
Byproduct of drinking water disinfection |
Unregulated Contaminants
|
Bromoform, chloroform, dichlorobromomethane
and dibromochloromethane are disinfection
byproducts. There is no maximum contaminant level for these chemicals at the
entry point to distribution. |
||||||
|
Year |
Contaminant |
Average Level |
Minimum Level |
Maximum Level |
Unit of Measure |
Source of Contaminant |
|
2005 |
Chloroform |
3.94 |
3.94 |
3.94 |
ppb |
Byproduct of drinking water disinfection |
|
2005 |
Bromoform |
11.23 |
11.23 |
11.23 |
ppb |
Byproduct of drinking water disinfection |
|
2005 |
Bromodichloromethane |
8.08 |
8.08 |
8.08 |
ppb |
Byproduct of drinking water disinfection |
|
2005 |
Dibromochloromethane |
10.95 |
10.95 |
10.95 |
ppb |
Byproduct of drinking water disinfection |
|
Year |
Contaminant |
90th Percentile |
# of Sites Exceeding Action Level |
Action Level |
Unit of Measure |
Source of Contaminant |
|
2002 |
Lead |
4.3 |
0 |
15 |
ppb |
Corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits |
|
2002 |
Copper |
0.256 |
0 |
1.3 |
ppm |
Corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits; leaching from wood preservatives |
TURBIDITY (A measure of the cloudiness of water): NOT REQUIRED
TOTAL COLIFORM: REPORTED MONTHLY. TESTS FOUND NO COLIFORM BACTERIA FECAL COLIFORM: REPORTED MONTHLY. TESTS FOUND NO FECAL COLIFORM BACTERIA
VIOLATIONS
|
Violation Type |
Health Effects |
Duration |
Explanation |
Steps to Correct |
|
MCL VIOLATION – TOTAL HALOACETIC ACIDS (HAA) |
Some people who drink water containing HAA5s in excess of the MCL over many years may have an increased risk of getting cancer. |
7/1/2005 to 9/30/2005 |
The
use of free chlorine when disinfecting water from the |
Disinfection process has been changed to use chloramines (chlorine and ammonia combined), minimizing HAA production |
|
MCL VIOLATION – TOTAL TRIHALOMETHANES (TTHM) |
Some people who drink water containing TTHMs in excess of the MCL over many years may experience problems with their liver, kidneys, or central nervous systems, and may have an increased risk of getting cancer. |
1/1/2005 to 3/31/2005 |
The
use of free chlorine when disinfecting water from the |
Disinfection process has been changed to use chloramines (chlorine and ammonia combined), minimizing TTHM production |
|
MCL VIOLATION – TOTAL TRIHALOMETHANES (TTHM) |
Some people who drink water containing TTHMs in excess of the MCL over many years may experience problems with their liver, kidneys, or central nervous systems, and may have an increased risk of getting cancer. |
4/1/2005 to 6/30/2005 |
The
use of free chlorine when disinfecting water from the |
Disinfection process has been changed to use chloramines (chlorine and ammonia combined), minimizing TTHM production |
|
MCL VIOLATION – TOTAL TRIHALOMETHANES (TTHM) |
Some people who drink water containing TTHMs in excess of the MCL over many years may experience problems with their liver, kidneys, or central nervous systems, and may have an increased risk of getting cancer. |
7/1/2005 to 9/30/2005 |
The
use of free chlorine when disinfecting water from the |
Disinfection process has been changed to use chloramines (chlorine and ammonia combined), minimizing TTHM production |
|
MCL VIOLATION – TOTAL TRIHALOMETHANES (TTHM) |
Some people who drink water containing TTHMs in excess of the MCL over many years may experience problems with their liver, kidneys, or central nervous systems, and may have an increased risk of getting cancer. |
10/1/2005 to 12/31/2005 |
The
use of free chlorine when disinfecting water from the |
Disinfection process has been changed to use chloramines (chlorine and ammonia combined), minimizing TTHM production |
Secondary and Other Constituents Not Regulated (No associated adverse health effects)
|
Year |
Constituent |
Average Level |
Minimum Level |
Maximum Level |
Secondary Limit |
Unit of Measure |
Source of Constituent |
|
2005 |
Bicarbonate |
105 |
105 |
105 |
N/A |
ppm |
Corrosion of carbonate rocks such as limestone |
|
2002 |
Calcium |
85.1 |
85.1 |
85.1 |
N/A |
ppm |
Abundant naturally occurring element |
|
2005 |
Chloride |
158 |
158 |
158 |
300 |
ppm |
Abundant naturally occurring element; used in water purification; byproduct of oil field activity |
|
2002 |
Copper |
0.051 |
0.051 |
0.051 |
N/A |
ppm |