News

More...

Progress on 2008

System Upgrade

The District is expected to close on a 5 million dollar loan at 2.75% for 19 years from the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission in June or July 2008.

20 Year Master Plan

In 2007 the District worked with the Engineering Firm of EGIS Engineering and Environmental

Water for People

6666 West Quincy Avenue

Denver, CO 80235-3098

www.waterforpeople.org

1.1 Billion people worldwide Lack Access to safe drinking water.

2.6 Billion lack access to adequate sanitation.

6,000 people die every day from water-related illnesses.

2006 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report

Benton County Water District # 1

We're pleased to present to you this year's Annual Drinking Water Quality Report. This report is designed to inform you about the quality water and services we deliver to you every day. Our constant goal is to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water. We want you to understand the efforts we make to continually improve the water treatment process and protect our water resources. We are committed to ensuring the quality of your water. The sources of drinking water (both tap water 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, can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity. We purchase treated surface water from Benton – Washington Regional Public Water Authority whose source is Beaver Lake.

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; Inorganic contaminants such as salts and metals, which can be naturally occurring or result from urban stormwater runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming; Pesticides and herbicides which 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 can also come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff, and septic systems; Radioactive contaminants which can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.

The Arkansas Department of Health & Human Services has completed a Source Water Vulnerability Assessment for Benton - Washington Regional Public Water Authority. The assessment summarizes the potential for contamination of our source of drinking water and can be used as a basis for developing a source water protection plan. Based on the various criteria of the assessment, our water source has been determined to have a low susceptibility to contamination. You may request a summary of the Source Water Vulnerability Assessment from the Benton County Water District Office.

All 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 the water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.

In order to assure tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health.

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/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by cryptosporidium and other microbiological contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).

If you have any questions about this report or concerning your water utility, please contact the Manager, Wayne E. Allen, REM, at 479-636-0002. We want our valued customers to be informed about their water utility. If you want to learn more, please attend any of our regularly scheduled meetings. They are held on the third Tuesday of each month at 7:00 PM at our Water Office.

Benton County Water District # 1 and Benton - Washington Regional Public Water Authority routinely monitor for constituents in your drinking water according to Federal and State laws. The test results table shows the results of our monitoring for the period of January 1st to December 31st, 2006. In the table you might find terms and abbreviations you are not familiar with. To help you better understand these terms we've provided the following definitions:

BCWD – Benton County Water District

BWRPWA - Benton - Washington Regional Public Water Authority

Action Level - the concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow.

Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) - the highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology.

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 allow for a margin of safety.

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.

NA – not applicable

Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU) – a unit of measurement for the clarity of water. Turbidity in excess of 5 NTU is just noticeable to the average person.

Parts per million (ppm) – a unit of measurement for detected levels of contaminants in drinking water. One part per million corresponds to one minute in two years or a single penny in $10,000.

Parts per billion (ppb) - a unit of measurement for detected levels of contaminants in drinking water. One part per billion corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years, or a single penny in $10,000,000.

TEST RESULTS

MICROBIOLOGICAL CONTAMINANTS

Contaminant Violation

Y/N Level Detected Unit of

Measurement MCLG MCL Major Sources in Drinking Water

Turbidity

(BWRPWA) N Highest yearly sample result: 0.25 NTU NA > 0.3NTU in > 5% of samples or any 1 sample > 1 NTU Soil runoff

Lowest monthly % of samples meeting the turbidity limit: 100%

Turbidity is a measurement of the cloudiness of water. We monitor it because it is a good indicator of the effectiveness of our filtration system.

INORGANIC CONTAMINANTS

Contaminant Violation

Y/N Level Detected Unit of

Measurement MCLG MCL Major Sources in Drinking Water

Fluoride

(BWRPWA) N Average: 0.79

Range: 0.00 – 0.98 ppm 4 4 Water additive which promotes strong teeth

Nitrate

[as Nitrogen]

(BWRPWA) N 0.27 ppm 10 10 Runoff from fertilizer use; leaching from septic tanks, sewage; erosion of natural deposits

LEAD AND COPPER TAP MONITORING

Contaminant Number of Sites over Action Level 90th Percentile

Result Unit of Measurement Action Level Major Sources in Drinking Water

Lead (BCWD) 1 0.006 ppm 0.015 Corrosion from household plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits

Copper (BCWD) 0 0.21 ppm 1.3

Benton County Water District is on a reduced monitoring schedule and required to sample once every three years for lead and copper at the customers’ taps. Our last monitoring period was in 2006. Our next required monitoring period is the year 2009.

DISINFECTION BY-PRODUCT PRECURSORS: Benton - Washington Regional Public Water Authority

The percentage of Total Organic Carbon (TOC) removal was routinely monitored in 2005, and our water system met all TOC removal requirements set by USEPA. Total organic carbon (TOC) has no health effects. However, total organic carbon provides a medium for the formation of disinfection by-products. These by-products include trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs).

REGULATED DISINFECTANTS

Disinfectant Violation

Y/N Level Detected Unit of

Measurement MRDLG MRDL Major Sources in Drinking Water

Chlorine

(BWRPWA) N Average: 1.02

Range: 0.1 – 1.56 ppm 4 4 Water additive used to control microbes

VOLATILE ORGANIC CONTAMINANTS

Contaminant Violation

Y/N Level Detected Unit of

Measurement MCLG MCL Major Sources in Drinking Water

HAA5

[Haloacetic Acids]

(BCWD) N Highest running 12 month average: 42.0

Range: 24.2 – 99.4 ppb 0 60 By-products of drinking water disinfection

TTHM [Total

Trihalomethanes]

(BCWD) N Highest running 12 month average: 45.0

Range: 16.4 – 75.0 ppb NA 80

UNREGULATED CONTAMINANTS

Contaminant Level Detected Unit of Measurement MCLG Major Sources in Drinking Water

Chloroform (BWRPWA) 24.1 ppb NA By-products of drinking water disinfection

Bromodichloromethane (BWRPWA) 6.07 ppb 0

Dibromochloromethane 1.10 ppb 60

Unregulated contaminants are those for which EPA has not established drinking water standards. The purpose of unregulated contaminant monitoring is to assist EPA in determining the occurrence of unregulated contaminants in drinking water and whether future regulation is warranted. MCLs (Maximum Contaminant Levels) and MCLGs (Maximum Contaminant Level Goals) have not been established for all unregulated contaminants.