Annual Report On Water Quality

As part of the federal Safe Drink Act of 1996, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires water utilities to provide their customers with a water quality report annually.

• Where does your water come from?

  Our water is pumped from several aquifer levels of the Clover/Chambers Creek Basin as it flows to Puget Sound. The company owns twelve wells which range from 30 to 630 feet deep. Stored water is kept in five above-ground water storage tanks-two are ground level tanks, one elevated tank, and two are standpipes. These tanks can store a total of 5,600,000 gallons of water. The water system is operated by gravity distribution, and supplies ample fire protection throughout the PL&WCo service area, as well as providing the domestic and commercial daily needs of the community.

• Company History

  PL&WCo is the nations oldest mutual utility, established February 17, 1914. Pacific Lutheran University forefathers and a community of forward thinking homemakers inspired the idea of the mutual. They had been around cooperatives in their native Scandinavian countries. The first manager (E.B. Ellingson) guided the volunteer labors of home owners who set poles and strung wire to bring in power, and dug ditches and installed open flumes to bring water to Parkland.

• Why is chlorine added to my water?

  As the water is pumped from the wells, chlorine is added as a disinfectant. Chlorine must be added to the drinking water to protect you from possible disease-causing microorganisms. The amount of chlorine used is at a minimum level necessary to maintain detectable levels of the disinfectant throughout the water distribution system. In addition, some of the wells produce slightly acidic water. Where this occurs, sodium hydroxide is added to the water to raise the pH level and results in reducing the slightly corrosive nature of the water. Sodium fluoride is added to help prevent tooth decay.

• Where do the contaminants come from?

  As water travels over the surface of the land and filters down through the ground, it may pick up substances that are in the earth. These substances may be there naturally, as the result of the presence of animals or from human activity.
  
  Untreated drinking water could contain biological contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria; inorganic constituents, such as salts and metals; pesticides and herbicides; organic chemicals from industrial or petroleum use, or naturally occurring radioactive materials or minerals. Some of these contaminants are harmless but make the water unappealing. Others could cause illness.
  
  More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791) or PL&WCo at 253-531-5666.
• A source water protection plan is available at the PL&W Co. office, which provides more information, such as potential sources of contamination.
• PL&W Co. is pleased to report that our drinking water is safe and meets federal and state requirements. If you have any questions or want to learn more, visist www.plw.coop or call Dale Budzinski, water superintendent, at (253) 531-5666 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• We want our valued customers to be informed about their water utility. You also may attend any of our monthly board meetings. Please call the number above for the date and time.
• PL&W Co. routinely monitors for constituents in your drinking water according to federal and state laws. The table below shows the results of our monitoring for the period January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2009.
• 
  In this table you will find many terms and abbreviations you might not be familiar with. To help you better understand these terms we've provided the following definitions:
  
  Non-Detects (ND) - laboratory analysis indicates that the constituent is not present.
  Parts per million (ppm) or MilliQrams per liter (ttel) - one part per million.
  Parts per billion (ppb) or Micro rams per liter - one part per billion.
  Picocuries per liter (pCi/L) - picocuries per liter is a measure of the radioactivity in water.
  Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU) - nephelometric turbidity unit is a measure of the clarity of water. Turbidity in excess of 5 NTH is just noticeable to the average person.
  Action Level (AL) - the concentration of a contaminant which. if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow.
  Treatment Technique (TT') - A treatment technique is a required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.
  Maximum Contaminant Level - The "Maximum Allowed - (MCL) is 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 - The "Goal" (MCLG) is 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.
  P - Parkland Light and Water Test Results.
  
  

  Contaminant and range found	Violation	Level detected	Unit of Measure	MCLG	MCL	Likely source of contamination
  Microbiological Contaminants
  Total coliform bacteria	No	0	15 samples-biweekly	0	0	Naturally present in environments
  Fecal coliform and E coli	No	0	15 samples-biweekly	0	0	Human and animal fecal waste
  Inorganic Contaminants
  Arsenic ND-9 2009	No	9P	ppb	10	10	Erosion of natural deposits; runoff from orchards; runoff from glass and electronics production wastes
  Arsenic ND-5 2009	No	5L
  Chlorine 0.2-1.2 2009	No	1.2P	ppm	1.2	4	Water additive used to control microbes
  Copper <0.02-0.03 2009	No	0.03P	ppm	1.3	AL=1.3	Corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits
  Copper <0.02 2009	No	<0.02L	ppm
  Fluoride 0.8-1.7 2009	No	1.7P	ppm	4	4	Erosion of natural deposits; water additive that promotes strong teeth
  Fluoride <0.2 2009	No	0.2L	ppm
  Lead <0.002 2009	No	<0.002P	ppm	0	AL=1.3	Corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits
  Lead <0.002 2010	No	<0.002L	ppm
  Nitrate <0.2-2.9 2009	No	2.9P	ppm	10	10	Runoff from fertilizer use; leaching from septic tanks, sewage; erosion of natural deposits
  Nitrate ND-2 2009	No	2L	ppm
  Volatile Organic Contaminants
  HAAs ND=2.6 2009	No	2.6P	ppb	60	60	Byproduct of drinking water disinfection
  HAAs ND 2009	No	NDL	ppb
  TTHM ND-9.9 2009	No	9.9P	ppb	80	80	Byproduct of drinking water chlorination
  TTHM ND-9.9 2009	No	4.0L	ppb
  Xylenes ND-1.2 2009	No	1.2P	ppm	10	10	Discharge from petroleum and chemical factories
  Radioactive Contaminants
  Gross Alpha ND-1.3 2009	No	1.3P	pCi/1	0	15	Discharge of natural deposits

  
  As you can see by the table, PL&W Co.'s system had no violations. We are proud that your drinking water meets or exceeds all federal and state requirements. We have learned through our monitoring and testing that some contaminants have been detected. The EPA has determined that your water is safe at these levels.
• Infants and young children are typically more vulnerable to lead in drinking water than the general population. Lead levels at your home amy be higher than at other homes in the community because of materials used in your home's plumbing.
• If you are concerned about elevated lead levels in your home's water, you may wish to have your water tested. Flushing your tap for 30 seconds to two minutes before using the tap water greatly reduces the intake of lead.
• Additional information is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hot line at (800) 426-4791.
• In our continuing effort to maintain a safe and dependable water supply, it may be necessary to make improvements in the water system. The costs of these improvements in the water system. The costs of these improvements may be reflected in the rate structure. Rate adjustments may be necessary to address some improvements.
• We at PL&W Co. work around the clock to provide top-quality water to every tap. We ask that all of our customers help us protect our water sources, which are the heart of our community, our way of life and our children's future.

• PL&WCo. Delivers

• As your water provider, we are constantly monitoring your water to make sure it is safe and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We make sure there is an adequate supply of water to meet community needs.
• We carefully treat water to remove any potentially harmful contaminants. We disinfect water to make sure it is safe when it reaches your faucet. We maintain an elaborate underground network of mains and pipes to get it there.
• We delivers more than water. We deliver public health, fire protection, support for the economy and the overall quality of life we enjoy. Our jobs is to ensure that your water keeps flowing not only today, but also well into the future. It is all part of our commitment to serve you and everyone in our community.
• Please call our offices if you have questions.

• DRINKING WATER

  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 (800) 426-4791.
  
  

  Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immuno-compromised persons-such as those with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, people 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 microbial contaminatns are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hot line at (800) 426.4791.

Notice to Our Water Customers

We would like to inform our customers that on March 5, 2010, the fluoride system at Parkland Light & Water Co.'s (PL&WCo.) Mayfair Tank facility on Golden Given Road E and 145th Street E indicated a low fluoride level. Since the warning system worked as it was designed, water treatment plant operators were able to stop the production of low fluoridated water within minutes. The well was turned off for the weekend.

On Monday, March 8, an inspection of the chemical dosing equipement was performed, which identified the cause to the low fluoride level and corrections were made.

The Washington State Department of Health (WSDOH) was notified of this incident and it was determined that at no time the public health was at risk. WSDOH informed PL&WCo. to do the following:

Make adjustments to bring the remaining water in the Mayfair Tank back up to optimal fluoride levels before pumping continued.

Notify our customers in the next available publication.

Include this public notice in our 2011 consumer confidence report of water quality.

It was determined that the fluoride level was 0.6 mg/L, which is lower than the optimal level of 0.8 to 1.3 mg/L for dental health benefits. The 400,000-gallon tank was half full, which allowed it to be filled with a higher dosage of fluoridated water to bring all of the water back to the optimal levels between 0.8 to 1.3 mg/L.