Annual Drinking Water Quality Report
City of Marlette
June 20, 2009
We at the City of Marlette are very pleased to provide you with this year’s Annual Water Quality Report. We want t to keep you informed about the excellent water we have delivered you over the past year. Our goal is, and always will be, to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water.
If you have any questions regarding this report or concerning your water utility, please contact Marlette City Hall 6436 Morris Street, Marlette, Mi 48453, 989-635-7448 or Paul Balk at 989-635-7471. Hours of operation are 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Monday thru Friday. We want our valued customers to be informed about their water utility. If you want to learn more, please attend any of the Council meetings. Council meetings are held on the first and third Monday of each month at Marlette City Hall.
The Marlette Water Department routinely monitors for contaminants in your drinking water according to State and Federal laws. This report shows results for the monitoring period of January 1 thru December 31, 2008. As water travels over the land or underground it can pick up substances or contaminants such as microbes, organic and inorganic chemicals and radioactive substances. All drinking water, including bottled water, may be reasonably expected to contain at least small amounts of some constituents. It is important to remember that the presence of a constituent does not necessarily pose a health risk. In order to insure tap water is safe the EPS prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in the water provided by the public water systems. The Food and Drug Administration regulations establish limits in bottled water, which provide the same protection for public health.
Contaminants that may be present in the source water include:
Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, agriculture livestock operations and wild life.
Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally occurring or the result of urban storm water 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 storm water runoff, and residential uses.
Organic Chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are by products of industrial processes and petroleum products, and also can come from gas stations, urban storm water runoff and septic systems.
Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or the result of oil and gas production.
Test Results:
Constituent Violation Level Detected Measurement MCL MCLG Likely Source of contaminant
Yes/No Unit
Arsenic* No 0.010 ppm 0.010 0*** Erosion of natural deposits
Copper**** No 0.0 ppm AL 1.3 Corrosion or household plumbing systems
Lead**** No 1.0 ppb AL 0 Corrosion of household
Plumbing systems
Fluoride No .97 – 1.0 ppm 4000 4000 Erosion of natural deposits
Sodium No 53.0 – 61.0 ppm NA NA Erosion of natural deposits
57.0 average
Barium No 0.8 – 1.0 ppb 2000 2000 Discharge of drilling waste,
Discharge from metal refines
or erosion of natural deposits
Sulfate No 13.0 – 42 ppm NA NA Naturally present mineral and
Nietruint in soil and water
We have learned through our monitoring and testing that some constituents have been detected. The preceding table shows the constituents that were detected; in addition to these we tested for sixty-nine other constituents, which were non-detects. The City also tests bi-monthly at several locations for coliforms. The Environmental Protection Agency and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality have determined that your water IS SAFE at these levels.
Tests for certain contaminants are required by the State and Federal agencies less than once a year because of the unlikelihood of the concentrations changing. The most recent testing period for arsenic was 2008, for barium 2003. ***While your drinking water meets EPA standards for arsenic it does contain low levels of arsenic. EPA standards balance the current understanding of arsenic’s possible health effects against the cost of removing arsenic from the drinking water. EPA continues to research the health effects of low levels of arsenic, which is a mineral known to cause cancer in humans at high concentrations and is linked to other health effects such as skin damage and circulatory problems.
***These arsenic values are effective January 23, 2007. Until then the MCL is 0.010 ppm and there is no MCLG.
****These are the 90th percentile results. None of the ten monitoring sites exceed the action level for lead or copper.
S
ome people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in the 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 disorders, some elderly and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. EPA/CDC guidelines an appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by cryptosporidium and other microbiological contaminants from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).
Your water comes from three groundwater wells each over 263 feet deep drawing from the Marshall Sandstone Aquifer. The Department of Environmental Quality performed an assessment of our water source in 2004 to determine the susceptibility or the relative potential of contamination. The susceptibility rating is on a six-tiered scale from “very low” to “very high” based primarily on geological sensitivity, water chemistry and contaminant sources. The susceptibility rating of our source is high for wells one and two. Well number three has a moderate susceptibility rating.
We are making efforts to protect our sources by using a grant from Clean Michigan Initiate AWM grant program to locate and plug abandoned wells. If you would like to know more about the susceptibility report or receive a copy please contact City of Marlette at 6436 Morris Street, 989-635-7448 or on the web at www.cityofmarlette.com.
Definitions:
Action Level: The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow.
Maximum contaminant level: The “Maximum Allowed” (MCL) is highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCL’s 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 contaminant in the drinking water below that there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety.
Non-detects: (ND) Laboratory analysis indicates that the constituent is not present.
Parts per billion: (PPB) or micrograms per liter. One part per billion corresponds to one minute in 200 years or a single penny in $10,000,000.
Parts per million: (PPM) or milligrams per liter (mg/l). One part per million corresponds to one minute in two years or a single penny in $10,000.
NA: Not applicable.
Please call City of Marlette if you have any questions 989-635-7448.
