White Cloud Water Committee

               City of White Cloud

             Department of Public Works

                  2010

                   Consumers Annual Report on Water Quality
 

What is the purpose of this report?

White Cloud Public Works department wants you to know that your tap water is safe to drink and that it meets or surpasses all 2010 Federal and State monitoring and reporting standards for quality and safety.  Last year, as in years past, your tap water met all US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state drinking water health standards.  Local Water vigilantly safeguards its water supplies and once again, we are proud to report that our system has not violated a maximum contaminant level or any other water quality standard.

Where does my water come from?

The City of White Cloud pumps drinking water from three different locations.  The primary location is well number 1 and it is located near the Mill Pond just off State St.  Well #1 is 96 feet deep.  The second location is well number 2.  Well #2 is located in the same general area as Well #1 and is 97 feet deep.  The third and final location is well number 4.  This is the newest well on the system.  It is located near the northeast corner of the airport just off M-37 and is 200 feet deep.  The drinking water is stored in two different locations.  The first location is a 100,000 gallon elevated tank at the east end of Newell St.  This tank was cleaned and inspected in April of 2009.  The second location is a 200,000-gallon tank, which was constructed in 2000.  This tank is located on Pinehill St. East of North St.

Source water assessment and its availability

The Department of Environmental Quality performed an assessment of our source water in 2010 to determine the susceptibility or the relative potential of contamination.  The Susceptibility rating is on a six-tiered scale from “very low” to “high” based primarily on geologic sensitivity, water chemistry and contamination sources.  The well susceptibility of our source is “moderate” for well number 1, “moderate” for well number 2, and “moderately low” for well number 4.  A copy of the full report can be obtained by contacting the City of White Cloud at 12 N. Charles St. or by calling 231-689-1194.

Additional Monitoring

As part of an on-going evaluation program, the EPA has required us to monitor some additional contaminants/chemicals.  Information collected through the monitoring of these contaminants/chemicals will help to ensure that future decisions on drinking water standards are based on sound science.

How can you get involved?

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to attend any City Council meeting.  They are held on the first and third Mondays of every month at 7:00 pm at the City Hall, located at 12 N Charles St., White Cloud MI.

Other Information

The City has completed several small water main projects in the past year in an effort to improve both water flow and water quality.

What is meant by “contaminants” in your 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 Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).   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, 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 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 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 organics, which are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can come from gas stations, urban storm water runoff, and septic systems.
• Radioactive contaminants, which are naturally occurring or the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.

In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the EPA prescribes regulations that 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.

Water Quality Data Table

The table lists all of the drinking water contaminants that we detected during the 2010 calendar year.  The presence of contaminants in the water does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk.  Unless otherwise noted, the data presented on the following table is from testing done in the 2010 calendar year.  The EPA or the State requires us to monitor for certain contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants do not change frequently.

Lead

If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. The City of White Cloud is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components. When your water has been setting for several hours, 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. If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water tested. Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791 or at http://water.epa.gov/drink/info/lead/index.cfm.