Drinking water consumer confidence report Published June 27, 2011 By Bioenvironmental Engineering 673 AMDS/SGPB JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- Drinking Water Quality JBER's Drinking Water Mission A water utility seldom takes the opportunity to tell its customers about all they are doing to produce exceptional quality drinking water in conjunction with the myriad of additional things the utility does to ensure public safety. All too often, we concentrate only on our mission of producing water that goes through a rigorous testing and quality control process before being introduced into a water distribution system for customers. Beyond that, we don't broadcast what we are doing. In essence, we fail to "toot our own horn." The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC) have given us an opportunity to tell the rest of our story in the form of this annual Consumer Confidence Report. Doyon Utilities and 673rd Bioenvironmental Engineering are pleased to jointly prepare this comprehensive report for our customers who work and reside on both sides of the JBER boundary. Our goals and efforts have been closely coordinated with the environmental staff from both Elmendorf and Richardson to provide you with a complete picture of the water quality program. As you will clearly see from the report, the water you consume is of exceptional quality and clearly exceeds the standards established by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Who are we? While there are two Public Water Systems at JBER, the two systems are connected and in essence operate as a continuous system from the water plant to the consumer. The commonality of the two systems allows us to efficiently operate as a team in order to serve our most deserving customers; the military personnel and civilian employees assigned to the joint installation. This report will provide many technical aspects of our water quality but just as importantly, it will allow us an opportunity to let you know some of the work going on behind the scenes. Doyon Utilities owns and operates the utilities located at JBER-Richardson. This relationship was initially established through a Utility Privatization Contract with the Army at Ft. Richardson and later expanded due to the Joint Basing efficiency program that consolidated Richardson and Elmendorf. The bulk of JBER's water originates at the Ship Creek Dam above the water treatment plant on the Richardson side of JBER. As the water purveyor on JBER-Richardson, Doyon manages the water plant and distribution lines, while conducting a myriad of bacteriological and chemical tests to ensure all quality standards are met. Once the water reaches the JBER-Elmendorf side, the 673d Civil Engineering (CE) Group and 673d Medical Group (MDG) Bioenvironmental Engineering take over. CE provides distribution system oversight, while Bioenvironmental Engineering monitors water quality. This includes additional testing of the system for bacteriological contamination, with each major loop and/or population area sampled at least once per month. Additionally, several select chemical contaminants are re-sampled to verify results seen on JBERRichardson, as required by the State of Alaska. The results of Bioenvironmental Engineering's samples, in conjunction with those obtained by Doyon Utilities, are used to ensure base wide water quality. In order to ensure long term reliability of the water source, we have conducted assessment studies of the Ship Creek Dam and water treatment plant to determine areas where we need to focus our resources. As a result of those condition assessments, we initiated a comprehensive repair project of the Ship Creek Dam and several smaller projects within the water treatment plant. Some of the Ship Creek Dam projects will continue into future years, but the overarching goal is to always improve the quality of your water. It is important for us to report that the water treatment and distribution system is reliable and the required projects are being scheduled when appropriate. Our water treatment plant receives continuous oversight because of the critical nature of the drinking water it produces. Rest assured, the quality of water you drink is superb and our standards will not be compromised. Testing results from 2010 are included in this report and from the data, you can be confident that the dedicated staff of highly qualified and state certified professional water treatment operators will protect the integrity and quality of your drinking water. After all, our reputation is only as good as the quality of water we produce and we value that reputation! The banner of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson is flying high. We are proud to be partners in the preparation and publication of this annual Consumer Confidence Report and would welcome any suggestions on how to make it more informative in the future. And as a side note, we encourage you to use the water you need but don't needlessly use water. Conservation of any resource is important and we ask you to do your part in this effort. Where does our water come from? JBER's drinking water is obtained primarily from the Upper Ship Creek Drainage Area in the Ship Creek Watershed. Because the drainage area is contained within the Chugach State Park, it is protected from many chemicals (such as pesticides) that may be found in other surface water sources. While the chemical properties of the raw (untreated) water are not assessed, the JBER treatment plant routinely examines the physical quality of the raw water, including pH, turbidity, hardness, color and alkalinity. Additional water is obtained from three groundwater wells located on post. Before entering the JBER Treatment and Distribution System, raw water from Ship Creek flows through a series of bar racks and screens designed to remove large debris that can damage the treatment facility. The plant uses a series of conventional water treatment processes including coagulation (causes contaminants to clump together), flocculation (increases the size of the clumps), sedimentation (settles the clumps from the water), rapid sand filtration (removes smaller particles and contaminants), and chlorination (disinfects the treated water). The plant is designed to produce approximately 7 million gallons of water per day - enough to fill over 8 Olympic competition-size pools! All of our treatment processes are controlled and monitored by an interconnected set of computers known as a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system. This SCADA system constantly monitors the treatment and distribution system and alerts the system operators in the unlikely event of a process disruption or malfunction. Additionally, the SCADA system operates three groundwater wells used to supplement the system during times of peak demand (such as early morning and evening when people are cooking or conducting personal hygiene activities). Because groundwater is a very high quality source of raw water, the only treatment necessary is disinfection. Each well is equipped with its own in-line chlorination equipment to ensure that water enters the distribution system free from any microbial contamination. The finished water is tested several times a day to ensure that pH and chlorine residuals are at appropriate levels. Water Testing and Your Health The sources of drinking water (both tap and bottled) include rivers, lakes, ponds, reservoirs, springs and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or underground, it can dissolve naturally occurring minerals. In some cases, water can pick up radioactive material, or substances resulting from the presence of animals or human activity. Although our water supply may contain some of these contaminants, it is important to know that these substances are either removed completely or reduced to a safe level before it arrives at your tap. Contaminants that may be present in source water include: · Microbial Contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment facilities, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations and wildlife. · Inorganic Contaminants, such as salts and metals, which may naturally occur or result from urban storm water runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharge, oil and gas production or farming. · Pesticides and Herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban storm water runoff, and residential uses. · Organic Contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic compounds, which are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and may also come from gas stations, urban storm water runoff and septic systems. · Radioactive Contaminants, which may occur naturally or result from oil and gas production and mining activities. In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the EPA prescribes regulations, which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. Food and Drug Administration regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water, which must provide the same protection for public health. 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. Some people in the general population may be more vulnerable than others to contaminants in drinking water. Immuno-compromised persons such those with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, persons with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly and infants can be particularly at risk of infection. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. EPA/CDC published guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791). We're happy to answer any other questions about our water quality. For general information or for water quality questions call Doyon Utilities site management office at 907-338-3600 or JBER Bioenvironmental Engineering at 907-384-7790. Other Resources: Environmental Protection Agency's Safe Drinking Water Hotline: 1-800-426-4791. Water Quality Data for community water systems throughout the United States is available at www.waterdata.com. Drinking Water Test Results 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 EPA's Safe Drinking Water hotline at 1-800-426-4791. The table lists the Regulated Contaminants required to be monitored by the EPA that were detected in your water. While most monitoring is required annually, some contaminants are sampled less frequently. The Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule required testing for trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids at the farthest end of the distribution system or any part of the system that retains water the farthest from the water treatment facility. This sampling was done quarterly in 2010. All the substances we found were present in quantities less than the EPA's limits for safe drinking water. If you would like to view a complete listing of test results, please call Jennifer Glanville at 907-384-7790 or Kathleen Hook at 907-455-1540. Lead/Copper in Drinking Water The EPA Safe Drinking Water Act requires public water systems to test water samples from its customers to determine lead and copper levels. If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially in pregnant women and young children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. There is nothing in the treatment process that would introduce lead into the water; therefore, the water is tested at the individual service locations. If abnormal levels of lead or copper are detected in the water supply, residents will be notified and JBER will initiate action to correct the problem. One method to minimize the risk of lead or copper contamination is to let the tap water run for 30 seconds to 2 minutes to flush any water that has been sitting for several hours. It is important to use this approach for drinking water or cooking water. Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead. Fluoride In late April 2010, the JBER Water Treatment Plant experienced a spike of fluoride in the water supply that exceeded the EPA's guidelines of 4 parts per million for a period of 40 hours. Some people who drink water containing fluoride in excess of the MCL over many years could get bone disease, including pain and tenderness of the bones. Fluoride in drinking water at half the MCL or more may cause mottling of children's teeth, usually in children less than nine years old. Mottling, also known as dental fluorosis, may include brown staining and/or pitting of the teeth, and occurs only in developing teeth before they erupt from the gums. The excess fluoride levels were caused by human error when a fluoride injection feeder control was adjusted improperly. Within hours the excess fluoride was detected by the operator in charge at the Water Treatment Plant and immediate action was taken to notify JBER residents of the issue while activating a response team effort to flush the water distribution mains and individual services. Do Not Drink notices were issued throughout JBER until samples indicated a return of fluoride concentration levels below 2 parts per million which is lower than the EPA guidelines for consumption. While the fluoride levels exceeded allowable levels, it is important to note that immediate action was taken to mitigate the exposure and there were no health related issues resulting from the incident. As a follow-up to the incident, JBER implemented procedural changes to increase fluoride level testing frequency, has replaced the fluoride injection system controls and provided the Alaska Department of Conservation an action plan to ensure such an incident does not recur. Hydrant Maintenance Hydrant maintenance is a top priority for our utility! Twice a year, April and September, we visit each hydrant in our system. We test the water flow at each hydrant and make sure each one is working properly. This is our way to provide superior fire protection to ensure the safety and well being of our consumers. Source Water Assessment For the last several years, the ADEC has been working on assessments of the vulnerability of the water sources that provide water to all of the public water systems in Alaska. The source water assessment for JBER's Water Treatment Plant has been completed and is available for review by contacting Jennifer Glanville at 907-384-7790 or Kathleen Hook at 907-455-1540. Staff Summary Sheet