June 27, 2019 612 PM
SPECIAL NOTICE
You may be more vulnerable than the general population to certain microbial contaminants, such as Cryptosporidium, in drinking water. Infants, some elderly or immunocompromised persons such as those undergoing chemotherapy for cancer; those who have undergone organ transplants; those who are undergoing treatment with steroids; and people with HIV/ AIDS or other immune system disorders can be particularly at risk from infections. You should seek advice about drinking water your physician or health care provider. Additional guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791.
Our Drinking Water Meets or Exceeds all Federal (EPA) Drinking Water Requirements
This report is a summary of the quality of the water we provide our customers. The analysis was made by using the data from the most recent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) required tests and is presented in the attached pages. We hope this information helps you become more knowledgeable about what’s in your drinking water.
Source of Drinking 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, radioactive material, and can pickup 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-occuring or result from urban storm water runoff, and residential uses.
– 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 chemical, which are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations , urban storm water runoff, and septic systems .
– Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.
In order to ensure that the tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. FDA regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health.
Contaminants may be found in drinking water that may cause taste, color, or odor problems. Theses types of problems are not necessarily causes for health concerns. For more information on taste, odor, or color of drinking water please contact Jeff Boyd, City of Marfa, 432-295-1648.
You may be more vulnerable than the general population to certain microbial contaminants, such as Cryptosporidium, in drinking water. Infants, some elderly, or immunocompromised persons such as those undergoing chemotherapy for cancer; persons who have undergone organ transplants; those who are undergoing treatment with steroids; and people with HIV/ AIDS or other immune systems disorders, can be particularly at risk from infections. You should seek advice about drinking water from your physician or health care providers. Additional guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by
Cryptosporidium are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).
If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Lead in drinking water is primarily form materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. We are responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but we cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components. When your water has been sitting 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 . ff 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 or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.
Fluoride
Many public water systems are required by federal regulations to routinely analyze the fluoride levels in the drinking water they provide to consumers. Analyses of the drinking water in Marfa has found a level of 2.8 mg/I of fluoride. The U S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set a standard for: fluoride at 2.0 mg/I to minimize the occurrence of objectionable dental fluorosis.
Fluoride at the appropriate levels in the drinking water of children up to the age of nine, reduces cavities. However, children exposed to levels of fluoride greater than 1.0 to 2.0 mg/I may develop dental fluorosis in their permanent teeth.
Dental fluorosis, in its moderate and sever forms, is a discoloration (brown staining) and pitting of teeth.
Drinking water containing more than 4mg/l of fluoride (the US Environmental Protection Agency’s drinking water standard) can increase your risk of developing bone disease. Your drinking water does not contain more than 4mg/l of fluoride, but we are required to notify when we discover that the fluoride levels in your drinking water exceed 2mg/l because of this cosmetic dental problem.
Because fluoride affects only developing teeth, households without children would not be expected to be affected by this level of fluoride. Individuals with children under the age of nine are encouraged to seek other sources of drinking water for their children.
The EPA Maximum Contaminant Level (mcl) for fluoride is 4.0 mg/I. That standard is based upon crippling skeletal fluorosis, which may result from levels of 4.0 mg/I or more. The MCL is an enforceable standard and has been set to protect public health.
Your water supplier can lower the concentration of fluoride to the level where beneficial effects still occur (cavity prevention) and where the occurrence of dental fluorosis is minimal. The technology for the removal is currently available but the use of this technology by your utility will increase your monthly water bill. Treatment systems for the removal of fluoride from drinking_ water are also available for home use. Information On such systems is available at the above address. Low fluoride bottled drinking water that would meet all standards is also available .
Where do we get our drinking water?
Our drinking water is obtained from Ground water sources. We have 3 wells and all our water comes out of the Igneous Aquifer.
A Source water Susceptibility Assessment for your drinking water source(s) is currently being updated by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. This information describes the susceptib ility and types of constituents that may come into contact with your drinking water source based on human activities and natural conditions. The information contained in the assessment allows us to focus source water protection strategies.
For more information about your sources of water, please refer to the Source Water Assessment Viewer available at the following URL: https:// gis3.tceq.state.us/swav/controller/index.jsp?wtrsre==
For further details about sources and source-water assessments are available in Drinking Water Watch at the following URL: http://dww.tceq.texas.gov /DWW
Any detections of these contaminants may be found in this Consumer Confident Report. For more information on source water assessments and protection efforts at our system, contact Jeff Boyd
(432)295-1648.
ALL Drinking water may contain contaminants.
When drinking water meets federal standards the may not be any health-based benefits to purchasing bottled water or point of use devices.
Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonable 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 (800-426-4791 ).
Secondary Constituents Many constituents (such as calcium, sodium , or iron) which are often found in drinking water , can cause taste, color and odor problems . The taste and odor constituents are called secondary constituents and are regulated by the State of Texas, not the EPA. These constituents are not causes for health concerns. Therefore, secondaries are not required to be reported in this document but they may greatly affect the appearance and taste of your water.
About the Following page
The pages that follow list all the federally regulated or monitored constituents, which have been found in your drinking water. U.S. EPA requires water systems to test up to 97 constituents.
DEFINITIONS
Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL)
The highest permissible level of a contaminant in drinking water. MCL’s 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 health risk. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety .
Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level (MRDL)
The highest level of 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 contamination.
Treatment Technique (TT)
A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.
Action Level (AL)
The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow .
mrem: millirems per year (a measure of radiation absorbed by the body)
ppb: micrograms per liter or parts per billion – or one ounce in 7,350,000 gallons of water.
na: not applicable .
Avg: Regulatory compliance with some MCLs are based on running annual average of monthly samples.
ppm: milligrams per liter or parts per million – or one ounce in 7,350 gallons of water.
Abbreviations
NTU – Nephelometric Turbidity Units
MFL – million fibers per liter (a measure of asbestos
pCi/1- Pico curies per liter ( a measure of radioactivity)
ppm – parts per million or milligrams per liter (mg/I)
ppb-parts per billion or micrograms per liter (ug/1)
ppt – parts per trillion or nanograms per liter
ppq – parts per quadrillion or picograms per liter
Public Participation Opportunities
Date and Time: City Council meetings are held on the 2nd Tuesday and 4th Thursday of each month at 6:00 p.m.
Location:Casner Room at City Hall 113 S. Highland Street
Phone Number: 432-729-4315
En Espanol
Este informe incluye informaci6n importante sobre el agua potable. Si tiene preguntas o comentarios sobre este informe en espafiol, favor de Hamar al tel. 432-729-4315 – para hablar con una persona bilingue en español.
