City of Sylvania Water Quality Report

January 1,2007 thru December 31, 2007

The City of Sylvania water system provides safe drinking water to it’s residents, businesses, and visitors. The city of Sylvania wants you to be informed about your drinking water. We conducted over 1,000 laboratory tests for more than 25 drinking water parameters during this reporting period. We are proud to inform you that the City of Sylvania’s water system did not have any violations during this period. Also included in this report is information about where your water comes from, what it contains, and how it compares to set standards set by the federal and state regulatory agencies. Your water department is committed to providing our city with clean, safe, and reliable source of drinking water for all of us. For more information about your water or a copy of this report, please call city hall (912) 564-7411 or the utility department at (912) 564-7491. Our wells and distribution system are checked by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division. Our water system I.D number is 2510003. Your water comes from three (3) municipal groundwater wells that range from 276 feet to 489 feet deep. Our three (3) wells have generators for back up power in case of extended power outages. The water source is commonly called upper Floridian aquifer and provides ample volumes of water for our city. Our wells are located on west Ogeechee Street, off Rockyford Road, and Millen Road. Our wells are located on city owned property and are protected from activities which potentially could cause contamination of water source. In our efforts to supply you with the safest possible, the City of Sylvania chlorinates the water supply for disinfection, adds fluoride to enhance stronger and healthier teeth, and aquadene, which is a corrosion inhibitor. The level of these additives are monitored daily to ensure that the proper dosages are being added to our drinking water. We perform these chemical treatments at each of our three (3) wells. The City of Sylvania water department is an active participant in our city. Our employees are involved in many civic organizations and are pleased to offer information to the community water protection, water treatment, and water conservation. Our distribution system continues to grow. The City of Sylvania added new water mains, fire hydrants, and services to our system in 2007. The City of Sylvania water department is currently researching several options and ideas to ensure a safe and reliable water source for years to come. The City of Sylvania council meets twice each month, on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 6:P.M at city hall in the council chambers. Your participation or comments are welcome at these meetings.

Drinking water, including bottle water may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of containments does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a heath risk. More information about contaminates and potential effects can be obtained by calling the EPA’s Safe drinking water hotline at (800) 426-4791.

Some people may be more vulnerable to containments in drinking water than the general population. Immuno-compromised persons such as with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, a person who has 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 heed advice about drinking from their health care providers. EPA/CDC guideline on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the safe drinking water hotline at (800) 426-4791. Contaminants that may be present in source water before it is treated: Microbial contaminants: viruses and bacteria which may come from sewage plants, septic tank systems, agricultural and livestock operations, and wildlife. Inorganic contaminants: salts and metals which can be naturally occurring or the results from urban storm runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharge, oil and gas production, mining, and farm operation. Organic chemical contaminants: including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which come as by products of industrial processes and petroleum production. They can also come from gas stations, urban storm water runoff, and septic tank systems. Pesticides and herbicides: which may come from a variety of sources such as agricultural, urban storm water runoff, and residential uses. Radioactive contaminants: which can be naturally occurring activity or can be the results of oil and gas production and mining activities.

In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by the public water systems. Food and drug administration regulations established limits for contaminants in bottle water, which must provide the same protection for the public.

The table below lists all the drinking water contaminants we detected during the 2007 calendar year. The presence of the contaminants in water does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a heath risk. Unless otherwise noted, the data presented in this table is from testing done January 1, 2007 thru December 31, 2007. EPA requires us to monitor for certain contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants are not expected to vary significantly from year to year. Some of the data, though representative of the water quality, is more than one year old. Terms and abbreviations used below:Maximum contaminant level goal (MCLG): The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to heath. MCLG, s allow for a margin of safety. Action level (AL): the concentration of a contaminant which, when exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow.

Detected regulated inorganic contaminants

Parameter MCL MCLG SYLVANIA RANGE SAMPLE DATE VIOLATION

BARIUM (ppm) 2 2 0.056 .052-.056 4-23-01 no FLOURIDE (ppm) 4 4 .81 .76-1.15 12-10-07 no Typical source of contaminants: BARIUM: erosion of natural deposits FLOURIDE: water additive, which promotes strong teeth The City of Sylvania Water Department also monitors unregulated parameters in order to assist EPA in determining where certain contaminants occur and whether additional regulations may be necessary. Unless noted, the data for the table of unregulated drinking water contaminants listed below are the results of testing done January 1, 2007 – December 31, 2007.

Detected unregulated inorganic contaminants

PARAMETER MCL/MCLG SYLVANIA RANGE SAMPLE DATE VIOLATION

MANGANESE (ppm) unregulated 0.43 0.43 4-23-01 NO ZINC (ppm) unregulated 0.46 0.46 4-23-01 NO Typical source of contaminants: MANGANESE: erosion of natural deposits ZINC: erosion of natural deposits The City of Sylvania’s Water Department also monitors for lead and copper. We started monitoring for lead and copper in 1992 by taking samples from 40 homes on our system. After two (2) sample periods, we were allowed to reduce our monitoring to 20 homes per sample period. This was allowed because all of our samples were well below the alarm level (AL). We are still on reduced monitoring. Our last samples were collected September 2007. Below is a table of the results of our last samples for lead and copper.

LEAD AND COPPER TABLE – REGULATED AT THE CUSTOMERS TAP

PARAMETER AL MCLG SYLVANIA VIOLATIONS # OF SITES ABOVE AL LEAD (ppm) 15 0 1.1 NO NO sites above AL COPPER (ppm) 1.3 1.3 0.41 NO NO sites above AL Typical source of contaminants: LEAD: corrosion of household plumbing COPPER: corrosion of household plumbing 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 Sylvania is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but 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. If you are concerned about lead in your water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the safe drinking water hotline or at htt://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.com The City of Sylvania Water Department also monitors for total coliforms and fecal coliforms every month. We collected 48 samples for the year 2007. We had zero (0) positive samples for total coliforms and zero (0) positive samples for fecal coloforms. We will continue to sample for these contaminants to ensure that our water system remains free of these contaminants. Water is a very important natural resource to all of us. The City of Sylvania wants you to use your water wisely and to practice good water conservation practices. Below are some tips for watering your lawn. When you water lawn, one inch of water is ideal. Excess watering can cause disease problems in your lawn. If you over-water your lawn, you waste your money, remove needed nutrients from the soil, and waste water. The Georgia Department of Natural resources is announcing a set of year round conservation-based outdoor water use restrictions to become effective on June 1, 2003. DNR is requesting that water utilities throughout Georgia encourage their water customers to voluntarily schedule water use in compliance with the following schedule: Odd numbered addresses water on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays (no hourly limits) Even numbered addresses water on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays (no hourly limits) After a period of voluntarily implementation of these measures, the restrictions will become mandatory and the Environmental Protection Division (EPD) will monitor systems compliance. This action is being taken in concept with the Board of Natural resources March 26, 2003 adoption of a statewide drought management plan. That drought plan includes a set of outdoor water restrictions to be implemented during non-drought periods. DNR envisions these restrictions as one of a number of water conservation elements expected to be in a comprehensive statewide water conservation plan currently being developed. This kind of staggered outdoor water use plan has been shown to be effective water demand management tool. Managing water demand is particularly important in regions experiencing rapid growth, and few states are growing faster than Georgia has grown in the past 15 years. This water conservation initiative will help preserve a precious natural resource, help to protect and increasing fragile aquatic environment, and increase water supply opportunities for future generations. Our certified water operators welcome your input on water conservation or any other concerns you have about your water. Please feel free to call City Hall at (912) 563-7411 or the utility office at (912) 564-7491 with any questions you may have. A copy of this report is available at City Hall located at 104 South Main Street or at the utility office located at 130 North Community Drive. Also a copy of this report will be posted at the Screven County Library.

Last Updated ( Monday, 14 July 2008 )