Service Line Information
In October 2024, Arlington Water Utilities released the results of an 18-month-long water service line inventory. The inventory, which is available to the public at ArlingtonTX. gov / sli, began after the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency updated guidelines for lead and copper monitoring by public drinking water providers. None of the water service lines in Arlington were found to be made of lead.
Lead and Copper
SUBSTANCE UNITS
ACTION LEVEL
NO. OF SITES EXCEEDING ACTION LEVEL
90 % PERCENTILE
DETECTED RANGE
Lead( 2023) 3 ppb AL = 15 0 1.3 ND-5.34
Copper( 2023) 3 ppm AL = 1.3 0 0.175 0.015-0.357
POSSIBLE SOURCE OF SUBSTANCE
Corrosion of household plumbing systems
Corrosion of household plumbing systems
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Instead of MCLs for lead and copper, EPA requires that 90 % of water samples obtained from customers’ taps contain less than the Action Level for each metal.
The City of Arlington tests for lead every three years at 50 sites across the city, as required by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Results gathered in 2023 showed zero samples reading above the action level for lead or copper, which is set by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency( EPA). Because of its history of testing results registering well below established limits, Arlington’ s lead testing frequency was decreased from every six months to a three year schedule by the TCEQ. 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. Arlington Water Utilities is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but cannot control the variety of materials use in plumbing components.
Older homes( built before 1930) are more likely to have plumbing fixtures containing lead. 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 two minutes before using it 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 or at www. epa. gov / safewater / lead.
Radioactive Substances
SUBSTANCE UNITS
PB PLANT 2023
JK PLANT 2021
MCL
Radium 228 pCi / L < 1 < 1.0 5 NA Beta / Photon Emitters pCi / L 4.2 5.2 50 NA Gross Alpha Particle Activity pCi / L < 3 < 3.0 15 NA
MCLG
POSSIBLE SOURCE OF SUBSTANCE
Decay of natural and man-made deposits
Turbidity
TURBIDITY FOR BOTH PLANTS UNITS AVG. LEVEL
MIN. LEVEL MAX LEVEL.
MCL MCLG
POSSIBLE SOURCE OF SUBSTANCE
Highest single measurement NTU 0.10 0.03 0.38 TT = 1.0 0 Soil runoff
Percentage of samples less than 0.3 NTU
% 99.76 % TT = 95 %
Turbidity has no health effects. However, turbidity can interfere with disinfection and provide a medium for microbial growth. Turbidity may indicate the presence of disease-causing organisms. These organisms include bacteria, viruses and parasites that can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea and associated headaches.
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