Consumer Confidence Report Water Quality Report 2014

A s you read through this report, you will notice that drinking water produced by Arlington Water Utilities meets or exceeds all Federal and State drinking water quality regulations. Substances found in Arlington water are well below the maximum allowable levels. The information included in this report reflects the data collected from January 1 through December 31, 2014, unless noted otherwise. How is Arlington water treated? The water in Arlington is treated at two state of the art water treatment plants. Ozone is used as the primary disinfectant. Aluminum sulfate and a cationic polymer are added Reservoirs to help dirt and other particles clump together and settle out during treat- ment. The water is then filtered through granular activated carbon beds to remove Pre-Ozonation smaller particles and substances that are Mixing chamber dissolved in the water. The water is then chloraminated (treated with chlorine and then ammonia) as it enters the clearwell for storage. Chloramine is the secondary disinfectant that keeps the water safe on its way to your faucet. Drinking water, including bottled The water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some constituents. The presence of these constituents does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the EPA prescribes regulations that Arlington Water Fact Arlington has 10 water towers to supply enough water to all residents during peak demands Is Arlington water safe to drink? Absolutely. Our employees take great pride in producing and delivering to you, our customer, water that meets all Federal and State regulations. To ensure your water is of the highest quality, Arlington Water Utilities Laboratory closely Raw water Primary pump station disinfection monitors the drinking water (Ozone) Filters at over 120 distribution locations throughout the city. In 2014, the laboratory Secondary Coagulation Sedimentation disinfection (Chloramine) basin basin collected 5,507 samples and performed 13,870 tests Clearwell storage monitoring 144 different analytes. Distribution sending it to the distribution system. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791 or visiting the EPA website at www.epa.gov/safewater. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Safe Drinking Water Hotline limit the amount of certain substances in water provided by public water systems. The treatment process removes these substances from the raw water and provides further protection prior to Did You Know… Drinking water can sometimes appear cloudy or milky when first drawn from the tap. This can be caused by tiny air bubbles that are in the water. This usually happens when it is cold outside because of the solubility of air in water as the water temperature decreases. Once the water comes out of your tap, the water is no Arlington longer under pressure and the air comes Water Fact Arlington uses reclaimed water out of solution as bubbles. Cloudy water at one golf course, one park caused by tiny air bubbles is not harmful and the landfill to health. An easy way to test whether the cloudiness is caused by air bubbles or something else is to to fill a clear glass with water and let it sit for a minute. If the cloudiness clears from the bottom to the top, then you can be assured that this is air dissipating from your water. Health information for Special Populations Y ou may be more vulnerable than the general population to certain microbial contaminants, such as Cryptosporidium, in drinking water. Infants, some elderly or immuno-compromised 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 from your health care provider. Additional guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800- 426-4791). General information about lead Arlington Water Fact Arlington sells 19 billion gallons of water per year Where does lead in drinking water come from? If present, lead is introduced into your drinking water from plumbing fixtures and materials, not from the water source. Although lead was banned from use in pipe and solder in 1986, older homes may still have materials containing lead. Where does Arlington drinking water come from? Arlington purchases its water for treatment from the Tarrant Regional Water District. The water is taken from four reservoirs. Cedar Creek, Richland-Chambers and Lake Benbrook supply the John F. Kubala Water Treatment Plant. Lake Arlington supplies the Pierce-Burch Water Treatment Plant. Cryptosporidium Monitoring Information: In 2014, Tarrant Regional Water District monitored all raw water sources for Cryptosporidium and found none in the source waters servicing Arlington. Cryptosporidium is a microscopic, disease-causing parasite, housed in a hard-shelled egg-shaped oocyst. When ingested, the oocyst splits open, releasing sporozoites. These sporozoites invade the lining of the gastrointestinal tract and can cause an illness called cryptosporidiosis. Cryptosporidiosis is typically an acute short-term infection but can become severe and non-resolving in children and immuno-compromised individuals. In addition to coagulation and filtration, Arlington uses Ozone (the primary disinfectant) to further protect against Cryptosporidium.

Consumer Confidence Report Water Quality Report 2014 | Page 2