2019 Water Utilities Consumer Confidence Report 2019 Water Utilities Consumer Confidence Report | Page 4

DID YOU KNOW? Arlington Water Utilities produced 18,674,420,202 gallons of treated water for use by customers in Arlington in 2019. The department reported a system water loss percentage of 10.19 percent, which refers to the amount of water lost due to leaks, water line breaks or other non-revenue water use. For more information: Water Quality:................................................ 817-575-8984 Laboratory services, water quality questions or water quality problems. If you have questions concerning this brochure, ask for the laboratory. Customer Care:...............................................817-275-5931 Open new or transfer account, billing inquiries, water conservation, water and sewer rates. Emergency Water, and Sewer Services (24 hours):...........................817-459-5900 Service interruptions, water leaks, sewer problems Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ):..............................................512-239-1000 To participate in decisions concerning water: Attend the Arlington City Council meetings held in City Hall, 101 West Abram Street. Meeting schedule is posted online at www.arlingtontx.gov/city_hall/government/city_council/ meetings/schedule To view City Council Agenda or to watch a City Council meeting webcast, please visit www.arlingtontx.gov/city_hall/government/city_council/ meetings/watch/city_council_meetings In accordance with Section 13.045 of the Texas Water Code, the City hereby provides notice that customer revenue derived from the sale of water to wholesale customers for resale was expended for various economic development and Capital Budget projects. Visit our website at: www.ArlingtonTX.gov/waterccr The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Safe Drinking Water Hotline Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of these contaminants 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 limit the amount of certain substances in water provided by public water systems. 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 website at www.epa.gov/safewater. The Arlington Water Utilities laboratory staff is available to answer your questions about water quality at 817-575-8984. Here are answers to common water treatment questions. ASK THE LAB Why does my drinking water have chlorine in it? Chlorine is used as a disinfectant to deactivate (kill) microscopic living organisms that are typically found in surface water reservoirs like Lake Arlington. The water from a surface water reservoir will naturally contain many biological constituents like algae, bacteria, protozoans and viruses. Some of these biological constituents can cause diseases and are known as pathogens. Others are perfectly harmless. In the water treatment process, chlorine is used specifically to deactivate the pathogens. Additionally, chlorine is added to the water and expected to stay present in the miles of piping before it gets to your home or business, therefore keeping the water safe for that entire journey. What does chlorine do? Chlorine is a very powerful oxidant, which destroys the cell walls of microscopic algae, bacteria, protozoans and viruses. Once the cell wall is destroyed, the contents of cell spill out and the cell is destroyed. Does AWU use other disinfectants? Yes, we utilize two very powerful disinfectants in addition to chlorine. One is ozone that is created at the water treatment facility by a machine called an ozonator which takes oxygen and turns it into ozone. The other is hydrogen peroxide, which you might recognize as being a home disinfectant for cuts and scrapes or it is in toothpaste for its oxidizing, or whitening, power. Both of these disinfectants are used in the water treatment process before the addition of chlorine. Are there other ways of removing small bacteria or viruses? Yes. In addition to disinfectants, the entire water treatment process is designed to provide multiple barriers of protection. If one system does not completely do the job that it was expected to, another process or barrier is in place to treat the water until it is safe to drink. Some of those other processes or barriers are: • Protecting the reservoir with a watershed protection plan and trying to keep pathogens out of the water in the first place. • Coagulation and settling using chemicals called coagulants to cause the small items in the water to stick together and settle out of the waster for removal. • Filtration by passing the water through different kinds of sand and carbon to remove extremely small particles down to the size of single bacterium. • Biofiltration, which occurs at the same time as filtration but is different in its mechanism of removal. Biofiltration uses live bacteria on the sand and carbon to remove other bacteria both non-pathogenic bacteria as well as pathogens. How is the water in the pipes running to homes and businesses protected? Again, chlorine comes into play with the continued disinfection throughout the water distribution (or piping) system. The United States Environmental Protection Agency requires a measurable amount of chlorine to be present at the farthest reaches of the distribution system. If chlorine is measured at those locations, it will be found at higher levels in other parts of the distribution system. In addition, the level of chlorine is tested throughout the water distribution system every day to ensure it is at the correct level. Want to learn more? Visit us at www.arlingtontx.gov/water or follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/arlingtonwater) or Twitter (@arlingtonwater). You can also find useful information about efficient water use at www.SaveArlingtonWater.com. 4