Water Quality Report 2020Est. 1890
City Council meets at 6:30
PM on the 2"d and 4th
Tuesdays of each month
at the Robert Geiger
Council Chambers, City
Hall, 216 Prospect Street.
The public is always
encouraged to attend. For
questions about our water
contact the Utility
Manager, Jacki Brown, at
(360) 876-4991
f FUTURE OF WATER
WHERE WE GO FROM H€RE IS UP TO YOU.
WATER QUALITY REPORT FOR 2020
PORT ORCHARD WATER DEPARTMENT, ID#68900
The City of Port Orchard
boasts a vibrant and active
community in one of the most
beautiful waterfront scenes of
the Pacific Northwest. It is
the combination of great peo-
ple and excellent resources
that make the City a desired
place in which to be connect-
ed. Part of that connection is
the precious resource of wa-
ter that we all treasure so
much.
It is a primary focus of the City
to not only protect this re-
source, but to make improve-
ments as we look toward the
future. Our water has always
been within the federal regu-
lations set by the EPA, howev-
er we are striving to not just
meet these federal standards
but to make every effort to
provide the best quality water
possible. In doing this we
plan to provide exceptional
water quality for years to
come.
Part of striving for such high
water quality standards in-
cludes capital planning both
in the short and longterm. In
2019, the city completed a
major treatment plant de-
signed to remove aesthetical-
ly displeasing particles like
Manganese. Manganese is a
naturally occurring mineral
that can be found in water.
Although our water is below
the Federal standard, it can
still cause minor discoloration
in drinking water.
Additionally the City is plan-
ning to bring some new wells
online. Two of these projects
are in the construction phase
with another being designed
this year. These wells are
designed and located in areas
that allow us not only to have
enough water today, but also
for the demand of tomorrow
as the City continues to grow.
As Mark Dorsey, Public Works
Director/City Engineer puts it,
"Water is our most precious
resource and as stewards of
that water we strive to protect
and deliver the best quality
drinking water to the people
we serve everyday." This is a
principle that we focus on
daily and we hope that it is
apparent to you today and as
we move into the future.
wag'
The City of Port Orchard uses chlorine to ensure our water remains safe to drink throughout the distribution sys-
tem. Additionally, we add trace amounts of fluoride to the water to promote dental health. Protecting our water
sources is of the utmost importance and to that end, our Wellhead Protection Plan was adopted in 2012. It iden-
tifies our well recharge areas and potential sources of contamination and is available for viewing in the Public
Works Department at City Hall. The Washington State Department of Health, Office of Drinking Water has rated
our wells in the low and moderate susceptibility ranges. Source water assessments for all Class A Community
Water Systems in the State are available online at
http://www.doh.wa.gov/com m u n itya ndenvi ro n ment/d ri n ki ngwater/sou rcewaterprotection/assessme nt.as px.
In Washington State, lead in drinking water comes primarily from materials and components used in household
plumbing. The more time water has been sitting in pipes, the more dissolved metals, such and lead, it may con-
tain. Elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially in pregnant women and young chil-
dren. To help reduce potential exposure to lead, flush water through the tap until the water is noticeably colder
before using it for drinking or cooking. You can use the flushed water for water plants, washing dishes, or gen-
eral cleaning. Only use water from the cold water tap for drinking, cooking, and especially for making baby for-
mula. Hot water is likely to contain higher levels of lead. If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may
wish to have your water tested. Information on lead in drinking water is available from EPA's Safe Drinking Water
Hotline at 1-800-426-4791 or online at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.
To ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the Department of Health and EPA prescribe regulations that limit the
amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. The Food and Drug Administration
and the Washington State Department of Agriculture regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled wa-
ter that must provide the same protection for public health.
A message from the EPA regarding water contaminants:
Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some con-
taminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. More infor-
mation about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hot-
line (1-800-426-4791).
Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immuno-
compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have 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 seek advice about drinking water from their helath care providers. EPA/CDC
guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants
are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).
The sources of drinking water (both tap and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs,
and well. 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 pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from
human activity. Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, may come from sewage treatment plants, sep-
tic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife. Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, can be
naturally occurring or result from urban storm water runoff, industrial, or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas
production, mining, or farming. Pesticides and herbicides may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, ur-
ban storm water runoff, and residential uses. Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic
chemicals, are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production. They can come from gas stations, urban
storm water runoff, and septic systems. Radioactive contaminants can be naturally occurring or the result of oil and
gas production and mining activities.
E= d
We are pleased to report that your water
.� supply meets and exceeds all federal and
state drinking water standards.
Page 2 0o G
Water Quality Data
The water quality information presented in this table is from the most recent round of testing done according to
the regulations. The presence of contaminants in the water does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a
health risk. The EPA, through the Washington State Department of Health, Office of Drinking Water, requires us to
monitor for certain contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants do
not change frequently. Some of the data, though representative of the water quality, is more than one year old.
The Office of Drinking Water reduced the monitoring requirements for Inorganic, Synthetic Organic, and Volatile
Organic Chemicals because the sources are not at risk of contamination. The last sample collected for these con-
taminants was found to meet all applicable standards.
Contaminants
MCL
MCL
Highest
Range of
Sample
Violation
Typical Source of Contamination
G
Level
Detection
Date
Arsenic (ppb)
10
0
3.3
4/18
No
Erosion of natural deposits; Runoff
from orchards; Runoff from glass and
electronics production wastes
Fluoride (ppm)
4
4
0.91
10/20
No
Erosion of natural deposits; Water addi-
tive which promotes strong teeth;
Discharge from fertilizer and aluminum
factories
Nitrate (ppm)
10
10
0.45
4/16
No
Runoff from fertilizer use; Leaching
from septic tanks, sewage; Erosion of
natural deposits
Gross Alpha (ppb)
15
N/A
3.8
5/20
No
Erosion of natural deposits
Radium (ppb)
5
N/A
0.8
.0.1-0.8
4/17
No
Erosion of natural deposits
Haloacetic Acids (ppb)
60
N/A
2.6
ND-2.6
12/19
No
By-product of drinking water disinfection
Total trihalomethanes (ppb)
80
N/A
10
7.1-10
12/19
No
By-product of drinking water disinfection
Contaminants with Action
AL
MCL
90th %
Range of
Sample
Exceeds
Typical Source
Levels rather than MCLs
G
Level
Detection
Date
AL
Copper (ppm)
1.3
1.3
0.02
ND-0.05
9/18
No
Corrosion of household plumbing;
Erosion of natural deposits
Lead (ppb)
15
0
0.001
ND-0.004
9/18
No
Corrosion of household plumbing;
Erosion of natural deposits
Unregulated Contaminants
Germanium (ppb)
0.317
0.317
6/19
N/A
EPA has not established standards for
unregulated contaminants. The pur-
pose of this monitoring is to help EPA
determine their occurrence in drinking
water and potential need for future reg-
Definitions
Action Level (AL) - The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other require-
ments that a water system must follow.
Lead and Copper 90th Percentile —Out of every 10 homes sampled, 9 were at or below this level.
Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) - The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs
are set as close to the MCLG as feasible using the best available treatment technology.
Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) - The level of contaminant in drinking water below which there is no
known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety.
Parts Per Million (PPM) - One part per million or one milligram per liter (mg/L) corresponds to one penny in
$10,000.
Treatment Trigger (TT) - A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.
ND— Not detected in the sample Page 3
Where your water comes from
The system is supplied by groundwater from four wells located throughout the City that vary in depth from 240
feet to 806 feet below ground level including two flowing artesian wells. In addition, the City periodically pur-
chases water from the City of Bremerton, which is supplied by numerous groundwater wells and their reservoir
behind Casad Dam on the Union River. The City also has an emergency intertie with West Sound Utility District's
water system.
Protecting Your Drinking Water
In general, the installation of plumbing in compliance with the plumbing code will provide adequate protection
for your plumbing system from contamination.
However, the water purveyor may require (as a condition of service) the installation of a backflow prevention
assembly on the water service to provide additional protection for the public water system. A backflow preven-
tion assembly will normally be required where a single-family residence has special plumbing that increases the
hazard above the normal level found in residential homes, or where a hazard survey cannot be completed.
To help determine if a backflow prevention assembly is required, the water purveyor may send residential cus-
tomers a Cross Connection Control Survey Questionnaire. The water purveyor will evaluate the returned ques-
tionnaires to assess the risk of contamination to the public water system. Based on the results of the evalua-
tion, the installation of backflow prevention assemblies may be required on services to some customers.