Reports- Memorial Villages Water Authority

Where does your drinking water
come from?

Memorial Village Water Authority
2001 Drinking Water Quality Report

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Consumer Confidence Report - CCR
January 2002 to December 2002
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires all drinking water suppliers in the country to provide a water quality report to their customers. This annual report concerns the quality of water provided by Memorial Villages Water Authority to the residents of Hedwig , Hunters Creek and Piney Point Villages. Questions concerning this report should be directed to our General Manager, Mr. Michael Montgomery, by calling 713-465-8318.

Our drinking water meets or exceeds all federal (EPA) drinking water requirements
This report is a summary of the quality of the water we provide our customers. The analysis was made by using the data from the most recent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) required tests and is presented in this publication. We hope this information helps you become more knowledgeable about what’s in your drinking water. When drinking water meets federal standards there may not be any health based benefits to purchasing bottled water or point of use devices. All drinking water may contain contaminants. Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791. The following pages list all of the federally regulated or monitored constituents which have been found in your drinking water. The U.S. E.P.A. requires water systems to test up to 97 constituents.

Secondary Constituents: Many constituents ( such as calcium, sodium or iron) which are often found in drinking water, can cause taste, color, and odor problems. The taste and odor constituents are called secondary constituents and are regulated by the State of Texas, not EPA. These constituents are not causes for health concerns. Therefore, secondary constituents are not required to be reported in this document but they may greatly affect the appearance and taste of your water. For information on these constituents, call the Water Authority

Where does your drinking water come from?
The source of your tap water comes from more than just one location. In 2002, the Water Authority provided over 78% of its treated drinking water from its five (5) water wells. These wells are all located within the Villages and produce water from the Evangeline Aquifer. This type of water source is commonly referred to as groundwater. The other source of our drinking water comes from the City of Houston. In August of 1998, the Water Authority began purchasing blended water, a combination of surface water and groundwater, from the City. Surface water comes from rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, and springs. The TCEQ has been reviewing all Texas’ drinking water sources. This source water assessment process has now been completed and the report will be available this year. It is important to protect your drinking water by protecting your water source. Although the water purchased from the City represented less than 22% of the total water delivered by the Water Authority in 2002, this amount will increase every year.

Sources Of Drinking Water
The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) includes rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs and wells. 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 contaminants resulting from the presence of animal or human activity.

Contaminants that may be present in source water:

Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife.
Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which 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, which may come from agriculture, urban storm water runoff, and residential uses. Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally-occurring or
be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.
Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals which are byproducts of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban storm water runoff, and septic systems.

Special Notice for the ELDERLY, INFANTS, CANCER PATIENTS, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune problems: 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 healthcare providers. EPA/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (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 by calling 1-800-426-4791.

What you need to know to better understand what is in your water:

Terminology:
Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL): The highest permissible level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCL's are set as close to the MCLG's as feasible using the best available technology.

Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG): The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLG's allow for a margin of safety.

Treatment Technique (TT): A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.

Action Level (AL): The concentration of a contaminant, which if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow.

pCi/l = Pico curies per liter (a measure of radioactivity);
NTU = Nephelometric turbidity units;
ppm = parts per million or milligrams per liter (mg/l);
ppb = parts per billion, or micrograms per liter (ug/l):
ppt = parts per trillion, or nanograms per liter;
ppq = parts per quadrillion, or picograms per liter;
MFL = million fibers per liter (a measure of asbestos);
ND = Not Detected

TABLE I - Memorial Villages Water Authority's Groundwater-System I.D. No. 1010146
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TABLE II - City of Houston blended water supplied to the Water Authority - Houston's entry point 004, Afton Village
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Coliform Bacteria-What are they?
Total coliform bacteria are used as indicators of microbial contamination of drinking water because testing for them is easy. While not disease-causing organisms themselves, thay are often found in association with other microbes that are capable of causing disease. Coliform bacteria are more hardy than many disease-causing organisms; therefore, their absence from water is a good indication that the water is microbiologically safe for human consumption. Fecal coliform bacteria and, in particular, E-coli, are members of the coliform bacteria group originating in the intestinal tract of warm-blooded animals and are passes into the environment through feces. The presence of fecal coliform bacteria in drinking water may indicate recent contamination of the drinking water with fecal material.

Nitrate: Nitrate in drinking water at levels above 10 ppm is a health risk for infants of less than 6 months of age. High nitrate levels in drinking water can cause blue baby syndrome. If you are caring for an infant, ask for advice from your health care provider.

Arsenic: EPA is reviewing the drinking water standard for arsenic because of special concerns that it may not be stringent enough. Arsenic is a naturally occurring mineral known to cause cancer in humans at high concentrations.

LEAD in drinking water: Infants and young children are typically more vulnerable to lead in drinking water than the general population. It is possible that the lead levels at your home may be higher than at other homes in the community as a result of materials used in your home’s plumbing. If you are concerned about elevated lead levels in your home’s water, you may wish to have your water tested and flush your kitchen tap for 30 seconds before using the tap water. Additional information is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (1-800-426-4791) or by logging on to EPA’s web site on drinking water at: (www.epa.gov/safewater/)

The Water Authority conducts more tests on its drinking water than is required by either the TCEQ or the EPA and obtains regular water quality reports from the City on the water they provide to us. In 2002, the City of Houston’s drinking water met or exceeded all State and Federal requirements. Over the past 4 years, we have spent more than 3.5 million dollars on our water supply system. These expenditures have included the installation of surface water transmission lines, replacement and upgrading of old water lines, the addition of new fire hydrants and, upgrading components for improved reliability. The Board and employees of the Water Authority take very seriously the trust you have placed in us to insure that your water is safe.

The Water Authority is committed to protecting your drinking water.

Public participation opportunities for
Memorial Villages Water Authority

BOARD MEETINGS: 1ST Tuesday of the month
LOCATION: 8955 Gaylord Drive, Houston, 77024
TIME: 7:00 p.m.
FOR INFORMATION CALL: 713-465-8318

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