Rocky
Point Community Club
Water
Quality Report
2007
We’re pleased to present to
you the 2007 Annual Water Quality Report. This report is designed to inform you
about the quality of the water that was provided last year. Included are details about where your water
comes from, what it contains, and how it compares to Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) and state standards. We
believe the information provides a valuable service to our customers.
Your drinking water is
highly regulated by the EPA and is tested regularly. Keeping pace with upgraded water testing and more stringent
federal standards is a challenge but one that Rocky Point Community Club
strongly supports. Our constant goal is
to provide you with a safe source of drinking water.
Rocky Point Community Club
is a water utility with 139 active connections. Our Board of Directors consists of 8 members who work closely
with Water & Wastewater Services, a certified water manager to bring you
good quality water. If you have any
questions or concerns regarding this water utility, your water, or this report
we will be happy to answer them. We
also urge you to attend the annual membership meeting held the first Saturday
in May. In case of emergency, please
call Water & Wastewater Services, our water system manager, at
1-800-895-8821 or after regular hours at 1-360-336-6935.
Rocky Point Community Club
water source consists of 2 wells, which are 224 and 200 feet deep. After the
water is drawn from the wells it is stored in a reservoir with a storage
capacity of 105,000 gallons.
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 EPA’s Safe Drinking
Water Hotline (800-426-4791).
The sources of drinking
water (both tap water and bottled water) include 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, radio-active material, and can
pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human
activity.
Contaminants that may be
present in source water include:
-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
stormwater runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining or farming.
-Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of
sources such as agriculture and residential
uses.
-Radioactive contaminants, which are naturally occurring.
-Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile
organic chemicals, which are by-products of
industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also
come from gas stations, urban stormwater
runoff, and septic systems.
In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. We treat our water according to EPA’s regulations.
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 health 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 (800-426-4791).
Water
Quality Data
The table below lists all the drinking water contaminants
that were detected during the 2007 calendar year. The presence of these contaminants in the water does not
necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk. Unless otherwise noted, the data presented
in this table is from testing done January 1 through December 31, 2007. The state requires us to monitor for
certain contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of
these contaminants are not expected to vary significantly from year to
year. Some of the data, though
representative of the water quality, is more than one year old. Terminology MCLG (Maximum
Contaminant Level Goal): the level of a contaminant allowed in drinking water
below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLG’s allow for a margin of safety. MCL
(Maximum Contaminant Level): the highest 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 treatment
technology. AL (Action
Level): the concentration of a contaminant which, when exceeded, triggers
treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow. ND (Not
Detected) ppm (parts
per million or milligrams per liter (mg/L)): about the same as ˝ an aspirin
tablet dissolved in a bathtub full (50 gallons of water) ppb (parts
per billion or micrograms per liter):
about the same as 1 dissolved aspirin tablet in a 100,000 gallon
swimming pool. |
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Inorganic Contaminants |
MCL |
MCLG |
Rocky
Point Water |
Range of
Detections |
Sample
Date |
Violation |
Typical
Sources of Contaminant |
|
Arsenic (ppb) |
10 |
0 |
7.5 |
7-8 |
2007 |
NO |
Erosion
of natural deposits; runoff from orchards |
|
Nitrate (ppm) |
10 |
10 |
.60 |
<0.5-1.2 |
2007 |
NO |
Runoff
from fertilizer use |
Microbiological Contaminants |
MCL |
MCLG |
Rocky
Point Water |
Range of
Detections |
Sample
Date |
Violation |
Typical
Sources of Contaminant |
|
Total Coliform Bacteria |
0 |
0 |
Present |
Present |
2007 |
YES |
Naturally
present in the environment |
|
Additional Information for Lead in Drinking Water: 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. Rocky Point
Community Club is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but
cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components. 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 2 minutes before using water 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 http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead. Additional Information for Arsenic: While your drinking water meets
EPA’s standard for arsenic, it does contain low levels of arsenic. EPA’s standard balances the current
understanding of arsenic’s possible health effects against the cost of
removing arsenic from drinking water.
EPA continues to research the health effects of low levels of arsenic
which is a mineral know to cause cancer in humans at high concentrations and
is linked to other health effects such as skin damage and circulatory
problems. |
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|
Additional Information for Total Coliform: Coliforms are bacteria that are
naturally present in the environment and are used as an indicator that other,
potentially harmful, bacteria may be present. Coliforms were found in more samples than allowed and this was
a warning of potential problems. |
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|
We have learned through our monitoring and testing that some elements have been detected. The EPA has |
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determined that your water IS SAFE at these levels. The table shows that our system uncovered some |
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problems this year.
The duration of the total coliform violations were brief. We corrected this
problem by immediately chlorinating and flushing the system. The system was inspected to ensure the
safety of the water. We
continue to monitor the water on a monthly basis and are working to prevent
occurrences of this nature in the future. |
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Why does the taste and odor
of my water sometimes differ? Water
naturally varies in taste and odor at different times of the year. Taste and odor problems can also come from
new or old pipelines, plumbing fixtures or changes in water quality. Customers may notice changes during severe
winter storms, when reservoirs are low, or during hot weather. Water & Wastewater Services closely
monitors such changes to ensure they do not affect the safety of the water.
Security – We all need to
be careful! While
Washington State’s Division of Drinking Water has never been lax regarding this
issue, they have implemented more stringent guidelines to be sure that all that
can be done is being done to protect your quality water. Four topics being focused on are 1)
Emergency Response, 2) Sanitary Surveys, 3) Operator Certifications, and 4)
Enforcement. Rocky Point Community Club
wholly support the DOH in these efforts and continue to do all that can be done
to maintain good quality water.
IMPORTANT
WATER CONSERVATION TIPS:
Bathroom:
- Check toilets for leaks. Drop food coloring or a leak-detection tablet in the toilet tank. If color appears in the
bowl, there is a leak that requires immediate attention.
- Reduce the water level per flush by installing a water displacement device in the toilet tank. A plastic bottle,
weighted with water or sand works well. Never use a brick.
- Install water-saving shower-heads or flow restrictors, which are available at local hardware stores and other
retail outlets.
- Check faucets and pipes for leaks. A small drip from a worn washer can waste 20 or more gallons a day.
Larger leaks waste even more.
Kitchen & Laundry:
- Turn the dishwasher and washing machines on only when full.
- Buy and install a faucet aerator.
Lawn & Garden:
- Water only when needed. Frequency depends on the type of plants and soil conditions.
- Water the lawn in the evening when evaporation is less likely to occur. Avoid watering during the heat of the
day or when windy. Use a broom, not a hose when cleaning driveways and walkways.
|
IMPORTANT
NOTICE: Water services in your water
system are being installed with, or upgraded to include a check valve that
helps protect the water system from potentially harmful backflow. The check valve causes the home to become
a “closed system” and makes it susceptible to a dangerous condition called
thermal expansion in the event of a hot water tank malfunction that
over-heats/pressurizes the home’s plumbing. Please ensure that your water
heater has proper devices installed (T & P Valve, expansion tank, etc.)
to protect against the possibility of thermal expansion by contacting the
water heater manufacturer or a licensed plumber. If you have any questions or
concerns please call Bob, our water supervisor @ Water & Wastewater
Services, @ 800-895-8821, ext. 202.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. |
| President, Eddie Black: "As you can see from the report, we had an issue with Coliform Bacteria earlier in the year. We took the lower well off line and the problem seems to have corrected itself. We will continue to monitor the monthly reports to insure we have the best possible drinking water available to our members. Everything with the new reservoir seems to be functioning as advertised." |
ROCKY POINT COMMUNITY CLUB
PO Box 562
Camano Island, WA 98282