CITY OF BAD AXE

2008

WATER QUALITY REPORT

In 1996, Congress amended the Safe Drinking Water Act which added a provision requiring that all community water systems provide their customers a brief annual water quality report.  The City of Bad Axe is pleased to provide this information about the quality of the drinking water we provide you.  Our goal is to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water.

Another amendment to the Safe Drinking Water Act was to reduce the allowable concentration of arsenic in drinking water.  The City’s existing ground water supply would not meet this requirement which went into affect on January 23, 2006 .  The Bad Axe City Council(s) chose to develop the Huron Regional Water Authority with the Village of Port Austin to provide treated surface water from Lake Huron .  The project took nearly ten years to complete and is made up of Port Austin’s newer intake system, a new micro filtration water treatment plant and three pumping stations to overcome the 150 foot elevation difference between Bad Axe and Port Austin.  The new system also included over twenty miles of new water mains the majority of which is twenty inches in diameter and a new 500,000 gallon water tower.   Some of the cost was covered with grant money, but the majority of the project was paid for with a forty year loan from the Rural Development Association.  The cost of the City’s share of this debt is reflected on your water bill as the “Ready to Serve” charge.  The operation and maintenance of the City’s distribution system which includes the pipeline along M53 starting just south of Port Austin, the pumping stations, the 500,000 gallon and 300,000 gallon water towers, the water mains in the City and the City’s share of the operation and maintenance of the new water treatment plant are covered by the metered usage portion of your bill.

Where does my water come from?

As of January 2006, the city’s drinking water has been supplied by the system described above. The two largest capacity groundwater wells, of the city’s original three, are maintained as emergency backup to the new water system.  These wells are approximately 265’ deep drawing water from bedrock and Marshall Sandstone aquifers.    These wells are flushed and sampled for bacteria each month.  They are also tested according to MDEQ requirements as if they were providing your drinking water on a regular basis.  You will be notified using public media sources such as newspaper and radio if we ever have to use the wells to supply drinking water as the water from the wells will not meet the new arsenic requirements and will have less desirable aesthetic qualities.  The third well was capped and abandoned in 2007 due to the cost of maintaining it in consideration of its low capacity.

Is my water safe?

The water you receive is routinely tested for over 80 contaminants.  The contaminants detected are listed in the table located in this report.  As you can see by the table, our system had no violations. Your drinking water meets or exceeds all Federal and State requirements.  The EPA has determined that your water IS SAFE at these levels.

Why are there contaminants in my drinking water?

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 (EPA) Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).  The sources of drinking water (both tap 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 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, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations and wildlife.

Inorganic contaminants such as salts and metals can be naturally occurring or result from storm water runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining or farming operations.

Pesticides and herbicides may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, 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 also come from gas stations, storm water runoff and septic systems.

Radioactive contaminants can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.

Do I need to take special precautions?

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. The City of Bad Axe 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 (1-800-426-4791) or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

Contaminants	Susceptible Vulnerable Subpopulation	Level of Concern
Fecal Coliform/E. Coli	Infants, young children, and people with severely compromised immune systems	Confirmed presence (any confirmed detect)
Copper	People with Wilson’s Disease	1.3 mg/l (ppm)
Fluoride	Children	4.0 mg/l (ppm)
Lead	Infants and children	15.0 mg/l (ppb)
Nitrate	Infants below the age of 6 months.	10.0 mg/l (ppm)
Nitrite	Infants below the age of 6 months	1.0 mg/l (ppm)