We're pleased to present to you this year's Annual Water Quality Report. This report is designed to inform you about the quality water and services we deliver to you every day. Our constant goal is to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water. We want you to understand the efforts we make to continually improve the water treatment process and protect our water resources. We are committed to ensuring the quality of your water.
Our water source is from underground aquifers. The City of Park Falls has three (3) wells. Well #5, constructed in 1992, is located three (3) miles west of Park Falls on the northwest corner of County Highway E and County Highway B. Well #4, constructed in 1969, is located six hundred (600) feet north of well #5. Well #4 and Well #5 are specifically located in the Southeast ¹ of the Southeast ¹ of section 19 R1 West T40 North. Well # 6, constructed in 1993, is located on City Wells Road 4 miles east of Park Falls. Well #6 is specifically located in the Northeast ¹ of the Southeast ¹ of Section 5 R1 East T40 North. All three (3) wells were constructed using the caisson method.
I'm pleased to report that our drinking water is safe and meets federal and state requirements. In this report we attempt to balance your right to know against the sheer volume of information that we could provide. If some information appears complex, it's because drinking water is a complex business. If you have any questions about this report or concerning your water utility, please contact Dennis Wartgow at 715-762-2436 ext 305. We want our valued customers to be informed about their water utility. If you want to learn more, please attend any of our regularly scheduled meetings of the Board of Public Works. The Board of Public Works meets at 4:30 p.m. on the first and third Wednesday of each month. The meetings are held at the Park Falls City Hall located at 400 4th Avenue South. The bottom line is this: <i>Our water is safe to drink. We have NO water quality violations and our water quality meets, or is better than, state and federal standards.</i>
In this table you will find many terms and abbreviations you might not be familiar with. To help you better understand these terms we've provided the following definitions:
Definition of Terms
| Term |
Definition |
| AL |
Action Level: The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow. |
| MCL |
Maximum Contaminant Level: The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology. |
| MCLG |
Maximum Contaminant Level Goal: The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety. |
| MFL |
million fibers per liter |
| mrem/year |
millirems per year (a measure of radiation absorbed by the body) |
| NTU |
Nephelometric Turbidity Units |
| pCi/l |
picocuries per liter (a measure of radioactivity) |
| 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 |
| TCR |
Total Coliform Rule |
| TT |
Treatment Technique: A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water. |
The City of Park Falls routinely monitors for constituents in your drinking water according to Federal and State laws. This table shows the results of our monitoring for the period of January 1st to December 31st, 2000. All drinking water, including bottled drinking water, may be reasonably expected to contain at least small amounts of some constituents. It's important to remember that the presence of these constituents does not necessarily pose a health risk.
Inorganic Contaminants
| Contaminant (units) |
MCL |
MCLG |
Level Found |
Range |
Sample Date (if prior to 2000) |
Violation |
Typical Source of Contaminant |
| BARIUM (ppm) |
2
|
2
|
.050
|
.016- .050
|
03/29/1999 |
NO |
Discharge of drilling wastes; Discharge from metal refineries; Erosion of natural deposits |
| CHROMIUM (ppb) |
100
|
100
|
1
|
0- 1
|
03/30/1999 |
NO |
Discharge from steel and pulp mills; Erosion of natural deposits |
| COPPER (ppm) |
AL=1.3
|
1.3
|
.7810
|
.7810
|
12/31/1999 |
NO |
Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits; Leaching from wood preservatives |
| FLUORIDE (ppm) |
4
|
4
|
1.2 (average)
|
.6- 1.5
|
|
NO |
Erosion of natural deposits; Water additive which promotes strong teeth; Discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories |
| LEAD (ppb) |
AL=15
|
0
|
9.44
|
9.44
|
12/31/1999 |
NO |
Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits |
| MERCURY (ppb) |
2
|
2
|
.2
|
.0- .2
|
03/30/1999 |
NO |
Erosion of natural deposits; Discharge from refineries and factories; Runoff from landfills; Runoff from cropland |
| NICKEL (ppb) |
100
|
|
1.5000
|
.0000- 1.5000
|
03/30/1999 |
NO |
Nickel occurs naturally in soils, ground water and surface waters and is often used in electroplating, stainless steel and alloy products. |
| NITRATE (N03-N) (ppm) |
10
|
10
|
.32 (average)
|
.01- .65
|
|
NO |
Runoff from fertilizer use; Leaching from septic tanks, sewage; Erosion of natural deposits |
| SODIUM (ppm) |
n/a
|
n/a
|
3.74
|
3.20- 3.74
|
03/30/1999 |
NO |
n/a |
Radioactive Contaminants
| Contaminant (units) |
MCL |
MCLG |
Level Found |
Range |
Sample Date (if prior to 1999) |
Violation |
Typical Source of Contaminant |
| GROSS ALPHA, EXCL. R & U (pCi/l) |
15
|
0
|
.2
|
.2
|
12/24/1997 |
NO |
Erosion of natural deposits |
Unregulated Contaminants
| Contaminant (units) |
MCL |
MCLG |
Level Found |
Range |
Sample Date (if prior to 1999) |
Violation |
Typical Source of Contaminant |
| CHLOROFORM (ppb) |
n/a
|
n/a
|
.30
|
.00 .30
|
02/19/1996 |
NO |
n/a |
| SULFATE (ppm) |
n/a
|
n/a
|
6.70
|
6.70
|
02/19/1996 |
NO |
n/a |
Number of Contaminants Required to be Tested
This includes all contaminants that were required to be tested in the last 5 years.
| Contaminant Group |
# of Contaminants |
| Inorganic Contaminants |
17
|
| Microbiological Contaminants |
1
|
| Radioactive Contaminants |
1
|
| Synthetic Organic Contaminants including Pesticides and Herbicides |
26
|
| Unregulated Contaminants |
33
|
| Volatile Organic Contaminants |
20
|
All sources of drinking water are subject to potential contamination by constituents that are naturally occurring or are man made. Those constituents can be microbes, organic or inorganic chemicals, or radioactive materials.
All 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 the 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.
As you can see by the table, our system had no violations. We're proud that your drinking water meets or exceeds all Federal and State requirements. We have learned through our monitoring and testing that some constituents have been detected. The EPA has determined that your water IS SAFE at these levels.
MCLs are set at very stringent levels. To understand the possible health effects described for many regulated constituents, a person would have to drink 2 liters of water every day at the MCL level for a lifetime to have a one-in-a-million chance of having the described health effect.
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 microbiological contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at
1-800-426-4791.
In our continuing efforts to maintain a safe and dependable water supply it may be necessary to make improvements in your water system. The costs of these improvements may be reflected in the rate structure. Rate adjustments may be necessary in order to address these improvements. Thank you for allowing us to continue providing your family with clean, quality water this year.
Please call our office if you have questions. We at the Park Falls Water and Sewer Utility work around the clock to provide top quality water to every tap. We ask that all our customers help us protect our water sources, which are the heart of our community, our way of life and our children's future.
Dennis Wartgow
Water and Street Superintendent
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