Annual Drinking Water Quality Report for 2016 Lusk and Stony Lonesome Water Treatment Plants Directorate of Public Works West Point, New York (Public Water Supply ID# 3511887 and 3511338) INTRODUCTION To comply with State regulations, the Directorate of Public Works (DPW), is issuing this report describing the quality of your drinking water. The purpose of this report is to raise your understanding of drinking water and awareness of the need to protect our drinking water sources. This report provides an overview of last year s water quality. Included are details about where your water comes from, what it contains, and how it compares to State standards. If you have any questions or concerns about this report, please contact the DPW Environmental Management Division, at 938-2116 anytime between 7:45 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Monday through Friday). WHERE DOES OUR WATER COME FROM? In general, 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, radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activities. Contaminants that may be present in source water include: microbial contaminants; inorganic contaminants; pesticides and herbicides; organic chemical contaminants; and radioactive contaminants. In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the State and the EPA prescribe regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. The State Health Department s and the FDA s regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health. West Point s water sources are from the lakes and ponds in the West Point training areas west of Route 9W. During 2016, our system did not experience any restriction of our water source. The water withdrawn from the lakes is filtered to remove particulate matter. Chlorine is added to kill microorganisms. Fluoride is also added for tooth protection and sodium carbonate is used for corrosion control prior to distribution. Source Water Assessment Summary U.S.M.A Stony NY3511338 The NYS DOH has evaluated this Public Water System s susceptibility to contamination under the Source Water Assessment Program (SWAP), and their findings are summarized in the paragraph below. It is important to stress that these assessments were created using available information and only estimate the potential for source water contamination. Elevated susceptibility ratings do not mean that source water contamination has or will occur for this PWS. This PWS provides treatment and regular monitoring to ensure the water delivered to consumers meets all applicable standards.
This assessment found an elevated susceptibility to contamination for this source of drinking water. Land cover and its associated activities within the assessment area do not increase the potential for contamination. There is a high density of sanitary wastewater discharges which results in elevated susceptibility for numerous contaminant categories. In addition, it appears that the total amount of wastewater discharged to surface water in this assessment area is high enough to further raise the potential for contamination (particularly for protozoa). There is also noteworthy contamination susceptibility associated with other discrete contaminant sources. Finally, it should be noted that hydrologic characteristics (e.g. basin shape and flushing rates) generally make reservoirs highly sensitive to existing and new sources of phosphorus and microbial contamination. A copy of the assessment can be obtained by contacting us, as noted in this report. U.S.M.A Lusk NY3511887 The NYS DOH has evaluated this PWS s susceptibility to contamination under the Source Water Assessment Program (SWAP), and their findings are summarized in the paragraph below. It is important to stress that these assessments were created using available information and only estimate the potential for source water contamination. Elevated susceptibility ratings do not mean that source water contamination has or will occur for this PWS. This PWS provides treatment and regular monitoring to ensure the water delivered to consumers meets all applicable standards. This assessment found an elevated susceptibility to contamination for this source of drinking water. Land cover and its associated activities within the assessment area do not increase the potential for contamination. There are a high density of sanitary and non-sanitary wastewater discharges which result in elevated susceptibility for nearly all contaminate categories. In addition, it appears that the total amount of wastewater discharged to surface water in this assessment area is high enough to considerably raise the potential for contamination (particularly for protozoa). There are no noteworthy contamination threats associated with other discrete contaminant sources. Finally, it should be noted that hydrologic characteristics (e.g. basin shape and flushing rates) generally make reservoirs highly sensitive to existing and new sources of phosphorus and microbial contamination. A copy of the assessment can be obtained by contacting us, as noted in this report. FACTS AND FIGURES Our water system serves 11,500 people through 1,560 service connections. The total water produced in 2016 was 1,232 million gallons. The daily average of water treated and pumped into the distribution system was 3.3 million gallons per day. During our highest single day at Lusk, we treated 3.3 million gallons of water. These values do not account for an estimated system loss of 10%, attributable to flushing mains, fighting fires or from system leaks. ARE THERE CONTAMINANTS IN OUR DRINKING WATER? As the State regulations require, we routinely test your drinking water for numerous contaminants. These contaminants include: total coliform, turbidity, inorganic compounds, nitrate, nitrite, lead and copper, volatile organic compounds, total Trihalomethanes, Haloacetic acids, radiological and synthetic organic compounds. The table presented below depicts which compounds were detected in your drinking water. The State allows us to test for some contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants do not change frequently. Some of our data, though representative, are more than one year old.
It should be noted that all drinking water, including bottled drinking water, may be reasonably 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) or the Orange County Health Department at (845) 291-2331. Violation Contaminant Yes/No Date of Sample Turbidity (1) No 09/12/16 Table of Detected Contaminants Level Detected (Avg/Max) (Range) Lusk = 0.24 (Max) Unit Measurement MCLG Regulatory Limit (MCL, TT or AL) Likely Source of Contamination NTU N/A TT= < 1.0 NTU Soil Runoff 09/28/16 Stoney = 0.33 (Max) Turbidity (1) No 2016 Sep 2016 Lusk 100% Stoney 98.4% Sodium No 03/10/16 Lusk = 23.0 (2) Stoney = 26 (2) NTU mg/l N/A TT=95% of samples < 0.3 NTU N/A 20 for people on severely restricted diets Soil Runoff Naturally occurring, road salt or animal waste. Fluoride (3) No 07/27/16 08/28/16 Lusk Ave.=0.67 Range= 0.05-1.17 Stoney Ave.=0.62 Range= 0.06-1.18 mg/l N/A MCL = 2.2 Water additive that prevents tooth decay Manganese No 08/07/12 Lusk = 0.001 Stony = 0.001 Copper No Jun-Jul 2014 Lusk Range= 0.025-0.508 90% = 0.470 (4) Stony Range= 0.01-0.287 90% =0.27 (4) Lead No Jun-Jul 2014 Lusk Range=1-12 90% = 5.32 (5) Stony Range=1 6.78 90% =4.43 (5) Chloride No 08/01/11 Lusk = 19 mg/l N/A MCL = 0.3 Naturally occurring, Road salt, Landfills mg/l 1.3 AL = 1.3 Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits; leaching from wood preservatives. ug/l 0 AL = 15 Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits. mg/l N/A MCL = 250 Naturally Occurring Stoney = 27
Total Coliform No 6/21/16 Bacteria (7) 6/23/16 Stoney - 1 positive sample Stoney 2 positive samples N/A 0 MCL = 2 or more positive samples in 1 month Naturally present in the environment 7/12/16 Stoney 1 positive sample 12/6/16 Stoney 1 positive sample Total Trihalomethanes (6) (TTHMs) Yes 2/1/16 Quarterly 2016 Lusk 1 positive sample Stoney = 79.97 Range = 36.1 109 Sample Point 1: 70.3 Range = 36.1 99.5 ug/l N/A MCL=80 By-product of drinking water chlorination needed to kill harmful organisms. Sample Point 2: 89.4 Range = 69.2-109 Lusk = 53.42 Range = 22.6 77.6 Sample Point 1: 53 Range = 22.6 77.6 Sample Point 2: 53.6 Range = 30 77.3 Five Haloacetic Acids (6) (HAA5) No Quarterly 2016 Stoney = 54.04 Range = 13.22 113.34 Lusk = 36.16 Range = 21.95 51.77 ug/l N/A MCL=60 By-product of drinking water chlorination needed to kill harmful organisms. Arsenic No 3/10/16 Stoney = 0.00042 Lusk = 0.00041 Selenium No 3/10/16 Stoney = 0.00099 Lusk = 0.0011 mg/l N/A MCL= 0.010 Naturally present in the environment mg/l N/A MCL= 0.05 Naturally present in the environment Notes: (1) Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness of the water. We test it because it is a good indicator of the effectiveness of our filtration system. Our highest single turbidity measurement (0.33 NTU) for the year occurred on 9/28/16. State regulations require that turbidity must always be below 1 NTU. The regulations require that 95% of the turbidity samples collected have measurements below 0.3 NTU. (2) - Water containing more than 20 mg/l of sodium should not be used for drinking by people on severely restricted sodium diets. Water containing more than 270 mg/l of sodium should not be used for people on moderately restricted sodium diets.
(3) The West Point water systems are two of the many systems in New York State that add a low level of fluoride to drinking water in order to provide consumer dental health protection. According to the United States Centers for Disease Control, fluoride is very effective in preventing cavities when present in drinking water at a properly controlled level. Our fluoride addition facility is designed and operated to provide drinking water with this beneficial fluoride. (4) The copper action level is exceeded if the concentration of copper in more than ten percent of one liter firstdraw tap water samples during any monitoring period and computed in accordance with the Public Water System Subpart exceeds 1.3 milligrams per liter (1.3 mg/l). The level presented represents the 90th percentile of the 20 sites tested in the Lusk System and the 20 samples tested in the Stony Lonesome System. A percentile is a value on a scale of 100 that indicates the percent of a distribution that is equal to or below it. The 90th percentile is equal to or greater than 90% of the copper values detected at your water system. The action level for copper was not exceeded for the sites tested. (5) The lead action level is exceeded if the concentration of lead in more than ten percent of one liter first-draw tap water samples during any monitoring period and computed in accordance with the Public Water System Subpart exceeds 15 micrograms per liter (15 ug/l). The level presented represents the 90th percentile of the 20 sites tested in the Lusk System and the 20 samples tested in the Stony Lonesome System. A percentile is a value on a scale of 100 that indicates the percent of a distribution that is equal to or below it. The 90th percentile is equal to or greater than 90% of the lead values detected at your water system. The action level for lead was not exceeded for the sites tested. (6) - This level represents the highest locational running annual average calculated from data collected. (7) - We found coliforms indicating the need to look for potential problems in water treatment or distribution. When this occurs, we are required to conduct assessments to identify problems and to correct any problems that were found during these assessments. We are also required to conduct repeat sampling to confirm the presence of bacteria. In all positive cases, as noted in the table, the repeat samples were negative for the presence of bacteria, and therefore, these positive samples were never confirmed. As such, no further corrective action was required by the Orange County Department of Health. Definitions: Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL): The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible. Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG): 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. Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level (MRDL): The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants. Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal (MRDLG): The level of a drinking water disinfectant below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contamination. Action Level (AL): The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow. Treatment Technique (TT): A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water. Non-Detects (ND): Laboratory analysis indicates that the constituent is not present. Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU): A measure of the clarity of water. Turbidity in excess of 5 NTU is just noticeable to the average person. Milligrams per liter (mg/l): Corresponds to one part of liquid in one million parts of liquid (parts per million - ppm). Micrograms per liter (ug/l): Corresponds to one part of liquid in one billion parts of liquid (parts per billion - ppb).
WHAT DOES THIS INFORMATION MEAN? We have learned through our testing that some contaminants have been detected; however, most of these contaminants were detected below the level allowed by the State. Over the course of the year, one of our two sampling points in the Stony Lonesome system exceeded the running annual average standard for Trihalomethanes. Trihalomethanes (THMs) are a byproduct of the disinfection process in water treatment. They occur when chlorine disinfectant reacts with naturally occurring organic compounds found in the water supply, often resulting from the breakdown of leaves and other organic matter. The longer that water remains in service lines, known as residence time, the more time allowed for THMs to form. Our drinking water monitoring program requires testing treated water for THMs at the furthest possible dead-end connection in the Stony Lonesome system. Sampling at this point indicates what THM levels are under worst case residence time conditions. The annual average for this sampling point exceeded the standard of 80 ug/l. Test results from this location do not represent system wide THM levels, and the Stony Lonesome system wide average was within the standard. Corrective actions have been implemented to address future issues at this location. Some people who drink water containing Trihalomethanes in excess of the MCL over many years may experience problems with their liver, kidneys, or central nervous system, and may have an increased risk of getting cancer. On June 21st, Stoney Lonesome tested positive for Total Coliform bacteria. Coliforms are bacteria that are naturally present in the environment and are used as an indicator that other, potentially harmful bacteria may be present. Sampling for coliforms is susceptible to false positives, so confirmation testing is performed after initial positive results. Testing on June 23 rd also showed 2 positive results, however a wider follow-up on June 27th was negative for bacterial growth. It was determined that the system was not contaminated and there was no threat to public health. Although we did exceed the amount of allowable positive results for the month, the Department of Health determined there was no violation of drinking water standards. IS OUR WATER SYSTEM MEETING OTHER RULES THAT GOVERN OPERATIONS? During 2016, our system was in compliance with applicable State drinking water operating, monitoring and reporting requirements.
DO I NEED TO TAKE SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS? Although our drinking water met or exceeded state and federal regulations, some people may be more vulnerable to disease causing microorganisms or pathogens 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 from their health care provider about their drinking water. EPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium, Giardia and other microbial pathogens are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791). INFORMATION ON FLUORIDE ADDITION Our system is one of the many drinking water systems in New York State that provides drinking water with a controlled, low level of fluoride for consumer dental health protection. According to the United States Centers for Disease Control, fluoride is very effective in preventing cavities when present in drinking water at a properly controlled level. To ensure that the fluoride supplement in your water provides optimal dental protection, we monitor fluoride levels on a daily basis to make sure fluoride is maintained at a target level of 0.7 mg/l. During 2016, monitoring showed that fluoride levels in the Stony Lonesome Water Treatment Plant were within 0.2 mg/l of the target level 92% of the time. In the Lusk Water Treatment System, fluoride levels were within 0.2 mg/l of the target level for 71% of the time. Problems with the fluoride levels in the Lusk system were due to equipment failures that have since been repaired. None of the monitoring results showed fluoride at levels that approach the 2.2 mg/l MCL for fluoride. WHY SAVE WATER AND HOW TO AVOID WASTING IT? Although our system has an adequate amount of water to meet present and future demands, there are a number of reasons why it is important to conserve water: Saving water saves energy and some of the costs associated with both of these necessities of life; Saving water reduces the cost of energy required to pump water and the need to construct costly new wells, pumping systems and water towers; and Saving water lessens the strain on the water system during a dry spell or drought, helping to avoid severe water use restrictions so that essential firefighting needs are met. You can play a role in conserving water by becoming conscious of the amount of water your household is using, and by looking for ways to use less whenever you can. It is not hard to conserve water. Conservation tips include: Automatic dishwashers use 15 gallons for every cycle, regardless of how many dishes are loaded. So get a run for your money and load it to capacity. Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth. Check every faucet in your home for leaks. Just a slow drip can waste 15 to 20 gallons a day. Fix it and you can save almost 6,000 gallons per year. Check your toilets for leaks by putting a few drops of food coloring in the tank, watch for a few minutes to see if the color shows up in the bowl. It is not uncommon to lose up to 100 gallons a day from one of these otherwise invisible toilet leaks. Fix it and you save more than 30,000 gallons a year. Use your water meter to detect hidden leaks. Simply turn off all taps and water using appliances, then check the meter after 15 minutes. If it moved, you have a leak.
SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS West Point currently has projects to upgrade the water intakes at Popolopen and Queensboro Brook, replace aging water storage tanks, and to construct a raw water line connection between the Stony and Lusk systems. These changes will improve system reliability and facilitate future repair and upgrade projects. CLOSING Thank you for allowing us to continue to provide your family with quality drinking water this year. We ask that all our customers help us protect our water sources, which are the heart of our community. Please call our office if you have questions.