2009

Water System Name:

Lake Elizabeth Mutual Water Company

Report Date:

  4/20/2010

Consumer Confidence Report

We test the drinking water quality for many constituents as required by state and federal regulations.  This report shows the results of our monitoring for the period of January 1 - December 31, 2009.

Type of water source(s) in use: 

Surface Water, = State Water Project (Aqueduct).

Ground Water  

Name & location of source(s): 

 Surface Water = Willowsprings turnout, Munzs Ranch Road.
Ground Water = Brookwood Well
.

 

 

Drinking Water Source Assessment information:

Brookwood Well assessment can be viewed at 14960 Elizabeth Lake Rd.
Surface Water assessment can be viewed at Antelope Valley-East Kern water Agency  

 

Time and place of regularly scheduled board meetings for public participation:

  Second Tuesday at 5:30p.m. at 14960 Elizabeth Lake Road, Elizabeth Lake, California.
Shareholders meeting is the second Tuesday in June at 7:00pm

 

For more information, contact:

       Lake Elizabeth
Mutual Water Company

  Phone:

( 661 ) 724-1806

 

TERMS USED IN THIS REPORT

Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL): The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water.  Primary MCLs are set as close to the PHGs (or MCLGs) as is economically and technologically feasible.  Secondary MCLs are set to protect the odor, taste, and appearance of drinking water.

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 are set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA).

Public Health Goal (PHG): The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health.  PHGs are set by the California Environmental Protection Agency.

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 contaminants.

Primary Drinking Water Standards (PDWS): MCLs and MRDLs for contaminants that affect health along with their monitoring and reporting requirements, and water treatment requirements.

Secondary Drinking Water Standards (SDWS):  MCLs for contaminants that affect taste, odor, or appearance of the drinking water.  Contaminants with SDWSs do not affect the health at the MCL levels.

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

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

Variances and Exemptions:  Department permission to exceed an MCL or not comply with a treatment technique under certain conditions.

ND: not detectable at testing limit 

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 (ng/L)

ppq: parts per quadrillion or picogram per liter (pg/L)

pCi/L: picocuries per liter (a measure of radiation)

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 activity.

Contaminants that may be present in source water include:

·        Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, that may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife.

·        Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, that 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, that may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and residential uses.

·        Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, that are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff, agricultural application, and septic systems.

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

UPDATE ------------------NEW LANGUAGE FOR LEAD------------

In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the USEPA and the state Department of Public Health (Department) prescribe regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems.  Department regulations also establish limits for contaminants in bottled water that provide the same protection for public health.

Tables 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 list all of the drinking water contaminants that were detected during the most recent sampling for the constituent.  The presence of these contaminants in the water does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk.  The Department allows us to monitor for certain contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants do not change frequently.  Some of the data, though representative of the water quality, are more than one year old.

Table 1 – sampling results showing the detection of coliform bacteria

Microbiological Contaminants

(complete if bacteria detected)

Highest No. of Detections

No. of months in violation

MCL

 MCLG

Typical Source of Bacteria

Total Coliform Bacteria

(In a mo.)

 

 "0"

More than 1 sample in a month with a detection

0

Naturally present in the environment

Fecal Coliform or E. coli

(In the year)

 

"0" 

A routine sample and a repeat sample detect total coliform and either sample also detects fecal coliform or E. coli

0

Human and animal fecal waste

Table 2 – sampling results showing the detection of Lead and copper

Lead and Copper

(complete if lead or copper detected in the last sample set)

No. of samples collected

90th percentile level detected

No. sites exceeding AL

AL

PHG

Typical Source of Contaminant

Lead (ppb)

10 

 8

 0

15

2

Internal corrosion of household water plumbing systems; discharges from industrial manufacturers; erosion of natural deposits

Lead: For community water systems, 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. Lake Elizabeth Mutual Water Company 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.

Copper (ppm)

10 

 0.076

 0

1.3

0.17

Internal corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits; leaching from wood preservatives

TAble 3 – sampling results for sodium and hardness

Chemical or Constituent (and reporting units)

Sample Date

Surface Water, Level Detected

Brookwood Well,
Level Detected
7/28/09

Standby #2 Well, Level Detected

MCL

Typical Source of Contaminant

Sodium (ppm)

 

10/22/09

 

67 mg/L

35 mg/L  7/28/09

26 mg/L

none

Salt present in the water and is generally naturally occurring

Hardness (ppm)

10/22/09

 

103 mg/L

253 mg/L  7/28/09

226 mg/L

none

Sum of polyvalent cations present in the water, generally magnesium and calcium, and are usually naturally occurring


  INORGANIC ---SURFACE WATER

TAble 4 – detection of contaminants with a Primary Drinking Water Standard

Chemical or Constituent
(and reporting units)

Sample Date

Surface Water, Level Detected

Brookwood Well,
Level Detected 7/28/09

 
MCL 
[MRDL]

Typical Source of Contaminant

 ALUMINUM

10/22/09
 

40 ug/L

 ND

1000ug/L 

 Discharge from petroleum refineries; fire retardants; ceramics; electronmics; solder

 ARSENIC

 10/22/09

4 ug/L  

 ND

10 ug/L 

 Erosion of natural deposits; runoff from orchards, runoff from glass & electronicsproduction wastes

 BARIUM

10/22/09 

40.0 ug/L  

68.7 ug/L  

1000 ug/L 

Discharge of drilling wastes; discharge from metal refineries; erosion of natural deposits

 CHROMIUM (Total CR)

10/22/09 

1 ug/L  

ND 

50 ug/L 

Discharge from steel and pulp mills; erosion of natural deposits

FLUORIDE 

10/22/09 

0.1 mg/L  

0.5 mg/L  

2 mg/L 

 Water additive which promotes strong teeth; erosion of natural deposits; discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories

LEAD

10/22/09 

 0.7 ug/L

0.8 ug/L  

NA 

Corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits

NICKEL

10/22/09 

1 ug/L 

 1 ug/L

100 ug/L 

 Erosion of natural deposits

NITRATE (NO3)

10/22/09 

3 mg/L  

22.1 mg/L  

45 mg/L 

Runoff from fertilizer use; leaching from septic tanks, sewage; erosion of natural deposits

8

TAble 5 – detection of CONTAMINANTS With a secondary drinking water standard
aesthetic standards. state water project (aqueduct)

Chemical or Constituent
(and reporting units)

Sample Date

Surface Water, Level Detected

Brookwood Well,
Level Detected 7/28/09

 
MCL 
[MRDL] 

Typical Source of Contaminant

CHLORIDE (CI)

10/22/09 

91 mg/L  

 48 mg/L

250-600 

Water additive used to control microbes

IRON

10/22/09 

200ug/L  

 60 ug/L

300ug/L 

Leaching of natural deposits, industrial discharge.

MANGANESE 

10/22/09 

10ug/L  

ND 

50 ug/L 

Erosion of natural deposits

SULFATE (SO4)  

10/22/09 

44 mg/L  

64 mg/L  

NA 

Runoff / Corrosion of natural deposits, inustrial wastes

Total Filterable Residue  

10/22/09 

290mg/L 

N/A 

  NA 

  Runoff / Leaching from natural deposits


Table 6 – RADIO CHEMICALS ANALYSIS (RADIOLOGICAL)

Chemical or Constituent
(and reporting units)

Sample Date

Surface Water, Level Detected

Brookwood Well,
Level Detected 7/28/09

 
MCL 
AL 

Typical Source of Contaminant

GROSS ALPHA  

10/22/09 

5.14 pCi/L 

 6.63 pCi/L

15 pCi/L 

  

GROSS BATA  

10/22/09 

0.000 pCi/L  

1.69 pCi/L 

50 pCi/L 

  

URANIUM 

10/22/09 

2.32 pCi/L 

4.08 pCi/L  

20 pCi/L 

  Erosion of natual deposits

RADIUM 228  

10/22/09 

0.289 pCi/L  

 ND

2 pCi/L 

Erosion of natual deposits

TRITIUM 

10/22/09 

120 pCi/L 

 N/A

20000 pCi/L 

  Runoff / Leaching from natural deposits

*Any violation of an MCL, MRDL, or TT is asterisked.  Additional information regarding the violation is provided later in this report.

Additional General Information on 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 the water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the USEPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).

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. USEPA/Centers for Disease Control (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 (1-800-426-4791).

Summary Information for Contaminants Exceeding an MCL, MRDL, or AL or
Violation of Any TT or Monitoring and Reporting Requirement

 
NONE

 

For Systems Providing Ground Water as a Source of Drinking Water

(Refer to page 1, “Type of water source in use” to see if your source of water is surface water or groundwater)

TAble 7 – Sampling Results Showing feCal indicator-positive
ground water source samples

Microbiological Contaminants

(complete if fecal-indicator detected)

Total No. of Detections

Sample
 Dates

MCL
[MRDL]

PHG
(MCLG)
[MRDLG]

Typical Source of Contaminant

E. coli

(In the year)
"0"

7/22/09 

0

(0)

Human and animal fecal waste

Enterococci

(In the year)
"0"

7/22/09 

TT

n/a

Human and animal fecal waste

Coliphage

(In the year)
"0"

 7/22/09

TT

n/a

Human and animal fecal waste


Summary Information for Fecal Indicator-Positive

Table 8 - sampling results showing TREATMENT OF  SURFACE WATER SOURCES

Treatment Technique (a)

(Type of approved filtration technology used)

Conventional treatment, consistins of Flocculation, Sedimentation, Tri-media filtration and Disinfection

Turbidity Performance Standards (b)

(that must be met through the water treatment process)

Turbidity of the filtered water must:

1 – Be less than or equal to 0.3 NTU in 95% of measurements in a month.

2 – Not exceed 1.0 NTU for more than eight consecutive hours.

3 – Not exceed 5.0 NTU at any time.

Lowest monthly percentage of samples that met Turbidity Performance Standard No. 1.

100% 

Highest single turbidity measurement during the year

0.21 NTU  

Number of violations of any surface water treatment requirements

  (0) NONE

Ground Water Source Samples, Uncorrected Significant Deficiencies, or Violation of a Ground Water TT

 
NONE

For Systems Providing Surface Water as a Source of Drinking Water

(Refer to page 1, “Type of water source in use” to see if your source of water is surface water or groundwater)

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

(b)   Turbidity (measured in NTU) is a measurement of the cloudiness of water and is a good indicator of water quality and filtration performance.  Turbidity results which meet performance standards are considered to be in compliance with filtration requirements.

* Any violation of a TT is marked with an asterisk.  Additional information regarding the violation is provided earlier in this report.

DISINFECTION RESIDUAL, PRECURSORS, and BYPRODUCTS 

 

Type of Sample(s)
Parameter
Units
MCL/MRDL
DLR MRDLG
RESULTS
Range / Average

Distribution

Chlorine (as total Cl2)

mg/L

4.0**

 

4.0 

0.83 - 1.30 mg/L / 0.97mg/L

Treated Water

Total Organic Carbon (TOC)

mg/L

Treatment Requirement

0.3 

 

0.7 - 2.14mg/L / 1.40mg/L

Source Water

Total Organic Carbon (TOC)

mg/L

Treatment Requirement

0.3 

 

1.15-3.52 mg/L / 2.25 mg/L

Distribution

Total Trihalomethanes

ug/L

80**

0.5 

none 

1.2 - 100.0   /   42.8#

Distribution

Total Haloacetic Acids (5)

ug/L

60**

 

0.0 - 18   /   6.9#

             
** Running Annual Average of distribution system samples. The MCLs are based upon Running Annual Averages.
# This average is a system-wide value.

Summary Information for Violation of a Surface Water TT

 
NONE