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ANNUAL WATER QUALITY REPORT
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Water Treated in 2002: 93 Billion Gallons

2001 was yet another outstanding year for the City’s Water System (PWSID: 0300002) and the dedicated Click for full image - RepairCity personnel who help bring this most precious of resources into your homes and businesses.  The City’s drinking water quality consistently ranks high among water supplies in the country.  This is the fifth edition of our annual water quality report that we are pleased to make available to our customers.  This report contains information regarding the quality of the water you drink, as well as educational and important public health notices and contacts.  The information in this Drinking Water Quality Report is being provided to you in addition to other notices that may be required by law.  Questions about this report and requests for additional copies should be directed to one of the City’s Water Quality Laboratories (Ashburton - 410-396-0150 or Montebello - 410-396-6040).  We also wish to take this opportunity to inform you that tours of the treatment plants may not be currently available due to security concerns. If, however, you would like to obtain general information about the treatment process or the history of Baltimore's water supply, you may contact us at the respective telephone numbers provided.

Water AnalysesDuring the year 2002 the City performed approximately 150,000 water quality analyses, as part of a continuous effort to assure the water you drink meets or exceeds regulatory standards.  The water is analyzed for over 90 different drinking water contaminants. A summary of the finished quality results is provided below. The data presented below represents the most recent testing done in accordance with the requirements of EPA’s Water Testing Regulations and were the only regulated substances found in your drinking water.

 


Key Abbreviations

AL = Action Level
MCL = Maximum Contaminant Level

MCLG = Maximum Contaminant Level Goal
MFL = million fibers per liter
HLD = Highest Level Detected.
mrem/year = millirems per year (a measure of radiation absorbed by the body)
pCi/l = picocuries per liter (a measure of radioactivity)
NTU = Nephelometric Turbidity Units
TT = Treatment Technique
ppm = parts per million, or milligrams per liter (mg/l)
ppb = parts per billion or micrograms per liter (µg/L)
ppt = parts per trillion, or nanograms per liter
ppq = parts per quadrillion, or picograms per liter
T.O.N. = Threshold Odor Number


Definitions

MCLG –The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health, allowing an adequate margin of safety.
MCL –The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water, which is set as close to the MCLG as feasible using the best available treatment.
Action Level – The concentration of a contaminant that, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements that a water system must follow.
Treatment Technique – A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.

Microbiological Contaminants  

Substance

MCLG

MCL

Ashburton Plant

Montebello Plants

Source

 

Total Coliforms

 

0

Not more than  5% of monthly routine / repeat samples can be coliform positive

Highest monthly percentage of positive samples – 0.0%

Highest monthly percentage of positive samples – 0.0%

Naturally present in the environment.

Substance

MCLG

MCL

Ashburton Plant

Montebello Plants

Source

 

Fecal Coliforms

 

0

Routine / repeat sample fecal coliform / E. coli positive following or preceeding total coliform positive sample from same source.

Highest monthly percentage of positive samples – 0.0%

Highest monthly percentage of positive samples – 0.0%

Naturally present in the environment.

 

TURBIDITY

Substance

MCLG

MCL

Ashburton Plant

Montebello Plants

Source

 

 

 

HLD

Lowest %

HLD

Lowest %

 

Turbidity1

None

TT- Filtration

0.25 NTU

100

0.44 NTU

99.9

Natural sediment run-off and algae.
  1.Turbidity cannot exceed 5 NTU and must be less than or equal to 0.5 NTU in at least 95 percent of the measurements taken each month.  Lowest % is the lowest percentage of monthly turbidity samples less than 0.5 NTU. Next year’s report will reflect new turbidity requirements effective 1/1/02.

Lead and Copper Testing

Substance

Action Level

90th Percentile Value

Number of Samples Greater than Action Level

Lead

15 ppb

8 ppb

1

Copper

1300 ppb

283 ppb

0

Note: the source of lead and copper in drinking water is normally from leaching in individual home plumbing systems and not from source water, water treatment processes or the distribution system. Water treatment processes are in place to minimize this exposure route.

 To minimize your exposure to lead and copper, if the tap has not been used for several hours, it is recommended that you flush your tap for at least 30 seconds before using water for drinking or cooking and don’t consume hot water from the tap. To conserve water, consider keeping a container of drinking water in your refrigerator.

Inorganic Contaminants

Substance

MCLG (ppm)

MCL (ppm)

Ashburton Plant

Montebello Plants

Source

 

 

 

HLD

Range

HLD

Range

 

Barium

2

2

<0.02

< 0.02

0.05

< 0.02 - 0.05

Erosion of natural deposits.

Nitrate (as Nitrogen)

10

10

1.32

0.57 - 1.32

1.69

0.49 – 1.69

Run-off from fertilizer use; Leaching from septic tanks, sewage; Erosion of natural deposits.

 

FLUORIDE

Substance

MCLG (ppm)

MCL (ppm)

Ashburton Plant

Montebello Plants

Source

 

 

 

HLD

Average

Range

HLD

Average

Range

 

Fluoride

4

4

1.92

0.90

< 0.1 - 1.92

1.57

0.91

<0.1 – 1.57

Water additive that promotes strong teeth.


RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINANTS

Substance

MCLG (pCi/l)

MCL (pCi/l)

Ashburton Plant

Montebello Plants

Source

3+/-2 pCi/l

3+/-2 pCi/l

Beta/Photon Emitters

0

50*

Decay of natural and man-made deposits.

Alpha Emitters

0

15

< 1 pCi/l

1+/-1 pCi/l

Decay of natural and man-made deposits.

*The MCL for Beta Photon Emitters is 4 millirems per year (a measure of radiation absorbed by the body).  The Environmental Protection Agency considers 50 pCi/l to be a   level of concern for this contaminant.

VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS (VOC's)

Substance

MCLG (ppb)

MCL (ppb)

Ashburton Plant

Montebello Plants

Source

 

 

 

HLD

Average

Range

HLD

Average

Range

 

Total THMs

 

 HAA(5)

N/A1

 

N/A

80

 

 602

103

 

67

51

 

30

13 -103

 

5 – 67

87

 

57

55

 

26

15 - 87

 

5 - 57

By-product of drinking water chlorination.

 

 

1. not applicable because there are individual MCLGs for individual THMs and HAAs.

VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS (VOC’s) – CORRECTED RESULTS FROM 2001 REPORT IN BLUE FONT

Substance

MCLG (ppb)

MCL (ppb)

Ashburton Plant
Montebello Plants

Source
     

HLD

Average

Range

HLD

Average

Range

  

Total THMs

 HAA(5)

N/A

N/A

801

       60

68

56

46

38

8 - 68

26 - 56

100

53

60

28

5 - 100

7 – 53

By-product of drinking water chlorination.

1.  New MCL as of 2002.

 

SYNTHETIC ORGANIC COMPOUNDS (SOC’s), INCLUDING PESTICIDES AND HERBICIDES

Substance
MCLG (ppb)
 MCL (ppb)
Ashburton Plant
Montebello Plants
 Source



Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate

Dicamba

Disulfoton

Pentachlorophenol

HLD

Range

HLD

Range

0

6

1.44

< 0.5 – 1.44

1.44

<0.5 – 1.44

Discharge from rubber and chemical factories.

-

-

2.684

< 0.5 – 2.684

< 0.5

< 0.5

Run-off from herbicide application.

-

-

6.48

< 0.5 – 6.48

< 0.5

< 0.5

Run-off form insecticide application.

0

1

0.88

<0.1 – 0.88

1.03

< 0.1 – 1.03

Erosion of natural deposits.

Please note that pursuant to the requirements of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, additional organic contaminants were monitored during 2002 and hence more were detected. However, none of these organic contaminants were above the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL). 

 

Important Health Information

Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immunocompromised people such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly citizens, and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their healthcare 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). 

CRYPTOSPORIDIUM

Cryptosporidium (crip-toe-spor-ID-ee-um) is a protozoan, a single-celled parasite that can invade and reside in the intestines of animals and people.  This organism is found in some surface water (lakes, reservoirs, rivers, etc.) and groundwater. Infection of healthy individuals by this organism can cause a gastrointestinal illness referred to as cryptosporidiosis (crip-toe-spor-id-ee-O-sis), which may produce symptoms including diarrhea, headache, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting and low-grade fever.  The symptoms usually last one to two weeks.  For immunocompromised people, however, the infection can continue and last for several months.  Because there are no effective medical treatments, prolonged infection can be fatal for severely immunocompromised individuals. Human transmission routes include ingestion of contaminated food or drinking water or through direct contact with contaminated fecal matter.  The City monitors its raw water sources for the presence of Cryptosporidium using the services of environmental laboratories employing the latest available and approved analytical methods. Analyses for cryptosporidium performed in the year 2002 on water samples obtained from the City’s two primary water sources revealed that no viable organisms were present. The City’s protected source water reservoirs help prevent these organisms from entering the water supply.  Analyses of water from the Susquehanna River, an alternative supply source used extensively during this reporting period showed an average of < 0.1 cryptosporidium oocysts / Liter.
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