3 = Quality System x Quality Service x Quality WaterBirmingham Water Works Annual Water Quality...

Q3 = Quality System x Quality Service x Quality WaterBirmingham Water Works Annual Water Quality Report 2012



INSIDE THIS CCR: GOVERNM

OUR PEOPLE

CCR: Government Mandated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1Our People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1Questions and Answers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Our Mission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2A Commitment to Water Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Quality Service in Every Drop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Source Water Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Where Does My Water Come From? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6System Information for 2011 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6The Water Treatment Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Water Quality Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-19Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Water Word Match . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Board of DirectorsA. Jackie Robinson, III

Chairman/PresidentSherry W. Lewis

First Vice ChairmanAnthony L. Barnes

Second Vice ChairmanDavid S. Herring

Secretary-TreasurerAnn D. Florie

Assistant Secretary-Treasurer

EnviroLab ManagementAnton Jones, Sr., MSM, REM

Manager of EnviroLab/Water QualityDrusilla Hudson, CSEM

Quality Control OfficerJerry Horncastle

Chief Chemist

Executive StaffMac Underwood, CPA

General ManagerDarryl R. Jones, P.E.

Assistant General Manager Operations and Technical Services

T.M. “Sonny” Jones, IV, P.E. Assistant General Manager Engineering and Maintenance

Michael Johnson, CPA Assistant General Manager Finance and Administration

Regulatory Compliance Lori Brown

Regulatory Compliance Coordinator

Water Treatment Joel Rhaly

Water Treatment Manager

The Birmingham Water Works Board (BWWB), like water utilities across the U.S., is required by the Environmental Protection Agency to send its cus-tomers this water quality report or Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) each year. In 1996, Congress amended the Safe Drinking Water Act by adding a provision requiring all community water systems to deliver to their cus-tomers an annual water quality report, or CCR, which contains information on the water sys-tem’s source water, the levels of any detected contaminants, compliance with drinking water rules and other educational information. In 2011, as in years past, the BWWB met all state and federal regulations for water quality.

1

INSIDE THIS REPORT CCR: GOVERNMENT MANDATED

OUR PEOPLE



WHAT YOU NEE

OUR MISSION

A COMMITMENT What is the Consumer Confidence Report? The Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) is an annual report required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on the water quality of a particular water system such as the BWWB. The report details and out-lines contaminants and their levels in drinking water.For whom is this report produced? The CCR is produced for customers and wholesalers of the BWWB and ensures that everyone is provided safe drinking water. How much does it cost to receive this report? This report is free of charge to all customers and stakeholders of the BWWB.Why am I getting this report? The BWWB is federally mandated by the EPA to provide this information to you. The Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) en-forces these rules for the EPA. Regulated drinking water substances that were detected during the 2011 calendar year are provided in the chart. Where can I get additional copies of this report? You may obtain additional copies of the CCR at the BWWB Customer Service Center, by mail (upon request) or by visiting www.birminghamwater-works.com. For questions concerning the CCR, please call Lori Brown at 205-244-4206.What authorities regulate contaminant levels? In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the EPA and ADEM prescribe regulations that limit the amount of certain substances in water provided by public water systems.

The Birmingham Water Works Board is committed to providing the highest quality water and service to our customers and our entire service area. As a con-cerned corporate citizen, we are responsive to the needs of the entire commu-nity and strive to maintain, preserve and conserve our precious water resources in order to ensure adequate water quality and supply for future generations.

2011 Awards:

• The Alabama Water and Pollution Control Association (AWPCA) awarded Western and Putnam Filter Plants with its Award of Excellence for operations achieved during 2011.

• AWPCA presented the BWWB with the Best Operated Plant Award for the outstanding operation in their Distribu-tion System.

• AWPCA presented the BWWB with its Three Year Award for Best Operated Plant for consecutively achieving outstanding opera-tions in the Distribution System.

• The Partnership for Safe Drinking Water awarded Carson Filter Plant the Five-Year Directors’ Award for exceptional operations leading to greater water quality.

2010 Awards:

• The Partnership for Safe Drinking Wa-ter awarded Putnam Filter Plant the Five-Year Directors’ Award for out-standing operations leading to supe-rior water quality.

• ADEM presented Western Filter Plant with the Plant Optimization Award, which is based on excellence in operations that maxi-mize public health, for the seventh consecutive year.

• ADEM presented Putnam Filter Plant with its Four Year Optimized Plant Award for consistently surpassing regulatory re-quirements for water quality and provid-ing safe drinking water for customers.

• The Alabama Water and Pollution Control Association (AWPCA) presented Carson, Putnam and Western Filter Plants with its Award of Excellence for efficiency in water delivery.

2 3

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

OUR MISSION

A COMMITMENT TO WATER QUALITY

The Birmingham Water Works Board has open meetings monthly at its main office located at 3600 First Avenue N., Birmingham, AL 35222. Meeting dates and times are posted on our Web site and at our main office. The Board welcomes public input and comments during its meetings. For questions, please call 205-244-4000 or visit www.birminghamwaterworks.com.



QUALITY SERVICE IN EVERY DROPQuality Water Our treatment plants consistently produce some of the highest quality water in the nation. Starting with good sources of water and treating it to the highest degree possible with up-to-date treatment facilities, these plants operate around the clock, seven days a week to ensure that the quality of wa-ter we deliver to our customers is the best. We, as well as our families, drink the water we serve you. We take our commitment to water quality very

seriously. Our treatment plant operators continuously sample and test the water during all stages of treatment to ensure nothing is over-

looked when it comes to our water quality. Our treatment plant operators also work closely with the chemists and

biologists on water quality testing at our main testing facility, the EnviroLab. Information from the EnviroLab is used to tweak and adjust the treatment process in order to maximize treatment efficiency. Positioned in the back of our main campus, the EnviroLab is one of the largest utility-owned certi-fied laboratories in Alabama. The 7,000-square foot laboratory accommodates microbiological testing, organic testing and inorganic testing required by the Alabama Department of Environmental Manage-ment. EnviroLab technicians collect samples of water from all over the BWWB’s service area to make cer-

tain water quality is at the top of the list in the water distribution system. Throughout the year, chemists in

the lab run more than 100,000 water quality tests on samples collected. Our EnviroLab team is consis-tently testing treated and untreated water to assure the quality of water supplied to customers exceeds

all government regulations. It is our responsibility to make sure that we do all that we can to provide customers in Birmingham and surrounding areas with a high quality water resource for their day-to-day activities. It is our goal to remain consistent in providing a quality system, quality service and quality water.

QUALITY SERVICE IN EVERY DROPQuality System Quality, Quality, Quality! It is in our system, in our service, and especially in the water you drink. Customers never have to rethink the safety of what they are consuming. The Birmingham Water Works Board takes pride in knowing customers’ water supply needs are always met. From the time the Water Board was created in the 1950s until today, our company has spent millions of dollars on projects to help ensure the highest quality of water treatment. One of our most recent projects is the upgrade to the Shades Mountain Filter Plant. It is one of the largest capital improvement projects ever undertaken by the Birmingham Water Works Board and it is nearing the final stages of construction. The ongoing project includes new piping and electrical work, a fin-ished water pump station, an intermediate pump sta-tion and two 6 million-gallon clearwells. The clearwells provide additional space for water storage at the plant to meet peak water usage needs and also guarantees that customers will receive an uninterrupted supply of the highest quality water. The new finished water pump station will support the constant growth of the BWWB service area and demands within the existing service areas. The new pumps will support operations for the next 30-50 years improving reli-able water delivery.

Quality Service Water is an essential element of everyday life. Did you know that the average resident uses over 100,000 gallons of water indoors and outdoors during the year? Every year the BWWB receives multiple awards for our exceptional operations leading to greater water quality. The service provided to the citizens in our service area speaks for itself. Daily, we strive to put quality in everything we do. This year the BWWB earned the Alabama Water and Pollution Control Association’s (AWPCA) Three Year Award. The award gives recognition to our successful achievement of outstanding operations in our water distribution system for three years in a row. We have been supplying reliable water to our customers for more than 137 years and we would not fathom the thought of compromising quality now.

4 5



SOURCE WATE THE WATER TR

WHERE DOESABBREVIATIONSYSTEM INFOR

Service Area Map

A source water assessment has been updated for the water system. It is available for review at the BWWB’s main office during normal business hours. The following is a list of the sources of raw water along with the susceptibility rating of the contaminant source and the contaminant sources:

• Inland Lake – low susceptibility (septic tank); moderate sus-ceptibility (boat launch)

• Cahaba River – moderate susceptibility (highways, secondary roads and railroad)

• Mulberry Fork – moderate susceptibility (septic tanks and propane tanks); high suscepti-bility (industrial facility, bridge and highway)

• Sipsey Fork - moderate susceptibility (power plant)

The Birmingham Water Works Board is making a maximum effort to physi-cally protect all of our critical assets.

Black Warrior Basin • Sipsey Fork • Mulberry Fork

• Inland Lake / Blackburn Fork

Cahaba Basin • Big Cahaba River • Little Cahaba River • Lake Purdy

1. Intake - Water is taken from the source. Fish, plants and other debris are screened out and water is drawn into the treatment plant.

2. Chemical Addition - Chemicals are added to kill germs, remove odor and improve taste.

3. Mixing - Water and chemicals are rapidly mixed.

4. Coagulation & Flocculation - The particles stick together and form larger particles called floc.

5. Sedimentation - The water and floc particles flow into a sedimentation basin. The floc then settles to the bottom and is removed from the water.

6. Filtration - Water flows through filters. The filters are made of lay-ers of sand and gravel.

7. Disinfection - A small amount of chlorine or other disinfecting chemical is added to kill any re-maining germs and keep the water safe as it travels to your house.

8. Storage - Water is placed in a closed tank or clearwell.

9. Distribution - Water is transported to houses. The BWWB delivers an average of 100 million gallons of water per day.

• Gallons of water produced each day: 102.36 million*• People served: 600,000*• Square miles in service area: 759*• Miles of water main (pipes) in system: 3,970* *Approximations

6 7

NA: Not ApplicableND: Not Detected

CDC: Centers for Disease ControlNTU: Nephelometric Turbidity Unit

EPA: Environmental Protection AgencyADEM: Alabama Department of Environmental Management

SOURCE WATER ASSESSMENT THE WATER TREATMENT PROCESS

WHERE DOES MY WATER COME FROM?

ABBREVIATIONSSYSTEM INFORMATION FOR 2011


Q3 = Quality System x Quality Service x Quality WaterBirmingham Water Works Annual Water Quality Report 2012W

ATER

QUAL

ITY D

ATA

8 9

WAT

ER QU

ALIT

Y DAT

A



ATER

QUAL

ITY D

ATA

• T

he m

ost

rece

nt t

estin

g fo

r Le

ad a

nd C

oppe

r C

ompl

ianc

e w

ithin

the

dis

trib

utio

n sy

stem

was

from

June

– S

epte

mbe

r 20

10.

Thi

s te

stin

g w

as d

one

in a

ccor

danc

e w

ith a

pplic

able

reg

ulat

ions

. T

he 9

0th

perc

entil

e le

ad s

ampl

e w

as <

0.00

5 m

g/L.

N

o le

ad s

ampl

es e

xcee

ded

the

actio

n le

vel.

The

90t

h pe

rcen

tile

copp

er s

ampl

e w

as 2

8.8

mg/

L.

No

copp

er

sam

ples

exc

eede

d th

e ac

tion

leve

l.

• T

he B

WW

B vo

lunt

arily

mon

itors

for

the

orga

nism

s cr

ypto

spor

idiu

m a

nd g

iard

ia q

uart

erly

at

our

raw

wat

er s

ites.

• T

he B

WW

B us

es a

cryl

amid

e ba

sed

poly

mer

s in

its

solid

s ha

ndlin

g op

erat

ions

.

• O

n A

pril

27, 2

011,

torn

ado

dam

age

caus

ed p

ower

failu

res

that

res

ulte

d in

a lo

ss o

f wat

er p

ress

ure.

A b

oil w

ater

not

ice

was

issu

ed fo

r th

e af

fect

ed a

rea

of o

ur w

ater

sys

tem

. On

May

2nd

, the

sys

tem

was

res

tore

d to

nor

mal

ope

ratio

n.

• If

pres

ent,

elev

ated

leve

ls o

f lea

d ca

n ca

use

seri

ous

heal

th p

robl

ems,

espe

cial

ly fo

r pr

egna

nt w

omen

and

you

ng c

hild

ren.

Le

ad in

dri

nkin

g w

ater

is p

rim

arily

from

mat

eria

ls a

nd c

ompo

nent

s as

soci

ated

with

ser

vice

line

s an

d ho

me

plum

bing

. T

he B

irm

ingh

am W

ater

Wor

ks B

oard

(BW

WB)

is r

espo

nsib

le f

or p

rovi

ding

hig

h qu

ality

dri

nkin

g w

ater

, but

can

not

cont

rol t

he v

arie

ty o

f mat

eria

ls u

sed

in p

lum

bing

com

pone

nts.

Whe

n yo

ur w

ater

has

bee

n si

ttin

g fo

r se

vera

l hou

rs, y

ou

can

min

imiz

e th

e po

tent

ial f

or le

ad e

xpos

ure

by fl

ushi

ng y

our

tap

for

30 s

econ

ds t

o 2

min

utes

bef

ore

usin

g w

ater

for

drin

king

or

cook

ing.

If yo

u ar

e co

ncer

ned

abou

t le

ad in

you

r w

ater

, you

may

wis

h to

hav

e yo

u w

ater

tes

ted.

Info

rma-

tion

on le

ad in

dri

nkin

g w

ater

, tes

ting

met

hods

and

ste

ps y

ou c

an t

ake

to m

inim

ize

expo

sure

is a

vaila

ble

from

the

Saf

e D

rink

ing

Wat

er H

otlin

e or

at

http

:ww

w/e

pa.g

ov/s

afew

ater

/lead

.

• Ba

sed

on a

stu

dy c

ondu

cted

by

AD

EM w

ith t

he a

ppro

val o

f the

EPA

, a s

tate

wid

e w

aive

r fo

r th

e m

onito

ring

of a

sbes

tos

and

diox

in w

as is

sued

. Thu

s, m

onito

ring

for

thes

e co

ntam

inan

ts w

as n

ot r

equi

red.

10 11

WAT

ER QU

ALIT

Y DAT

A



ATER

QUAL

ITY D

ATA

12 13

WAT

ER QU

ALIT

Y DAT

A



ADDI

TIONA

L INF

ORM

WAT

ER QU

ALIT

Y DAT

A

A

ll dr

inki

ng w

ater

, inc

ludi

ng b

ottle

d w

ater

, may

rea

sona

bly

be e

xpec

ted

to c

onta

in a

t le

ast

smal

l am

ount

s of

som

e co

n-ta

min

ants

. The

pre

senc

e of

con

tam

inan

ts d

oes

not

nece

ssar

-ily

indi

cate

tha

t w

ater

pos

es a

hea

lth r

isk.

Mor

e in

form

atio

n ab

out

cont

amin

ants

and

pot

entia

l he

alth

effe

cts

can

be o

b-ta

ined

by

calli

ng t

he E

nvir

onm

enta

l Pro

tect

ion

Age

ncy’s

Saf

e D

rink

ing

Wat

er H

otlin

e at

1-8

00-4

26-4

791.

T

he s

ourc

es o

f dri

nkin

g w

ater

(bot

h ta

p w

ater

and

bot

tled

wat

er) i

nclu

de r

iver

s, la

kes,

stre

ams,

pond

s, re

serv

oirs

, spr

ings

an

d w

ells

. As

wat

er t

rave

ls o

ver

the

surf

ace

of t

he l

and

or

thro

ugh

the

grou

nd, i

t di

ssol

ves

natu

rally

occ

urri

ng m

iner

als

and

radi

oact

ive

mat

eria

l, an

d it

can

pick

up

subs

tanc

es r

esul

t -in

g fr

om t

he p

rese

nce

of a

nim

als

or fr

om h

uman

act

ivity

.

So

me

peop

le m

ay b

e m

ore

vuln

erab

le to

con

tam

inan

ts in

dr

inki

ng w

ater

than

the

gene

ral p

opul

atio

n. P

eopl

e w

ho a

re

imm

uno-

com

prom

ised

, suc

h as

can

cer

patie

nts

unde

rgo-

ing

chem

othe

rapy

, org

an t

rans

plan

t re

cipi

ents

, peo

ple

with

H

IV/A

IDS

or o

ther

imm

une

syst

em d

isor

ders

, som

e el

derl

y pe

ople

and

infa

nts

can

be p

artic

ular

ly a

t ri

sk fo

r in

fect

ion.

Peop

le a

t ri

sk s

houl

d se

ek a

dvic

e ab

out

drin

king

wat

er

from

the

ir h

ealth

car

e pr

ovid

ers.

EPA

/ C

DC

gui

delin

es

on a

ppro

pria

te m

eans

to

less

en t

he r

isk

of i

nfec

tion

by

cryp

tosp

orid

ium

and

oth

er m

icro

bial

con

tam

inan

ts a

re

avai

labl

e fr

om t

he S

afe

Dri

nkin

g W

ater

Hot

line

at 1

-800

-42

6-47

91. F

or f

urth

er i

nfor

mat

ion,

con

tact

the

Jef

fers

on

Cou

nty

Hea

lth D

epar

tmen

t at

205

-933

-911

0.

14 15ADDI

TIONA

L INF

ORMA

TION F

OR YO

UR HE

ALTH

WAT

ER QU

ALIT

Y DAT

A



ATER

QUAL

ITY D

ATA

Un

regu

late

d O

rgan

ic S

ub

stan

ces

- In

com

plia

nce

with

AD

EM r

egul

atio

ns, t

he B

WW

B m

ust

sam

ple

and

mon

itor

for

the

unre

gula

ted

subs

tanc

es in

the

cha

rt b

elow

.

16 17

WAT

ER QU

ALIT

Y DAT

A



ATER

QUAL

ITY D

ATA

18 19

WAT

ER QU

ALIT

Y DAT

A



DEFINITIONS WATER WORD ACTION LEVEL (AL) – Concentration of contaminant that, when exceeded, triggers treatment of other requirements that a water system must follow.

MAXIMUM CONTAMINANT LEVEL GOAL (MCLG) – 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 CONTAMINANT LEVEL (MCL) – Highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as fea-sible using the best available treatment technology.

MAXIMUM RESIDUAL DISINFECTANT LEVEL GOAL (MRDLG) – The level of 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.

MAXIMUM RESIDUAL DISINFECTANT LEVEL (MRDL) – The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that ad-dition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants.

TREATMENT TECHNIQUE (TT) – Required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.

RUNNING ANNUAL AVERAGE (RAA) – Compliance period where an aver-age of four consecutive quarterly samples are used.

CONTAMINANT – Any substance other than water. Note that contaminants, as defined, include dissolved minerals, purifying and dental health promotion additives.

TURBIDITY – Measure of the clarity of water as it relates to its particle content.

VARIANCE AND EXEMPTIONS – ADEM or EPA permission not to meet an MCL or treatment technique under certain conditions.

mg/L – milligrams per liter, or parts per million (ppm).

ug/L – micrograms per liter, or parts per billion (ppb).

TOTAL TRIHALOMETHANES (TTHM) – By-product of drinking water chlorination.

TOTAL HALOACETIC ACIDS (HAA5) – By-product of drinking water chlorination.

20 21

Write the letter of the correct match next to each question.1. What is the name of the BWWB’s water quality headquarters? ____2. What are land areas surrounding water sources called? ____3. What are facilities dedicated to treating water called? ____4. Where is the place the BWWB gets water from? ____5. What is the measure of clarity as it relates to its particle content? ____6. How do you abbreviate milligrams per liter, or parts per million (ppm)? ____7. What requires all systems to deliver an annual water quality report? ____8. What does CCR stand for? ____9. The BWWB works hard to provide what? ____10. What is the required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant

in drinking water? ____

Water Word Scramble Answers

Answers on page 20

1. j 2. d3. g4. i5. c

6. a7. h 8. e 9. f10. b

DEFINITIONS WATER WORD MATCH

a. mg/Lb. Treatment

Techniquec. Turbidity

d. Watershed

e. Consumer Confidence

Reportf. Quality Water

g. Treatment Plants

h. Safe Drinking Water Acti. Source

j. EnviroLabword

bank


PRSST STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPERM

IT #1789BIRM

INGHAM

, AL

3600 First Avenue N

.Birm

ingham, A

L 352 22

Re

qu

i

re d

Governm

ent

Plea

se R

ea

d

Date post:	25-Jun-2020
Category:	Documents
Upload:	others
View:	0 times
Download:	0 times

3 = Quality System x Quality Service x Quality WaterBirmingham Water Works Annual Water Quality...

Documents