DRINKING WATERQUALIT Y REPORT

2019

CITY OF COLLEGE STATIONWATER SERVICES

cstx.gov/water

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D R I N K I N G WAT E R Q U A L I T Y R E P O R T

C I T Y O F C O L L E G E S TAT I O N

2019For the period of Jan. 1, 2017 to Dec. 31, 2019

City of College Station, Public Water System ID Number: TX0210002

NOTICE FOR ELDERLY, INFANTS & IMMUNO-COMPROMISED PERSONSYou may be more vulnerable than the general population to certain microbial contaminants, such as Cryptosporidium, in drinking water. Infants, some elderly, or immunocompromised persons such as those undergoing chemotherapy for cancer; persons who have undergone organ transplants; those who are undergoing treatment with steroids; and people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, can be particularly at risk from infections. You should seek advice about drinking water from your physician or health care providers. Additional guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by cryptosporidium are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline 800.426.4791.

INFORMACIÓN EN ESPAÑOLEste reporte incluye información importante sobre el agua para tomar. Para asistencia en español, favor de llamar al telefono 979.764.3435.

This report provides a summary of the important information about your drinking water and the efforts made by City of College Station Water Services to provide safe drinking water. Water quality test results shown are required by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). Annual Drinking Water Quality Reports, such as this one, are required of every public water system to provide information to their water customers as stated in the 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments. We are proud to report that, once again, the City of College Station provided customers with safe, high-quality drinking water that meets all federal and state requirements.

3,000+ DRINKING WATER

SAMPLES COLLECTED IN 2019

0DRINKING WATER

VIOLATIONS

4.6 BILLION GALLONS OF WATER

TREATED IN 2019

7REGULATED

CONTAMINANTS DETECTED

FAST FACTS ABOUT COLLEGE STATION WATER

225NUMBER OF

CONTAMINANTS YOUR WATER IS TESTED FOR

INFORMATION ABOUT DRINKING WATER SOURCES AND SOURCE WATER ASSESSMENTSThe sources of drinking water (both tap and bottled) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over the land’s surface 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.

College Station relies entirely on groundwater for its drinking water supply, pumping water from 10 deep wells in the Simsboro Aquifer, and one well in each in the Carrizo and Sparta Aquifers, located in northwest Brazos County. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has completed an assessment of your source water, which describes the susceptibility and types of constituents that may come into contact with your drinking water source based on human activities and natural conditions. Results indicate that some of your sources are susceptible to certain contaminants. The sampling requirements for your water system are based on this susceptibility and previous sample data. Any detection of these contaminants may be found in this Drinking Water Quality Report. For more information on source water assessments and protection efforts at our system, contact Jennifer Nations at jnations@cstx.gov or call 979.764.6223.

For more information about your sources of water, please refer to the Source Water Assessment Viewer available at the following URL: tceq.texas.gov/gis/swaview.

Further details about sources and source-water assessments are available in Drinking Water Watch at dww2.tceq.texas.gov/DWW.

JUST WHAT IS A ‘CONTAMINANT’? Put simply, a “contaminant” in water is anything other than hydrogen or oxygen. We know water’s symbol, H2O, means two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom make up one water molecule. The presence of a contaminant in water does not mean that there is a health risk, it simply means that there is something else in the water besides the essential elements that make up water.

Contaminants that may be present in source water (which, remember, is untreated) include:

Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural, livestock operations, and wildlife. College Station tests a minimum of 101 drinking water samples for bacteria from sites throughout our distribution system each month. In 2018, a total of 1,218 samples were tested and none of them tested positive for E. coli.

Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which 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, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban storm water runoff, and residential uses. College Station’s water was tested for 179 different organic chemicals. NO pesticides or herbicides were detected.

Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are byproducts of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff, and septic systems.

Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally-occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities. 3

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YearSampled Substance Units

Highest Level

Detected

Range of Levels

DetectedMCL MCLG Violation? Likely Source of Contaminant

2019 Barium ppm 0.0858 0.0858 - 0.0858 2 2 No

Discharge of drilling wastes; Discharge from metal refineries;

Erosion of natural deposits

2017 Fluoride ppm 0.32 0.32 - 0.32 4 4 No

Erosion of natural deposits; Water additive which promotes strong

teeth; Discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories

INORGANIC CONTAMINANTS

Year Sampled Contaminant Units

Highest Average Detected

Range of Levels

DetectedMCL MCLG Violation Likely Source of

Contaminant

2019 Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) ppb 33.2 16.1 - 41.4  60 ppb

No goal for the total

No Byproduct of drinking water disinfection

2019Total

Trihalomethane (TTHM)

ppb 3.9 1.7 - 5.1 80 ppbNo goal for the total

No Byproduct of drinking water disinfection

DISINFECTION BYPRODUCTS – MONITORED IN THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

Year Sampled Contaminant MCLG

Total Coliform

MCL

Highest Monthly

% Positive

Total Coliform Samples

Fecal Coliform or E. Coli

MCL

Total Number of Positive

E. Coli or Fecal Coliform Samples

Violation Likely Source of Contaminant

2019 Coliform Bacteria 0

5% of monthly samples

are positive

0.9% 1 positive sample 0 No

Naturally present in the environment

Year Sampled Disinfectant Units

Highest Average Detected

Range of Levels

DetectedMRDL MRDLG Violation Likely Source of

Contaminant

2019 Chlorine ppm 1.75 0.89 - 3.50 4 4 No Water additive used to

control microbes

MICROBIAL CONTAMINANTS – MONITORED IN THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

DISINFECTION RESIDUAL – MONITORED IN THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

WATER QUALITY TEST RESULTS

The disinfection byproducts haloacetic acids and trihalomethanes are by-products of the chlorine disinfection process, formed when chlorine reacts with organic matter. Total trihalomethanes (TTHM) are the sum of the chloroform, dibromochloromethane, bromodichloromethane and bromoform concentrations. Haloacetic Acids are represented as HAA5 because they are made up of a group of five contaminants. HAA5 is reported as the sum of the monochloroacetic acid, dichloroacetic acid, trichloroacetic acid, monobromoacetic acid, and dibromoacetic acid concentrations.

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DEFINITIONS OF KEY TERMSThe tables in this report contain scientific terms and measures, some of which may require explanation.

Action Level Goal (ALG): The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. ALGs allow for a margin of safety.

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

Average (Avg): Regulatory compliance with some MCLs are based on running annual average of monthly samples.

Erosion of Natural Deposits: This language is required in the “possible source of contaminant column” for contaminants that are naturally-occurring. Erosion of natural deposits actually means the substance is naturally present in drinking water, and was not added.

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 using the best available treatment technology.

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 contaminants.

NA: not applicable

ppb: micrograms per liter or parts per billion - or one ounce in 7,350,000 gallons of water.

ppm: milligrams per liter or parts per million - or one ounce in 7,350 gallons of water.

Year Sampled Substance Units 90th

Percentile*Action Level

(AL)Number of

sites over AL Violation Possible Source(s) of Contaminant

2019 Lead ppb 1.12 15 0 NoCorrosion of household

plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits

2019 Copper ppm 0.116 1.3 0 NoCorrosion of household

plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits

LEAD AND COPPER – MONITORED AT CUSTOMERS’ TAPS

How to Interpret Lead and Copper Test Results: Lead and copper are monitored at the customer’s water tap because exposure comes from household plumbing. College Station’s water does not exceed the Action Level for Lead (15 parts per billion, or 15 ppb) or Copper (1.3 parts per million or 1.3 ppm). The 90th percentile level means that 90% of College Station tap water samples measured at or below 1.12 parts per billion (ppb) for lead and 0.116 parts per million (ppm) for copper, an order of magnitude lower than the Action Level. The Environmental Protection Agency considers the 90th percentile the same as an “average” value for other contaminants.

HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT LEAD IN DRINKING WATERIf 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. We are responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but we 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 can 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 at 800.426.4791 or visit epa.gov/safewater/lead.

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Year Sampled Substance Detected Levels Limit Units

2017 Bicarbonate 382 No recommendation mg/L

2019 Calcium 3.23 No recommendation mg/L

2017 Carbonate 8 No recommendation mg/L

2018 Chloride 44 - 55 300 mg/L

2019 Copper 0.004 1 mg/L

2018 Diluted conductance 767 - 897 No recommendation μmhos/cm

2019 Manganese 0.0024 0.05 mg/L

2018 pH 8.5 - 8.7 >7.0 N/A

2017 Phenolphthalein Alkalinity as CaCo3 7 No recommendation mg/L

2017 Potassium 1.52 No recommendation mg/L

2019 Sodium 181 - 207 No recommendation mg/L

2018 Sulfate 6.1 - 11.9 300 mg/L

2018 Total Alkalinity as CaCo3 322 - 384 No recommendation mg/L

2018 Total Dissolved Solids 448 - 662 1,000 mg/L

2019 Total Hardness as CaCo3 3.96 - 11.9 No recommendation mg/L

SECONDARY AND OTHER NON-REGULATED CONTAMINANTSMany constituents (such as calcium, sodium, or iron) which are often found in drinking water can cause taste, color, and odor problems. The taste and odor constituents are called secondary constituents and are regulated by the state of Texas, not the EPA. These constituents are not causes for health concern nor are they required to be included in this report. Data on these substances may affect the aesthetic qualities of drinking water so it is provided for informational purposes.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONSIs bottled water better or safer than tap 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 water poses a health risk. When tap water meets all Safe Drinking Water Act requirements, as College Station’s water does, bottled water isn’t necessarily safer. Bottled water is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) because it is considered a packaged food product. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the EPAs Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800.426.4791. Bottled water is handy to have on hand for emergencies, but if you carry bottle water for convenience, do the planet a favor and carry a reusable water bottle filled with tap water.

Last month the water in my bathtub, sink, and toilet was brown. Is that safe to use? What causes it to change color? Should I report that?Naturally occurring minerals (primarily iron and manganese, which are heavier than water) flowing with the water settle in pipelines when water usage is low. When the direction of water flow and pressure changes, such as during a water line break, the minerals are stirred up and flow out of your faucets when you turn on the tap. Discolored water, as long as it still has a disinfectant residual, can be used. Report discolored water to Utility Dispatch at 855.528.4278 (4CSU) and choose option 2 to report a Water/Wastewater problem.

Why isn’t arsenic/chromium/etc. included in this report?Great question. All contaminants detected in routine compliance monitoring are listed in this annual Drinking Water Quality Report. If a contaminant is not listed, that is because it wasn’t detected. College Station’s drinking water comes from a confined aquifer several thousand feet below ground, making it naturally protected from many contaminants.

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WHAT IS COLLEGE STATION’S WATER TESTED FOR? WHEN, AND WHY?This report contains the results of drinking water quality conducted from Jan. 1, 2017 – Dec. 31, 2019. Why such a long period? College Station’s drinking water comes from groundwater sources, and the amounts of some contaminants does not change often, so these are sampled for less frequently. Other substances, for example chlorine which is added for drinking water disinfection, change daily so they are tested for more frequently.

WATER ACCOUNTABILITY STATEMENTCollege Station Water Services maintains records of water production, water sales, and water lost to breaks, flushing, and other sources. In the water loss audit submitted to the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) for the period of January through December 2019, an estimated 429,220,440 gallons of water loss were recorded. This represents 9.41% of water produced.

What are we looking for? How often? Most Recent

Why do we look for it? Who collects? Who tests?

Disinfectant Residual (Chlorine) Daily 2019 Ground Water Rule City of

College Station City of College Station

Coliform Bacteria Monthly 2019 Total Coliform Rule City of College Station Brazos Co. Health Dept.

Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs) Quarterly 2019 Disinfection

Byproduct Rule TCEQ TCEQ

Nitrates Annually 2019 Primary Drinking Water Standard TCEQ TCEQ

Unregulated Contaminants Every 2 years 2014

Unregulated Contaminant

Monitoring Rule (UCMR)

TCEQ TCEQ

Synthetic Organic Compounds (SOCs) Every 3 years 2018 Primary Drinking

Water Standard TCEQ TCEQ

Minerals Every 3 years 2017 Primary Drinking Water Standard TCEQ TCEQ

Lead & Copper Every 3 years 2019 Lead & Copper Rule Collected at customer’s tap

Texas Dept. of State Health Services

Metals Every 6 Years 2017 Primary Drinking Water Standard TCEQ TCEQ

Radionuclides Every 6 Years 2017 Primary Drinking Water Standard TCEQ TCEQ

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) Every 6 Years 2017 Primary Drinking

Water Standard TCEQ TCEQ

BILLING QUESTIONS:Utility Customer Service:979.764.3535cstx.gov/ucs

REPORT ELECTRIC/WATER/WASTEWATER ISSUES:855.528.4278 (4CSU) Utility Dispatch is available 24/7

FOR MORE INFORMATION REGARDING THIS REPORT, CONTACT:Jennifer Nations Water Resource Coordinator979.764.6223 jnations@cstx.gov

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