Blanca Town Of 2011 Drinking Water
Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) For Calendar Year 2010
 

Public Water System ID: CO0112100

 

  

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We are pleased to present to you this year’s water quality report. Our constant goal is to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water.
Please contact Myrrl Smith at 719-379-3461 with any questions about the Drinking Water Consumer Confidence Report or for public participation opportunities that may affect the water quality.
     

General Information
     
All 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 Environmental Protection Agency’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 of infections.  These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers.  For more information about contaminants and potential health effects, or to receive a copy of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and microbiological contaminants call the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (1-800-426-4791).
     
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, 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, that may come from a variety of sources, such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and residential uses.
•Radioactive contaminants, that can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.
•Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are byproducts of industrial processes and petroleum production, and also may come from gas stations, urban storm water runoff, and septic systems.
     
In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment prescribes regulations limiting the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. The Food and Drug Administration regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water that must provide the same protection for public health.

Lead in Drinking Water
     
If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems (especially for pregnant women and young children). It is possible that lead levels at your home may be higher than other homes in the community as a result of materials used in your home’s plumbing. If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water tested. 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. Additional information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791) or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

Terms and Abbreviations

Term

Abbreviation

Definition
Maximum Contaminant Level Goal

MCLG

 The 'Goal' is 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 Contaminant Level

MCL

 The 'Maximum Allowed' is 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.
Treatment Technique

TT

 A treatment technique is a required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.
Action Level

AL

 The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow.
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.
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.
Average of Individual Samples

No Abbreviation

 The typical value.  Mathematically it is the sum of values divided by the number of samples.
Range of Individual Samples

No Abbreviation

 The lowest value to the highest value.
Number of Samples

No Abbreviation

 The number or count of values.
Gross Alpha, Including RA, Excluding RN & U

No Abbreviation

 This is the gross alpha particle activity compliance value.  It includes radium-226, but excludes radon 222 and uranium.
Microscopic Particulate Analysis

MPA

 An analysis of surface water organisms and indicators in water.  This analysis can be used to determine performance of a surface water treatment plant or to determine the existence of surface water influence on a ground water well.
Variance and Exemptions

V/E

 Department permission not to meet an MCL or a treatment technique under certain conditions.
Parts per million = Milligrams per liter

ppm = mg/L

One part per million corresponds to one minute in two years or a single penny in $10,000.
Parts per billion = Micrograms per liter

ppb = ug/L

 One part per billion corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years, or a single penny in $10,000,000.
Parts per trillion = Nanograms per liter

ppt = nanograms/L

 One part per trillion corresponds to one minute in 2,000,000 years, or a single penny in $10,000,000,000.
Parts per quadrillion = Picograms per liter

ppq = picograms/L

 One part per quadrillion corresponds to one minute in 2,000,000,000 years or one penny in $10,000,000,000,000.
Picocuries per liter

pCi/L

 Picocuries per liter is a measure of the radioactivity in water.
Nephelometric Turbidity Unit

NTU

 Nephelometric turbidity unit is a measure of the clarity of water. Turbidity in excess of 5 NTU is just noticeable to the average person.
Not Applicable

N/A

 Not Applicable
Violation

No Abbreviation

 A failure to meet a Colorado Primary Drinking Water Regulation.
Formal Enforcement Action

No Abbreviation

 An escalated action taken by the State (due to the number and/or severity of violations) to bring a non-compliant water system back into compliance by a certain time, with an enforceable consequence if the schedule is not met.
 
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has provided us with a Source Water Assessment Report for our water supply. You may obtain a copy of the report by visiting http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/wq/sw/swapreports/swapreports.html, clicking on Costilla County and selecting 112100; Blanca Town Of or by contacting Myrrl Smith at 719-379-3461. For general information about Source Water Assessment please visit http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/wq/sw/swaphom.html.

Potential sources of contamination in our source water area determined by the Source Water Assessment Report come from: Land Uses: Commercial/Industrial/Transportation, low intensity residential and evergreen forest and Other: road miles.


The Source Water Assessment Report provides a screening-level evaluation of potential contamination that could occur. It does not mean that the contamination has or will occur. We can use this information to evaluate the need to improve our current water treatment capabilities and prepare for future contamination threats. This can help us ensure that quality finished water is delivered to your homes. In addition, the source water assessment results provide a starting point for developing a source water protection plan.

Please contact Myrrl Smith at 719-379-3461 to learn more about what you can do to help protect your drinking water sources, any questions about the Drinking Water Consumer Confidence Report, to learn more about our system, or to attend scheduled public meetings. We want you, our valued customers, to be informed about the services we provide and the quality water we deliver to you every day.

 
   

Water Sources

Source

Source Type

Water Type

Location

WELL NO 1

Well

Groundwater

NE of town
   
 

Detected Contaminant(s)
   
 
Blanca Town Of routinely monitors for contaminants in your drinking water according to Federal and State laws.  The following table(s) show all detections found in the period of January 1 to December 31, 2010 unless otherwise noted. The State of Colorado requires us to monitor for certain contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants are not expected to vary significantly from year to year, or the system is not considered vulnerable to this type of contamination. Therefore, some of our data, though representative, may be more than one year old.  Violations and Formal Enforcement Actions, if any, are reported in the next section of this report. Any additional information may be found in the final section of this report.

Note: Only detected contaminants sampled within the last 5 years appear in this report. If no tables appear in this section, that means that Blanca Town Of did not detect any contaminants in the last round of monitoring.
   

Microbiological Contaminants Sampled in the Distribution Syste

Analyt Name

Monitoring Period

Results

Number of Samples

MCL

MCLG

MCL Violation?

Typical Sources

Potential Health Effects from Long-Term Exposure Above the MCL (unless specified as short-term)

COLIFORM (TCR)

11/01/2010
to
11/30/2010

2
  Positive Sample(s)

5

No More Than 1 Positive Sample Per Period

0

Yes

Naturally present in the environment

Not a health threat in itself.   Coliforms are bacteria that are naturally present in the environment and are used as an indicator that other, potentially harmful, bacteria may be present. If Coliforms were found in more samples than allowed then this indicates a warning of potential problems

   

Lead and Copper Sampled in the Distribution System

Analyte Name

Monitoring Period

90th Percentile

Number of Samples

Unit of Measure

Action Level

Sample Sites Above Action Level

AL or TT Violation?

Typical Sources

Potential Health Effects from Long-Term Exposure Above the Action Level (unless specified as short-term)

COPPER

01/01/2008
to
12/31/2010

0.02

5

ppm

1.3

0

No

Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits.

Copper is an essential nutrient, but some people who drink water containing copper in excess of the action level over a relatively short amount of time could experience gastrointestinal distress. Some people who drink water containing copper in excess of the action level over many years could suffer liver or kidney damage. People with Wilson's Disease should consult their personal doctor.
   

Regulated Contaminants Sampled at the Entry Point to the Distribution System

Analyte Name

Year

Average of Individual Samples

Range of Individual Samples
(Lowest - Highest)

Number of Samples

Unit of Measure

MCL

MCLG

MCL Violation?

Typical Sources

Potential Health Effects from Long-Term Exposure Above the MCL (unless specified as short-term)

BARIUM

2010

0.038

0.038 - 0.038

1

ppm

2

2

No

Discharge of drilling wastes; Discharge from metal refineries; Erosion of natural deposits.

Some people who drink water containing barium in excess of the MCL over many years could experience an increase in their blood pressure.

FLUORIDE

2010

0.25

0.25 - 0.25

1

ppm

4

4

No

Erosion of natural deposits; Water additive that promotes strong teeth; Discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories.

Some people who drink water containing fluoride in excess of the MCL over many years could get bone disease, including pain and tenderness of the bones. Fluoride in drinking water at half the MCL or more may cause mottling of children's teeth, usually in children less than nine years old. Mottling, also known as dental fluorosis, may include brown staining and/or pitting of the teeth, and occurs only in developing teeth before they erupt from the gums.

NITRATE

2010

0.25

0.25 - 0.25

1

ppm

10

10

No

Runoff from fertilizer use; Leaching from septic tanks, sewage; Erosion of natural deposits.

Infants below the age of six months who drink water containing nitrate in excess of the MCL could become seriously ill and, if untreated, may die. Symptoms include shortness of breath and blue baby syndrome.
 

Secondary Contaminants**

Analyte Name

Year

Average of Individual Samples

Range of Individua Samples
(Lowest - Highest)

Number of Samples

Unit of Measure

Secondary Standard

SODIUM

2010

7.3

7.3 - 7.3

1

ppm

N/A
**Secondary standards are non-enforceable guidelines for contaminants that may cause cosmetic effects (such as skin or tooth discoloration) or aesthetic effects (such as taste, odor or color) in drinking water.  EPA recommends these standards but does not require water systems to comply.
 
   

Violation(s) and Formal Enforcement Action(s)
     
 

Formal Enforcement Actions
   

No Formal Enforcement Actions to Report

 
 

Violations

Type

Category

Analyte Name

Monitoring Period

Federal Period

Health Effects

Compliance Result

MCL or TT Level
MCL (TCR), MONTHLY

Maximum Contaminant Level Violation

COLIFORM (TCR)

11/01/2010
to
11/30/2010

11/01/2010
to
11/30/2010

Coliforms are bacteria that are naturally present in the environment and are used as an indicator that other, potentially harmful, bacteria may be present. Coliforms were found in more samples than allowed and this was a warning of potential problems.

N/A

N/A

Additional Violation Information
Note:  If any violation relates to failing to install adequate filtration or disinfection equipment or processes, or have had a failure of such equipment or processes then the water may be inadequately treated. Inadequately treated water may contain disease-causing organisms. These organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites, which can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches.


Blanca Town Of is required to include an explanation of the violation(s) and the steps taken to resolve the violation(s) with this report.

The Town undertook an extensive study of the reasons for the positive samples. We believe that the original sample was due to sampling error. Two repeat samples were taken at the same location as the

first positive sample, One was positive, one was negative. We cannot explain the second positive sample. As a precaution, the residents of the Town were notified of the violation. The Town began a

chlorination and flushing program and did multiple repeat samples to insure that the Town’s water was safe. All 18 of the repeat samples taken during this time were negative for coliform. The Town

continues to chlorinate as required by the State of Colorado The Town previously operated under a disinfection waiver which was withdrawn by the State after the second positive sample.