The Water We Drink

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BARKSDALE AFB WATER SYSTEM 

Public Water Supply ID: LA1015022

 

We are pleased to present to you the Annual Water Quality Report for the year 2017. This report is designed to inform you about the quality of your water and services we deliver to you every day (Este informe contiene información muy importante sobre su agua potable. Tradúzcalo o hable con alguien que lo entienda bien). Our constant goal is to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water. We want you to understand the efforts we make to continually improve the water treatment process and protect our water resources. We are committed to ensuring the quality of your water.

 

Our water system purchases water as listed below:

 

Buyer Name

Seller Name

BARKSDALE AFB WATER SYSTEM

SHREVEPORT WATER SYSTEM

 

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 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, which 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 - which 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, which are by- products 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.

 

A Source Water Assessment Plan (SWAP) is now available from our office. This plan is an assessment of a delineated area around our listed sources through which contaminants, if present, could migrate and reach our source water. It also includes an inventory of potential sources of contamination within the delineated area, and a determination of the water supply's susceptibility to contamination by the identified potential sources.  According to the Source Water Assessment Plan, our


 

water system had a susceptibility rating of 'LOW'. If you would like to review the Source Water Assessment Plan, please feel free to contact our office.

 

In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations, which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. Food and Drug Administration regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water, which must provide the same protection for public health. We want our valued customers to be informed about their water utility. If you have any questions about this report, want to attend any scheduled meetings, or simply want to learn more about your drinking water, please contact ROBERT M. COTE at 318-456-3522.

 

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. BARKSDALE AFB WATER SYSTEM 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.

 

The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals - Office of Public Health routinely monitors for constituents in your drinking water according to Federal and State laws. The tables that follow show the results of our monitoring during the period of January 1st to December 31st, 2017. 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.

 

In the tables below, you will find many terms and abbreviations you might not be familiar with.

To help you better understand these terms, we’ve provided the following definitions:

 

Parts per million (ppm) or Milligrams per liter (mg/L) – one part per million corresponds to one minute in two years or a single penny in $10,000.

 

Parts per billion (ppb) or Micrograms per liter (ug/L) – one part per billion corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years, or a single penny in $10,000,000.

 

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.

 

Treatment Technique (TT) – an enforceable procedure or level of technological performance, which public water systems must follow to ensure control of a contaminant.

 

Action level (AL) – the concentration of a contaminant that, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements that a water system must follow.


 

Maximum contaminant level (MCL) – the “Maximum Allowed” MCL is the highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water.  MCL’s are set as close to the MCLG’s as feasible using the best available treatment technology.

 

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 human health. MCLG’s 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.

 

Level 1 assessment – A study of the water system to identify potential problems and determine (if possible) why total coliform bacteria have been found in our water system.

 

Level 2 Assessment – A very detailed study of the water system to identify potential problems and determine (if possible) why an E. coli MCL violation has occurred and/or why total coliform bacteria have been found in our water system on multiple occasions.

 

Locational Running Annual Average (LRAA) – The average result for samples at a monitoring location during the previous four calendar quarters.

 

Secondary Maximum contaminant levels (SMCL) – SMCL’s are established as guidelines to assist public water systems in managing their drinking water for aesthetic considerations, such as taste, color, and odor. These contaminants are not considered to present a risk to human health at the SMCL and are not enforced by the EPA.

 

During the period covered by this report, we had below noted violations of drinking water regulations.

Compliance Period

Analyte

Type

No Violations Occurred in the Calendar Year of 2017

 

Our water system tested a minimum of 15 samples per month in accordance with the Total Coliform Rule for microbiological contaminants. With the microbiological samples collected, the water system collects disinfectant residuals to ensure control of microbial growth.

 

Disinfectant

Date

Highest RAA

Unit

Range

MRDL

MRDLG

Typical Source

CHLORAMINES

2017

2.03

ppm

0.66-3.25

4

4

Water additive used to control microbes

 

In the tables below, we have shown the regulated contaminants that were detected. Chemical Sampling of our drinking water may not be required on an annual basis; therefore, information provided in this table refers back to the latest year of chemical sampling results.


 

 

Regulated Contaminants

Collection Date

Water System

Highest Value

Range

Unit

MCL

MCLG

Typical Source

 

ARSENIC

 

4/17/2017

SHREVEPORT WATER SYSTEM

 

0.87

 

0.87

 

ppb

 

10

 

0

Erosion of natural deposits; Runoff from orchards; Runoff from glass and electronics production wastes

 

BARIUM

 

4/17/2017

SHREVEPORT WATER SYSTEM

 

0.059

 

0.059

 

ppm

 

2

 

2

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

 

FLUORIDE

 

4/17/2017

 

SHREVEPORT WATER SYSTEM

 

1.15

 

0.57-

1.15

 

ppm

 

4

 

4

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

NITRATE- NITRITE

 

4/17/2017

SHREVEPORT WATER SYSTEM

 

0.038

 

0.038

 

ppm

 

10

 

10

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

TURBIDITY

4/17/2017

SHREVEPORT WATER SYSTEM

0.32

99%

ntu

N/A

Natural Lake sediments

 

Radionuclides

Collection Date

Highest Value

Range

Unit

MCL

MCLG

Typical Source

No Detected Results were Found in the Calendar Year of 2017

 

Lead and Copper

Date

90TH

Percentile

Range

Unit

AL

Sites Over AL

Typical Source

LEAD

2013 -

2015

2

1 - 5

ppb

15

0

Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits

 

Disinfection Byproducts

Sample Point

Period

Highest LRAA

Range

Unit

MCL

MCLG

Typical Source

TOTAL HALOACETIC ACIDS (HAA5)

CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER

2017

19

8.1 - 17.9

ppb

60

0

By-product of drinking water disinfection

TOTAL HALOACETIC ACIDS (HAA5)

FUELS

2017

17

14.5 - 20.5

ppb

60

0

By-product of drinking water disinfection

TOTAL HALOACETIC ACIDS (HAA5)

HANGER ONE

2017

17

14.8 - 21

ppb

60

0

By-product of drinking water disinfection

TOTAL HALOACETIC ACIDS (HAA5)

OFF LOAD FACILITY

2017

21

18 -

23.1

ppb

60

0

By-product of drinking water disinfection

TTHM

CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER

2017

41

29.2 - 44.2

ppb

80

0

By-product of drinking water chlorination

TTHM

FUELS

2017

43

30.5 - 46.9

ppb

80

0

By-product of drinking water chlorination

TTHM

HANGER ONE

2017

40

31.7 - 41.5

ppb

80

0

By-product of drinking water chlorination

TTHM

OFF LOAD FACILITY

2017

37

25.3 - 43.1

ppb

80

0

By-product of drinking water chlorination

 

Secondary Contaminants

Collection Date

Water System

Highest Value

Range

Unit

SMCL

ALUMINUM

3/23/2015

SHREVEPORT WATER SYSTEM

0.77

0.77

MG/L

0.05

CHLORIDE

4/12/2016

SHREVEPORT WATER SYSTEM

9.2

9.2

MG/L

250

MANGANESE

4/17/2017

SHREVEPORT WATER SYSTEM

0.006

0.006

MG/L

0.05

PH

4/12/2016

SHREVEPORT WATER SYSTEM

9.5

9.5

SU

8.5

SULFATE

4/12/2016

SHREVEPORT WATER SYSTEM

27.9

27.9

MG/L

250


 

 

 

The substances listed below are unregulated. They were monitored in 2014 as part of EPA’s Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule 3. Unregulated contaminants are those that don’t yet have a drinking water standard set by the EPA. The purpose of monitoring for these contaminants is to help the EPA decide whether the contaminants should have a standard.

 

Unregulated Contaminants

Unit

MCL

MCLG

Highest Value

Range

Typical Source

Violation

Chromium

ppb

Not regulated

Not regulated

7.6

7.6

Naturally Occurring Element

No

Chromium-6

ppb

Not regulated

Not regulated

0.10

0.07-0.10

Naturally Occurring Element

No

Vanadium

ppb

Not regulated

Not regulated

1.6

0.9-1.6

Naturally Occurring Element

No

Strontium

ppb

Not regulated

Not regulated

240

190-240

Naturally Occurring Element

No

Chlorate

ppb

Not regulated

Not regulated

630

31-620

Disinfection by-product

No

 

 

+++++++++++++++Environmental Protection Agency Required Health Effects Language+++++++++++++++ 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. 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).

 

Additional Required Health Effects Language:

 

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.

 

Turbidity is a measure of the clarity of water. We monitor it because it is a good indicator of the effectiveness of our filtration system. The lowest monthly percentage of samples meeting the turbidity levels specified in 40 CFR 141.73 for the conventional filtration technology being used.

 

There are no additional required health effects violation notices.

 

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Thank you for allowing us to continue providing your family with clean, quality water this year. In order to maintain a safe and dependable water supply we sometimes need to make improvements that will benefit all of our customers.

 

We at the BARKSDALE AFB WATER SYSTEM work around the clock to provide top quality drinking water to every tap. We ask that all our customers help us protect and conserve our water sources, which are the heart of our community, our way of life, and our children's future. Please call our office if you have questions.