2.4 ERMUSR 05-11-2021 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Quality First Once again, we are pleased to present our annual water quality report covering all testing performed between January 1 and December 31, 2020. As in years past, we are committed to delivering the best-quality drinking water possible. To that end, we remain vigilant in meeting the challenges of new regulations, source water protection, water conservation, and community outreach and education, while continuing to serve the needs of all our water users. Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to serve you and your family. We encourage you to share your thoughts with us on the information contained in this report. After all, well-informed customers are our best allies. Questions?For more information about this report, or for any questions related to your drinking water, please call the Elk River Municipal Utilities at (763) 441-2020, or go to www. ermumn.com/services/water/water-quality-report if you’d like to view this report in a digital format. Important Health Information Some people may be more vulnerable to contami- nants in drinking water than the general population. Immunocompromised 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 may be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drink- ing water from their health care providers. The U.S. EPA/CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines on appro- priate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791 or http://water.epa.gov/drink/ hotline. Tips and Reminders for Irrigation • Consider a SMART irrigation controller; often, they can pay for themselves in 1-3 years by their water-saving abilities. And your grass will be healthier when the controller is set up properly. Most are more user-friendly than the regular types as well. • Check/change your rain sensor batteries at the start and mid-sprinkling season to ensure you’re not irrigating when moisture level is already high. (State Statute:103G.298— required to have a working rain sensor). • City of Elk River: Do not water from 10 a.m.—6 p.m., and there are even and odd per address requirements (if your address ends in an odd number, you water on odd days of the month, and vice versa). It’s best to water in the early a.m.; between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. is prime for our area! • Cycle your zones. “Soak and Cycle” *Short periods of time, more often*. Typical flat ground needs between 15-30 minutes during the middle of irrigation season; try to break them into two or three cycles. So, if it’s spring and moisture is high, sprinkle for three five-minute intervals to make the full 15 minutes. Add time when not sufficient (noticeable difference). If the watering zone has moderate to major slope, be sure to reduce sprinkling times, or you’re just creating unused runoff water, which takes away nutrients from the topsoil. This goes for sandy soil as well. Water a bit less, or the water runs right past the roots. Instead, you want to promote deeper root growth by doing shorter watering more often. Each month or trend of the season may need your continual evaluation if you do not have a SMART controller. So, you should change your times/water durations every 2-4 weeks to fit the changes. It may help to find out at what threshold your lawn starts to turn less green (lacking water), so you can find your minimum watering time as an annual standard, if the season seems average in rainfall/ heat. This can help to assess your lawn’s needs. • More watering means more mowing, but not generally healthier grass. So, less maintenance and happier grass. • Check your system heads often. One broken head can make a huge difference in water waste. Feel free to let us know if you have questions on these tips. Source Water Assessment A Source Water Assessment Plan (SWAP) is now available at our office, or you may search “Elk River” at www.health.state.mn.us/communities/envi- ronment/water/swp/swa.html . This plan is an assess- ment of the delineated area around our listed sources through which contaminants, if present, could migrate and reach our source water. It also includes an inven- tory of potential sources of contamination within the delineated area, and a determination of the water sup- ply’s susceptibility to contamination by the identified potential sources. About 90% of our drinking water supply management area (DWSMA) is considered non-vulnerable and less than 10% is vulnerable. Our Wellhead Protection Plan has many items that address limiting or stopping potential contamination. 57