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ERMU worked together with the City to tend to Lake Orono during the dredging process. ERMU Water Operators regulated <br />lake levels via the dam for optimal drainage. <br />Substances That Could Be in Water <br />To ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the U.S. EPA prescribes regulations limiting the amount of certain contaminants <br />in water provided by public water systems. U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations establish limits for contami- <br />nants in bottled water, which must provide the same protection for public health. Drinking water, including bottled water, <br />may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of these contaminants <br />does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk. <br />The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, <br />and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals, in <br />some cases, radioactive material, and substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity. Substances <br />that may be present in source water include: <br />Microbial Contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, <br />agricultural livestock operations, or wildlife; <br />Inorganic Contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally occurring or may result from urban storm-water <br />runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming; <br />Pesticides and Herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban storm-water runoff, and <br />residential uses; <br />Organic Chemical Contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are by-products of industrial <br />processes and petroleum production and may also come from gas stations, urban storm-water runoff, and septic systems; <br />Radioactive Contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or may be the result of oil and gas production and mining <br />activities. <br />For more information about contaminants and potential health effects, call the U.S. EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at <br />(800) 426-4791. <br />59