5.3 ERMUSR 05-14-2024 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Substances That Could Be in Water To ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the U.S. EPA prescribes regulations limiting the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water, which must provide the same protection for public health. Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of these contaminants does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk. 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, in some cases radioactive material, and substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity. Substances that may be present in source water include: Microbial Contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment Z plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, or wildlife; Inorganic Contaminants, such as x salts and metals, which can be naturally occurring or may 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 may also come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff, and septic systems; Radioactive Contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or may be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities. For more information about contaminants and potential health effects, call the U.S. EPAs Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791. F Source Water Assessment Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) Project �/�/With the assistance of Allegiant Utility Services, ERMU began installing new AMI meters in April 2024. Please visit ermumn.com/about-us/news-education/featured-news/ elk-river-municipal-utilities-ami-ready for information and updates throughout the project. Reducing Water Waste We aim to reduce water loss, which is cal- culated by measuring the water pumped from the ground (at the well) and subtracting the amount of treated water accounted for by custom- ers' meters. Loss generally occurs through quality and maintenance -based practices, such as hydrant flushing and backwashing (well filter cleaning). On occasion, a water leak may go unidentified for some time. In the event of a water main break, we can lose a large volume of water in a few seconds. There is an allowable percer for loss each year, beyond v may incur fines. It is our I serve the Elk Rive communi quality, on-deman water. W to limit water aste throe community education anc best practices to maintain our water system with great financial stewardship. A ASource Water Assessment Plan (SWAP) is now available at our office, or you may search for "Elk River" online at https:// www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/water/swp/swa.html. This plan is an assessment of the 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 susceptibil- ity to contamination by the identified potential sources. About 90 percent of our drinking water supply management area is considered non -vulnerable; less than 10 percent is vulnerable. Our wellhead protection plan has many items that address limiting or stopping potential contamination. 182