HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 7/1/2014 - Memorandum From Ken Morrison & Carol Webb Re: 2013 Drinking Water Quality And Drinking Water Quality Policy Reports2013 Drinking Water Quality Policy Annual Report
June 2014
In October 1993, Council Resolution 93-144 adopted the Drinking Water Quality Policy
(Attachment A). The purpose of the policy is to ensure the continuous delivery of high
quality drinking water to Fort Collins Utilities’ (Utilities) customers. This 20th annual
report is a requirement of the Drinking Water Quality Policy and summarizes the
actions taken in support of policy goals during 2013.
These photos were taken
by Pollution Control
Laboratory staff while
monitoring the Cache la
Poudre River at Lincoln
Street, before and after the
2013 flooding event.
September 4, 2013.
September 18, 2013
This report was compiled
by the Regulatory and
Government Affairs
Division with contributions
from:
Environmental Services
Division
Water Field Operations
Water Production
Division
Water Resources
Division
Page 1 of 9
2013 Drinking Water Quality Policy Annual Report
June 2014
CUSTOMER SURVEYS
To gauge customer satisfaction with their water service, residential customers are
surveyed periodically. The following chart demonstrates the percentage of customers
who gave Utilities a grade of “B” or higher in six drinking water categories.
GOAL #1: The City will provide water services that meet or exceed
customer expectations for quality, quantity and reliability.
Page 2 of 9
2013 Drinking Water Quality Policy Annual Report
June 2014
These chemical feed pumps are part of the overall
redundancy plan to provide high reliability.
RELIABILITY, CAPACITY, AND REDUNDANCY
Utilities owns and operates an 87 million gallons per day capacity drinking water
treatment facility 24 hours a day, seven days a week to ensure a continuous supply of
high quality drinking water is delivered to our customers. Utilities’ staff is available at
all times to respond to customer complaints and concerns regarding drinking water
quality and reliability of service.
The treatment plant has multiple
systems and processes in place to
provide high reliability with low
risk of failure. Most of these
systems and processes are related
to redundancy. For example,
Utilities has two water sources,
three raw water pipelines,
multiple chemical storage tanks,
delivery systems, treatment
trains, filters, and storage
reservoirs.
Utilities also has a robust asset
management and preventative
maintenance program, which
helps ensure the continual
provision of safe drinking water
to the community, and that
standards are met for community
firefighting and emergency
activities.
Page 3 of 9
2013 Drinking Water Quality Policy Annual Report
June 2014
DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM MAINTENANCE
Maintenance of Utilities’ water distribution system includes fire hydrant inspections,
flushing the distribution system, identification of leaks, the repair of main breaks, and
exercising water valves.
Every year, Utilities staff inspects approximately 1/3 of all fire
hydrants. This includes a 10-point checklist, aimed to ensure
the hydrant is in proper operating condition. In 2013, 1269 of
the 3617 hydrants were inspected. Additionally, 80 hydrants
were repaired.
Flushing of the distribution piping, via fire hydrants, is
performed every year on approximately half of the city to
maintain water quality.
12,502 valves help control the flow of water in the distribution system. In 2013,
staff exercised and inspected 2897 valves to help ensure proper operation.
Additionally, 370 valves were repaired.
11 water distribution system improvement projects that replaced 8447 feet of
water main that had become maintenance problems.
302 new backflow assemblies at commercial accounts were inspected.
60
5
27
Type of Main Break
hole from
corrosion
longitudinal
crack
circumferential
crack
GOAL #2: The City will protect and maintain high water quality in the
development of all codes, policies, plans and specifications related to the
acquisition, production and delivery of water services to its customers.
Of the 92 main breaks, 43
occurred after normal business
hours.
Page 4 of 9
2013 Drinking Water Quality Policy Annual Report
June 2014
PARTNERSHIP FOR SAFE WATER
The Water Treatment Facility earned their 15th
consecutive Director’s Award as a member of
the Partnership for Safe Water.
The director’s award is awarded to top-tier
water plants that have demonstrated the
commitment to providing superior quality water
to their customers, beyond the requirements of
the United States Environmental Protection
Agency (USEPA) regulations.
The Partnership is an alliance of six drinking
water organizations including the USEPA. This voluntary program strives to enhance
water quality through continuous optimization of treatment processes. Operators,
managers and administrators are provided self-assessment and optimization tools to
improve performance above and beyond current and proposed regulatory levels.
CERTIFIED LABORATORY
The City of Fort Collins is required to comply with State and Federal drinking water
standards. These standards mandate that a certified laboratory perform all regulatory
compliance testing. The City’s Water Quality Lab staff provides state-certified
regulatory compliance testing and reporting for Utilities as well as ten other regional
water agencies.
GOAL #3: The City’s water supply, treatment, storage, delivery and
laboratory facilities will be planned, designed, constructed, maintained,
staffed and operated to assure safe, reliable and cost-effective service to
the residents of Fort Collins and all those served by the City’s water
utility.
Page 5 of 9
2013 Drinking Water Quality Policy Annual Report
June 2014
State-of-the-art ICP-MS (inductively-coupled
plasma mass spectrometry) and GC-MS (gas
chromatography) systems provide speed,
accuracy and versatility, in serving the needs of
both the Water Quality and Pollution Control
Labs as well as Utilities in general. In addition,
chemists from both labs are certified by the
Colorado Department of Public Health and
Environment (CDPHE) to test and report
potential metals contaminant data measured on
the ICP-MS instrument.
Situated behind chemist Samantha Voss is the WQL’s
newest GC mass spectrometer.
The City’s Water Quality Lab first achieved Certification in bacteriology testing in 1978.
Since that time the lab has gained certified status for a large array of water quality tests.
Certified status is achieved through a multi-step process, including:
• The successful completion of formal written applications
The application process includes documentation regarding the qualifications of lab
staff, training, equipment, quality assurance documentation, facilities and budget as
well as proof of successful analysis of “unknown" performance audit samples each year.
• Performance audit tests
These annual audits involve analysis of samples from USEPA and other providers that
contain unknown quantities of unknown constituents. This rigorous approach covers
an array of parameters and weeds out possible reporting of false positive and false
negative results.
• Periodic on-site CDPHE inspections
Evaluation of lab staff includes review and verification of their formal educational
qualifications, lab training, and lab-related work experience as well as hands-on
demonstration of laboratory skills. In addition, details of written and actual test
methods and procedures are audited to ensure “to-the-letter” compliance with required
EPA specifications. Certification inspections also include review of the lab’s budget,
equipment, facilities and work processes.
Page 6 of 9
2013 Drinking Water Quality Policy Annual Report
June 2014
STATE CERTIFIED OPERATORS
The water treatment facility operators are all certified by CDPHE as certified water
professionals. All ten operators, plus the plant superintendent and plant manager, have
earned the highest level of classification as Class A.
WATER QUALITY COMPLAINTS
In 2013, the City received 39 drinking water quality complaints, equating to a rate of
1.15 per 1,000 customers. Based on the most recent QualServe report from the American
Water Works Association, 49 other participating utilities had a median number of
technical water complaints of 5.31 per 1,000 customer accounts. The “best” quartile rate
observed by other participating utilities was 2.06 per 1,000; at 1.15 per 1,000, the City
was “better than the best”.
ASSET MANAGEMENT
In 2013, Utilities continued risk forecasting efforts within its water production and
distribution asset base. The Asset Management risk forecast is a process to evaluate the
condition of the equipment, piping, and facilities; the types of risks associated with the
system and determinations as to timeline for mitigation.
Page 7 of 9
2013 Drinking Water Quality Policy Annual Report
June 2014
Some 2013 progress highlights:
• Staff implemented an impressed current cathodic protection system for
underground piping.
• Staff updated the capital improvement plan (CIP) for the water fund. This
included reviewing all planned projects for the water fund (both distribution and
treatment facility projects) for timing and cost of the projects. The CIP was used
to draft offers for the 2015-2016 Budgeting for Outcomes process.
• Staff implemented a new enterprise asset management system for the water
treatment facility. This system replaced the existing maintenance tracking
program that had been in use for many years. This required considerable staff
time.
• Staff developed a model for prioritizing replacement of each segment of pipe in
the distribution system. This model includes reviewing material type, age,
consequence of failure, and number of main breaks for each pipe in the system
and establishing a quantitative process for selecting pipes for replacement.
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
The Water Treatment Facility has established a formal
Environment Management System (EMS) that has been
certified to conform to the ISO 14001:2004 standard.
A key aspect of this EMS is reduction in energy usage
and greenhouse gas footprint. In support of this, the
facility is participating in the Colorado Industrial Energy
Challenge, sponsored by the Colorado Governor’s Energy
Office and the U.S. Department of Energy.
The facility also conducted technical energy audits and
engineering studies whose recommendations yielded
significant reductions in energy usage, and cost savings;
even in the face of rising treated water demands.
Page 8 of 9
2013 Drinking Water Quality Policy Annual Report
June 2014
ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
The Environmental Leadership Program (ELP) is a
statewide environmental recognition and reward
program administered by CDPHE’s Sustainability
Program.
The ELP offers benefits and incentives to members that
voluntarily go beyond compliance with state and federal
regulations, and who are committed to continual
environmental improvement.
As the result of process improvements and the ISO
14001:2004 certification of the EMS, the facility was
recognized as an ELP Gold Leader in 2013.
Page 9 of 9
Continuing Our Commitment
Know your H2O. Learn where your drinking water
comes from and how it compares to federal
standards by checking out this report. Fort Collins
Utilities remains committed to delivering high-
quality drinking water and meeting the challenges
of source water protection, water conservation and
community education.
Para más información de este informe de su cualidad de agua potable en
español, llame Fort Collins Utilities a 970-221-6700, TDD 970-224-6003
o mande preguntas en español a utilities@fcgov.com.
Fort Collins Utilities’
Drinking Water Quality Report
2013
Water Quality Test Results
The monitoring results below are representative of water treated by Utilities and the Soldier Canyon Filter Plant (SCFP).
The lead and copper data are from 2011. All other data are from monitoring completed during 2013, in compliance with regulations.
Regulated in the Distribution System
Parameter
Monitoring
Period Results
Number
of Samples MCL MCLG Meet Standard? Typical Sources
Total Coliform July 0.85% positive 118 No more than 5.0% positive
samples per period
0% Yes Naturally present in
the environment
Parameter Average
Range of
Individual
Samples
Number
of Samples Unit of Measure MCL MCLG
Highest
Compliance Value
Meet the
Standard? Typical Sources
HAA5 20.88 13.8 – 27 32 ppb 60 N/A 23.97 Yes
Byproduct of drinking
water disinfection
TTHM 29.11 20 – 48.05 32 ppb 80 N/A 40.44 Yes
Chlorite 0.12 <0.02 – 0.23 36 ppm 1.0 .8 N/A Yes
Regulated at the Consumer’s Tap – 50 Homes Were Tested
Parameter Monitoring Period
90th
Percentile
Number
of Samples Unit of Measure Action Level
Number of Sample Sites
Above Action Level
Meet the
Standard? Typical Sources
Copper 08/11/2011 to
08/25/2011
0.109 50 ppm 1.3 0 Yes Corrosion of household
Lead 2 50 ppb 15 0 Yes plumbing systems
Raw and Finished Water Ratio
Parameter Year Average Range: Low – High Sample Size Unit of Measure TT Minimum Ratio Meet the Standard? Typical Sources
Total Organic Carbon Ratio, Utilities 2013 1.37 1.23 – 1.56 12 Ratio 1.00 Yes Naturally present
Total Organic Carbon Ratio, SCFP 2013 1.16 1.01 to 1.28 12 Ratio 1.00 Yes in the environment
Parameter Year Result Sample Size Unit of Measure MCL MCLG Meet Standard? Typical Sources
Barium, Utilities
2013
0.02
1 ppm 2 2 Yes Erosion of natural deposits
Barium, SCFP 0.02
Fluoride, Utilities 0.86
1 ppm 4 4 Yes Water additive promoting strong teeth
Fluoride, SCFP 0.7
Nitrate, Utilities 0.1
1 ppm 10 10 Yes Runoff from fertilizer use
Nitrate, SCFP 0.1
Sampled at the Entry Point to the Distribution System
Parameter Month Level Found TT Requirement Meet Standard? Typical Sources
Definitions
AL: Action level – concentration of a
contaminant, which, if exceeded, triggers
treatment or other requirements that
a water system must follow.
MCLG: Maximum contaminant level goal –
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.
MCL: Maximum contaminant level – 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.
N/A: Not applicable.
NTU: Nephelometric turbidity unit –
measure of particles in the water or clarity.
ppb: Parts of contaminant per billion parts
of water, µg/L.
ppm: Parts of contaminant per million parts
of water, mg/L.
ppt: Parts of contaminant per trillion parts
of water, ng/L.
TOC: Total organic carbon.
TT: Treatment technique – required process
intended to reduce the level of a contaminant
in drinking water.
Cryptosporidium and Giardia
Cryptosporidium and Giardia come from
animal and human waste in the watershed
and are common in untreated surface
water. When ingested, the organisms may
cause fever, nausea and diarrhea. They
are removed by a well-maintained water
treatment process.
In 2013, Fort Collins Utilities tested the
untreated source water for the organisms.
Both Giardia and Cryptosporidium were found
in the Poudre River samples. Neither was
found in Horsetooth Reservoir samples.
Unregulated Contaminants
EPA required that we monitor the
finished water three times in 2013 for 28
contaminants that are not currently regulated
(no MCL). EPA plans to use this information
for writing future regulations.
Where Our Water Originates
Fort Collins Utilities’ water comes from the
Horsetooth Reservoir and Cache la Poudre
River. Beginning as rain and snow in the
mountains, Horsetooth water is delivered
from the western slope via the Colorado-
Big Thompson Water Project, while Poudre
River water originates on the eastern slope,
northwest of Fort Collins.
Our Water Treatment Facility produces
nearly all the water it distributes; however,
customers may occasionally receive a blend
of water treated by Utilities and the Soldier
Canyon Filter Plant. Both treatment facilities
Source water may contain:
• 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 may 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 byproducts of industrial
processes and petroleum production.
These contaminants also may come from
gas stations, urban stormwater runoff and
septic systems.
• Radioactive contaminants, which may be
naturally occurring or the result of oil and
gas production and mining activities.
For more information about contaminants
and potential health risks, call the Safe
Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791
or visit epa.gov/safewater.
Environmental Leadership
The Water Treatment Facility strives to
be a good steward of natural resources
and an environmental leader. The facility
has established a formal Environment
Management System (EMS) that has been
certified to conform to the ISO 14001:2004
standard. A key aspect of this EMS is
reduction in energy usage and greenhouse
gas footprint. The facility is participating in
the Colorado Industrial Energy Challenge,
which is sponsored by the Colorado Governor’s
Energy Office and the U.S. DOE. The facility
also conducted technical energy audits and
engineering studies with recommendations
that yielded significant reductions in energy
usage, and cost savings; even in the face of
rising treated water demands.
The facility participates in the Colorado
Environmental Leadership Program (ELP),
which is administered by the CDPHE Division
of Environmental Health and Sustainability.
As the result of its continuing environmental
stewardship and the successful ISO
certification of the EMS, the facility was
recognized as an ELP Gold Leader in 2013.
The Water Treatment Facility earned its
15th consecutive Director’s Award as a
member of the Partnership for Safe Water.
The Partnership is an alliance of six drinking
water organizations, including the USEPA. The
director’s award is only awarded to top-tier
water plants that have demonstrated the
commitment to providing superior quality
water to customers, beyond the requirements
of the USEPA regulations.
Fluoridation
As directed by City Council and our
customers, Utilities adds fluoride to the
water, resulting in levels that range from
0.9–1.05 milligrams of fluoride per liter
of treated water.
If you or members of your household are
sensitive to fluoride or fluoridation-related
substances or if you provide our water to an
infant younger than six months of age, please
consult your physician or another health
expert regarding precautions you may want to
consider. Visit fcgov.com/water/fluoride.php
for more information.
Lead
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.
While Utilities is responsible for providing
high-quality drinking water, we 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, you may wish to have your
water tested.
For more information, testing methods and
steps to minimize exposure, call the Safe
Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791 or
visit epa.gov/safewater/lead.
Vulnerable Populations
Some people may be more vulnerable to
contaminants in drinking water than the
general population. Particularly at risk are
immunocompromised persons, such as those
undergoing chemotherapy; those who have
received organ transplants; people with HIV/
AIDS or other immune-system disorders; and
some elderly and infants. These people should
seek advice about drinking water from their
healthcare providers.
Guidelines to lessen the risk of infection
by Cryptosporidium and other microbial
contaminants are available from the EPA/
Center for Disease Control. Call the Safe
Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791
or visit epa.gov/safewater.
Community Participation
Community members are welcome to attend
Fort Collins Utilities’ Water Board meetings,
a citizen committee that advises City Council
on matters of policy and budget. Please see
the schedule and location at fcgov.com/
cityclerk/water.php.
fcgov.com/utilities
utilities@fcgov.com
970-221-6700
TDD: 970-224-6003
4
use Horsetooth Reservoir and the Poudre River
as sources of water.
Protecting the Colorado-Big Thompson
and Cache la Poudre Watersheds
Our drinking water originates in the Cache
la Poudre River and Colorado-Big Thompson
(C-BT) watersheds. Fort Collins Utilities
collaborates with other local drinking water
providers to monitor and assess water quality
in the upper Cache la Poudre watershed.
We also are a member of the Big Thompson
Watershed Forum (btwatershed.org) and
partner with a variety of organizations to
monitor and analyze water quality in the
C-BT watershed and Horsetooth Reservoir.
Monitoring data are used to determine if
activities in the watershed are causing
water quality to change over time. With
the exception of wildfires, water quality
data collected by Utilities do not indicate
the presence of any persistent sources of
contamination within either watershed.
In 2012, the Upper Poudre Watershed was
heavily impacted by the Hewlett and High
Park Fires, which together burned nearly
95,000 acres. The City of Fort Collins
has worked with the Natural Resource
Conservation Service (NRCS) and other local
partners through the Emergency Watershed
Protection (EWP) program to assess and
mitigate the hazards associated with flash
flooding and sediment erosion. In 2013, post-
fire treatments focused on aerial application
of wood mulch to burned drainages that
pose the greatest risk to water quality and
other human, cultural and natural resource
values in the watershed. Additional mulching
will continue in 2014 and is expected to be
completed by the end of August.
Utilities will continue to monitor the effects
of the fires on water quality as the watershed
recovers. Using early-warning technology and
targeted water quality monitoring, Utilities
is able to evaluate the watershed recovery
process and optimize water treatment
operations, while continuing to meet the
standards for high-quality drinking water.
Utilities’ most recent source water quality
reports can be found at fcgov.com/utilities/
what-we-do/water/water-quality/source-
water-monitoring.
To help protect our watersheds, the
Colorado Department of Public Health and
Environment (CDPHE) prepared a screening-
level assessment of potential sources of
contamination. The ratings show our two
watersheds have moderate and moderately
low susceptibility for contamination from
several potential sources which may include
underground, above ground and/or leaking
storage tanks, existing and/or abandoned
mine sites, septic systems, among other
potential hazards. The full report is available
at colorado.gov/cdphedir/wq/swap/
larimer/135291ftcollinscityofsw.pdf.
Treating Source Water
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.
As water travels over the land’s surface or
through the ground, it dissolves naturally
occurring minerals and can pick up
substances resulting from the presence of
animals and humans. To ensure tap water
is safe to drink, the CDPHE regulates the
amount of certain contaminants in water
from public water systems.
3
Turbidity, Utilities September Highest single measurement: 0.2 NTU Maximum is 1 NTU for any
single measurement
Yes Soil Runoff
Turbidity, SCFP May Highest single measurement: 0.091 NTU
Turbidity, Utilities
and SCFP
All months of 2013 100% of samples were less than 0.3 NTU In any month, at least 95% of samples
must be less than 0.3 NTU
Turbidity is a measure of the clarity of the water and is a good indicator of the effectiveness of the filtration system.
Unregulated Contaminants
Contaminant Year Range of Results Unit of Measure Violation? Typical Sources
Chromium
2013
200–300 ppt
No
Naturally occurring metal
Strontium 40–53 ppb Naturally occurring element
Vanadium 200–300 ppt Naturally occurring element
Chromium, hexavalent 170–350 ppt Naturally occurring metal
Chlorate <20–38 ppb Byproduct of drinking water disinfection
Chlorodifluoromethane <80–310 ppt Propellants and refrigerants
2