You  will be pleased to know that in 2008, Philomath drinking water met all federal and state drinking water standards. Providing our customers with a safe and reliable supply of high-quality drinking water is a primary goal of the Philomath Public Works Department. Our commitment to water quality excellence has in many cases carried us beyond state and federal requirements. This annual report is intended to provide current information about your drinking water and some of the programs and technologies that make it among the safest in the world.

If after reading this report, you have questions or would like more information, please call the Public Works Department at 929-3579. The employees of the Public Works Department are dedicated to excellent customer service and value your input.

Where Does Our Water Come From?
The City of Philomath draws surface water from the Marys River and pumps it to the Treatment Plant located on South Ninth Street. A backup supply of water can be provided by a well located on North Eleventh Street and the new Philomath-Corvallis Inter-tie constructed in 2008.

During 2008, 182 million gallons of drinking water were produced by the three facilities. More than 90% came from the treatment plant. The plant produced about 0.5 million gallons each day, while the well’s production and use of the Inter-tie varied between a few thousand and a few hundred thousand gallons a day, depending on the time of year, customer demand, and maintenance requirements.

How Is Our Water Treated?
Water treatment is the process of cleaning the water. Treatment makes the water safe to drink because in nature, water is not always clean enough for humans to use. At the treatment plant a four step process is used by state-certified operators to provide safe, clean drinking water.

In the first step, a chemical called alum (aluminum sulfate) is added to the “raw water.” Alum makes particles like dirt and sediment in the water coagulate, or stick together. These particles clump together into larger particles called “floc.” In the second step, the water enters an upflow clarifier, or primary filter. The floc particles then adhere to a synthetic media. During the third step, the water leaves the primary filter and flows through the final multi-media filter. The filters are used to remove any remaining particles in the water. A small amount of chlorine is added to the water in the final step to kill any germs and to keep it safe in the reservoir and distribution system as it travels to your tap.

How Often Is Our Water Tested?
Before the water reaches your tap, samples from the water treatment plant, reservoir, and at numerous locations throughout the distribution system are tested. Dozens of tests are performed at the treatment plant each day, while more than 100 drinking water tests are conducted throughout the distribution system each year. Hundreds of other required tests are performed by state certified contract laboratories that specialize in drinking water analyses. Results from all these tests are summarized and sent monthly to the Oregon Health Division for review.

Why Is Chlorine Added To Our Water?
Although three quarters of the Earth’s surface is covered with water, only about 1% is available for human consumption. Often this water must be treated to make it safe for human consumption. In 1908, chlorine was first used on a large scale in the United States to disinfect water supplies. Waterborne diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and dysentery were virtually eliminated in this country. Unfortunately, more than 1.5 billion people in developing countries do not have access to safe drinking water. Diseases associated with dirty water kill more than 25,000 people each day around the world, according to the World Health Organization.

Our treatment plant and well both use chlorine to disinfect the water. Low doses of chlorine act as a disinfectant protecting you from disease causing microorganisms. We are required to add disinfectant in order to meet state and federal mandates for safe drinking water.

A Word about Lead in Drinking Water.
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. The City of Philomath 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 it 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 www.epa.gov/safewater/lead..

¨      Maximum Contaminant Level or MCL: The 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.

¨      Maximum Contaminant Level Goal or MCLG: The 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.

¨  Key to the Water Quality Data Table
AL = Action Level
NTU = Nephelometric Turbidity Units (denotes cloudiness)
PPB = parts per billion or micrograms per liter (ug/L)
PPM = parts per million or milligrams per liter (mg/L)

 INORGANIC CONTAMINANTS:

FLUORIDE: MCL - 4 PPM, MCLG - N/A, Detected value - 0.88 PPM annual average, Range - 0.06 - 1.20, Likely source - water additive that promotes dental health, Within regulatory limits.
SODIUM: MCL - 20 PPM, MCLG - N/A, Detected value - 35.8 PPM maximum detected, Range - 21.9 –35.8, Likely source -erosion of natural deposits, Within regulatory limits.
SELENIUM: MCL - 0.05 PPM, MCLG - 0.05 PPM, Detected value - .001 PPM maximum detected, Range - 0.00 – .001, Likely source -erosion of natural deposits, Within regulatory limits.
NITRATE: MCL - 10 PPM, MCLG - 10 PPM, Detected value - .309 PPM maximum detected, Range - 0 - .309, Likely source - runoff from fertilizer use, leaching from septic tanks, erosion of natural deposits, Within regulatory limits.

MICROBIOLOGICAL CONTAMINANTS

TURBIDITY: MCL -0.3 NTU, MCLG - N/A, Detected value - .06 NTU annual average, Range -02 - .43 NTU, Likely source - soil runoff, Within regulatory limits. 

DISINFECTION BY-PRODUCT CONTAMINANTS

TOTAL TRIHALOMETHANE (TTHM) (Combined totals of all four Trihalomethanes): Chloroform, Bromodichloromethane, Dibromochloromethane, and Bromoform: MCL - 80 PPB, MCLG - 0 PPB, Detected value - 37.9 PPB maximum detected, Range - 5.25 – 37.9 PPB, Likely source - By product of water disinfection, Within regulatory limits.
HALOACETIC ACIDS (HAA5) (Combined totals of all five Haloacetic Acides): Monochloroacetic acid, Dichloroacetic acid, Trichloroacetic acid, Monobromoacetic acid, and Debromoacetic acid: MCL - 60 PPB, MCLG - 0 PPB, Detected value - 36.0 PPB maximum detected, Range - 2.0 – 36.0 PPB, Likely source - By product of water disinfection, Within regulatory limits.
CHLORINE RESIDUAL: MCL - 4 PPM, MCLG - 4 PPM, Detected value - 1.25 annual average, Range - .50 - 1.94 PPB, Likely source - Remaining chlorine from disinfection process, Within regulatory limits.

¨ Footnotes: Although we are required to test for more than one hundred substances, including radiological, inorganic chemicals, both synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, and microbiological, only the listed substances were found - and of those found, all results are well below the required MCL. The City of Philomath is not required to test for radon and cryptosporidium.  For the complete listing of all test results, go the Oregon Drinking Water program website:  www.oregon.gov/dhs/ph/dwp/index.shtml.  (Click on Data Online, then choose Data Search Options, choose the criteria you wish to view and enter Philomaths ID  #00624).

 A Note for People with Special Health Concerns:
Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than is 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 are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791.

About This Report
       When Congress passed the 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act amendments, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was given the mandate to require public water systems to provide each customer with an Annual Water Quality Report every 12 months. This is the City of Philomath’s eleventh annual report.
       The sources of drinking water, both tap and bottled, include surface sources such as rivers, streams, lakes and reservoirs, and groundwater sources, or wells. As water moves through the ground or over surfaces, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals, and in some cases, radioactive material. Water can also pick up substances resulting from the presence of human or animal activity. Contaminants that may be present in the source water include:

· Microbial - such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife.

· Inorganic - salts and metals, which can occur naturally or result from urban storm runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming.

· Pesticides and herbicides - from a variety of sources such as agriculture, stormwater runoff, and residential uses.

· Organic chemicals - both synthetic and volatile, which are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff, and septic systems.

· Radioactive - can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.

To insure that tap water is safe to drink, the EPA prescribes limits on the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. Bottled water must meet similar standards for contaminant levels as prescribed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
All drinking water, including bottled water, may be reasonably expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791) or by visiting the EPA website address: www.epa.gov/safewater