2009 ANNUAL WATER REPORT 

The Millcreek Township Water Authority is committed to providing you with information about your water supply. Once again we proudly present to you this year’s Annual Water Quality Report. This report is designed to inform you about the quality of water and services we provided to you during 2009. It has been our constant goal to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water that is clear, potable, and free of any contamination and is safe to drink. We want you to understand the efforts we make to continually improve the water treatment process and protect our water resources. We are committed to ensuring the quality of your water.

Where does my Water come from? 

Our main water source is treated surface water purchased from the Erie Water Works. The Erie City Water Authority obtains its water exclusively from Lake Erie through two intake points. The water is purified through two filtration plants. The Millcreek Township Water Authority purchased 96% of it's water from the city through five take points. These take points are located at West 12th and Asbury, upper Peach Street near the Millcreek Mall, Greeley Avenue and Sterrettania Road, Hunter-Willis Road and Perry Highway, and at Cider Mill and East Gore Roads. 

The Erie Water Works has completed and documented a Source Water Assessment and Protection (SWAP) program in 2003. This program has identified any sources of potential contamination that may affect the quality of the drinking water. A copy of the SWAP report is available to view at the Erie Water Works offices or at the offices of the Erie County Health Department. The report indicates that there is no major potential sources of contamination to the source supply from accidental releases into the environment.

The Millcreek Township Water Authority also operates one well to supplement its water supply. The McDowell well, located on West 38th Street near the McDowell High School, draws water from the Girard Shale Aquifer. This well contributed approximately 4% of the system water supply in 2009.

Substances Expected to be in Drinking Water

As water travels over the land and through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and radioactive material, and can be polluted by animals and human activity. Contaminants that might be expected in untreated water include: biological contaminants such as viruses and bacteria; inorganic contaminants such as salts and metals; pesticides and herbicides; organic chemicals from industrial or petroleum use and radioactive materials.

All drinking water, including bottled water, may be reasonably expected to contain at least small amounts of some constituents. It is important to remember that the presence of these constituents does not necessarily pose a health risk.

Naturally Occurring Bacteria

The simple fact is, bacteria and other microorganisms can be found all around us in our food, on our skin, in our bodies, and in the air and water. Some are harmful to us while some are not. Coliform bacteria are common and are not generally harmful themselves. The presence of this bacteria in drinking water is a concern because it indicates that the water may be contaminated with other organisms that can cause disease. Federal regulations now require that public water testing positive for coliform bacteria must be further analysed for fecal coliform and E. coli bacteria. Fecal coliform bacteria are present only in human and animal waste. Because these bacteria can cause illness, it is unacceptable for fecal coliform to be present in water at any concentration. Our tests indicate no fecal coliform or E. coli are present in our water.

Cryptosporidium / Giardia - Cryptosporidium and Giardia are microscopic organisms that, when ingested, can result in diarrhea, fever, and other gastrointestinal symptoms. These organisms are found in rivers and streams and come from animal wastes. Both are eliminated by an effective treatment combination including filtration, sedimentation, and disinfection. EPA and Center of Disease Control guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Giardia and Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791. The Millcreek Township Water Authority has never detected Giardia or Cryptosporidium in any of our wells or treated water.

Lead & Copper - It is possible that lead and copper levels in your water may be higher than in other homes in the community as a result of materials used in plumbing. If you are concerned about elevated lead and copper levels, flush your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using your tap water. Additional information is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.

The Millcreek Township Water Authority routinely monitors for constituents in your drinking water according to Federal and State laws. The Authority is allowed to monitor for some regulated contaminants less often than once a year. The test results for these contaminants will be the most recent sampling data. We are pleased to report that our drinking water is safe and meets federal and state requirements. This report shows our water quality and what it means. If you have any questions about this report or concerning your water quality, please contact David G. Wright at (814)835-6721. We want our valued customers to be informed about their water utility.

Following is a table that shows a list of constituents that could contaminate drinking water. In this table you will find many terms and abbreviations you might not be familiar with. To help you better understand these terms we've provided the following definitions: 

Non-Detects (ND) - laboratory analysis indicates that the constituent is not present.

Parts per million (ppm) or Milligrams per liter (mg/l) - one part per million corresponds to one minute in two years or a single penny in $10,000.

Parts per billion (ppb) or Micrograms per liter - one part per billion corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years, or a single penny in $10,000,000.

Parts per trillion (ppt) or Nanograms per liter (nanograms/l) - one part per trillion corresponds to one minute in 2,000,000 years, or a single penny in $10,000,000,000.

Parts per quadrillion (ppq) or Picograms per liter (picograms/l) - one part per quadrillion corresponds to one minute in 2,000,000,000 years or one penny in $10,000,000,000,000.

Picocuries per liter (pCi/L) - picocuries per liter is a measure of the radioactivity in water.

Millirems per year (mrem/yr) - measure of radiation absorbed by the body.

Million Fibers per Liter (MFL) - million fibers per liter is a measure of the presence of asbestos fibers that are longer than 10 micrometers.

Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU) - nephelometric turbidity unit is a measure of the clarity of water. Turbidity in excess of 5 NTU is just noticeable to the average person.

Action Level - the concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow.

Treatment Technique (TT) - A treatment technique is a required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.

Maximum Contaminant Level - The “Maximum Allowed” (MCL) is 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 - The “Goal”(MCLG) is 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.

Maximum Residual Disinfectant (MRDL) - The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants.

Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal (MRDLG) - The level of a drinking water disinfectant below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contamination.

MD— Millcreek Distribution System
MW—McDowell Well
WP— Erie Wasielewski Plant 
CP - Erie Chestnut Plant
ED— Erie Distribution System

The table starting on the next page shows the results of our monitoring for the period of January 1st to December 31st of 2009. The Authority tests for over 75 constituents and only the ones that were detected are shown on the table. The Millcreek Township Water Authority did not detect any constituents in any tests taken at the McDowell well operated by the Authority, or any bacteria, virus, or parasites throughout our water distribution system.
In 2009 the Water Authority purchased approximately 96% of it’s water from the Erie City Water Authority. Their Authority has provided our Authority with their results of their water Quality testing for 2009. These results also show up in the following table.

Test Results
Contaminant	Location		Violation Y/N	Level Detected	Unit Measurement	MCLG	MCL	Likely Source of Contamination
Total Coliform	ED		N	.82%	%	0	5% of monthly samples	Naturally present in the environment
Turbidity (ntu)	WP CP		N N	.094 .125	ntu	Range .06-.25	TT	Soil Runoff
Radiological Contaminants
Combined Radium (RA-228)		WP/CP	N	2.05	ntu	0	5	Erosion of natural deposits
Inorganic Contaminants
Barium	WP MW		N N	.021 .076	ppm	2 ppm	2 ppm	Discharge of drilling wastes; discharge from metal refineries; erosion from natural deposits
Copper	ED		N	.0031	PPM	1.3 PPM	AL=1.3	Corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits; leaching from wood preservatives
Fluoride	WP CP ED MW		N N N N	1.02 .076 0.995 0.25	ppm	2 ppm	2 ppm	Erosion of natural deposits: water additive which promotes strong teeth: discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories
Lead	MD		N	.001	ppb	0 ppb	AL=15	Corrosion of household plumbing systems, erosion of natural deposits
Nitrate (as Nitrogen)	WP		N	.33	ppm	10 ppm	10 ppm	Runoff from fertilizer use; leaching from septic tanks, sewage; erosion of natural deposits
Synthetic Organic Contaminants including Pesticides and Herbicides
Carbofuran	ED		N	.0014	PPB	40 PPB	40 PPB	Leaching of soil fumigant used on rice and alfalfa
Disinfection and Disinfection By-Products
TTHM      [Total trihalomethanes]	ED MD		N N	34.4 .0623	ppb	0 ppb	100/80 ppb	By-product of drinking water chlorination
HAA [Haloacetic Acids]	ED MD		N N	16.8 .0501	ppb	0 ppb	60 ppb	By-product of drinking water chlorination
Chlorine	ED MD		N N	.95 .76	4 ppm	MRDLG=4	MRDL=4	Water additive used to control microbes
Total Organic Carbon	ED		N	1.83	ppm	N/A	TT	Naturally present in the environment Treatment Technique

   

Barium—         Some people who drink water containing barium in excess of the MCL over many years could experience problems with their cardiovascular system or reproductive difficulties. 

 
As you can see by the table and report, our system had no violations. We’re proud that your drinking water meets or exceeds all Federal and State requirements. We have learned through our monitoring and testing that some constituents have been detected. The EPA has determined that your WATER IS SAFE at these levels.

MCL’s are set at very stringent levels. To understand the possible health effects described for many regulated constituents, a person would have to drink two liters of water every day at the MCL level for a lifetime to have a one-in-a-million chance of having the described health effect.

Thank-you for allowing us to continue providing you and your family with clean, quality water this year. We will continue to maintain a safe and dependable water supply to our customers.

Note: You can obtain additional copies of this report at the Millcreek Township Water Authority office located on the second floor of the Millcreek Township municipal building.