Annual Water Quality Report

ROAMINGWOOD SEWER AND WATER ASSOCIATION

This report contains very important information about your drinking water.
Este informe contiene informacion muy importante sobre su agua de beber. Traduzcalo o hable con alguien que lo entienda bien.

In accordance with the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations,  40 CFR Part 141, of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP), Roamingwood Sewer and Water Association is pleased to present to you the Annual Water Quality Report for the year 2006. 
                  
If you have any questions about this report or concerning your water utility, please contact Joe Bontrager at (570) 698-6162. We want members to be informed about their water system.

As you review this report, it is important for you to know that all sources of drinking water are subject to potential contamination by constants that are naturally occurring or man made. Those constants can be microbes, organic or inorganic chemicals, or radioactive materials. All drinking water, including bottled drinking water, may be reasonably expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of these contaminants does not necessarily pose a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling: EPA’S SAFE DRINKING WATER HOTLINE: 1-800-426-4791.

Where Does Your Drinking Water Come From?

Five wells located throughout The Hideout draw groundwater from the consolidated rock strata in the Poplar Gap member of the Catskill formation.  Well sites were selected based on water yield, quality, and acceptability from both a bacteriological and a chemical standpoint.  Approximately 425,000 gallons per day are pumped, disinfected and delivered to storage tanks, reservoirs and an interconnected distribution system that supplies the Hideout.

The wells are dependent on precipitation for recharge and are subject to change as a result of lengthy periods of drought or wet years.  The monitoring, maintenance, and management of the system is continuously carried out 24 hours a day by Roamingwood staff that includes four PA State Certified Operators.  We cannot take too seriously the importance of safe drinking water to this community, and remain dedicated to providing you a safe, reliable supply.

About Source and Contaminants
Both tap and bottled water can come from rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground it can dissolve naturally occurring minerals, pick up materials from animals or human activity, and in some cases dissolve radioactive material. Contaminants that may be present in source water include:
Microbial contaminants such as viruses and bacteria which may come from sewage, livestock, and wildlife.
Inorganic contaminants such as salts and metals which can occur naturally or come from urban storm
water 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 storm
water runoff, and residential areas.
Organic chemical contaminants including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are
byproducts of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations,
urban storm water runoff, and septic tanks.
Radioactive contaminants which can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production
and mining activities.

In order to ensure tap water is safe to drink, EPA regulates the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) establishes limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health. The PADGP conducts routine and non-routine inspections of the water system and activities related to its operation. The Department also reviews all results of testing performed on your drinking water to determine compliance with the levels allowed.

Do You Take Your Drinking Water For Granted?  We Don’t!!

Public Water Supply ID: # 2640025 

AS YOUR SUPPLIER, WE ROUTINELY MONITOR FOR CONSTITUENTS IN YOUR DRINKING WATER ACCORDING TO STATE AND FEDERAL LAWS. THE TABLES PROVIDED SHOW THE RESULTS OF OUR MONITORING FOR THE PERIOD OF JANUARY 1 TO DECEMBER 31, 2006. IN THESE TABLES YOU WILL FIND MANY TERMS AND ABBREVIATIONS THAT MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR TO YOU.  TO HELP YOU BETTER UNDERSTAND THESE TERMS, WE HAVE PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING DEFINITIONS:

=> PARTS PER BILLION (PPB) or MICROGRAMS PER LITER (ug/L): One part per billion corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years, or a single penny in 10,000,000 dollars.

=> PARTS PER TRILLION (PPT) or NANOGRAMS PER LITER (ng/L): One part per trillion corresponds to one minute in 2,000,000 years, or a single penny in 10,000,000,000 dollars.

=> PICO CURIES PER LITER (pCi/L): pico Curies per liter is a unit of measurement for radioactivity in water. One pico Curie is equivalent to the radioactivity present in one trillionth of one gram of pure radium.

=> ACTION LEVEL: The action level is the concentration oF a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements that a water system must follow.

=> MAXIMUM CONTAMINANT LEVEL GOAL (MCLG): 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 CONTAMINANT LEVEL (MCL : The -MAXIMUM ALLOWED" (MCL) is the highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCL2 are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology.

NOTE: MCLs are set at very stringent levels for health effects. To understand the possible health effects described for many regulated contaminants, a person would have to drink 2 liters of water every day at the MCL for a lifetime to have a one-in-a-million chance of having the described health effect.

(Source: National Rural Water Association)

INORGANIC CONTAMINANTS DETECTED

CONTAMINANT/     DATE TESTED   COMPLIANCE       LEVEL              DETECTS        MCLG               MCL
Unit of Measure    (Most Recent)   ACHIEVED          DETECTED       Mm. — Max.    (Ideal Goal)  (Allowed)

Copper, PPB                  10/06/04             Yes           90th Percentile: 540    0 - 690     90th Percentile Action Level: 1.300
Lead, PPB                     10/06/04             Yes           90th Percentile: 0         0-17        90th Percentile Action Level: 15
Nitrate, PPB                   08/24/06             Yes                      650                0- 650                10,000             10,000

RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINANTS DETECTED

Radium 226, pCi/L        06/25/03             Yes                      .325              0 - .325                   5                     5
Gross Alpha, pCi/L        06/25/03             Yes                       2.62              0 - 2.62                 15                    15
Total Uranium, ng/L      06/25/03             Yes                     3,560           930 - 3.560           30.000              30,000

* Samples throughout the system are routinely collected and tested for bacteria. All test results were negative during the 2006 report year.

LIKELY SOURCE OF CONTAMINANTS DETECTED
Copper: Corrosion of household plumbing; erosion of natural deposits; leaching from wood preservatives.
Lead: Corrosion of household plumbing; erosion of natural deposits.
Nitrate: Runoff from fertilizer use: leaching from septic tanks, sewage: erosion of natural deposits.
Radium 226: Gross Alpha: Total Uranium: Erosion of natural deposits.

Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immunocompromised 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 and other microbiological contaminants are available from the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline: 1-800-426-4791.

BOARD MEETINGS: Regularly scheduled Board of Directors meetings are held on the third Saturday of each month at the RS&W office.

SOURCE WATER ASSESSMENT AND PROTECTION (SWAP)
The 1996 reauthorization of the Safe Drinking Water Act requires (under Section 1435) that states develop Source Water Assessment and Protection (SWAP) Programs. SWAP assesses the drinking water sources that serve public water systems (PWS) for their susceptibility to pollution. This information is being used as a basis for building voluntary community-based barriers to drinking water contamination.

The assessment of Hideout drinking water sources was completed during 2003. The assessment revealed that the highest risk or threat of potential pollution to the water system by activity quantity is the following: aboveground storage tanks; underground petroleum storage tanks; auto repair shops; gas service stations; animal feedlots; fuel oil storage; household cleaning supplies; on-lot sewage disposal; sewer pipelines; swimming pools; wells (abandoned or active) and boreholes (abandoned or active). The final report is available at the RS&W office. If you would like to review the report, please call RS&W at (570) 698-6162 to schedule an appointment.