Mark of Excellence

Once again, the City of Cambridge Municipal Utilities Commission is proud to present to you our annual Water Quality Report.  We are pleased to announce that our record for meeting all state and federal drinking water laws remains exemplary. The reason is simple: all of our staff and associates are dedicated toward one clear goal - Quality First. With a focus on customer service and efficiency in operations, we continue to strive for excellence through new water quality programs that will ensure a reliable drinking water supply for years to come.

Preserving the health and well being of all our customers is an enormous task that we eagerly assume with dedication and determination. If you have any health concerns relating to the informa­tion in this report, we encourage you to contact your health care provider. For more information about this report, or for any questions relating to your drinking water, please call Mr. Gary R. Newcomb, Manager, at (410) 228-5440.

 

 

What's Inside?

This report outlines the processes involved in delivering to you the highest quality drink­ing water available. In it, we will answer three important questions:

 

• Where does my water come from?

• How is my water treated and purified?

• What is in my drinking water?

 

 

Where Does My Water Come From?

The City of Cambridge's water is supplied from nine production wells withdrawing from three separate aquifers. We have six wells withdrawing water from the Piney Point aquifer, which is approximately 500' below the surface, one well in the Magothy aquifer, which is approximately 900' below the surface and two wells withdrawing from the Raritan aquifer, which is approximately 1,400' deep. To meet our daily demand we currently operate three or four of the wells with the others in reserve. The wells pump water into ground storage tanks located at our four pumping stations. The pumpage stations are located on Stone Boundary Road, Nathan's Avenue, Glasgow Street and Brohawn Avenue. We pump water from our pumpage stations into the distribution system supported by our two elevated storage tanks with a capacity of 1.5 million gallons. Demand for good safe drinking water is high: we provide to our customers roughly 1.8 million gallons of drinking water every day.

 

How Is My Water Treated And Purified ?

Our groundwater supply is not exposed to air and is not subject to direct pollution and contamination like a river or a reservoir. In fact, because groundwater is the highest quality water available to meet the public demand of water intended for human con­sumption, we are able to provide your water directly from the source. However, as an added value to our customers, we aerate the water to remove small amounts of iron and sulfur dioxide. Chlorine is then added as a precaution against any bacteria that may be present.

 

Special Health Information

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 microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800­426-4791).

 

 

What's In My Water?

We are pleased to report that during the past year, the water delivered to your home or business complied, or did better than, all state and federal drinking water requirements. For your information, we have compiled a list in the table below showing what substances were detected in our drinking water during 2000. The state requires us to monitor for certain substances less than once per year because the concentrations of these substances do not change frequently. In these cases the most recent sample data are included, along with the year in which the sample was taken.

 

 

REGULATED SUBSTANCES
SUBSTANCE (UNITS)		YEAR SAMPLED	MCL    MCLG			AMOUNT DETECTED		RANGE LOW-HIGH		VIOLATION TYPICAL SOURCE
Alpha emitters (pCi/L)		2000	15       0			3		2 - 3		No Erosion of natural deposits
Beta/photon emitters (pCi/L)		2000	50       0			30		5 - 30		No Decay of natural and man-made deposits
Fluoride (ppm)		2000	4       4			1.13		0.61 - 1.13		No Erosion of natural deposits; Water additive which promotes strong teeth; Discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories
TTHM or Total Trihaolmethanes (ppb)		2000	100      NA			9.7		2 - 9.7		No By-product of drinking water chlorination
Turbidity (NTU)		2000	TT       NA			0.32		NA		No Soil runoff
LEAD AND COPPER (Tap water samples were collected from 30 households throughout the service area.)
Substance (Units)	Year Sampled		Action Level	MCLG	Amount Detected		Homes Above AL		Violation		Typical Source
Copper (ppm)	1999		1.3	1.3	0.11		0		No		Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits; Leaching from wood preservatives
Lead (ppb)	1999		15	0	6		0		No		Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits
OTHER SUBSTANCES
SUBSTANCE (UNITS)	YEAR SAMPLED		AMOUNT DETECTED				RANGE LOW-HIGH				TYPICAL SOURCE
Chloride (ppm)	2000		7.5				7.5 - 7.5				Naturally occurring; By-product of drinking water chlorination
Iron (ppm)	2000		0.58				0.1 - 0.58				Erosion of natural deposits
Sodium (ppm)	2000		184				51.9 - 184				Erosion of natural deposits
Sulfate (ppm)	2000		24.6				14.3 - 24.6				Erosion of natural deposits
'The MCL for Beta particles is 4 mrem/yr. EPA considers 50 pCi/L to be the level of concern for beta particles.

 

TABLE DEFINITIONS

 

Action Level (AL): The concentration of a contami­nant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow.

 

Maximum Contaminant Level (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 (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.

 

Parts per billion (ppb): One part per billion (or micrograms per liter) is equivalent to one penny in $10,000,000.

 

Parts per million (ppm): One part per million (or milligrams per liter) is equivalent to one penny in $10,000.

 

Picocurries per liter (pCi/L): Measurement of the natural rate of disintegration.

 

NA: Not applicable.

 

Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU): Measurement of the clarity, or turbidity, of water.

 

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

Drinking Water Improvement Projects

The Municipal Utilities Commission is con­stantly improving our water system. During 2000, our crews installed a new main on Hubert Street and are currently working in conjunc­tion with the sewer separation project to replace the water mains in Vue de Leau Street and Water Street. These projects will be completed this summer.

 

Substances Expected to be in Drinking Water

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 and, in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up 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 plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife;

Inorganic Contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can 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, and can also come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff, and septic systems;

Radioactive Contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.

In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. 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 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 USEPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).

 

Radon

 

Radon is a radioactive gas that occurs naturally in some groundwater. It may pose a health risk when the gas is released from water into air, as occurs during showering, bathing, or washing dishes and clothes. Radon gas released from drinking water is a relatively small part of the total radon in air. During 2000, the levels detected in our samples were within the range of 35 pCi/L to 115 pCi/L. EPA is proposing to regulate this substance in the range of 300 pCi/L to 1,500 pCi/L. Radon is released into homes and groundwater from soil. Inhalation of radon gas has been linked to lung cancer, however, the effects of radon ingested in drinking water are not yet clear. If you are concerned about radon in your home, tests are available to determine the total exposure level. For additional information on how to have your home tested, contact your local health department, or call (800) SOS-RADON.

 

Water Conservation Tips

 

Water conservation measures are an important first step in protecting our water supply. Such measures not only save the supply of our source water, but can also save you money by reducing your water and sewer bills.

Here are a few suggestions:

Conservation measures you can use inside your home include:

• Fix leaking faucets, pipes, toilets, etc.

• Replace old fixtures; install water-saving devices in faucets, toilets and appliances.

• Wash only full loads of laundry.

• Do not use the toilet for trash disposal.

• Take shorter showers.

• Do not let the water run while shaving or brushing teeth.

• Soak dishes before washing.

• Run the dishwasher only when full.

 

You can conserve outdoors as well:

 

• Water the lawn and garden in the early morning or evening.

• Use mulch around plants and shrubs.

• Repair leaks in faucets and hoses.

• Use water-saving nozzles.

• Use water from a bucket to wash your car, and save the hose for rinsing.

 

Information on the Internet

For more information on local water issues, please visit the U.S. EPA Office of Water ( http://www.epa.gov/watrhome ) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (http://www.cdc.gov).  These web sites provide a substantial amount of information on many issues relating to water resources, water conservation and public health. Also, the Maryland Department of the Environment hosts a site ( http://www.mde.state.md.us ) that provides complete and current information on water issues in our own state.

 

Working Hard for You

Under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), EPA is responsible for setting national limits for hundreds of substances in drinking water and also specifies various treatments that water systems must use to remove these substances. Each system continually monitors for these substances and reports to the EPA if they were detected in the drinking water. EPA uses these data to ensure that consumers are receiving clean water and verify that states are enforcing the laws that regulate drinking water.

This publication conforms to the regulation under SDWA requiring water utilities to provide detailed water quality information to each of their customers annually. The Municipal Utilities Commission is committed to providing you with this information about your water supply, because customers who are well informed are our best allies in supporting improvements necessary to maintain the highest drinking water standards.

Community Participation

You are invited to participate in our public meetings and voice your concerns about your drinking water. We meet the fourth Thursday of every month beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the City Council Chambers, 305 Gay Street, Cambridge, MD.

EPA Questions?

Call U.S. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791