Drinking Water Quality Report For the Year 2004 (Page 2)

"At the Tap" Lead & Copper Monitoring (41 households sampled in June and again in August)
Contaminant	AL	MCLG	Unit Measurement	May # > AL	Likely source of contamination to the best of our present knowledge
Lead	0.015	NA	ppm	2	Corrosion of household plumbing systems
Copper	1.30	NA	ppm	0	Corrosion of household plumbing systems

One annual “At the Tap” lead and copper monitoring in 20 Sitka households is required by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC). This was conducted in May of 2004. To reduce the corrosive nature of our water, a sodium carbonate (soda ash) solution has been added since the start up of the Corrosion Control Facility in January 2001. This annual monitoring is required through 2005.

Lead in drinking water is rarely the cause of lead poisoning, but it can add to a persons total lead exposure. All potential sources of lead in the household should be identified and removed, replaced or reduced. Copper is a secondary contaminant noticed as odor or taste, and is typically not a health risk.

Lead or copper in your drinking water does not come from the source, Blue Lake, or the city pipelines. Rather these elements are absorbed from your household water piping and fixtures. The addition of small amount of sodium carbonate (soda ash) solution at the new Jarvis Street Corrosion Control Facility has greatly reduced both lead & copper concentrations at the homeowner’s tap. Prior to 2001, 35 of 40 households sampled were above at least one Action Level. As can be seen in the table above, the May 2004 results have only 2 samples above an Action Level.

Volatile Organic Contaminants (Voluntary Reporting of Unregulated Contaminants measured annually)
Contaminant	MCL Violation	Level Detected	Unit Measurement	MCLG	MCL	Likely source of contamination to the best of our present knowledge
Total Trihalomethane (TTHM)	None	12.6	ppb	NA	80	By-product of chlorination
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)	None	18.9	ppb	NA	60	By-product of chlorination
Total Organic Carbon	None	0.085 <MDL - 0.33	ppm	NA	NNA	Naturally present in the environment

Total Organic Carbon (TOC) has no health effects. However, TOC provides a medium for the formation of disinfection byproducts. These byproducts include trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs). Drinking water containing these byproducts in excess of the MCL over many years may lead to adverse health effects, liver or kidney problems, or nervous system effects, and may lead to an increased risk of getting cancer. Sitka’s results are well below the MCL.

As can be seen from the above tables, our water system had no violations of any MCLs. We are proud that your drinking water meets or exceeds all Federal and State requirements. We have learned through our monitoring and testing that some contaminants have been detected. CBS had one monitoring violation in 2004. The first quarter, samples for TTHM’s and HAA5's were taken late. The EPA has determined that your water IS SAFE at these levels.

Sitka’s Water Treatment: Our primary source water is Blue Lake, which is nearly pure in it’s natural state and therefore we are not required to filter it prior to disinfection and distribution to you the consumer. Federal and State laws require proof of proper disinfection prior to providing water to the public. Disinfection is accomplished by adding a small amount of chlorine to guarantee our drinking water is safe from harmful microorganisms. Fluoride is added to increase the natural level of fluoride in our drinking water to a level recommended by the Public Health Service and the ADEC to help reduce the incidence of tooth decay.

Following proper disinfection, sodium carbonate (soda ash) is added to the drinking water at the new Corrosion Control Facility (CCF) which is located at 103 Jarvis St. The CCF went into operation January 1, 2001. Soda ash slightly increases the pH and alkalinity of our treated water thereby reducing the leaching of lead and copper from private plumbing systems into the water. The CCF is the operations center for our water system, serving as the primary monitoring and control location for the Blue Lake Water Treatment Plant (BLWTP) and the treated water storage tanks. The Water Operators perform routine monitoring and control of the BLWTP from the Jarvis St. location. This greatly enhances our productivity in monitoring and controlling our water system, as well as providing enhanced documentation of the treatment process and water quality.

Our secondary source water is Indian River, which was the primary source water for many years prior to Blue Lake in 1984. Indian River Water Treatment Plant (IRWTP) water passes through the natural river bed gravel and sand which has a filtering affect, then through two inlet infiltration pipes in Indian River. The water flows into a reservoir beside IRWTP and then through one of a dozen infiltration pipes buried under gravel and sand in the reservoir, through which the water is filtered and passes into four wells, each with a pump. A small amount of chlorine is added to ensure the water is safe to consume. This water is supplied to the community, after public notice, when necessary to perform maintenance on BLWTP or Blue Lake penstock. IRWTP is operated on a monthly basis to insure plant readiness to produce safe drinking water in an emergency.

Thank you for allowing us to continue providing your family with clean, quality water this year. In order to maintain a safe and dependable water supply we sometimes need to make improvements to the treatment or distribution systems that will benefit all of our customers. These improvements sometimes cause short-term inconveniences or rate structure adjustments. Thank you for understanding the importance of our drinking water.

The Water Department is required to present an annual Watershed Control Report to the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation. That report along with this Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) will be on file at the City and Borough of Sitka Public Works Office and is available for your review on the City’s web site, www.cityofsitka.com.

The Sitka Water Department works to provide sufficient quantity and top quality water to each customer. We ask that everyone helps us protect our sources at Blue Lake and Indian River. These water sources are the heart of our community, our way of life and our children’s future.

Thank you again for assisting your Water Department in maintaining suitable and safe water sources. Together we can preserve our especially good water for now and for future generations. Safe Drinking Water is everyone’s business.