Cassville 2010 Annual Water Quality Report

Consumer Confidence Report

This report summary is intended to provide you with important information about your drinking water and the efforts made to provide safe drinking water. Full Report is available at City Hall.

What is the source of my water?

Our water comes from local wells. The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and groundwater 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.

Source Water Assessment:

The Department of Natural Resources conducted a source water assessment to determine the susceptibility of our water source to potential contaminants. This process involved the establishment of source water area delineations for each well or surface water intake and then a contaminant inventory was performed within those delineated areas to assess potential threats to each source. Assessment maps and summary information sheets are available on the internet at http://maproom.missouri.edu/swipmaps/pwssid.htm. To access the maps for your water system you will need the State-assigned identification code, which is printed at the top of this report. The Source Water Inventory Project maps and information sheets provide a foundation upon which a more comprehensive source water protection plan can be developed.

Why are there contaminants in my water?

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 Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).

Contaminants that may be present in source water include:

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

B. 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.

C. Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and residential uses.

D. 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.

E. 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, the Department of Natural Resources prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. Department of Health regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health.

Is our water system meeting other rules that govern our operations?

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources regulates our water system and requires us to test our water on a regular basis to ensure its safety. Our system has been assigned the identification number MO5010144 for the purposes of tracking our test results. Last year, we tested for a variety of contaminants. The detectable results of these tests are on the following pages of this report. Any violations of state requirements or standards will be further explained later in this report.

How might I become actively involved?

If you would like to observe the decision-making process that affect drinking water quality or if you have any further questions about your drinking water report, please call us at 417-847-4441 to inquire about scheduled meetings or contact persons.

Do I need to take any special precautions?

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 (800-426-4791).

Special Lead and Copper Notice:

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. CASSVILLE 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 your water 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 (800-426-4791) or at http://water.epa.gov/drink/info/lead/index.cfm.

Violations and Health Effects Information

No Violations Occurred in the Calendar Year of 2010. Full Report is available at City Hall.