City of Petoskey - Water Quality Report

This report covers the drinking water quality for City of Petoskey for the calendar year 1999. This information is a snapshot of the quality of the water that we provided to you in 1999. Included are details about where your water comes from, what it contains, and how it compares to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state standards.

Your water comes from 5 groundwater wells located within the City limits. There are two well fields, one being in the Bay Harbor area, the other located one the north eastside of town. The City of Petoskey is conducting a detailed source water assessment program called Wellhead Protection Program. We have completed the delineation phase of the program.

Contaminants and their presence in 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 EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).

Vulnerability of sub-populations: Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immuno-compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune systems 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).

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

Contaminants 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 and residential uses.
Radioactive contaminants, which are naturally occurring.
Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff, and septic systems.

In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations, which 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 provide the same protection for public health.

Water System Information

The City of Petoskey's water comes from five groundwater wells located within the City limits. At any given time, four wells are ready to serve; the fifth well is used in the event of an emergency only. The four regularly used wells range in depth from 258 to 405 feet in depth. Water is stored in two above ground towers and one under ground storage tank. The operation of the water system is computerized. The water system is monitored with an alarm system notifying the city's department of public work staff of any potential problems before our consumers are inconvenienced. The city goal is to provide a safe dependable supply of drinking water. The City of Petoskey performs all water quality testing that is required by the Federal Government and State of Michigan.

Water Quality Data

The table that follows lists all the drinking-water contaminants that we detected within the City of Petoskey's water supply during the 2000 calendar year. The presence of these contaminants in the water does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk. Unless otherwise noted, the data presented in this table originate from testing that was completed between January 1 and December 31, 2000. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality allows the City to monitor the certain contaminants less frequently than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants are not expected to vary significantly from year to year. All of the data is representative of the water quality, but some are more than one year old.

Terms and abbreviations used below:

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.
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.

N/A: Not applicable ND: not detectable at testing limit ppb: parts per billion or micrograms per liter ppm: parts per million or milligrams per liter pCi/l: picocuries per liter (a measure of radiation).

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

Regulated Contaminants	MCL	MCLG	Range of Detections	Violation Y / N	Typical Source of Contaminant
Nitrate (ppm)	10	1	ND to 0.98	N	Erosion of natural deposits. Run off from fertilizers and septic tanks.
Flouride (ppm)			0.8 to 2.0	N	Erosion of natural deposits.
Unregulated Contaminants
Bromodichloromethane (ppb)	NA	NA	1.3	NA	By product from the use of chlorine for disinfection.
Chloroform (ppb)	NA	NA	2.8	NA	By product from the use of chlorine for disinfection.
Sulfate (ppm)			18 to 98		Erosion of natural deposits.
Sodium (ppm)	NA	NA	5.2 to 25	NA	Erosion of natural deposits.

Unregulated contaminant monitoring helps EPA to determine where certain contaminants occur and whether it needs to regulate those contaminants.

Microbial Contaminants	MCL	MCLG	Number of Detections	Violation Y / N	Typical Source of Contaminant
Total Coliform Bacteria	> 1 Positive sample	0	None	N	Present in the environment

Distribution System Contaminants	Action Level	Our Water *	Number of Samples Over Action Level
Lead (ppb)	A.L.=15 ppb	2.8	2
Copper (ppm)	A.L.=1.3 ppm	1.08	2

* 90 percent of samples at or below this level

Infants and children who drink water containing lead in excess of the action level could experience delays in their physical or mental development. Children could show slight deficits in attention span and learning abilities. Adults who drink this water over many years could develop kidney problems or high blood pressure. It is possible that lead levels at your home may be higher than at other homes in the community as a result of materials used in your homes plumbing. If you are concerned about elevated lead levels in your home's water, you may wish to have your water tested and flush your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using tap water.Additional information is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791.

Copper is an essential nutrient, but some people who drink water containing copper in excess of the action level over a relatively short amount of time could experience gastrointestinal distress. Some people who drink water containing copper in excess of the action level over many years could suffer liver or kidney damage. People with Wilson’s Disease should consult their personal doctor.

Is our water system meeting other rules that govern our operations? The State and EPA require us to test our water on a regular basis to ensure its safety. We met all the monitoring and reporting requirements for 1999.

The City is committed to providing its residents and customers safe, reliable, and healthy water. The City is pleased to provide you with this information to keep them fully informed about your water. The City will be updating this report annually, and will also keep its customers informed of any problems that might occur throughout the year, as they happen.

The City invites public participation in decisions that affect drinking water quality.

For more information about the City of Petoskey drinking water, or the contents of this report, contact the City Manager, 101 East Lake Street, Petoskey, Michigan 49770 or telephone 231.347.2500
By _email at Water Quality@cityofpetoskeyservices.com .