Chandler Heights Citrus Irrigation District

2004 Annual Water Quality Report

P.O. Box 9038

Chandler Heights , AZ   85227

Office 480-988-2731

Fax 480-988-4015

Jerry Beeler Grade 4 Operator

Nancy Lopez Office Manager

IS MY WATER SAFE?   Water quality is the most important part of our job.   Our employees and water treatment specialists conduct and supervise hundreds of tests on water samples each year.   We are proud to be able to say that last year your tap water met all U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state drinking water health standards.   Our groundwater supplies are generally clean, so we don’t have to worry as much as many other communities about how to treat our water supplies.   We are continually observant of past, present and future land uses in and around our area and implements all reasonable measures which vigilantly safeguards our water supplies.

     This report is a snapshot of last year’s water quality.   It includes details about where your water comes from, what it contains and how it compares to the standards set by the regulatory agencies.   We are providing this information because informed customers are our best allies.

WHERE DOES MY WATER COME FROM?   CHCID has two wells, well #5 is located on Power Road just south of Riggs Rd. and well #6 is located on Riggs Rd. east of Valencia.  

     The system consists of source wells, a 350,000 and 100,000 gallon water storage tanks, a hydro-pneumatic pressure tank, a booster pump station, and a distribution system and a chlorinating system.   Chlorination is accomplished by using a 2-4% liquid solution.   The level of chlorine is 0.5-1.5 ppm.   The pressure in the system is maintained at a constant 60 psi.   The distribution system is a series of looped lines to provide water.   The looped system insures that the maximum volume of water is available in case of fire or emergency; and that the minimum number of customers are without water in case of line breaks and repairs.

     To maintain an efficient, productive system, we continue to update lines and install fire hydrants.   Elimination of dead-end lines improves circulation and water quality by looping them into the system.   The 350,000 gallon tank was sandblasted and the interior re-coated.  

DO I NEED TO TAKE SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS?   Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population.

• 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-occuring or result 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 agricultural, urban storm water runoff, and residential uses.
• 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 storm water runoff, and septic systems.
• Radioactive Contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or be the results of oil and gas production and mining activities.

To ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the United States Environmental Protection Agency prescribes regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems.   The United States Food and Drug Administration regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled 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 in tap water and potential health effects can be obtained by called the EPA’s safe drinking water hotline 800-426-4719.   Information on bottled water can be obtained from the United States Food and Drug Administration.  

Arsenic:

On May 25, 2000, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released a new Federal Standard for Arsenic in drinking water to set the standard from 50 parts per billion (ppb) to ppb.   The two wells (#5 and #6) CHCID is using are below this new standard.   While your drinking water meets EPA’s standard for arsenic, it does contain low levels of arsenic.   EPA’s standard balances the current understanding of arsenic’s possible health effects against the costs of removing arsenic from drinking water.   EPA continues to research the health effects of low levels or arsenic, which is a mineral known to cause cancer in humans at high concentrations and is link to other health risks such as skin damage and circulatory problems.

Results of Radon Monitoring:

Radon is a radioactive gas that you cannot see, taste, or smell.   It is found throughout the U.S. in the earth’s crust, in rocks and soil.   Radon can move up through the ground and into a home through cracks and holes in the foundation.   Radon can build up to high levels in all types of homes.   Radon can also get into indoor air when released from tap water during routine household activities such as showering or washing dishes.

Compared to Radon entering the home through the soil, Radon entering a home through tap water will in most cases be a small source of Radon in indoor air.

Radon is a known human carcinogen.   Breathing air containing Radon can lead to lung cancer.   Drinking water containing Radon may also cause increased risk of stomach cancer.

If you are concerned about Radon in your home, test the air quality.   Testing is inexpensive and easy.   If the level of Radon in your air is 4 Pico curies per liter of air (pCi/L) or higher, you should take steps to lower the Radon.   There are simple ways to do this that are not too costly.   For additional information, call your state Radon program or call EPA’s Radon Hotline

800-SOS-RADON.

Nitrates:

Nitrate in drinking water at levels above 10 ppm is a health risk for infants of less than six months of age.   High nitrate levels in drinking water can cause blue baby syndrome.   Nitrate levels may rise quickly for short periods of time because of rainfall or agricultural activity.   If you are caring for an infant, you should ask for advice from your health care provider.   Both CHCID wells are under 10 ppm.

Every year, the U.S. EPA requires that water providers notify customers about the quality of the water we provide to our customers.   We look forward to this opportunity to notify you of our progress in improving the water we supply to you and how our water exceeds health and safety standards.   The table in this report lists only the contaminants detected.

OTHER INFORMATION:   CHCIDworks to ensure water quality by performing numerous tests throughout the year.   The major tests fall under the following categories:

• Total Coli form Tests:   Sampling provides test levels of bacteria in the water to make sure it is not contaminated.   These tests are performed at various placed throughout the system each month.  
• Chlorination:   Chlorine is added to our water supply as a disinfectant.   We test to make sure that there is both safe amount of chlorine for customers and an adequate amount to remove bacteria that may enter the system.
• Lead and Copper:   Random samples at various households are tested to make sure the amount of these metals in your water is not too high.   These metals can come from the ground water itself or, more likely, can be the result of corrosion of metal pipes.   If levels of these metals are too high, there are several ways to address the problem.   All results were below the EPA standards.
• Inorganic Chemicals:   Inorganic by definition means “not living” or “not containing the element of carbon.”   For water sampling, however, it has become sort of a miscellaneous category.   Included in it are elements, such as arsenic and Mercury; chemical compounds, such as Nitrate and Nitrite; and various other measurements used to determine drinking water quality, such as Total Dissolved solids and hardness.

Most of these constituents are measured in parts per million or parts per billion; an indication of how exact we have to be when talking about water quality.   If you would like more information about CHCID’s water quality, or operations in general, please call us at 480-988-2731.

Water Quality Data Table

The table below lists all the drinking water contaminants that we detected during the calendar year of this report.   The presence of contaminants in the water does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk and unless otherwise noted, the data presented in this table is from the testing done in the calendar year of the report.

MCL: Maximum Contaminant Level: The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water.

ppm: Parts per million, or milligrams per liter (mg/l)

ppb: Parts per billion, or micrograms per liter (ug/l)

1 mg/l: part per million

VIOLATIONS:   None