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 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).

In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the U.S. EPA prescribes regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water pro- vided by public water systems. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water that must provide the same protection for public health.

Cryptosporidium

Cryptosporidium is a tiny intestinal parasite found naturally in the environment. It is spread by human and animal waste. If ingested, cryptosporidium may cause cryptosporidiosis, an intestinal infection (symptoms include nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps). Some of the ways cryptosporidium can be spread include drinking contaminated water, eating contaminated food that is raw or undercooked, exposure to the feces of animals or infected individuals (i.e. changing diapers without washing hands afterward), or exposure to contaminated surfaces. Not everyone exposed to the organism becomes ill.

During 2020, DWU continued testing for cryptosporidium in treated and untreated water. DWU began monitoring for cryptosporidium in 1993. It has been found only in the untreated water supply. Cryptospo- ridium has not been found in City of Dallas treated drinking water.

Special notice for the elderly, infants, cancer patients, people with HIV/AIDS and other immune problems

You may be more vulnerable than the general population to certain microbial contaminants, such as Cryptosporidium, in drinking water. Infants, some elderly, or immuno- compromised persons such as those undergoing chemotherapy for cancer; those who have undergone organ transplants; those who are undergo- ing treatment with steroids; and peo- ple with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders can be particularly at risk from infections.

You should seek advice about drink- ing water from your physician or health care provider. Additional guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Crypto- sporidium are available from the U.S. EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.

To protect your drinking water, the City of Dallas works to protect the watershed from contamination and optimizes treatment processes. Although DWU’s water treatment process removes cryptosporidium, immu- nocompromised persons should consult their doctors regarding appropriate precautions to take to avoid infec- tion. To request more information on cryptosporidium, please call the U.S. EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791) or visit

http://water.epa.gov/drink/hotline/index.cfm.

Lead and Copper

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 ma- terials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. DWU is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components. If you are

concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your wa- ter tested. Information on lead in drinking water, testing meth- ods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the U.S. EPA Safe Drinking Water Ho- tline 1-800-426-4791

or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

Where your water comes from

The City of Dallas uses surface water from seven sources: the Elm Fork of the Trinity River and lakes Ray Roberts, Lewisville, Grapevine, Ray Hubbard, Tawakoni and Fork.

Source Water Assessment and Protection

TCEQ completed an assessment of Dallas’ source water and results indicate that some of our sources are sus- ceptible to certain contaminants. The sampling require- ments for the City of Dallas water system are based on this susceptibility and previous sample data. Any detections of these contaminants will be found in this Consumer Confidence Report. For more information on source water assessments and protection efforts call the City of Dallas 311 Information Line.

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, radio- active 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 storm water runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming;

Water Treatment Process

• Pesticides and herbicides, which might have a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban storm water 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 storm water runoff, and septic systems; and
• Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.

Contaminants may be found in drinking water that may cause taste, color, or odor problems. These types of prob- lems are not necessarily cause for health concerns. For more information on taste, odor, or color of drinking water, please contact DWU at (214) 670-0915.

Water Loss

In the water loss audit submitted to the Texas Water Development Board for the time period of October 1, 2019 to September 30, 2020, DWU’s system lost an esti- mated 5.8% of the system input volume. If you have any questions about the water loss audit, please call the City of Dallas 311 Information Line.

Definitions

AL: Action Level is the concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other require- ments that a water system must follow.

Level 1 Assessment is a study of the water system to identify potential problems and determine (if possible) why total coliform bacteria were found.

Level 2 Assessment is a very detailed study of the wa- ter system to identify potential problems and determine (if possible) why an Escherichia coli (E. coli) maximum contaminant level (MCL) violation has occurred and/ or why total coliform bacteria were found on multiple occasions.

LRAA: Locational Running Annual Average is the average of sample analytical results for samples taken at a particular monitoring location during the previous four calendar quarters.

MCL: Maximum Contaminant Level is the highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology.

MCLG: Maximum Contaminant Level Goal is 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.

mrem/year: millirems per year is a measure of radia- tion absorbed by the body.

MRDLG: Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal is the level of a drinking water disinfectant below which there is no known or expected risk to health.

MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of disin- fectants to control microbial contaminants.

MRDL: Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level is the highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial con- taminants.

NTU: Nephelometric Turbidity Units is a measure of turbidity.

pCi/L: picocuries per liter is a measure of radioactivity.

ppb: parts per billion, or micrograms per liter (ug/L)

ppm: parts per million, or milligrams per liter (mg/L)

46. Treatment Technique is a required process in- tended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.

Turbidity: A measure of the clarity of drinking water. The lower the turbidity, the better.

Your participation is welcome

DWU is a not-for-profit department of the City of Dallas and is governed by the Dallas City Council. The City Council meets weekly on Wednesdays. For information about meetings and how to register as a speaker, contact the City Secretary’s office at 214-670-3738.

Publication 20/21 #34

U.S. EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline

1-800-426-4791 or visit

http://water.epa.gov/drink/hotline/index.cfm

Other helpful phone numbers:

For questions or concerns about water quality:

City of Dallas 311 Information Line

For questions about your bill: 214-651-1441

For water conservation information: 214-670-3155

City of Dallas Water Quality Reports from

previous years may be found here:

http://bit.ly/3a5EWkC