2020WATER

QUALITY

REPORT

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OUR DRINKING WATER

The City of Hayward is pleased to present the 2020 Water Quality Report (Consumer Confidence Report), which helps keep customers informed about where their drinking water comes from, how it is treated, and details about its quality.

The City of Hayward purchases all of its drinking water from the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC). The quality of this water is regularly monitored by the SFPUC and the City of Hayward to ensure that it continues to meet and exceed all state and federal standards. Information regarding the findings of the 2020 water quality monitoring can be found in the following sections of this report.

Drinking Water Sources & Treatment

Hayward purchases its water supply from the SFPUC, which sources it from the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Comprised primarily of spring snowmelt straight from Yosemite National Park, the water Hayward delivers to its customers is among the cleanest in the world. It is exempt from filtration requirements by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the State Water Resources Control Board's Division of Drinking Water (SWRCB-DDW), but it receives the following treatment processes to ensure it meets the appropriate drinking water standards for consumption: ultraviolet light and chlorine disinfection, pH adjustment for optimum corrosion control, fluoridation for dental health protection, and chloramination for maintaining disinfectant residual and minimizing the formation of regulated disinfection byproducts.

In the past, the Hetch Hetchy-sourced water has been supplemented by surface water from local watersheds and upcountry non-Hetch Hetchy sources (UNHHS). This water is subject to filtration, disinfection, fluoridation, optimum corrosion control, and taste and odor removal to ensure it meets federal and state drinking water standards. However, in 2020, Hayward's water supply has been soley comprised of Hetch Hetchy water.

Watershed Protection

Watershed sanitary surveys for the Hetch Hetchy source are conducted annually. For local water sources and UNHHS, surveys are conducted every five years. The latest sanitary surveys for the non-Hetch Hetchy watersheds were completed in 2021 for the years 2016 to 2020. The last UNHHS sanitary survey was conducted in 2015 as part of the SFPUC’s drought response plan efforts.

The purposes of the surveys are to evaluate the sanitary conditions and water quality of the watersheds and to review results of watershed management activities conducted in the preceding years. With support from partner agencies including the National Park Service and US Forest Service, these surveys identified that wildlife, stock, and human activities continue to be potential contamination sources. For a review of these reports, contact the SWRCB- DDW at (510) 620-3474.

Fluoridation and Dental Fluorosis

Mandated by State law, water fluoridation is a widely-accepted practice proven to be safe and effective for preventing and controlling tooth decay. The SFPUC's fluoride target level in the water is 0.7 milligrams per liter (mg/L, or part per million, ppm), consistent with the May 2015 State regulatory guidance on optimal fluoride level. Infants fed formula mixed with water containing fluoride at this level may still have a chance of developing tiny white lines or streaks in their teeth. These marks are referred to as mild to very mild fluorosis, and are often only visible under a microscope. Even in cases where the marks are visible, they do not pose any health risk. The Centers of Disease Control (CDC) considers it safe to use optimally fluoridated water for preparing infant formula. To lessen the chance of dental fluorosis, you may choose to use low-fluoride bottled water to prepare infant formula. Nevertheless, children may still develop dental fluorosis due to fluoride intake from other sources such as food, toothpaste and dental products.

Contact your healthcare provider or SWRCB-DDW if you have concerns about dental fluorosis. For additional information about fluoridation or oral health, visit the CDC website at www.cdc.gov/fluoridation.

How Do Drinking Water Sources Become Polluted?

Sources of drinking water (both tap and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, oceans, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over the surface of land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally-occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material.

Water can also pick up substances from the presence of animal or human activity. Such substances are called contaminants and may be present in source water as:

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

Inorganic contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria that may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations and wildlife

Pesticides and herbicides that may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater 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 stormwater runoff, agricultural application and septic

systems

Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities

The SFPUC regularly collects and tests water samples from reservoirs and designated sampling points throughout the sources and the transmission system to ensure that the water delivered to customers meets or exceeds federal and State drinking water standards.

In 2020, the SFPUC conducted more than 47,200 drinking water tests in the sources and the transmission system. This is in addition to the extensive treatment process control monitoring performed by the SFPUC's certified operators and online instruments.

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. In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the SWRCB-DDW prescribe regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations and California law also establish limits for contaminants in bottled water that provide the same protection for public health.

Drinking Water & Lead

Elevated levels of lead, if present, can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Infants and young children are typically more vulnerable to lead in drinking water than the general population.

Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. There are no known lead service lines in our water distribution system. The City of Hayward's policy is to remove and replace any lead user service lines promptly if it is discovered during pipeline repair and/or maintenance.

Plumbing components in homes may still contain lead materials. You can minimize your risk of potential lead exposure by identifying and removing lead materials in your home. Before drinking tap water, flush your tap for several minutes (or until the water temperature has changed) before using water for drinking or cooking. You can also use a filter certified by an American National Standards Institute accredited certifier to remove lead from drinking water.

If you are concerned about lead levels in your water, you may wish to have your water tested. Additional information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the USEPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800) 426-4791, or at www.epa.gov/lead.

Who Should Seek Advice About Drinking Water?

Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Elderly, infants, and people with immune system disorders are particularly at risk from infections. These individuals and their caretakers should seek advice about drinking water from their healthcare providers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines on appropriate means to reduce the risk of infection from Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the USEPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline, (800) 426-4791, or at www.epa.gov/safewater.

The City of Hayward regularly tests for lead in drinking water in compliance with the USEPA’s Lead and Copper Rule (LCR), which requires water agencies to test for lead at customer taps every three years. If lead concentrations exceed the Regulatory Action Level (AL) of 15 parts per billion in more than 10% of customer taps sampled, the agency must take action to notify the public and reduce corrosion of lead within the distribution system. Since the LCR’s inception in 1991, the City of Hayward has always been below the AL threshold for lead. The most recent lead sampling in Hayward was performed in 2016 and tested for lead in 59 residences, which were all below the AL.

In 2017, a new law passed that required water systems to test for lead in drinking water at all public K-12 school by July 1, 2019. The City of Hayward provides water to thirty-four public K-12 schools. All public school sites in Hayward were tested and sampling was completed on schedule. All sampling sites were below the AL for lead, with the exception of one school, where a single water fountain exceeded the standard. Corrective action was immediately taken to remove the non-conforming tap from service. Complete lead testing results are available online at www.waterboards.ca.gov/leadsamplinginschools.

City of Hayward - Water Quality Data for Year 2020 (1)

Footnotes:

1. All results met State and Federal drinking water health standards.
2. These are monthly average turbidity values measured every 4 hours daily.
3. There is no turbidity MCL for filtered water. The limits are based on the TT requirements for filtration systems.
4. This is the highest locational running annual average value.
5. Total organic carbon is a precursor for disinfection byproduct formation. The TT requirement applies to the filtered water from the SVWTP only.
6. Percent of monthly samples that are positive in Hayward tap water. There was no E. Coli positive samples collected in 2020.
7. The San Francisco Regional Water System recommended an optimal fluoride level of 0.7 ppm be maintained in the treated water. In 2020, the range and average of the fluoride levels were 0.6 ppm - 0.9 ppm and 0.7 ppm, respectively.
8. The natural fluoride level in the Hetch Hetchy supply was ND. Elevated fluoride levels in the SVWTP and HTWTP raw water are attributed to the transfer of fluoridated Hetch Hetchy water into the local reservoirs.
9. This is the highest running annual average value.
10. The 90th percentile level of lead and copper must be less than the action level. The most recent Lead and Copper Rule monitoring was in 2016. In 2016, 0 of 59 sampled residences exceeded the Action Level at customer taps for copper, and 2 out of 59 sampled exceeded the Action Level at customer taps for lead.
11. The detected chlorate in the treated water is a degradation product of sodium hypochlorite used by the San Francisco Regional Water System for water disinfection.

WATER CONSERVATION & SUSTAINABILITY

The City of Hayward believes water is one of our most precious resources and is dedicated to water conservation. As of May 10, 2021, Governor Newsom expanded his Drought Proclamation with a total of 41 counties now under a targeted State of Emergency due to drought. As California enters the summer season after an especially dry and warm winter season, the City of Hayward remains vigilant in using water wisely. In an effort to assist our residents and businesses to conserve water, the City of Hayward offers the following water conservation programs:

Free low-flow water fixtures: Pick up low-flow faucet aerators and showerheads at our office at Hayward City Hall, 777 B Street, from 8 AM to 5 PM, Monday to Friday. These water fixtures are provided at no cost to residents. Please email utilities.administration@hayward-ca.gov with your request.

Rebate programs: The City of Hayward offers a variety of rebate programs to encourage water conservation, including lawn conversions and rain barrel rebates. For more information and to learn how to apply for rebates, visit our website at: www.hayward-ca.gov/water-conservation.

Free sustainability-focused landscaping classes: Every spring and fall, the City of Hayward hosts free landscaping classes via Zoom. Classes provide instruction for a variety of topics, including sustainable garden design, lawn conversion, water-efficient irrigation systems, and composting. For more information on upcoming classes, visit www.bawsca.org/classes. To be on the email list for notifications of upcoming classes hosted by Hayward, email utilities.administration@hayward-ca.gov with your request.

EarthCapades: The City of Hayward offers school assemblies, free-of-charge, to schools to increase student awareness of water conversation.

EarthCapades performances combine age-appropriate state science standards with circus skills, juggling, music, storytelling, comedy, and audience participation to teach environmental awareness, water science and conservation.

WaterWise School Education Program:

Through this program, “water conservation kits” are distributed to 5th grade students to empower them to install water-saving devices and perform a water audit in their home. The kit includes high-efficiency shower heads, low-flow faucet aerators, an energy cost calculator, a flow rate test bags, a toilet leak detection kit, and more. The water conservation curriculum can be easily implemented by teachers and includes methods to quantify the water savings as a result of taking the actions in the curriculum.