The

Colorado

River

Quality Water is Our Priority

Turn the tap and the water flows, as if by magic. Or so it seems. The reality is considerably different, however. Delivering high-quality drinking water to our customers is a scientific and engineer- ing feat that requires considerable effort and talent to ensure the water is always

available to drink.

Because tap water is highly regulated by state and federal laws, water treatment and distribution operators must be licensed and are required to complete on-the-job training and technical education before becoming a state certified operator.

Our licensed water professionals have an understanding of a wide range of subjects, including mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, and engineering. Some of the tasks they complete on a regular basis include:

• Operating and maintaining equipment to maintain water quality;
• Monitoring and inspecting machinery, meters, gauges, and operating conditions;
• Conducting tests and inspections on water and evaluating the results;
• Documenting and reporting test results and system operations to regulatory agencies; and
• Serving our community through customer support, education, and outreach.

So, the next time you turn on your faucet, think of the skilled professionals who stand behind every drop.

Through drinking water quality testing programs carried out by IRWD and MWDSC for treated surface water and the SMWD for the distribution system, your drinking water is constantly monitored from source to tap for regulated and unregulated constituents. In most cases, SMWD goes beyond what is required by more frequent testing on chemicals that may have known health risks but do not have drinking water standards. The State allows us to monitor for some contaminants less than once per year because the concen- trations of these contaminants do not change frequently. Some of our data, though more than one year old, are representative.

￿

This report contains

important information about

your drinking water.

Translate it, or speak with someone

who understands it.

￿

Este informe contiene información

muy importante sobre su agua potable.

Tradúzcalo o hable con alguien

que lo entienda bien.

Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts

Disinfection of drinking water was one of the major public health advances in the 20th century. Disinfection was a major factor in reducing waterborne disease epidemics caused by pathogenic bacteria and viruses, and it remains an essential part of drinking water treatment today.

Water imported from IRWD and MWDSC contain chloramines, a combination of chlorine and ammonia, as a drinking water disinfectant. Chloramines are effective killers of bacteria and other microorganisms that may cause diseases.

Chlorine disinfection has almost completely eliminated from our lives the risks of microbial waterborne diseases. Chlorine is added to your drinking water at the source (surface water

treatment plant). Enough chlorine is added so that it does not completely dissipate through the distribution system pipes. This chlorine helps to prevent the growth of bacteria in the pipes that carry drinking water from the source into your home.

However, chlorine can react with naturally-occurring materials in the water to form unintended chemical byproducts, called disinfection byproducts (DBPs), which may pose health risks. A major challenge is how to balance the risks from microbial pathogens and DBPs. It is important to provide protection from these microbial pathogens while simultaneously ensuring decreasing health risks from disinfection byproducts. The Safe Drinking Water Act requires the USEPA to develop rules to achieve these goals.

Tr i h a l o m e t h a n e s (THMs) and Haloacetic Acids (HAAs) are the most common and most studied DBPs found in drinking water treated with chlorine. In 1979, the USEPA set the

maximum amount of total THMs allowed in drinking water at 100 parts per billion as an annual running average. Effective in January 2002, the Stage 1 Disinfectants / Disinfection Byproducts Rule lowered the total THM maximum contaminant level to 80 parts per billion and added HAAs to the list of regulated chemicals in drinking water.

Stage 2 of the regulation was finalized by USEPA in 2006, which further controls allowable levels of DBPs in drinking water without compromising disinfection itself. A required distribution system evaluation was completed in 2008 and a Stage 2 monitoring plan has been approved by DDW. Full Stage 2 compliance began in 2012. Your drinking water complies with the Stage 2 Disinfectants / Disinfection Byproducts Rule.

Chloramines form less disinfectant by-products. People who use dialysis machines may want to take special precautions and consult their physician for appropriate type of water treatment. Customers who maintain fish ponds, tanks or aquaria should also make necessary adjustments in water quality treatment, as these disinfectants are toxic to fish.

Cryptosporidium

Cryptosporidium is a microscopic organism that, when ingested, can cause diarrhea, fever, and other gastrointestinal symptoms. The organism comes from animal and/or human wastes and may be in surface water. MWDSC tested their source water and treated surface water for Cryptosporidium in 2020 but did not detect it. As a safeguard, Cryptosporidium is eliminated from the water using an effective treatment combi-

nation including sedimentation, filtration, and disinfection.

The USEPA and the federal Centers for Disease Control guide- lines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from USEPA’s Safe Drinking Water hotline at (800) 426-4791 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Eastern Time (7 a.m. to 1 p.m. in California).

Immunocompromised People

Some people may be more vulner- able to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immuno- compromised people, such as those with cancer who are undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have had organ transplants, people with

HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly persons and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers.

Table Legend

What is a Water Quality Goal?

In addition to mandatory water quality standards, USEPA and the DDW have set voluntary water quality goals for some contaminants. Water quality goals are often set at such low levels that they are not achievable in practice and are not directly measurable. Nevertheless, these goals provide useful guidance and directions for water management practices.

The charts in this report include three types of water quality goals:

• 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 are set by the USEPA.
• Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal (MRDLG): The level of a disinfectant added for water treatment below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MRDLGs are set by USEPA.
• Public Health Goals (PHG): The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. PHGs are set by the California Environmental Protection Agency – Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment.

What are Water Quality Standards?

Drinking water standards established by the USEPA and DDW set limits for substances that may affect consumer health or aesthetic qualities of drinking water. The charts in this report show the following types of water quality standards:

• Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL): The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. Primary MCLs are set as close to the PHGs (or MCLGs) as is economically and technologically feasible.
• Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level (MRDL): The level of a disinfectant added for water treatment that may not be exceeded at the consumer’s tap.
• Secondary MCLs are set to protect the odor, taste, and appearance of drinking water.
• Primary Drinking Water Standard: MCLs for contaminants that affect health along with their monitoring and reporting requirements and water treatment requirements.
• Regulatory Action Level (AL): The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements that a water system must follow.
• Treatment Technique (TT): A required process intended to reduce the level of chemicals in drinking water that are difficult and sometimes impossible to measure directly.

USEPA requires water suppliers to complete one Source Water Assessment (SWA) that utilizes information collected in the watershed sanitary surveys. MWDSC completed its SWA in December 2002. The most recent SWA for IRWD’s Santiago Reservoir was completed in 2001. The SWA is used to evaluate the vulnerability of water sources to contamination and helps determine whether more protective measures are needed.

Every five years, water suppliers are required by DDW to examine possible sources of drinking water contamination in their water sources. The watershed sanitary survey for MWDSC’s Colorado River supply was recently updated in 2015 and for the State Water Project supply in 2016. The IRWD’s watershed sanitary survey for Santiago

Reservoir (Irvine Lake) was updated in 2019.

Water from the Colorado River is considered to be most vulnerable to contamination from recreation, urban/stormwater runoff, increasing urbanization in the watershed, and wastewater. Water supplies from Northern California’s

State Water Project are most vulnerable to

contamination from urban/stormwater runoff, wild-

life, agriculture, recreation, and wastewater. Water

supplies from the Santiago Reservoir are most

vulnerable to contamination from septic systems

and wildfires.

Copies of the most recent summary of either Watershed Sanitary Surveys or the SWAs can be obtained by calling SMWD Customer Service at (949) 459-6400.

About Lead in Tap Water

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 lead service lines and home plumbing.

SMWD 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: www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

Total Coliform Rule

This Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) reflects changes in drinking water regulatory requirements instituted during 2016. All water systems are required to comply with the state Total Coliform Rule. Effective April 1,

2016, all water systems are also required to comply with the federal Revised Total Coliform Rule.

The new federal rule protects public health by ensuring the integrity of the drinking water distribution system by monitoring for the presence of micro-

bials (i.e., total coliform and E. coli bacteria). The USEPA anticipates greater public health protection as the new rule requires water systems that are vulnerable to microbial contamination to identify and resolve potential issues.

Water systems that exceed a specified frequency of total coliform occurrences are required to conduct an assessment to determine if any sanitary defects exist. If found, these must be corrected by the water system.

Shasta

TrinityLake

Lake

REDDING

Have you ever wondered where your water comes from? Here in the Santa Margarita Water District, our water is surface water imported by the MWDSC and IRWD. MWDSC’s imported water sources are the Colorado River and the State Water Project, which draws water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.

Water from Northern California travels to us through a complex delivery system known as the California State Water Project. Designed and built in the 1960s, the State Water Project is one of the largest public water and power utilities in the world, providing drinking water for more than 25 million people statewide.

THE

CALIFORNIA

AQUEDUCT

Lake

Oroville

Sacramento

River

SACRAMENTO

Managed by the Metropoli- tan Water District of Southern California, the Colorado River Aqueduct begins near Parker Dam on the Colorado River. There, the Gene Pumping Station lifts the water over 300 feet, and it begins its 242 mile journey to Lake Mathews, just outside the City of Corona. Along the way, the water passes through two reservoirs, five pumping stations, 62 miles of canals, and 176 miles

of tunnels, buried conduit and siphons. All told, the water is lifted four times, a total of more than 1,300 feet.

Feather

River

Folsom

Lake

New

Hogan

Reservoir

The

Bay-Delta

Managed by the California Department of Water Resources, the project stretches over 700 miles, from Lake Oroville in the north to Lake Perris in the south. Water stored in Lake Oroville, Folsom Lake, and other tributaries, and fed by snow melt from the Sierra Mountains, flows into the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers, and from there into reservoirs in the Bay-Delta region.

From the Bay-Delta, giant pumps lift the water into the 444-mile-long California Aqueduct, there to flow southward to cities and farms in central and Southern California. Composed mainly of concrete-lined canals, the Aqueduct also includes over 20 miles of tunnels, more than 130 miles of pipelines, and 27 miles of siphons. Along the way, the water is pumped 2,882 feet

over the Tehachapi Mountains. The Edmonston Pumping Plant

alone lifts millions of gallons a day up 1,926 feet, the highest single water lift in the world.

San

Joaquin

River

Millerton

Lake

California Aqueduct

STATE WATER PROJECT

Is it any wonder the State Water Project is the largest single consumer of power in the

State of California?

Lake

Isabella

Chrisman

Pumping

Plant

Silverwood Lake

THE CHRISMAN PUMPING PLANT ON THE CALIFORNIA AQUEDUCT

Colorado

Aqueduct

After its journey across the

Mojave Desert, the water descends into the Coachella Valley and through the San Gorgonio Pass. Near Cabazon, the aqueduct flows underground, passing beneath the San Jacinto Mountains and continuing until it reaches its terminus at Lake Mathews. From there, 156 miles of distribution lines, along with eight more tunnels, delivers the water throughout Southern California.

Castaic

Lake

LOS

ANGELES

Lake

Mathews

ORANGE

COUNTY

SAN

DIEGO

Lake Perris

Gene

Pumping

Station

Colorado

River

Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) is an indicator of the aesthetic characteristics of drinking water, and a gauge of a broad array of chemical constituents within the water. It is a measure of all the combined inorganic and organic substances, and while it is not associated with any health effects, TDS can impact the appearance and taste of water.

TDS is mainly inorganic salts, as well as a small amount of organic matter. Common inorganic salts found in water include calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium, along with nitrates, chlorides and sulfates. These minerals originate from a variety of sources, both natural and through human activity.

Alone, dissolved solids are usually not a health hazard. Some people, in fact, buy mineral water, which

has naturally elevated levels of dissolved solids. The USEPA includes TDS as a secondary standard, meaning it is a voluntary guideline for aesthetic and cosmetic effects. Kept within the established guidelines, TDS can impart

a favorable taste to water. Too low, however, can give water a flat taste.

There are issues, however, with high levels of TDS. Increased TDS concentra- tions can produce hard water, which stains household fixtures, corrodes pipes, and imparts a metallic taste.

Within the SMWD system, however, you can be assured that TDS are kept well within the established secondary standards.

Where Do We Use Water the Most?

Outdoor watering of lawns and gardens makes up approximately 60% of home water use. By reducing your outdoor water use — by either cutting back on irrigation or planting more drought tolerant landscaping — you can dramatically reduce your overall water use.

Save the most where you use the most: Make your outdoor use efficient.

Water Conservation is Always a Priority

Southern California has an arid climate and wise water use needs to become a part of everyone’s daily lives. For as finite as our water resources are, they get smaller every year. Simple water saving acts like the ones listed here can save countless gallons of water every day.

• Soak pots and pans instead of letting water run while you scrub them clean. This both saves water and makes the job easier.
• Keep a pitcher of drinking water in the refrigerator. This can save gallons of water every day and it’s always cold!
• Plug the sink instead of running water to rinse your razor or wet your toothbrush. This can save upwards of 300 gallons of water a month.
• Use a broom instead of a hose to clean off sidewalks and driveways.
  It takes very little time to sweep and the water savings quickly adds up.
• Check your sprinkler system for leaks, overspray, and broken sprinkler heads and repair promptly. This can save countless gallons each time you water.
• Water plants in the early morning. It reduces evaporation and ensures deeper watering.
• Check your toilets for leaks and make sure to close showers and faucets properly. This can save countless gallons of water.

How Can You Learn More?

There’s a wealth of information on the internet about Drinking Water Quality and water issues in general. Some good sites to begin your own research are:

Metropolitan Water District of So. California:

www.mwdh2o.com

California Department of Water Resources:

www.water.ca.gov

The Water Education Foundation: www.watereducation.org To learn more about Water Conservation & Rebate Information: http://smwd.com/conservation

And to see the Aqueducts in action, checkout these two videos: Wings Over the State Water Project: youtu.be/8A1v1Rr2neU Wings Over the Colorado Aqueduct: youtu.be/KipMQh5t0f4

each month. Meeting details can be found on the District’s website at https://smwd.com/meetings.

Please feel free to participate in these meetings.

For more information about the health effects of the listed contaminants in the following tables, call the USEPA hotline at

800. 426-4791. The USEPA also maintains a water-related website at www.epa.gov/safewater.

26111 Antonio Parkway

Rancho Santa Margarita, California 92688 (949) 459-6400 S www.smwd.com