Drinking Water Quality Report For the Year 2001 (Page 2)

Radioactive Contaminants (Sitka is on a reduced monitoring at 4 year intervals-next due in 2005)
Contaminant	MCL Violation	Level Detected	Unit Measurement	MCLG	MCL	Likely source of contamination to the best of our present knbowledge
Gross Alpha	None	<MRL (<1.0)	pCi/L	0	15	Erosion of natural deposits

“At the tap” lead & copper monitoring is waived until the new corrosion control treatment reaches a steady state. A sodium carbonate (soda ash) solution is being added to reduce the corrosive nature of our water after disinfection at Blue Lake Water Treatment Plant (BLWTP), prior to being made available to the first customer. The Corrosion Control Facility began operation in January 2001, “at the tap” monitoring will be conducted in June and August, 2002.

Lead in drinking water is rarely the cause of lead poisoning, but it can add to a persons total lead exposure. All potential sources of lead in the household should be identified and removed, replaced or reduced. Copper is a secondary contaminant noticed as odor or taste, and is typically not a health risk.

Lead or copper in your drinking water does not come from the source, Blue Lake, or the city main pipelines. Rather these elements are leached from your household water piping and fixtures. The addition of small amount of sodium carbonate (soda ash) solution at the new Jarvis Street Water Corrosion Control Facility will greatly reduce that possibility.

Volatile Organic Contaminants (Voluntary Reporting of Unregulated Contaminants measured annually)
Contaminant	MCL Violation	Level Detected	Unit Measurement	MCLG	MCL	Likely source of contamination to the best of our present knowledge
Total Trihalomethane (TTHM)	None	3.40	ppb	NR	100	By-product of chlorination
Bromodichloromethane	None	0.68	ppb	NR	NR	By-product of chlorination (NR)
Chloroform	None	2.72	ppb	NR	NR	By-product of chlorination (NR)
Total Haloacetic Acids	None	16.9	ppb	NR	NR	By-product of chlorination (NR)

As can be seen from the above tables, our water system had no violations of any MCLs. We are proud that your drinking water meets or exceeds all Federal and State requirements. We have learned through our monitoring and testing that some contaminants have been detected. The EPA has determined that your water IS SAFE at these levels.

Sitka’s Water Treatment: Our primary source water is Blue Lake, which is nearly pure in it’s natural state and therefore we are not required to filter it prior to disinfection and distribution to you the consumer. Federal and State laws require proof of proper disinfection prior to providing it to the public. Disinfection is accomplished by adding a small amount of chlorine to guarantee our drinking water is safe from harmful microorganisms. Fluoride is added to increase the natural level of fluoride in our drinking water to a level recommended by the Public Health Service and the EPA to help reduce the incidence of tooth decay.

Following proper disinfection sodium carbonate (soda ash) is added to the drinking water at the new Corrosion Control Facility (CCF) which is located at 103 Jarvis St. Soda ash slightly increases the pH and alkalinity of our treated water thereby reducing the leaching of lead and copper from private plumbing systems into the water. The CCF is the operations center for our water system, serving as the primary monitoring and control location for the Blue Lake Water Treatment Plant (BLWTP) and the treated water storage tanks. The Water Operators perform routine monitoring and control of the BLWTP from the Jarvis St. location. This greatly enhances our productivity in monitoring and controlling our water system, as well as providing enhanced documentation of the treatment process and water quality.

Our secondary source water is Indian River, which was the primary source water for many years prior to Blue Lake in 1984. Indian River Water Treatment Plant (IRWTP) water passes through the natural river bed gravel and sand which has a filtering affect, then through two inlet infiltration pipes in Indian River. The water flows into a reservoir beside IRWTP and then through one of a dozen infiltration pipes buried under gravel and sand in the reservoir, through which the water is filtered and passes into four wells, each with a pump. A small amount of chlorine is added to ensure the water is safe to consume. This water is supplied to the community, after public notice, when necessary to perform maintenance on BLWTP or Blue Lake penstock. IRWTP is operated on a monthly basis to insure plant readiness to produce safe drinking water in an emergency.

Thank you for allowing us to continue providing your family with clean, quality water this year. In order to maintain a safe and dependable water supply we sometimes need to make improvements to the treatment or distribution systems that will benefit all of our customers. These improvements sometimes cause short-term inconveniences or rate structure adjustments. Thank you for understanding the importance of our drinking water.

The Water Department is required to present an annual Watershed Control Report to the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation. That report along with this Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) will be on file at the City and Borough of Sitka Public Works Office and is available for your review on the City’s web site, www.cityofsitka.com.

The Sitka Water Department works to provide sufficient quantity and top quality water to each customer. We ask that everyone helps us protect our sources at Blue Lake and Indian River. These water sources are the heart of our community, our way of life and our children’s future.

Thank you again for assisting your Water Department in maintaining suitable and safe water sources. Together we can preserve our especially good water for now and for future generations. Safe Drinking Water is everyone’s business.