2008 ANNUAL DRINKING WATER QUALITY REPORT
MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY
PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM ID NO. 0530012
May 2009
We're pleased to present to you this year's Annual Quality Water Report. This report is designed to inform you about the quality water and services we deliver to you every day. Our constant goal is to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water. We want you to understand the efforts we make to continually improve the water treatment process and protect our water resources. We are committed to ensuring the quality of your water. Our water source is from wells drawing from the Gordo Formation Aquifer.
The source water assessment has been completed for our public water system to determine the overall susceptibility of its drinking water supply to identify potential sources of contamination. The general susceptibility rankings assigned to each well of this system are provided immediately below. A report containing detailed information on how the susceptibility determinations were made has been furnished to our public water system and is available for viewing upon request. The wells for the Mississippi State University have received moderate to higher susceptibility rankings to contamination.
If you have any questions about this report or concerning your water utility, please contact Ralph Nobles at 662-325-5830. We want our valued customers to be informed about their water utility. This report will be published on the Mississippi State University Website: http://www.msstate.edu/web/water/
We routinely monitor for constituents in your drinking water according to Federal and State laws. This table below lists all of the drinking water contaminants that we detected during the period of January 1st to December 31st, 2008. In cases where monitoring wasn't required in 2008, the table reflects the most recent results. As water travels over the surface of land or underground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive materials and can pick up substances or contaminants from the presence of animals or from human activity; 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 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; pesticides and herbicides, which may come from 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 by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations and septic systems; radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities. In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. All drinking water, including bottled drinking water, may be reasonably expected to contain at least small amounts of some constituents. It's important to remember that the presence of these constituents does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk.
In this table you will find many terms and abbreviations you might not be familiar with. To help you better understand these terms we've provided the following definitions:
Action Level - the concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow.
Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) - The "Maximum Allowed" (MCL) is the highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology.
Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) - The "Goal"(MCLG) 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.
Parts per million (ppm) or Milligrams per liter (mg/l) - one part per million corresponds to one minute in two years or a single penny in $10,000.
Parts per billion (ppb) or Micrograms per liter - one part per billion corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years, or a single penny in $10,000,000.
TEST RESULTS
| Contaminant | Violation Y/N | Date Collected | Level Detected | Range of Detects or No. of Samples Exceeding MCL/AL | Unit Measurement | MCLG | MCL | Likely Source of Contamination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Radioactive Contaminants | ||||||||
| 5. Gross Alpha | N | 2008 | 1.196 | .36 - 1.19 | pCi/L | 0 | 3 | Erosion of natural deposits |
| 6. Radium - 228 Radium - 226 |
N | 2008 | 1.8 .334 |
.474 - 1.8 .085 - .334 |
pCi/L | 0 | 1 | Erosion of natural deposits |
| Inorganic Contaminants | ||||||||
| 8. Arsenic | N | 2006* | 0.6 | No Range | ppb | n/a | 50 | Erosion of natural deposits; runoff from orchards; runoff from glass and electronics production wastes |
| 10. Barium | N | 2006* | 0.088 | .050 - .088 | ppm | 2 | 2 | Discharge of drilling wastes; discharge from metal refineries; erosion of natural deposits |
| 13. Chromium | N | 2006* | 0.7 | 0.6 - 0.7 | ppb | 100 | 100 | Discharge from steel and pulp mills; erosion of natural deposits |
| 14. Copper | N | 2008 | 0.2 | 0 | ppm | 1.3 | AL=1.3 | Corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits; leaching from wood preservatives |
| 17. Lead | N | 2008 | 4 | 0 | ppb | 0 | AL=15 | Corrosion of household plumbing systems, erosion of natural deposits |
| 21. Selenium | N | 2006* | 0.5 | No Range | ppb | 50 | 50 | Discharge from petroleum and metal refineries; erosion of natural deposits; discharge from mines |
| Disinfection Byproducts | ||||||||
| Chlorine | N | 2008 | .85 | .77 - .85 | ppm | 0 | MDRL = 4 | Water additive used to control microbes |
* Most recent sample. No sample required for 2007.
As you can see by the table, our system had no violations. We're proud that your drinking water meets or exceeds all Federal and State requirements. We have learned through our monitoring and testing that some constituents have been detected, however, the EPA has determined that your water IS SAFE at these levels.
We are required to monitor your drinking water for specific constituents on a monthly basis. Results of regular monitoring are an indicator of whether or not our drinking water meets health standards. Beginning January 1, 2004, the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) required public water systems that use chlorine as a primary disinfectant to monitor/test for chlorine residuals as required by the Stage 1 Disinfection By-Products Rule. We did complete the monitoring requirements for bacteriological sampling that showed no coliform present. In an effort to ensure systems complete all monitoring requirements, MSDH now notifies systems of any missing samples prior to the end of the compliance period.
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 service lines and home plumbing. Our Water Association 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 or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead. The Mississippi State Department of Health Public Health Laboratory offers lead testing for $10 per sample. Please contact 601.576.7582 if you wish to have your water tested.
All sources of drinking water are subject to potential contamination by substances that are naturally occurring or man made. These substances can be microbes, inorganic or organic chemicals and radioactive substances. All 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 the water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.
Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immuno-compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. EPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by cryptosporidium and other microbiological contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline 1-800-426-4791.
*****A MESSAGE FROM MSDH CONCERNING RADIOLOGICAL SAMPLING*****
In accordance with the Radionuclides Rule, all community public water supplies were required to sample quarterly for radionuclides beginning January 2007 - December 2007. Your public water supply completed sampling by the scheduled deadline; however, during an audit of the Mississippi State Department of Health Radiological Health Laboratory, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suspended analyses and reporting of radiological compliance samples and results until further notice.
Although this was not the result of inaction by the public water supply, MSDH was required to issue a violation. The Bureau of Public Water Supply is taking action to resolve this issue as quickly as possible. If you have any questions, please contact Melissa Parker, Deputy Director, Bureau of Public Water Supply, at 601.576.7518.
The Mississippi State University works around the clock to provide top quality water to every tap. We ask that all our students help us protect our water sources, which are the heart of our community, our way of life and our children's future.
