2007 ANNUAL DRINKING WATER QUALITY REPORT
MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY
PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM ID NO. 0530012
May 2008
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/
The Mississippi State University routinely monitors for constituents in your drinking water according to Federal and State laws. This table shows the results of our monitoring for the period of January 1st to December 31st, 2007. In cases where monitoring wasn't required in 2007, the table reflects the most recent results. As water travels over the land or underground, it can pick up substances or contaminants such as microbes, inorganic and organic chemicals, and radioactive substances. 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 pose 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inorganic Contaminants | ||||||||
| 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 |
| Barium | N | 2006* | 0.088 | .050 - .088 | ppm | 2 | 2 | Discharge of drilling wastes; discharge from metal refineries; erosion of natural deposits |
| Chromium | N | 2006* | 0.7 | 0.6 - 0.7 | ppb | 100 | 100 | Discharge from steel and pulp mills; erosion of natural deposits |
| 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 | ||||||||
| HAA5 | N | 2007 | 7.633 | 1.1-16.9 | ppb | 0 | 60 | By-product of drinking water disinfection. |
| TTHM (Total trihalomethanes) |
N | 2007 | 2.36 | No Range | ppb | NA | 80 | By-product of drinking water chlorination. |
* 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.
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.
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.