for the Washington State University Drinking Water System (Public Water System #93200Q) Pullman, WA
Washington State University (WSU) is pleased to present a summary of the quality of drinking water provided to students, faculty, staff and visitors during 2008. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires that public water systems issue an annual Consumer Confidence Report to the users of the drinking water system. This annual drinking water quality report explains where our water comes from, what it contains, and the water sampling, testing and treatment that WSU performs in order to prevent health risks. WSU will notify you immediately if there is any reason for concern about the drinking water. We are committed to providing you with a safe and reliable drinking water supply.
Overview
WSU pumped and distributed 501 million gallons of water (vs. 503 million gallons in 2007). The average daily use was 82 gallons/person/day. WSU is an active participant on the Palouse Basin Aquifer Committee at http://www.webs.uidaho.edu/pbac/ and has made great strides in reducing the amount of water used on campus over the years. WSU also has a Water Board that is responsible for ensuring that the water system conforms to all applicable regulations. The Board is comprised of staff or representatives from Facilities Operations, Capital Planning and Development, Housing and Dining Services, Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) and Regional Campuses and Research Units. More information about the Water Board and the Drinking Water Program is available at the EH&S web site. If you are interested in attending a Water Board meeting, contact EH&S at 335-3041 for the next meeting time and date.
Water Source
The WSU water system is supplied by the Palouse Basin Aquifer and is pumped from four (4) wells on campus (well #4, 6, 7 and 8), along with two (2) emergency wells. The WSU water system is separate from the City of Pullman system. A Wellhead Protection Plan has also been developed for the WSU system to help ensure sources of contamination are prevented from entering the groundwater around our wells. The Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act also required WSU to prepare a Vulnerability Assessment and Emergency Response Plan for the water system, which was completed in 2004. WSU also implemented preventative security measures to help protect the water supply from contamination, vandalism and attack. If consumers see any suspicious activities or want to report an emergency associated with the water system, they should contact WSU by dialing 911 as soon as possible.
Municipal Water System Plan and Water Conservation
WSU’s Municipal Water System Plan was updated in 2008, which includes water conservation goals. The Plan and goals are available here.
Treatment
The WSU system uses chlorine as the treatment technique intended to reduce the level of microbial contaminants in the drinking water. WSU monitors the amount of chlorine in the water on a continuous basis at two points in the system. Refer to the Table below for more information on chlorine disinfection.
An Explanation of the Drinking Water Quality Table
The water quality table displays the most recent sampling results for all regulated contaminants that were found in the drinking water, even if they were not in violation of safe drinking water limits. The following contaminants were not found and are not reported in the table: antimony, arsenic, asbestos, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, cyanide, mercury, nickel, nitrate, nitrite, selenium, thallium, fecal coliforms and E. coli, haloacetic acids, trihalomethanes, synthetic organic contaminants (SOCs) and volatile organic contaminants (VOCs). The table contains the name of each detected contaminant found, the most recent date sampled, the range of detections, the major sources of contamination, footnotes explaining the testing results and a key to the units of measurement. Please note the following definitions:
Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL): 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 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.
Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level (MRDL): The highest level of chlorine disinfectant allowed in the drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants.
Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal (MRDLG): The level of chlorine disinfectant below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contaminants. For the WSU water system, the MRDL is 4000 parts per billion (ppb) and the MRDLG is 2000 ppb.
Unregulated Contaminants
Unregulated contaminants are those for which EPA has not established drinking water standards. The purpose of unregulated contaminant monitoring is to assist EPA in determining their occurrence in drinking water and whether future regulation is warranted. WSU samples for these unregulated contaminants which include pesticides, herbicides and other SOCs and VOCs. In addition, WSU is not required to sample for Cryptosporidium since it is usually found only in surface waters.
Additional Health Information
In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health.
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. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).
The WSU drinking water is groundwater supplied by four (4) underground wells located on the WSU Pullman campus. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals, and in some cases, radioactive material. Water can also pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity. Contaminants that may be present in source water include:
- Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria (coliforms), which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife.
- Inorganic contaminants, such as salts, minerals and metals, which can be naturally-occurring or result from urban stormwater 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 stormwater runoff, and residential uses.
- Organic chemical contaminants, including SOCs and VOCs, which are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff, and septic systems.
- Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally-occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.
Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immuno-compromised persons such as cancer patients 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 / Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).
WSU is active in protecting the health and safety of students, faculty, staff and visitors of the University, and we will notify you immediately of any water-borne health threat.
For More Information
This report was prepared by the WSU Environmental Health and Safety department. For more information about the WSU water system, please contact Gene Patterson at 509-335-3041, or via email. Water quality data for other public water systems around the United States is available on the World Wide Web through the American Water Works Association at www.waterdata.com.