VILLAGE OF HOLMEN

2007 WATER QUALITY REPORT

 

Dear Village of Holmen Water User:

 

We are pleased to present to you this year’s annual water quality report.  It is our constant goal to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water and to answer any questions you may have concerning your water service.  We are pleased to report that our drinking water is safe and meets federal and state requirements.

 

THIS REPORT WILL NOT BE MAILED TO YOU.  However, this report is available upon request.  If you have any questions concerning this report or your water utility, please contact the Village Hall or attend any Public Works Committee meeting.  The Public Works Committee holds meetings at 6:30 PM on the first Thursday of each month and the Village Board meets at 7:00 PM on the second Thursday of each month.  The meetings are held at the Holmen Village Hall and the public is welcomed at all meetings.

 

Public Works Department                                       Village Hall

Robert Haines, Director of Public Works               Catherine Schmit, Village Administrator

608-526-6322                                                         608-526-6305

 

Department of Natural Resources                           U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Safe Drinking Water Hotline

Charlie Cameron                                                     1-800-426-4791

608-785-9156

 

The Village of Holmen operates four groundwater wells.  Wells #4, #5, and #7 are located in the northwest area of the Village and Well #6 is located at the south end of the Village.  Well #7 is a new well that was put into service in July 2007.  The wells are checked and monitored daily.  Each well draws water from approximately 150 feet below the ground and pumps at a rate of 1,000 gallons per minute.  On an average day 900,000 gallons are pumped.  The water is excellent quality, containing only trace amounts of iron and manganese, which may occasionally cause water discoloration, but have no adverse health effects.  The water is disinfected by the use of gas chlorination.  Holmen also operates water storage reservoirs.  Reservoir #2 was cleaned and inspected in 2003 and Reservoir #3 was cleaned and inspected in 2005.  Reservoir #4 was completed and put into operation in May 2007 and replaces Reservoir #1 which was abandoned in 2006.

 

To maintain a clean water system water mains are flushed through the fire hydrants twice a year.  The Village of Holmen also monitors for contaminants in your drinking water annually according to federal and state requirements.  Drinking water samples are collected weekly and sent to the LaCrosse County Health Lab to test for bacterial contamination.  The Village also implements a wellhead protection ordinance to protect our groundwater source from any accidental contamination.

 

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).

 

Infants and young children are typically more vulnerable to lead in drinking water than the general population.  It is possible that lead levels at your home may be higher than at other homes in the community as a result of materials used in your home’s plumbing.  If you are concerned about elevated lead levels in your home’s water you may wish to have your water tested and flush your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using tap water.  Additional information is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).

 

Nitrate in drinking water at levels above 10-ppm is a health risk for infants of less than 6-months of age.  High nitrate levels in drinking water can cause blue baby syndrome.  Nitrate levels may rise quickly for short periods of time because of rainfall or agricultural activity.  If you are caring for an infant you should ask advice from your health care provider.

 

“All sources of drinking water are subject to potential contamination by constituents that are naturally occurring or man made.  Those constituents can be microbes, organic or inorganic chemicals, or radioactive materials.”  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 (1-800-426-4791).

 

The sources of drinking water, both tap and bottled water, include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells.  As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and in some cases radioactive material and can 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, which 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 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 synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are by-products of    industrial processes and petroleum production, and can, 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.

 

In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink the EPA prescribes regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems.  FDA regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water, which shall provide the same protection for public health.

 

The following table shows the results of our monitoring for the period of JANUARY 1, 2007 to DECEMBER 31, 2007.  The table displays the number of contaminants that were required to be tested in the last five years.  This report may contain up to five years worth of water quality results.  The most recent results are shown.

 

DEFINITION OF TERMS

Term

Definition

AL

Action Level – The concentration of a contaminant that, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements that a water system must follow.

MCL

Maximum Contaminant Level – The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water.

MCLG

Maximum Contaminant Level Goal -- The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health.  MCLG’s allow for a margin of safety.

ppm

Parts per million or milligram per liter (mg/l) – Corresponds to one minute in two years.

ppb

Parts per billion or micrograms per liter (ug/l) – Corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years.

pCi/L

Picocuries per liter (a measure of radioactivity) – A measure of the radioactivity in water.

ND

Non-detects – A lab analysis indicates that the constituent is not present.

TCR

Total Coliform Rule establishes regulations for microbiological contaminants in drinking water.  This rule requires water systems to meet a stricter limit for coliform bacteria.  Coliform bacteria are usually harmless, but their presence in water can be an indication of disease causing bacteria.  When coliform bacteria are found special follow-up tests are done to determine if harmful bacteria are present in the water supply.

 

MICROBIOLOGICAL CONTAMINANTS

Contaminant

(units)

MCL

MCLG

Level

Found

Range

Sample Date

(if prior to 2007)

Violation

Typical Source

Of Contaminant

COLIFORM

(TCR)

Presence of coliform bacteria  in ≥5% of monthly samples

0

0

 

 

NO

Naturally present in the environment.

 

DISINFECTION BYPRODUCTS

Contaminant

(units)

MCL

MCLG

Level

Found

Range

Sample Date

(if prior to 2007)

Violation

Typical Source

Of Contaminant

HAA5

(ppb)

60

60

1.57

(avg.)

1.14 – 2.17

 

NO

 

TTHM

(ppb)

80

0

0.29

(avg.)

0.089 – 0.605

 

NO

By-product of drinking water chlorination.

 

INORGANIC CONTAMINANTS

Contaminant

(units)

MCL

MCLG

Level

Found

Range

Sample Date

(if prior to 2007)

Violation

Typical Source

Of Contaminant

ARSENIC

(ppb)

10

N/A

0.60

(avg.)

ND – 1.81

2/28/2005

NO

Erosion of natural deposits; Runoff from orchards; Runoff from glass and electronics production wastes.

BARIUM

(ppm)

2

2

0.052 (avg.)

0.043 – 0.068

2/28/2005

NO

Discharge of drilling wastes; Discharge from metal refineries; Erosion of natural deposits.

CHROMIUM

(ppb)

100

100

0.81

(avg.)

0.29 – 1.4

2/28/2005

NO

Discharge from steel and pulp mills; Erosion of natural deposits.

COPPER

(ppm)

AL = 1.3

1.3

0.36

(avg.)

0.059 - .813

7/13/2005

NO

Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits; Leaching from wood preservatives.

FLUORIDE

(ppm)

4

4

0.11

0.1 – 0.12

2/28/2005

NO

Erosion of natural deposits; Discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories.

LEAD

(ppb)

AL = 15

0

3.36

(avg.)

0.36 – 14.4

7/4/2005

NO

Corrosion of household plumbing; Erosion of natural deposits.

MERCURY

(ppb)

2

2

0.054

(avg.)

ND – 0.162

2/28/2005

NO

Erosion of natural deposits; Discharge from refineries and factories; Runoff from landfills; Runoff from cropland.

NICKEL

(ppb)

100

 

0.85

(avg.)

0.76 –

1.01

2/28/2005

NO

Occurs naturally in soils, ground water, and surface waters, and is often used in electroplating, stainless steel and alloy products.

NITRATE

(NO3-N)

(ppm)

10

10

6.00

(avg.)

3.80 – 8.40

 

NO

Runoff from fertilizer use; Leaching from septic tanks, sewage; Erosion of natural deposits.

NITRITE

(NO2-N)

(ppm)

1

1

0.001

(avg.)

ND – 0.003

2/28/2005

NO

Runoff from fertilizer use; Leaching from septic tanks, sewage; Erosion of natural

deposits.

SELENIUM

(ppb)

50

50

1.17

(avg.)

0.77 – 1.43

2/28/2005

NO

Discharge from petroleum and metal refineries; Erosion of natural deposits; Discharge from mines.

SODIUM

(ppm)

N/A

N/A

7.69

(avg.)

4.65 – 10.10

2/28/2005

NO

N/A

 

RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINANTS

Contaminant

(units)

MCL

MCLG

Level

Found

Range

Sample Date        (if prior to 2007)

Violation

Typical Source of Contaminant

GROSS ALPHA,

Excl. R & U

(pCi/l)

15

0

0.7

0.2 – 1.0

03/18/2002

NO

Erosion of natural deposits.

 

VOLATILE ORGANIC CONTAMINANTS

Contaminant

(units)

MCL

MCLG

Level

Found

Range

Sample Date   (if prior to 2007)

Violation

Typical Source of Contaminant

TETRACHLOROETHYLENE

(ppb)

5

0

1.2

(avg.)

ND – 2.63

 

NO

Leaching from PVC pipes; Discharge from factories and dry cleaners.

 

UNREGULATED CONTAMINANTS

Contaminant

(units)

MCL

MCLG

Level

Found

Range

Sample Date   (if prior to 2007)

Violation

Typical Source of Contaminant

BROMODICHLOROMETHANE

(ppb)

N/A

N/A

0.10

(avg.)

ND – 0.29

 

NO

N/A

CHLOROFORM

(ppb)

N/A

N/A