Water Quality Report

For

The City of Pascagoula

ID # 300006

            We are pleased to present to you our Annual Water Quality Report for the year 2007. This report is designed to inform you about the quality of 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. In view of this goal, we are pleased to report that our drinking water meets all federal and state requirements.
            Our water comes from wells drilled deep into aquifers 300 to 800 feet below the surface. These aquifers are the Pascagoula and the Graham's Ferry formations. Each well is evaluated on an annual basis for purity and content.  If you want to learn more about your water and how the City of Pascagoula works to keep your water safe, contact Jeff Hutchison, Water Superintendent, at our 14th St. offices between 7:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Or you may meet with us at our Criswell Water Treatment Plant on Thursday, July 10, 2008, at 1:30 p.m. at our annual open house to discuss any water issues.  You may call us at (228) 938-6623 or write to us at P.O. Drawer 908, Pascagoula, MS 39568-0908. Our City Council meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 6:00 p.m. at City Hall.  Information is also available on our website www.cityofpascagoula.com

            The source water assessment has also been completed for our public water system to determine the overall susceptibility of its drinking water to identify potential sources of contamination.  A report containing detailed information on how the susceptibility determinations were made has been furnished to our Public Works Department and is available for viewing at our office upon request.

            The City of Pascagoula routinely monitors for substances and contaminants 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.  As water travels over the land or underground, it may pick up substances or contaminants such as microbes, inorganic and organic chemicals, and radioactive substances. All drinking water, including bottled drinking water, is suspected to contain small amounts of some substances or contaminants. It is important to remember that the presence of these substances or contaminants 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 understand these terms; we have provided the following definitions:

Non-Detects (ND) - laboratory analysis indicates that substances or contaminants are not present.
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.

Parts per trillion (ppt) or Nanograms per liter (nanograms/l) - one part per trillion corresponds to one minute in 2,000,000 years, or a single penny in $10,000,000,000.

Parts per quadrillion (ppq) or Picograms per liter (picograms/l) - one part per quadrillion corresponds to one minute in 2,000,000,000 years or one penny in $10,000,000,000,000.

Picocuries per liter (pCi/L) - picocuries per liter is a measure of the radioactivity in water.

Millirems per year (mrem/yr) - measure of radiation absorbed by the body.

Million Fibers per Liter (MFL) - million fibers per liter is a measure of the presence of asbestos fibers that are longer than 10 micrometers.

Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU) - nephelometric turbidity unit is a measure of the clarity of water.

Turbidity in excess of 5 NTU is just noticeable to the average person.

Action Level - the concentration of a contaminant, which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements, which a water system must follow.

Treatment Technique (TT) - A treatment technique is a required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.

Maximum Contaminant Level - 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 - 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.

TEST RESULTS

Contaminant

Violation

Y/N

Date

Collected

Level

Detected

Range of Detects or

# of Samples Exceeding

MCL/ACL

Unit

Measurement

MCLG

MCL

Likely Source of Contamination

Radioactive Contaminants

 

 

 

 

 4. Beta/photon emitters

N

08/31/01

1.0

 

PCi/l

0

50

Decay of natural and man-made deposits

Inorganic Contaminants

 

 

 

 

 

 8. Arsenic

N

02/06/06

<0.0005

 

Mg/l

n/a

0.05

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

12. Cadmium

N

02/06/06

<0.0001

0.1-0.8

Mg/l

5

0.005

Corrosion of galvanized pipes; erosion of natural deposits; discharge from metal refineries; runoff from waste batteries and paints

13. Chromium

N

02/06/06

0.0009

 

Mg/l

100

0.1

Discharge from steel and pulp mills; erosion of natural deposits

14. Copper

N

06/02/04

0.110

 

Mg/l

1.3

AL=1.3

Corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits; leaching from wood preservatives

16. Fluoride

N

02/06/06

0.1

0.6-1.1

Mg/l

4

4

Erosion of natural deposits; water additive which promotes strong teeth; discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories

17. Lead

N

06/02/04

0.004

2

Mg/l

0

AL=15

Corrosion of household plumbing systems, erosion of natural deposits

19. Nitrate (as Nitrogen)

N

04/23/07

<0.08

 

Mg/l

10

10

Runoff from fertilizer use; leaching from septic tanks, sewage; erosion of natural deposits

20. Nitrite (as Nitrogen)

N

04/23/07

<0.02

 

Mg/l

1

1

Runoff from fertilizer use; leaching from septic tanks, sewage; erosion of natural deposits

Nickel

N

02/10/04

ND

 

Mg/l

 

 

 

Sulfate

N

02/10/04

ND

7.4-10.11

Mg/l

 

 

 

Mercury

N

02/06/06

<0.0002

 

Mg/l

 

0.002

Erosion of natural deposits; discharge from refineries and factories; runoff from landfills and croplands

Cyanide

N

02/06/06

<0.005

 

Mg/l

 

0.2

Discharge from steel/metal factories; discharge from plastic and fertilizer factories

Antimony

N

02/06/06

<0.0005

 

Mg/l

 

0.0006

Discharge from petroleum refineries; fire retardants; ceramics; electronics; solder

Barium

N

02/06/06

0.000911

 

Mg/l

 

2

Discharge of drilling wastes; discharge from metal refineries; erosion of natural deposits

Beryllium

N

02/06/06

<0.0001

 

Mg/l

 

0.004

Discharge from metal refineries and coal-burning factories; discharge from electrical, aerospace, and defense industries

Selenium

N

02/06/06

0.001297

 

Mg/l

 

0.05

Discharge from petroleum refineries; erosion of natural deposits; discharge from mines

Thallium

N

02/06/06

<0.0005

 

Mg/l

 

0.002

Leaching from ore-processing sites; discharge from electronics, glass, and drug factories

Volatile Organic Contaminants

 

 

 

 

73. TTHM     [Total trihalomethanes]

N

06/11/07

0.0

 

 

Mg/l

0

0.080

By-product of drinking water chlorination

HAA5

N

06/11/07

0.004

 

Mg/l

 

0.060

Byproduct of drinking water disinfection

Acetone

N

06/28/00

0.0006

 

Ppb

 

Monitor only

 

Bromochloro-methane

N

10/06/03

1.8

 

Ppb

 

Monitor only

 

Chloroform

N

10/06/03

8.1

 

Ppb

 

Monitor only

 

Bromoform

N

10/06/03

<1.0