2009 WATER QUALITY REPORT

Where is the source and how is it treated?
The Corbett Water District has water rights to both the North Fork and South Fork  Gordon Creek. They are located within the Gordon Creek/Lower Sandy River Watershed. The intakes are located on Larch Mountain and have a watershed surface area of approximately 6 square miles. Water is piped from the intakes to the treatment plant located off of Larch Mountain Road. The treatment techniques used are based upon the Enhanced Long Term Surface Water Treatment Rule, which was created by the EPA. The Corbett Water District filters the water using slow sand filtration, then it is then disinfected with chlorine, which ensures that harmful bacteria and organisms in the water have been killed, and the water is safe to drink. Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and soda ash are also added into the water to raise the pH and alkalinity level which reduces the amount of corrosion in plumbing. Corrosion in plumbing can result in increased levels of lead and copper in the water. While the Corbett Water District does not use piping that contains lead, some older homes still have plumbing which may contain lead. We monitor these levels in accordance to EPA and Department of Human Services guidelines. The treated water is distributed to our 1082 customers for use. Drinking water is stored in 5 reservoirs with a combined capacity of over 1.8 million gallons. They are located around the district and provide an emergency water supply and water for fire protection. The Corbett Water District Board of Commissioners and its staff continually work to ensure its customers receive reliable, safe and clean drinking water.

Monitoring Requirements for Corbett Water District
Our water system did not violate any water standards over the past year.  As our customers, you have a right to know if we were to have a monitoring requirement not being met and what we did to correct these situations. We are required to monitor your drinking water for specific contaminants on a regular basis. Results of regular monitoring are an indicator of whether or not our drinking water meets health standards. The District’s surface water undergo testing for the following contaminants, which were not detected except as noted in the table:
Synthetic Organic Chemicals, including pesticides.
Volatile Organic Chemicals, including the disinfection byproducts in table.
Inorganic Chemicals
What should I do?
There is nothing you need to do at this time.
What’s Not In Our Water?
Coliform bacteria: During 2009, 42 samples were taken during monthly sampling of the distribution system for coliform bacteria testing.  All were negative for Total Coliforms (naturally present in the environment) and E.coli (from human and animal fecal waste).

Notes to Immuno-Compromised Individuals
Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population.
Immune-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 their drinking
water from their health care providers. The Federal Environmental Protection Agency/Centers for Disease Control guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other
microbial contaminants are available from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).

Source Water Assesment
The 1966 Amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act require that all states conduct Source Water Assessments for public water systems within their boundaries.  The assessments consist of (1) identification of the Drinking Water Protection Area, i.e. the area at the surface that is directly supplies our North Fork and South Fork streams, (2) identification of potential sources of pollution within the Drinking Water Protection Area, and (3) determining the susceptibility or relative risk to the streams from those sources.  The purpose of the assessment is to provide water systems with the information they need to develop a strategy to protect their drinking water resource if they choose.  The respective Drinking Water Programs of the Department of Human Services and Environmental Quality have completed the assessment for our system.  A copy of the report is on file at the Corbett Water District office and is also available online at: http://www.deq.state.or.us/wq/dwp/docs/swasummary/pws00359.pdf

Water Quality Monitoring Results
DEFINITIONS
-Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG): The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no know or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety.
-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.
-Action Level (AL): The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other
  requirements which a water system must follow.
-Treatment Technique (TT): A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking
  water.
-NTU: Nephelometric Turbidity Units
-ppm: Parts per million

Contaminant         Unit        MCL             MCLG     Detected Level     Range       Major Sources    Violation?
Disinfection By-Products 
TTHM (Total            ppb           80                  0            2 (avg.)            ND to    By-product of drinking    No
Trihalomethanes)1                                                                               3.24       water chlorination

HAA5 (Total         ppb          60                  0             3 (avg.)            .98 to    By-product of drinking      No
Haloacetic Acid)1                                                                             4.24        water chlorination
 
Microbiological Contaminants 
Total Coliform      Present   Presence of       0                0                     0          Naturally present             No
(positive samples/  Absent   coliform bateria                                                      in the environment
month)                              in >5% of monthly samples

Fecal Coliform/     Present   Routine and repeat   0                0                      0         Human & animal          No
E. Colisample are total       fecal waste
(positive samples/              coliform positive &
month) Present                  one is also fecal
   Absent          coliform positive

Turbidity2            NTU      TT                    n/a             0.217                0.037 to   Soil Runoff             No
0.217
1: Compliance is determined by meeting the maximum level of TTHMs and HAA5s over a running 12 month average of sample results. The range is determined by individual tests. TTHMs and HAA5s are potential carcinogens and may cause liver, spleen, kidney and central nervous system damage. The detected level equals the average for disinfection by-products for the year.
2: Turbidity is a good measurement of the cloudiness of the water caused solids, particles, or pollutants. Turbidity is measured because it is a good measurement of the effectiveness of Corbett Water District’s filtration system. The highest measurement was 0.217 NTU, with 100% of monthly samples met the turbidity limits set for our filtration technology.

Information from the EPA
The sources of our nation’s drinking water include surface sources, such as rivers, streams, lakes, reservoirs; and groundwater sources, or wells. As water moves through the ground or over surfaces, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and in some cases radioactive material. Water can also pick up substances from the presence of human or animal activity.
Contaminants that may be present in drinking 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 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 which can also come from gas stations, urban storm water runoff, and septic systems.
-Radioactive Contaminants,  which can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and
  mining activities.
-Drinking water, including bottled water, may be reasonably 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).