Is my drinking water safe? Yes, our water meets all of EPA’s health standards. We have conducted numerous tests for over 80 con- taminants that may be in drinking water. As you’ll see in the chart on the next page, we only detected seven of these contaminants. We found all of these contami- nants at safe levels. What is the source of my water? Your water, which is ground water, comes from the Memphis Sand Aquifer. Our goal is to protect our water from contaminants and we are working with the State to determine the vulnerability of our water source to potential contamination. The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) has prepared a Source Water Assessment Program (SWAP) Report for the untreated water sources serving water to this water system. The SWAP Report assesses the susceptibility of untreated water sources to potential contamination. To ensure safe drinking water, all public water systems treat and routinely test their water. Water sources have been rated as reasonably suscep- tible, moderately susceptible or slightly susceptible based on geologic factors and human activities in the vicinity of the water source. The McKenzie Water Dept. sources rated as reasonably susceptible to potential contamination. An explanation of Tennessee’s Source Water As- sessment Program, the Source Water Assessment summaries, susceptibility scorings and the overall TDEC report to EPA can be viewed online at https:// www.tn.gov/environment/program-areas/wr-water- resources/water-guality/source-water-assessment. html or you may contact the Water Dept. to obtain copies of specific assessments. A wellhead protection plan is available for your review by contacting Earnest Umstead at the McKenzie Water Dept. between 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Why are there contaminants in my water? 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 Environ- mental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791). Este informe contiene informacion muy importante. Traduscalo o hable con alguien que lo entienda bien. For more information about your drinking water, please call Earnest Umstead at 731-352-3114. How can I get involved? Our City Council meets on the second Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. at the City Hall. Please feel free to participate in these meetings. Is our water system meeting other rules that gov- ern our operations? The State and EPA require us to test and report on our water on a regular basis to ensure its safety. We have met all of these requirements. Results of unregulated contaminant analysis are available upon request. We want you to know that we pay attention to all the rules. Other information The sources of drinking water (both tap water 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, radio- active material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity. Contaminants that may be present in source water: • Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock opera- tions, and wildlife. • Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally-occurring or result from urban 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 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. In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation prescribe regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. FDA regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health. Do I Need To Take Special Precautions? Some people may be more vulnerable to contami- nants in drinking water than the general population. lmmuno-compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have under-gone 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 not only their drinking water, but food preparation, personal hygiene, and precautions in handling infants and pets from their health care providers. EPNCDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbiological con- taminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791). Lead in Drinking Water If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with ser- vice lines and home plumbing. The McKenzie Water Dept. is responsible for providing high quality drink- ing water, but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components. When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using water for drink- ing or cooking. If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water tested. Information on lead in drinking water, testing meth- ods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead. Water System Security Following the events of September 2001, we realize that our customers are concerned about the security of their drinking water. We urge the public to report any suspicious activities at any utility facilities, including treatment plants, tanks, fire hydrants, etc. to the police dispatcher at 731-352-2264. Think before you flush! Flushing unused or expired medicines can be harmful to your drinking water. Properly disposing of unused or expired medication helps protect you and the environ- ment. Keep medications out of Tennessee’s waterways by disposing in one of our permanent pharmaceutical take back bins. There are nearly 100 take back bins located across the state, to find a convenient location please visithttp://tdeconline.tn.gov/rxtakeback/ McKenzie Water Dept. Water Quality Report for 2023 Water Quality Data What does this chart mean? • MCLG - Maximum Contaminant Level Goal, or 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. • MCL - Maximum Contaminant Level, or 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. To understand the possible health effects described for many regulated constituents, a person would have to drink 2 liters of water every day at the MCL level for a lifetime to have a one-in-a-million chance of having the described health effect. • MRDL - Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level or MRDL: The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for the control of microbial contaminants. • MRDLG - Maximum residual disinfectant level goal. The level of a drinking water 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. • AL - Action Level, or the concentration of a contaminant which, when exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow. • Below Detection Level (BDL) - Laboratory analysis indicates that the contaminant is not present at a level that can be detected. • Non-Defects (ND) - Laboratory analysis indicates that the contaminant is not present. • Parts per million (ppm) or Milligrams per liter (mg/l) - Explained as a relation to time and money as 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 - Explained as a relation to time and money as one part per billion corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years, or a single penny in $10,000,000. • RTCR - Revised Total Coliform Rule. This rule went into effect on April 1, 2016 and replaces the MCL for total coliform with a Treatment Technique Trigger for a system assessment. A467/26-1 Contaminant Violation Yes/No Level Found Range of Detections Date of Sample Unit Measurement MCLG MCL Likely Source of Contamination Total Coliform Bacteria (RTCR) N 0 2023 0 TT Trigger Naturally present in the environment Copper 1 N 90th%= 0.0488 0.00631 - 0.062 2022 ppm 1.3 AL=1.3 Corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits; leaching from wood preservatives Combined radium N 1.693 2022 PCi/1 0 5 Erosion of natural deposits Fluoride N 0.743 AVG 0.31-1.1 2023 ppm 4 4 Erosion of natural deposits; water additive which promotes strong teeth; discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories Lead 1 N 90th% = 1.0 1.0-1.0 2022 ppb 0 AL=15 Corrosion of household plumbing systems, erosion of natural deposits Nitrate N 1.19 1.19* 2023 ppm N/A N/A Erosion of natural deposits; used in water treatment TTHM [Total trihalomethanes] N 5.6 5.6* 2023 ppb 0 80 By-product of drinking water chlorination Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) N 5.0 5.0* 2023 ppb 0 60 By-product of drinking water disinfection Chlorine N 1.46 Avg. 1.0-1.9 2023 ppm MRDLG=4 MRDL=4 Water additive used to control microbes Contaminant Required sampling frequency Number of samples taken When all samples should have been taken When samples were or will be taken Total Coliform Bacteria 6 samples per month 3 August 2023 Returned to compliance in September 2023 Chlorine 6 samples per month with total coliform samples 3 August 2023 Returned to compliance in September 2023 1 During the most recent round of Lead and Copper testing, only 0 out of 20 households sampled contained concentrations exceeding the action level. *We are only required to collect one sample from a single location. 2 Important Information About Your Drinking Water Monitoring Requirements Not Met For McKenzie Water System Our water system violated a drinking water standard over the past year. Even though this is not an emergency, as our customers, you have a right to know what happened 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 your drinking water meets health standards. During August 2023 2015, we did not complete all monitoring for the contaminants listed in the following table, and therefore cannot be sure of the quality of your drinking water during that time. What should I do? There is nothing you need to do at this time. The table lists the contaminants we did not properly test for during the last year, how often we are supposed to sample for the contaminants and how many samples we are supposed to take, how many samples we took, when samples should have been taken, and the date on which follow-up samples were (or will be) taken. What happened? What is being done? Due to an oversight only three samples were analyzed for this contaminant during August 2023. We sampled these contaminants again in September 2023 and returned to compliance. For more information, please contact Earnest Umstead at 731-352-3114 or 9 Bruce St., McKenzie, TN 38201. Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail. This notice is being provided to you by McKenzie Water System. State Water System ID# TN0000421
