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| We are proud to report
that the water provided by the Detroit Lakes Utilities meets or exceeds established water
quality standards. |
| The City of Detroit Lakes provides drinking
water to its residents from a ground water source. We have 3 wells ranging in depth from
232 to 237 feet, that draw water from the Quaternary buried Artesian aquifer. It is then
pumped to the water treatment plant where it is aerated, filtered to remove iron,
disinfected with chlorine. We add fluoride which helps fight tooth decay and
ortho-poly phosphate is added for corrosion control. The treatment plant provides 520,000
gallons of storage within the plant. It is pumped from there to the distribution system
for use by our customers and also for storage in our 1,000,000 gallon water tower or our
150,000 gallon standpipe. The treatment plant is operate by Minnesota Dept. of Health
Certified operators. |
| Our aquifer has been classified as
non-vulnerable by the Minnesota Dept. of Health. This means that with best management
practices and education of the public we should have a non-contaminated water supply for
many years to come. |
| If you have questions about the city of Detroit
Lakes drinking water or would like information about opportunities for public
participation in decisions that may affect the quality of the water please cal
218-846-7102 |
| This report is not being distributed to all
customers or consumers. A copy of this report is available at the water treatment plant at
1240 Rossman Ave. or at the Public Utilities office at 1025 Roosevelt Ave. or by calling
218-846-7102 or 218-847-7609. |

|
The City of Detroit Lakes is
proud to be a Groundwater Guardian Community. |
|
| Results of Monitoring |
| No contaminants were detected at levels that
exceeded the federal standards. However, some contaminants were detected in trace amounts
that were below legal limits. The table that follows shows the contaminants that were
detected in trace amounts last year. (Some contaminants were detected the last time they
were sampled for, they are included in the table along with the date that the detection
occurred.) |
| Key to abbreviations: |
MCLG - Maximum Contaminant Level Goal:
The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected
risk to health. MCLGs allow for a a margin of safety.
MCL - Maximum Contaminant Level: 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.
AL - Action Level: The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers
treatment of other requirement which a water system must follow.
pCI/I - PicoCurles per liter (a measure of radioactivity)
ppb - Parts per billion, which can also be expressed as micrograms per liter
(ug/l).
ppm - Parts per million, which can also be expressed as milligrams per liter
(mg/l). |
| Contaminant (units) |
MCLO |
MCL |
Level Found |
Typical Source of Contaminant |
| Range |
Average/
Result* |
| Nitrate (as Nitrogen) (ppm) |
10.0 |
10.0 |
0.85 |
0.85 |
Runoff from fertilizer use; Leaching from
septic tanks, sewage; Erosion of natural deposits. |
| Arsenic (ppb) (02/21/96) |
|
50.0 |
----- |
2.5 |
Erosion of natural deposits; Runoff from
orchards; Runoff from glass and electronics production wastes. |
| Barium (ppm) (12/22/94) |
2.0 |
2.0 |
----- |
0.19 |
Discharge of drilling wastes; Discharge
from metal refineries; Erosion of natural deposits. |
| Fluoride (ppm) (02/21/96) |
4.0 |
4.0 |
----- |
1.1 |
State of Minnesota requires all municipal
water systems to add fluoride to the drinking water to promote strong teeth; Erosion of
natural deposits. |
| Alpha Emitters (pCi/l) (02/21/96) |
|
15.0 |
----- |
1.5 |
Erosion of natural deposits. |
|
| *This is the value used to determine
compliance with federal standards. It sometimes is the highest value detected and
sometimes is an average of all the detected values. |
| Contaminant (units) |
MCLO |
MCL |
90% Level |
# sites over AL |
Typical Source of Contaminant |
| Lead (ppb) (07/10/1997) |
NA |
15 |
3.0 |
1 out of 40 |
Corrosion of household
plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits. |
| Copper (ppm) |
NA |
1.3 |
1.08 |
1 out of 40 |
Corrosion of household
plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits; Leaching from wood preservatives. |
|
| Some contaminants do not have Maximum
Contaminant Levels established for them. These "unregulated contaminants" are
assessed using state standards known as health risk limits to determine of they pose a
threat to human health. If unacceptable levels of an unregulated contaminant are found,
the response is the same as if an MCL has been exceeded: the water system must inform its
customers and take other corrective actions. In the table that follows are the unregulated
contaminants that were detected: |
| Contaminant (units) |
Level Found |
Typical Source of Contaminant |
| Range |
Average/
Result* |
| Bromodichloromethane (ppb) (02/21/96) |
----- |
1.4 |
Disinfection by-product. |
| Chloroform (ppb) (02/21/96) |
----- |
4.0 |
Disinfection by-product. |
| Sodium (ppm) (02/21/96) |
----- |
29 |
Erosion of natural deposits. |
|
| Compliance With National
Primary Drinking Water Regulations |
| The sources of drinking water (both tap water
and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs,a nd 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 the presence of animals or from human activity. |
| Contaminants that my 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 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-product 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. |
| In order to ensure that tap water is safe to
drink, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prescribes regulations which limit
the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. Food and
Drug Administration 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 Environmental Protection Agency's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791. |
| 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, person who have undergone organ
transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly,a nd
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 are available from the Safe Drinking
Water Hotline at 800-426-4791. |
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