(740) 446-9221 grwa@galliah2o.com

Consumer Confidence Report

 

Annual Drinking Water Quality Report


March 2024
2023 DATA

Gallia County Rural Water

Drinking Water Consumer Confidence Report For 2023

Introduction

 

We’re pleased to present to you this year’s Annual Water Quality Report. This report is designed to inform you about the water quality and services we deliver to you every day. Our goal is to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water. We are committed to ensuring the quality of your water.

Gallia County Rural Water has prepared the following report to provide information to you, the consumer, on the quality of our drinking water.  Included within this report is general health information, water quality test results, how to participate in decisions concerning your drinking water and water system contacts.

 

 

Source Water Information

 

Our water source is groundwater from 10 wells located in Gallipolis and Addison Townships of Gallia County. The water is drawn from the Ohio River Valley Aquifer. The aquifer that supplies drinking water to the Gallia Rural Water Association’s #1 Well Field has (according to the OEPA) a high susceptibility to contamination, as indicated by the fact that ground water contamination by volatile organic chemicals was detected in the raw water in the early 90’s.  Future contamination can possibly be avoided by implementing protective measures.

The aquifer that supplies drinking water to the Gallia Rural Water Association’s #2 Well Field has a moderate susceptibility to contamination, due to the sensitivity of the aquifer in which the wells are located and the existence of several potential contaminant sources within the protection zone.  This does not mean that this well field will become contaminated, only that conditions are such that the ground water could be impacted by potential contaminant sources.

More information is available in our Source Water Assessment report. For a copy of the report contact Gallia Rural Water at (740) 446-9221.

 

What are sources of contamination to drinking water? 

 

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, 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:  (A) Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations and wildlife; (B) 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; (C) Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban storm water runoff, and residential uses; (D) 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 Strom water runoff, and septic systems; (E) 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, USEPA prescribes 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.

 

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 Federal Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).

 

 

Who needs to take special precautions? 

 

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 infection.  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 microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).

 

About your drinking water.

 

The EPA requires regular sampling to ensure drinking water safety.  Gallia Rural Water conducted sampling for bacteria; TTHM; copper; fluoride; chlorine; nitrate; during 2023.  Samples were collected for a total of 9 different contaminants most of which were not detected in Gallia Rural Water’s water supply.  The Ohio EPA requires us to monitor for some contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants do not change frequently.  Some of our data, though accurate, are more than one year old.

 

Monitoring & Reporting Violations & Enforcement Actions

 

 

Table of Detected Contaminants

 

Gallia Rural Water Association routinely monitors for contaminants in your drinking water according to Federal and State laws. The table in section 8 shows the results of our monitoring for the period of January 1st to December 31st, 2023.

Listed below is information on those contaminants that were found in Gallia County Rural Water’s drinking water.

 

 

TABLE OF DETECTED CONTAMINANTS

Contaminants (Units) MCLG MCL Level Found Range of Detections Violation Sample Year Typical Source of Contaminants
     
 

Fluoride (ppm)

 

4

 

4

 

1.29

 

.77-1.29

 

N

 

2023

 

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

     
 

Chlorine (ppm)

 

4

 

4

 

2.16

 

.38-2.16

 

N

 

2023

 

Water Additive used to Control Microbes

 

  Inorganic Contaminants  
 

Barium (ppm)

 

2

 

2

 

.055

 

N/A

 

N

 

2023

 

Discharge drilling wastes/metal refineries

 

 

Cyanide (ppb)

 

200

 

200

 

1

 

N/A

 

N

 

2023

 

Discharges from some metal mining processes, organic chemical industries, iron and steel plants or manufacturers, and publicly owned wastewater treatment facilities

 

Nitrate (ppm)

 

10

 

10

 

0.51

 

N/A

 

N

 

2023

 

Runoff from fertilizer use; erosion of natural deposits

 

  Radiologicals  
Radium 228                    (pCi/L)      5     5      1.4          1.4        N      2020  Naturally occurring radioactive element that is present in varying amounts in rocks and soil within the earth’s crust
  Residual Disinfectants  
 

TTHM (ppb)

 

N/A

 

80

 

27.0

 

6.0– 27.0

 

N

 

2023

 

By product of chlorine disinfection process

 

Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) (ppb)  

N/A

 

60

 

5.0

ND-5.0 N    2023 By product of chlorine disinfection process

 

Contaminants (units) Action Level (AL) 90% of test levels were less than Violation Year Sampled Typical source of Contaminants
Lead (ppb) 15 ppb 2.3 N 2023 Corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits;

 

  0 of 30 samples exceeded the lead action level of 15.5 ppb      
Copper (ppm) 1.3 ppm 0.557        N       2023 Corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits; leaching from wood preservatives

 

  1 of 30 samples exceeded the copper action level of 1350 ppb      
Volatile Organic Chemicals (VOC)          
Carbon Tetrachloride ppb N/A    5      0.1       0.1         N      2023 Formerly used as industrial solvent and in dry cleaning, now only seen in research and laboratory use.

 

PFAS Sampling

In 2021, our PWS was sampled as part of the State of Ohio’s Drinking Water Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Sampling Initiative. Results from this sampling indicated PFAS were detected in our drinking water below the action level established by Ohio EPA. Follow up monitoring will be conducted. For more information about PFAS, and to view our latest results please visit pfas.ohio.gov.  

 

PFAS Compound Statewide Action Level (ppt) Treated Water (EP001) Range of Detection Treated Water (EP001) average Raw Water
PFOA > 70 single or combined with PFOS <5 – 10.9 10.9 7.4

 

Violations

 

We did not have any MCL, TT, filtration or disinfection (CT) violation or action level exceedance.

 

Lead Educational Information

 

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 service lines and home plumbing.  Gallia County Rural Water is responsible for providing high quality drinking 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 drinking 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 methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

There was no detectable lead in our system this testing period.

 

 

License to Operate (LTO) Status Information

 

 In 2023 we had an unconditioned (green) license to operate our water system.

 

 

Public Participation and Contact Information

 

How do I participate in decisions concerning my drinking water?

You can participate in decisions regarding your water by attending a Board Meeting.

The board meets at 7:30 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month at our business office.

We are located at 542 Burnett Road, Gallipolis, OH 45631. Any questions regarding the meetings contact:

 

 

Brent Bolin’s Office #740-446-9221

or

Email:  grwa@galliah2o.com

 

 

Definitions of some terms contained within this report.

 

  • Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG): 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.

 

  • Maximum Contaminant level (MCL): The highest level of contaminant that is allowed in drinking water.  MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology.

 

 

  • Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level (MRDL): The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water.  There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants.

 

  • Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal (MRDLG): The level of 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.

 

  • 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.

 

 

  • Parts per Million (ppm) or Milligrams per Liter (mg/L) are units of measure for concentration of a contaminant. A part per million corresponds to one second in a little over 11.5 days.

 

  • Parts per Billion (ppb) or Micrograms per Liter (µg/L) are units of measure for concentration of a contaminant. A part per billion corresponds to one second in 31.7 years.

 

  • The “<” symbol: A symbol which means less than. A result of <5 means that the lowest level that could be detected was 5 and the contaminant in that sample was not detected.

 

  • PFAS: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of man-made chemicals applied to many industrial, commercial and consumer products goods to make them waterproof, stain resistant, or nonstick. PFAS are also used in products like cosmetics, fast food packaging, and a type of firefighting foam called aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) which are used mainly on large spills of flammable liquids, such as jet fuel.  PFAS are classified as contaminants of emerging concern, meaning that research into the harm they may cause to human health is still ongoing.

 

  • picoCuries per liter (pCI/L): A common measure of radioactivity.

 

  • PFOA (Perfluorooctanoic acid):

also known colloquially as C8—is a perfluorinated carboxylic acid produced and used worldwide as an industrial surfactant in chemical processes and as a material feedstock, and is a health concern and subject to regulatory action and voluntary industrial phase-outs.

  • PFOS (Perfluorooctane sulfonate): is an anthropogenic fluorosurfactant and global pollutant. PFOS was the key ingredient in Scotchgard, a fabric protector made by 3M, and numerous stain repellents.

 

                                                                

                                                        Gallia Rural Water FACTS

We serve an estimated population of 21,000 in the five counties of Gallia, Jackson, Meigs, Lawrence, & Vinton.

 

Our Ohio EPA Class II Water Treatment Plant operates 24 HRS a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

 

Our current License to Operate (LTO) is GREEN—unconditional LTO.

 

The average daily production in 2023 was 1.819 million gallons per day.

 

We have 19 booster pump stations and 37 tanks with a total storage capacity in excess of 7.7 million gallons.

 

Notice to Members

 

Section 4933.19 Ohio Revised Code

This code mandates that utility customers be advised on an annual basis of the consequences of tampering with or by-passing a metering device as set forth in Section 4933.18 of the Oh Revised Code.

 

Section 4933.18 Ohio Revised Code

No Person shall knowingly, without the utility’s

consent, with intent to violate Section 4933.18, 4933.19 and 4933.22 of the Oh Revised Code: (A) Tamper with a gas, electric, steam or water meter, conduit or attachment of a utility that has been

disconnected by the utility.

 

Section 4933.99 Ohio Revised Code

Penalties–Whoever violates Section 4933.18 and 4933.22 of the Oh Revised Code is guiltily of

tampering with utility equipment. Whoever violates these sections shall make restitution to the utility for the cost of repair or replacement of meters, conduits or attachments damaged and for the valve of the gas, electricity, steam or water consumed.

A misdemeanor of the first degree provides for

imprisonment of not more than six months and a fine of not more than $1,000.00.

A felony of the fourth degree under these codes

provides for a prison term or six months, 1 year or 18 months and a fine of not more than $2,500.00.

 

 

 

In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, religion, sex, a familial status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272(voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD).

 

 

 

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