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The Genesee Water & Sanitation District is pleased to present to you this year’s water quality report. Our constant goal is to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water. We have provided a summary of our response to the 2010 Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) violation under Additional Violation Information. Please contact District Superintendent John McWilliams at 303-278-9780 or Board members Jim Rouse at 303-526-5493 or Mike Rengel at 303-526-5211 with any questions about the Drinking Water Consumer Confidence Report or for public participation opportunities that may affect the water.

General Information

All 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 the 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 (1-800-426-4791).

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, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV-AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk of infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. For more information about contaminants and potential health effects, or to receive a copy of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and microbiological contaminants call the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (1-800-426-4791).

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:

· Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria that 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 urban storm water runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming;

· Pesticides and herbicides, that may come from a variety of sources, such as agriculture, urban storm water runoff, and residential uses;

· Radioactive contaminants, that can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities;

· Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are byproducts of industrial processes and petroleum production, and also may come from gas stations, urban storm water runoff, and septic systems.

In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment prescribes regulations limiting the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. The Food and Drug Administration regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water that must provide the same protection for public health.

Lead in Drinking Water

If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems (especially for pregnant women and young children). It is possible that lead levels at your home may be higher than other homes in the community as a result of materials used in your home’s plumbing. If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water tested. 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. Additional information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791) or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

Terms and Abbreviations

To help you understand the terms and abbreviations used in this report, we have provided the following definitions:

· Action Level (AL) - The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow.

· Action Level Goal (ALG) - The “Goal” is the level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health.

· Average of Individual Samples – The typical value. Mathematically it is the sum of values divided by the number of samples.

· Formal Enforcement Action – An escalated action taken by the State (due to the number and/or severity of violations) to bring a non-compliant water system back into compliance by a certain time, with an enforceable consequence if the schedule is not met.

· Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) - The “Maximum Allowed” 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 (MCLG) - The “Goal” 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.

· 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 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.

· Microscopic Particulate Analysis (MPA) An analysis of surface water organisms and indicators in water. This analysis can be used to determine performance of a surface water treatment plant or to determine the existence of surface water influence on a ground water well.

· 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.

· Number of Samples – The number or count of values.

· 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 (µg/L) - 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.

· Range of Individual Samples – The lowest value to the highest value.

· Running Annual Average (RAA) - An average of monitoring results for the previous 12 calendar months.

· Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level (SMCL) – Non-enforceable, recommended limits for substances that affect the taste, odor, color or other aesthetic qualities of drinking water, rather than pose a health risk.

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

· Variance and Exemptions (V/E) Department permission not to meet an MCL or a treatment technique under certain conditions.

· Violation – A failure to meet a Colorado Primary Drinking Water regulation.

Detected Contaminants

Genesee Water & Sanitation District routinely monitors for contaminants in your drinking water according to Federal and State laws. The following table(s) show all detections above the laboratory detection limit found in the period of January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010 unless otherwise noted. The State of Colorado requires us to monitor for certain contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants are not expected to vary significantly from year to year, or the system is not considered vulnerable to this type of contamination. Therefore, some of our data, though representative, may be more than one year old. Violations and Formal Enforcement Actions for Total Carbon and TTHM are reported in the next section of this report. Any additional information on these violations and the District’s response can be found under Additional Violation Information.

Note: Only detected contaminants sampled within the last 5 years appear in this report. If no tables appear in this section, that means that Genesee Water & Sanitation District did not detect any contaminants in the last round of monitoring.

Lead and Copper Sampled in the Distribution System
Analyte Name	Monitoring Period	90^th Percentile	Number of Samples	Unit of Measure	Action Level	Sample Sites Above Action Level	AL or TT Violation?	Typical Sources	Potential Health Effects from Long-Term exposure Above the Action Level (unless specified as short-term)
COPPER	01/01/2008 To 12/31/2010	0.078	20	ppm	1.3	0	No	Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits	Copper is an essential nutrient, but some people who drink water containing copper in excess of the action level over a relatively short amount of time could experience gastrointestinal distress. Some people who drink water containing copper in excess of the action level over many years could suffer liver or kidney damage. People with Wilson’s Disease should consult their personal doctor.
LEAD	01/01/2008 To 12/31/2010	8	20	ppb	15	0	No	Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits	Infants and children who drink water containing lead in excess of the actions level could experience delays in their physical or mental development. Children could show slight deficits in attention span and learning abilities. Adults who drink this water over many years could develop kidney problems or high blood pressure.

Disinfection By Products (TTHMs, HAA5, & Chlorite) Sampled in the Distribution System
Analyte Name	Year	Average of Individual Samples	Range of Individual Samples (lowest to Highest	Number of Samples	Unit of Measure	MCL	MCLG	MCL Violation?	Typical Sources	Potential Health Effects from Long-Term exposure Above the MCL (unless specified as short-term)
TOTAL HALOACETIC ACIDS (HAA5)	2010	30.822	18.1-41.3	5	ppb	60	N/A	No	By-Product of drinking water disinfection	Some people who drink water containing haloacetic acids in excess of the MCL over many years may have an increased risk of getting cancer.
TTHM	2010	79.72	38.6-124.5	5	ppb	80	N/A	Yes	By-Product of drinking water disinfection	Some people who drink large amounts of water containing trihalomethanes in excess of the MCL over many years may experience problems with their liver, kidneys, or central nervous systems, and may have an increased risk of getting cancer.

Turbidity Sampled at the Entry Point to the Distribution System
Analyte Name	Sample Date	Level Found	TT Requirement	TT Violation?	Typical Sources	Potential Health Effects from Long-Term exposure Above the TT Level (unless specified as short-term)
TURBIDITY	09/03/2011	Highest single measurement: 0.45 NTU	Maximum 1 NTU for any single measurement	No	Soil Runoff	Turbidity has no health effects. However, turbidity can interfere with disinfection and provide a medium for microbial growth. Turbidity may indicate the presence of disease causing organisms. These organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites that can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea and associated headaches.
TURBIDITY	Month: February 2010	Lowest monthly percentage of samples meeting TT requirement for our technology: 96%	In any month, at least 95% of samples must be less than 0.3 NTU	No	Soil Runoff	See Above

Total Organic Carbon (Disinfection By Products Precursor)

Percentage Removal Ratio of Raw & Finished Water

Analyte

Name

Year

Average of Individual Ratio Samples

Range of Individual Samples (lowest to Highest

Number of Ratio Samples

Unit of Measure

TT Minimum Ratio

TT Violation?

Typical Sources

Potential Health Effects from Long-Term exposure Below the TT Level (unless specified as short-term)

CARBON, TOTAL

2010

0.67

0.34-0.95

Ratio

The TT Minimum Level is a Ratio of 1

Yes

Naturally present in the environment

Total organic carbon (TOC) has no health effects. However, total organic carbon provides a medium for the formation of disinfection by products. These by products include trihalomethanes (TTHMs) and haloacetic acids (HAA5). Drinking water containing these byproducts in excess of the MCL may lead to adverse health effects, liver or kidney problems, or nervous system effects, and may lead to an increased risk of getting cancer.

Regulated Contaminants Sampled at the Entry Point to the Distribution System
Analyte Name	Year	Average of Individual Samples	Range of Individual Samples (lowest to Highest	Number of Samples	Unit of Measure	MCL	MCLG	MCL Violation?	Typical Sources	Potential Health Effects from Long-Term exposure Above the MCL (unless specified as short-term)
ARSENIC	2010	2	2-2	1	ppb	10	0	No	Erosion of natural deposits; Runoff from orchards; Runoff from glass and electronics production wastes.	Some people who drink large amounts of water containing arsenic in excess of the MCL over many years could experience skin damage or problems with their circulatory system, and may have an increased risk of getting cancer.
BARIUM	2010	0.034	0.034-0.034	1	ppm	2	2	No	Discharge of drilling wastes; Discharge from metal refineries; Erosion of natural deposits.	Some people who use water containing barium in excess of the MCL over many years could experience an increase in their blood pressure.
CHROMIUM	2010	3	3-3	1	ppb	100	100	No	Discharge from steel and pulp mills; Erosion of natural deposits.	Some people who use water containing chromium well in excess of the MCL over many years could experience allergic dermatitis.
FLUORIDE	2010	1.45	1.45-1.45	1	ppm	4	4	No	Erosion of natural deposits; Water additive that promotes strong teeth; Discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories.	Some people who drink water containing fluoride in excess of the MCL over many years could get bone disease, including pain and tenderness of the bones. Fluoride in drinking water at half the MCL or more may cause mottling of children’s teeth, usually in children less than nine years old. Mottling, also known as dental fluorosis, may include brown staining and/or pitting of the teeth, and occurs only in developing teeth before they erupt from the gums.
NITRATE	2010	0.15	0.15-0.15	1	ppm	10	10	No	Runoff from fertilizer use; Leaching from septic tanks, sewage, Erosion of natural deposits.	Infants below the age of six months who drink water containing nitrate in excess of the MCL could become seriously ill and, if untreated, may die. Symptoms include shortness of breath and blue baby syndrome.
NITRATE-NITRITE	2009	0.26	0.26-0.26	1	ppm	10	10	No	Runoff from fertilizer use; Leaching from septic tanks, sewage; Erosion of natural deposits.	Infants below the age of six months who drink water containing nitrate-nitrite in excess of the MCL could become seriously ill and, if untreated, may die. Symptoms include shortness of breath and blue baby syndrome.

Secondary Contaminants**
Analyte Name	Year	Average of Individual Samples	Range of Individual Samples (lowest – Highest)	Number of Samples	Unit of Measure	Secondary Standard
MPA WTP RAW AND FINISHED	2010	2.55	2.5-2.6	1	Units	N/A
SODIUM	2010	30.2	30.2-30.2	1	ppm	N/A
SULFATE	2009	8	8-8	1	ppm	250
**Secondary standards are non-enforceable guidelines for contaminants that may cause cosmetic effects (such as skin or tooth discoloration) or aesthetic effects (such as taste, odor or color) in drinking water. The EPA recommends these standards, but does not require water systems to comply.

Additional Violation Information

During November of last year and January of this year you received in the mail letters from the Genesee Water and Sanitation District. Both letters described recent violations related to our water system, particularly, the Treatment Requirement for Control of Disinfection Byproduct Precursors (Total Organic Carbon, or TOC), which led to a related third quarter 2010 violation of Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs). The Genesee District is committed to providing a reliable and safe drinking water supply to its customers. Although the situation has never been an emergency, as our customers, you have a right to know what happened, what you should do, and what we are in the process of doing to correct this situation.

What Happened? What is being done?

In 2010 our water treatment plant was no longer removing sufficient quantities of TOC from our source water. The increased levels of TOC when combined with chlorine which is required for disinfection resulted in elevated levels of TTHM. Conventional methods to improve TOC removal proved ineffective until in September of 2010 the levels of TTHM on a Running Annual Average (RAA) was above the Colorado Department of Health and Environment (State) standards. This was reported by the District to the State resulting in a Notification of Violation.

Immediately following the above violation, the District engaged the services of a Professional Engineer with over 30 years of experience in solving problems like the one we were experiencing. In addition, the District purchased additional analytical testing equipment so that our treatment operators could quickly determine the effectiveness of new treatment processes that the Professional Engineer recommended. The District also evaluated various treatment process improvements for the removal of TOC, and methods for reducing disinfection byproducts from our source water to the customer taps.

In December 2010, the District conducted a bench-scale pilot test of an improved chemical treatment process that significantly improved the TOC removal efficiency to well below the State removal standards, which resulted in TTHM levels well below State standards. In January 2011, a full-scale pilot test program was conducted to prove that the bench-scale results could be replicated on a continuous basis. The pilot test program has just been completed and achieved the desired TOC removal efficiency levels and maintained TTHM levels in our drinking water well below the State standards. At the May 2011 Board of Directors Meeting, the Board approved the recommendation of the District Manager for the construction of the permanent treatment process improvements, pending State approval; However, since the standard is on the basis of a rulling annual average, there will technically be a violation through the third quarter of 2011, with associated notice of violation.

What does this mean? What should I do?

The good news is even though the water treatment process struggled with TOC removals, it has been back in compliance with the quarterly running annual average TTHM standard of 0.080 mg/l. Analysis performed in Q4 of 2010 and Q1 of 2011 reflected a RAA of 0.0415 and 0.0451 mg/l of TTHM respectively. This improvement has in part been a result of the short-term actions immediately taken by the District as described in the November 2010 letter.

Because the standard for TOC removal is on the basis of a Running Annual Average, the water treatment system will technically not be back in compliance with the RAA for the TOC removal ratio (a treatment technique requirement) until the third quarter of 2011. It should be noted that TOC has no health effects. Rather, TOC provides a medium for the formation of disinfection byproducts. These byproducts include Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) and Haloacetic Acids (HAA5). Drinking a large amount of water containing these byproducts in excess of the maximum contaminant level for many years may lead to adverse health effects, liver or kidney problems, or nervous system effects, and may lead to any increased risk of getting cancer. You do not need to use an alternative (e.g., bottled) water supply. However, if you have specific health concerns, you may want to consult your physician.

Violation(s) and Formal Enforcement Action(s)
Type	Category	Analyte Name	Monitoring Period	Federal Period	Health Effects	Compliance Result	MCL or TT Level
MCL, AVERAGE	Maximum Contaminant Level Violation	TTHM	07/01/2010 to 09/30/2010	07/01/2010 to 09/30/2010	Some people who drink water containing trihalomethanes in excess of the MCL over many years may experience problems with their liver, kidneys, or central nervous systems, and may have an increased risk of getting cancer.	82 ppb	80 ppb
INADEQUATE DBP PRECURSOR REMOVAL	Treatment Technique Violation	CARBON TOTAL	09/01/2010 to 09/30/2010	07/01/2010 to 09/30/2010	Total organic carbon (TOC) has no health effects. However, total organic carbon provides a medium for the formation of disinfection by products. These by products include trihalomethanes (TTHMs) and haloacetic acids (HAA5). Drinking water containing these byproducts in excess of the MCL may lead to adverse health effects, liver or kidney problems, or nervous system effects, and may lead to an increased risk of getting cancer.	0.46 Ratio	1 Ratio A TOC removal ratio of <1 indicates that we are removing less than the required 30% removal of TOC through the treatment process. A TOC removal ratio of >1 indicates that we are removing more than the required 30% removal of TOC through the treatment process.
INADEQUATE DBP PRECURSOR REMOVAL	Treatment Technique Violation	CARBON TOTAL	08/01/2010 to 08/31/2010	07/01/2010 to 09/30/2010	Total organic carbon (TOC) has no health effects. However, total organic carbon provides a medium for the formation of disinfection by products. These by products include trihalomethanes (TTHMs) and haloacetic acids (HAA5). Drinking water containing these byproducts in excess of the MCL may lead to adverse health effects, liver or kidney problems, or nervous system effects, and may lead to an increased risk of getting cancer.	0.39 Ratio	1 Ratio A TOC removal ratio of <1 indicates that we are removing less than the required 30% removal of TOC through the treatment process. A TOC removal ratio of >1 indicates that we are removing more than the required 30% removal of TOC through the treatment process.
INADEQUATE DBP PRECURSOR REMOVAL	Treatment Technique Violation	CARBON TOTAL	07/01/2010 to 07/31/2010	07/01/2010 to 09/30/2010	Total organic carbon (TOC) has no health effects. However, total organic carbon provides a medium for the formation of disinfection by products. These by products include trihalomethanes (TTHMs) and haloacetic acids (HAA5). Drinking water containing these byproducts in excess of the MCL may lead to adverse health effects, liver or kidney problems, or nervous system effects, and may lead to an increased risk of getting cancer.	0.34 Ratio	1 Ratio A TOC removal ratio of <1 indicates that we are removing less than the required 30% removal of TOC through the treatment process. A TOC removal ratio of >1 indicates that we are removing more than the required 30% removal of TOC through the treatment process.
INADEQUATE DBP PRECURSOR REMOVAL	Treatment Technique Violation	CARBON TOTAL	10/01/2010 to 10/31/2010	10/01/2010 to 12/31/2010	Total organic carbon (TOC) has no health effects. However, total organic carbon provides a medium for the formation of disinfection by products. These by products include trihalomethanes (TTHMs) and haloacetic acids (HAA5). Drinking water containing these byproducts in excess of the MCL may lead to adverse health effects, liver or kidney problems, or nervous system effects, and may lead to an increased risk of getting cancer.	0.51 Ratio	1 Ratio A TOC removal ratio of <1 indicates that we are removing less than the required 30% removal of TOC through the treatment process. A TOC removal ratio of >1 indicates that we are removing more than the required 30% removal of TOC through the treatment process.
INADEQUATE DBP PRECURSOR REMOVAL	Treatment Technique Violation	CARBON TOTAL	12/01/2010 to 12/31/2010	10/01/2010 to 12/31/2010	Total organic carbon (TOC) has no health effects. However, total organic carbon provides a medium for the formation of disinfection by products. These by products include trihalomethanes (TTHMs) and haloacetic acids (HAA5). Drinking water containing these byproducts in excess of the MCL may lead to adverse health effects, liver or kidney problems, or nervous system effects, and may lead to an increased risk of getting cancer.	0.76 Ratio	1 Ratio A TOC removal ratio of <1 indicates that we are removing less than the required 30% removal of TOC through the treatment process. A TOC removal ratio of >1 indicates that we are removing more than the required 30% removal of TOC through the treatment process.
INADEQUATE DBP PRECURSOR REMOVAL	Treatment Technique Violation	CARBON TOTAL	11/01/2010 to 11/30/2010	10/01/2010 to 12/31/2010	Total organic carbon (TOC) has no health effects. However, total organic carbon provides a medium for the formation of disinfection by products. These by products include trihalomethanes (TTHMs) and haloacetic acids (HAA5). Drinking water containing these byproducts in excess of the MCL may lead to adverse health effects, liver or kidney problems, or nervous system effects, and may lead to an increased risk of getting cancer.	0.67 Ratio	1 Ratio A TOC removal ratio of <1 indicates that we are removing less than the required 30% removal of TOC through the treatment process. A TOC removal ratio of >1 indicates that we are removing more than the required 30% removal of TOC through the treatment process.

Water Source(s)
SOURCE	SOURCE TYPE	WATER TYPE	LOCATION
Bear Creek Intake	Intake	Surface Water	Bear Creek
Genesee Reservoir No. 2	Reservoir	Surface Water	N/A

Water Source(s)

SOURCE

SOURCE TYPE

WATER TYPE

LOCATION

Bear Creek Intake

Intake

Surface Water

Bear Creek

Genesee Reservoir No. 2

Reservoir

Surface Water

N/A

Lead and Copper Sampled in the Distribution System

Disinfection By Products (TTHMs, HAA5, & Chlorite) Sampled in the Distribution System

Turbidity Sampled at the Entry Point to the Distribution System

Total Organic Carbon (Disinfection By Products Precursor)

Regulated Contaminants Sampled at the Entry Point to the Distribution System

Secondary Contaminants**

Additional Violation Information

Violation(s) and Formal Enforcement Action(s)

Some people who drink water containing trihalomethanes in excess of the MCL over many years may experience problems with their liver, kidneys, or central nervous systems, and may have an increased risk of getting cancer.