Alabaster Water Board

All municipal water, including bottled water, can reasonably be expected to contain at least minimal amounts of certain contaminants. The presence of these substances doesn't necessarily indicate a health risk. Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs), detailed in the Explanations section of this report, are established at very stringent levels.

To understand potential health effects from most regulated substances, an individual would need to consume 2 liters of water daily at the MCL level for a lifetime to face a one-in-a-million chance of experiencing the described health effect. The EPA establishes regulations limiting contaminant amounts in public water systems, while government regulations set similar standards for bottled water.

Water sources (both tap and bottled) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water moves across land or through ground, it dissolves naturally-occurring minerals and radioactive material, and can pick up substances from animal presence and human activities.

Potential contaminants in source water include:

• Microbial contaminants like viruses and bacteria from sewage treatment facilities, septic systems, agricultural operations, and wildlife
• Inorganic contaminants such as salts and metals that occur naturally or result from urban runoff, industrial wastewater, oil/gas production, mining, or farming
• Pesticides and herbicides from various sources including agriculture, stormwater runoff, and residential uses
• Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organics from industrial processes, petroleum production, gas stations, urban runoff, and septic systems
• Radioactive contaminants that can be naturally occurring or result from oil/gas production and mining activities

Some individuals may be more vulnerable to water contaminants than the general population. People with compromised immune systems—such as cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, organ transplant recipients, those with HIV/AIDS or other immune disorders, some elderly individuals, and infants—may be particularly susceptible to infections. These at-risk individuals should seek advice about drinking water from their healthcare providers.

Surface water sources undergo testing for pathogens like Cryptosporidium according to schedules determined by the EPA and ADEM. All test results were well within Federal and State standards. Immuno-compromised individuals can access guidance from the CDC at http://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPURL.cgi?Dockey=200024LD.txt or through the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791. This statement does not indicate the presence of Cryptosporidium in our water supply.

Based on an ADEM study with EPA approval, Alabama received a statewide waiver for asbestos and dioxin monitoring, making testing for these contaminants unnecessary.

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