Bessemer Water Service

We're pleased to report that Bessemer Water Service has successfully met or exceeded all federal and state municipal water standards during the reporting period. Typically, water comes from various sources including rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water moves across landscapes, it naturally dissolves minerals and sometimes radioactive materials. It may also collect substances from animal or human activities.

Bessemer Water Service routinely tests for various substances that might include:

• Microbial contaminants from sewage treatment facilities, septic systems, agricultural operations, and wildlife
• Inorganic materials such as salts and metals that occur naturally or result from urban runoff, industrial discharge, or agricultural practices
• Pesticides and herbicides from agriculture, urban runoff, and residential usage
• Organic chemicals from industrial processes, petroleum production, gas stations, and septic systems
• Radioactive materials that occur naturally or come from oil/gas production and mining

Our water quality begins with excellent source waters. The Birmingham region benefits from rivers and lakes in both the Cahaba River Basin and Warrior River Basin. Bessemer Water Service purchases water from Gusa Water Systems, which draws from surface waters of the Warrior River.

For many years, Bessemer Water Service has committed to delivering the highest quality water possible to our customers. This means ensuring your water contains no substances above federal standards. In fact, our customers enjoy water that consistently tests better than minimum EPA requirements.

Monthly board meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month at 5:00 pm at city hall (1800 3rd Avenue, second floor). Board members include Sarah Belcher, Alphonso Patrick, and Maurice Muhammad.

Since 1974, the Safe Water Drinking Act has required all public water systems to meet national quality standards. These standards set limits for certain contaminants and require monitoring. The tables in our report show monitoring results from January 1, 2017, through December 31, 2017. For water quality questions, please contact S. Lowery at (205) 481-4333, Ext. 256.

Some individuals may be more vulnerable to water contaminants than the general population. People with compromised immune systems, cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, organ transplant recipients, HIV/AIDS patients, elderly individuals, and infants may face higher risks. These individuals should consult healthcare providers about appropriate precautions. EPA/CDC guidelines on reducing infection risks from cryptosporidium and other microbiological contaminants are available through the Safe Drinking Water hotline (800-426-4791).

Trihalomethanes form when chlorine reacts with natural organic matter in water, creating compounds like chloroform and bromoform. Haloacetic acids also form through similar reactions. These are known as disinfection byproducts (DBPs).

At Bessemer Water Service, we work continuously to provide quality water to every tap. We ask all customers to help protect our water resources. All municipal water, including bottled water, may reasonably contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants doesn't necessarily indicate a health risk. For more information about contaminants and potential health effects, call the EPA's Safe Drinking water Hotline (800-426-4791).

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