Calera Water Works

All tap water, including bottled varieties, may reasonably contain at least minimal amounts of certain contaminants. The presence of these substances doesn't necessarily indicate a health hazard. Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) are established through rigorous scientific standards. To understand potential health impacts from regulated substances, a person would typically need to consume 2 liters of water daily at MCL concentration for a lifetime to face a one-in-a-million chance of experiencing specific health effects.

Water sources including bottled and tap water originate from rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels across land surfaces or through soil layers, it dissolves naturally-occurring minerals and radioactive materials while potentially collecting substances from animal presence or human activities.

Potential contaminants in source water include:

• Microbial contaminants such as viruses and bacteria from sewage facilities, septic systems, agricultural operations, and wildlife
• Inorganic substances including salts and metals occurring naturally or resulting from urban runoff, industrial waste, oil/gas production, mining, or farming
• Pesticides and herbicides from agriculture, stormwater runoff, and residential usage
• Organic chemical contaminants including synthetic and volatile compounds from industrial processes, petroleum production, gas stations, urban runoff, and septic systems
• Radioactive elements occurring naturally or resulting from oil/gas production and mining activities

To ensure tap water safety, the EPA establishes regulations limiting contaminant levels in public water systems. FDA regulations similarly restrict contaminants in bottled water. Source water undergoes testing for pathogens like Cryptosporidium and Giardia that can enter water supplies through animal or human waste. Immunocompromised individuals should consult guidance documents produced jointly by EPA and CDC, available at www.epa.gov/safewater or through the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791.

Some individuals may have heightened sensitivity to water contaminants compared to the general population. People with compromised immune systems—including cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, organ transplant recipients, HIV/AIDS patients, elderly individuals, and infants—may face increased infection risks. Vulnerable persons should seek advice from healthcare providers regarding their drinking water. EPA/CDC guidelines for minimizing infection risks from Cryptosporidium and other microbiological contaminants are available through the Safe Drinking Water Hotline.

Based on a statewide study conducted by ADEM with EPA approval, Alabama received monitoring waivers for asbestos and dioxin, making testing for these substances unnecessary.

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