City of Alpena

We are pleased to provide you with this Annual Water Quality Report. This document contains important information about where your water originates, what it contains, and how it compares to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and State of Michigan standards.

Under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), the EPA establishes national limits for numerous substances in municipal water and specifies treatment processes that water systems must use to remove these substances. Similarly, the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) regulations set limits for contaminants in bottled water, providing equivalent public health protection.

Each utility continuously monitors produced water for these substances and reports directly to their state regulatory agency, which then reports to the EPA if any contaminants are detected. The EPA uses this data to ensure consumers receive clean water and verify that states are enforcing relevant laws.

The City of Alpena Water Utility is supervised by the Alpena Municipal Council and operated by Suez Environment, which handles daily management of the water system. We work diligently to provide water that meets or exceeds state and federal requirements. No violations occurred during 2018.

WHERE DOES YOUR WATER COME FROM?
Surface Water from Thunder Bay Lake Huron has been Alpena's water source since 1905. Though susceptible to changes, current and historical data indicates it is of high quality. State and federal regulations have become increasingly stringent, resulting in significant improvements to Great Lakes water quality.

Protection efforts include a "Source Water Assessment" conducted by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. The assessment identifies pollution sources that could negatively impact our source water quality. In 2018, a Source Water Intake Protection Plan was prepared and submitted to the MDEQ, detailing Alpena's water source, potential contamination areas throughout the Thunder Bay Watershed, management practices, alternative water sources, and community education methods.

WATER CONSERVATION
Water is our community's most valuable asset – let's preserve it. Conservation measures not only reduce water usage but can also save money by lowering your bill. Some indoor conservation methods include: repairing leaking faucets, showerheads and toilets (a leaking toilet can waste 240 gallons daily); washing full laundry loads; not disposing trash in toilets; taking shorter showers; and watering lawns or gardens during early morning or evening hours.

HOW IS YOUR WATER TREATED?
Your water is purified at the City Water Filtration Plant near Starlight Beach through a multi-step process. Raw water is drawn from Lake Huron with chlorine added for pathogen disinfection. Alum, polymer and fluoride are then added – fluoride helps prevent tooth decay while alum and polymer remove sediment.

The addition of alum causes smaller particles to coagulate until they're heavy enough to settle in basins, allowing only cleaner water to continue through treatment. After settling, phosphate and filter aid are added as needed. Phosphate prevents pipe corrosion throughout the water system, and filter aid assists with turbidity removal during filtration.

Filtration occurs as water passes through layers of granular activated carbon and sand, removing smaller suspended particles and reducing turbidity. Chlorine is added again as a final disinfectant, carefully monitored to maintain the required minimum dosage throughout the distribution system.

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