City of Baytown

Quality Commitment: We are proud to present our annual municipal water quality report. Our utility remains dedicated to delivering the highest quality water possible to our community. We maintain vigilance in meeting regulatory requirements, protecting water sources, promoting conservation, and engaging with our community through education and outreach programs, all while meeting the needs of our residents.

Thank you for allowing us to serve you. We welcome your thoughts on the information contained in this report – informed customers are our greatest allies.

Water Loss Audit
In our water loss audit submitted to the Texas Water Development Board during this reporting period, our system lost an estimated 516,765,024 gallons of water. For questions about this audit, please contact City of Baytown Utility Billing at (281) 420-6515.

Community Participation
We encourage residents to learn about their municipal water utility. You can attend our scheduled public meeting on July 18, 2018, at 10:00 a.m., in the Baytown City Hall Council Chambers at 2401 Market Street. For additional information, please call (281) 420-5310.

Important Health Information
Certain populations may be more vulnerable than others to specific contaminants in municipal water, including Cryptosporidium. Infants, some elderly individuals, and those with compromised immune systems due to cancer treatment, organ transplants, steroid therapy, or conditions like HIV/AIDS may face increased risk of infection. Please consult your healthcare provider about your municipal water. Guidelines for reducing Cryptosporidium infection risk are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791.

Potential Contaminants in Water
The EPA establishes regulations limiting contaminant levels in public water systems, while FDA regulations set similar standards for bottled water. All water sources—whether tap or bottled—may reasonably contain at least small amounts of some contaminants, which doesn't necessarily indicate a health risk.

Water sources (both tap and bottled) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over land or underground, it can pick up:

• Microbial Contaminants: Viruses and bacteria from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural operations, or wildlife
• Inorganic Contaminants: Salts and metals occurring naturally or resulting from urban runoff, industrial discharge, oil/gas production, mining, or farming
• Pesticides/Herbicides: From agriculture, urban runoff, and residential uses
• Organic Chemical Contaminants: Synthetic and volatile organic compounds from industrial processes, petroleum production, gas stations, runoff, and septic systems
• Radioactive Contaminants: Naturally occurring or resulting from oil/gas production and mining

Sometimes contaminants in water may affect taste, odor, or color without posing health concerns. For questions about water quality characteristics, contact our office. For information about contaminants and health effects, call the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791.

Source Water Description
Our municipal water comes from surface water sources. Raw water is supplied to the City of Baytown from the Baytown Area Water Authority via the Coastal Water Authority Canal, originating from the Trinity River. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) completed an assessment indicating some sources may be susceptible to certain contaminants. Our sampling requirements are based on this susceptibility and previous testing data. For information about source water assessments and protection efforts, please call (281) 420-5310.

Tap vs. Bottled Water
Despite aggressive marketing suggesting bottled water is healthier than tap water, a four-year Natural Resources Defense Council study found bottled water isn't necessarily cleaner or safer. Approximately 25% of bottled water is simply packaged tap water (government estimates suggest up to 40%). FDA regulations for bottled water permit less rigorous testing than EPA requirements for municipal tap water. For instance, some bottled waters' high mineral content makes them unsuitable for infants and young children.

Consumers pay about 12,000 times more per gallon for bottled water than for tap water. Drinking the recommended eight glasses daily from bottled sources could cost approximately $1,400 annually, while the same amount of tap water costs about 49 cents. Even with a home filtration system, your annual cost would remain significantly below bottled water expenses. For detailed NRDC findings, visit https://goo.gl/Jxb6xG.

Our Professional Commitment
Providing high-quality municipal water involves complex treatment processes and expertise. Municipal water professionals must obtain licensing and complete extensive training before becoming fully qualified. Our licensed specialists understand diverse subjects including mathematics, biology, chemistry, and physics, performing daily tasks such as:

• Operating and maintaining purification and clarification equipment
• Monitoring instruments, meters, gauges, and operating conditions
• Conducting tests and inspections on water quality and evaluating results

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