City of Rockwall

The sources of municipal water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels across land surfaces or through underground layers, it dissolves naturally-occurring minerals and, in some instances, radioactive materials, while potentially picking up substances from animal presence or human activities.

All municipal water, including bottled options, can be expected to contain at least minimal amounts of certain contaminants. The presence of these substances doesn't necessarily indicate a health risk. For more detailed information about contaminants and potential health effects, contact the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Safe Municipal Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791.

Common contaminants in source water include:

• Microbial contaminants - viruses and bacteria from sewage treatment facilities, septic systems, agricultural operations, and wildlife
• Inorganic contaminants - salts and metals occurring naturally or resulting from urban runoff, industrial wastewater, oil/gas production, mining, or farming
• Pesticides and herbicides - from various sources including agriculture, stormwater runoff, and residential usage
• Organic chemical contaminants - byproducts of industrial processes and petroleum production, also from gas stations, urban runoff, and septic systems
• Radioactive contaminants - naturally occurring or resulting from oil/gas production and mining

To ensure tap water safety, the EPA establishes regulations limiting contaminant levels in public water systems. Similarly, FDA regulations set limits for contaminants in bottled water to provide equivalent public health protection.

Some water quality issues affect taste, odor, or color without necessarily posing health risks. For questions about these sensory characteristics, please contact the system office directly.

Certain populations may be more vulnerable to specific microbial contaminants like Cryptosporidium. Infants, elderly individuals, immunocompromised persons (cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, organ transplant recipients, steroid treatment patients, and people with HIV/AIDS), may face increased infection risks. Consult healthcare providers about your water. Additional guidance on reducing Cryptosporidium infection risk is available through the Safe Municipal Water Hotline (800-426-4791).

Elevated lead levels can cause serious health complications, particularly for pregnant women and young children. Lead primarily enters water through plumbing materials and components. While we're responsible for providing quality water, we cannot control materials used in household plumbing. After water sits for several hours, you can minimize lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking. If concerned, consider water testing. Information about lead in water, testing methods, and exposure reduction is available from the Safe Municipal Water Hotline or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

Regarding our water source: The City of Rockwall purchases treated water from the North Texas Municipal Water District (TX0430044) from the Wylie Water Treatment Plant. This surface water comes from multiple reservoirs: Lavon (Collin County), Jim Chapman (Hopkins and Delta Counties), Texoma (Grayson County), Tawakoni (Hunt, Rains, and Van Zandt Counties) and the East Fork Raw Water Supply Project (Wetland) in Kaufman County.

TCEQ completed Source Water Assessments for all municipal systems with their own sources. These reports analyze vulnerability and potential contamination sources based on human activities and natural conditions. For assessment information, contact NTMWD Environmental Services at (972) 442-5405 or environmental.info@ntmwd.com. Further details about sources and assessments are available at http://dww2.tceq.texas.gov/DWW/.

According to our water loss audit submitted to the Texas Water Development Board for January-December 2017, our system lost approximately 21,330,931 gallons of water. Questions about the water loss audit? Please contact us at 972-771-7730.

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