City of Sherman

This report covers the period from January 1 through December 31, 2017, and provides essential information about your municipal water and the efforts made to ensure a safe water supply. The City of Sherman utilizes both surface and ground water sources. If you're unsure about your home's specific water source, please refer to the map in this report or call 903-892-7258.

Our Municipal Water Meets or Exceeds All Federal (EPA) Standards

This summary highlights the quality of municipal water we deliver to our customers, based on the most recent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) required tests. We hope this information helps you better understand what's in your tap water.

Sources of Municipal Water

The sources of municipal water (both tap and bottled) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally-occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive materials, and can pick up substances from animal presence or human activity.

All municipal water, including bottled water, may contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. However, 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 Municipal Water Hotline at 800-426-4791.

Potential Contaminants in Source Water:

• Microbial contaminants such as viruses and bacteria from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural operations, and wildlife
• Inorganic contaminants like salts and metals, occurring naturally or resulting from urban runoff, industrial/domestic wastewater, oil/gas production, mining, or farming
• Pesticides and herbicides from agriculture, urban runoff, and residential uses
• Organic chemical contaminants including synthetic and volatile organics from industrial processes, petroleum production, gas stations, urban runoff, and septic systems
• Radioactive contaminants, naturally-occurring or resulting from oil/gas production and mining

Many elements found in tap water (like calcium, sodium, or iron) may cause taste, color, or odor issues. These are secondary substances regulated by Texas, not the EPA, and don't pose health concerns. While not required in this report, these elements can affect the appearance and taste of your water.

Water Conservation Tips

Did you know the average U.S. household uses approximately 350 gallons of water daily? Here are simple ways to conserve:

• Water lawns during cooler parts of the day
• Fix toilet and faucet leaks promptly
• Take shorter showers (5 minutes uses 4-5 gallons versus up to 50 gallons for a bath)
• Turn off taps while brushing teeth or shaving
• Teach children about water conservation to ensure future generations use water wisely

Water Sources in Sherman

Sherman has two distinct water sources: ground water from 24 wells in the Woodbine and Trinity aquifers, and surface water from Lake Texoma. Ground water only requires chlorine disinfection, while surface water undergoes more extensive treatment.

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