Dover City PWS

To guarantee tap water safety for consumption, the U.S. EPA establishes regulations limiting the amount of certain contaminants in public water systems. Similarly, U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations set limits for contaminants in bottled water, providing equivalent public health protection.

All water sources – whether tap or bottled – typically contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of these substances doesn't necessarily indicate a health risk. Water sources (including tap and bottled water) originate from rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells.

As water travels over land surfaces or underground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals, sometimes radioactive materials, and substances resulting from animal presence or human activity. Potential contaminants in source water include:

• Microbial Contaminants: Viruses and bacteria from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural operations, or wildlife
• Inorganic Contaminants: Salts and metals occurring naturally or from urban runoff, wastewater discharges, oil/gas production, mining, or farming
• Pesticides and Herbicides: From agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and residential usage
• Organic Chemical Contaminants: 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

For additional information about contaminants and potential health effects, contact the U.S. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791.

When will the City address water quality issues?

The City of Fairhope recognizes that Mobile Bay and the numerous streams and creeks in our watershed are among our greatest assets. We take water quality very seriously and are committed to maintaining a healthy Bay where people can safely recreate and fish, and where marine life can thrive. We assure our citizens that substandard water quality readings are unacceptable, and we must implement additional measures to identify contamination sources.

Water Quality Challenges

Living in a beautiful, growing coastal environment with some of the country's highest rainfall levels presents unique challenges, and we're not alone in our ongoing struggle to maintain water quality. Poor water quality can result from various sources:

• Sanitary System Overflows (SSOs)
• Stormwater runoff from agricultural operations
• Construction development
• Failed septic systems and private sewer operations
• Boat waste and industrial operations
• Lawn fertilizers, chemicals, and pet waste

Mobile Bay collects runoff from four states, making contamination source identification particularly challenging.

Current Improvement Efforts

Water testing in Fairhope is conducted by regulatory agencies including the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) and Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH). Additionally, the City of Fairhope has voluntarily partnered with Mobile Baykeeper to perform water quality tests at Fly Creek sites. Baykeeper regularly tests known swimming areas along Mobile Bay and has reported bacterial contamination exceeding EPA recommended standards.

Over the past twenty months, the City has worked diligently to identify and address water quality concerns, including completing a Community Resilience Index process that identified community, economic, and infrastructure vulnerabilities throughout the City.