Fayetteville Waterworks

The Arkansas Department of Health has completed a Source Water Vulnerability Assessment for Beaver Water Area. This assessment evaluates potential contamination risks to our drinking source and serves as the foundation for developing protective strategies. Based on thorough evaluation criteria, our water source has been classified as having low susceptibility to contaminants.

You may request a complete Source Water Vulnerability Assessment from our office. As water travels across land surfaces or through underground layers, it dissolves naturally-occurring minerals and may occasionally pick up substances from animal presence or human activities.

Potential contaminants in source water include:

• Microbial contaminants like viruses and bacteria from sewage treatment facilities, septic systems, agricultural operations, and wildlife
• Inorganic contaminants including salts and metals that may occur naturally or result from urban runoff, wastewater discharge, oil/gas production, mining, or farming
• Pesticides and herbicides from agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and residential usage
• Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic compounds from industrial processes, petroleum production, gas stations, urban runoff, and septic systems
• Radioactive contaminants that occur naturally or result from oil/gas production and mining

The EPA establishes regulations limiting contaminant levels in public water systems to ensure safety. Similarly, FDA regulations set limits for bottled water products. All water sources, including bottled water, can reasonably be expected to contain at least minimal amounts of some contaminants, though their presence doesn't necessarily indicate a health risk.

Certain populations may be more vulnerable to water contaminants than the general public. Individuals with compromised immune systems—such as cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, organ transplant recipients, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune disorders, some elderly individuals, and infants—may face heightened risks. These individuals should seek medical advice regarding their water consumption.

For additional information about contaminants and potential health effects, contact the Environmental Protection Agency's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791. Guidelines on reducing infection risks from microbiological contaminants are also available through this hotline.

Elevated lead levels, when present, can cause serious health problems, particularly for pregnant women and young children. Lead in municipal water primarily comes from materials and components in service lines and home plumbing. While we're responsible for providing high-quality water, we cannot control the materials used in plumbing components. If water has been sitting in pipes for several hours, you can minimize potential lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to two minutes before using water for drinking or cooking. If concerned about lead, consider having your water tested. Information about lead in drinking water, testing methods, and exposure reduction is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

For questions about this report or your water utility, please contact Bernard Nylander, Utilities Director, at 479-575-8386. We encourage our valued customers to stay informed about their water utility. To learn more, attend our regularly scheduled meetings held on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month at 4:30 PM in Room 326 of the Fayetteville City Administration Building at 113 W. Mountain in Fayetteville.

We're pleased to present this Annual Water Quality Report, designed to inform you about the quality of water and services we deliver daily. Our goal is to provide you with safe, reliable water, and we want you to understand and participate in our ongoing efforts to improve water treatment processes and protect our valuable water resources.

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