Grand Junction

We're pleased to present this year's water quality report to our community. Our primary mission is to deliver safe, reliable municipal water to your home. For questions or to learn about public participation opportunities that might impact water quality, please contact Mark Ritterbush at 256-4185.

General Information
All municipal water, including bottled varieties, may contain small 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, please call the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791) or visit http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants.

Vulnerable Populations
Some individuals may be particularly vulnerable to water contaminants. People undergoing chemotherapy, organ transplant recipients, those with HIV/AIDS or immune disorders, some elderly individuals, and infants could face increased risks. These people should seek advice from healthcare providers regarding their water consumption.

Water Sources and Contaminants
Municipal water comes from rivers, lakes, streams, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels across land or underground, it dissolves natural minerals and can pick up substances from animal presence or human activity. Potential contaminants include:

• Microbial contaminants: viruses and bacteria from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural operations, and wildlife
• Inorganic contaminants: naturally-occurring salts and metals or those resulting from urban runoff, industrial discharges, oil/gas production, mining, or farming
• Pesticides and herbicides: from agriculture, urban runoff, and residential uses
• Radioactive contaminants: naturally-occurring or from oil/gas production and mining
• Organic chemicals: synthetic and volatile compounds from industrial processes, petroleum production, gas stations, urban runoff, and septic systems

Safety Regulations
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment enforces regulations limiting contaminant levels in public water systems. FDA regulations establish similar limits for bottled water to ensure public safety.

Lead in Municipal Water
Elevated lead levels can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Lead in home water supplies often comes from household plumbing materials. If concerned, you can have your water tested. After water sits in pipes for several hours, you can minimize lead exposure by running your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking. For more information, contact the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791) or visit http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

Source Water Assessment
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has provided a Source Water Assessment Report for our supply. Access this report at http://wqcdcompliance.com/ccr under "Source Water Assessment Reports," then "Assessment Report by County." Select MESA County and find 139321; GRAND JUNCTION CITY OF or contact Mark Ritterbush at 970-256-4185.

Water Quality Monitoring
GRAND JUNCTION CITY OF regularly monitors water contaminants according to Federal and State laws. Our reports show all detections from January 1 to December 31, 2016, unless noted otherwise. Some contaminants are monitored less frequently as their concentrations aren't expected to vary significantly year-to-year.

The CDC provides essential information about waterborne illnesses, prevention strategies, and public health recommendations related to municipal water systems like Grand Junction's. Their resources help residents understand potential health impacts of water quality issues and appropriate protective measures for vulnerable populations.