Taylorsville Water Works

Your tap water is currently purchased from Louisville Water Co. (LWC). Their intake is located on the Ohio River near the Zorn pumping station on Zorn Avenue. The Ohio River is classified as surface water.

The supply water assessment plan examines LWC's vulnerability to potential contamination sources. The assessment identified unregulated spills of hazardous materials on the Ohio River and permitted discharges of sanitary sewers as the highest contamination risks. In Jefferson County, land use within the protection area is primarily residential and commercial, with few industrial sites. Oldham and Trimble Counties are mostly zoned for residential and agricultural purposes, resulting in relatively low source water contamination risks.

LWC maintains an emergency response plan to address potential contaminant threats. To view the complete source water assessment and protection plan, contact Jim Smith at 502-569-3900.

All municipal water, including bottled water, may reasonably contain small amounts of contaminants. Their presence doesn't necessarily indicate a health risk. For more information about contaminants and potential health effects, contact the Environmental Protection Agency's Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).

Municipal water sources (both tap and bottled) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels across land or underground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals, sometimes radioactive material, and can pick up substances from animal or human activity. Potential contaminants include:

• Microbial contaminants like viruses and bacteria (from sewage plants, septic systems, livestock, or wildlife)
• Inorganic contaminants including salts and metals (naturally occurring or from stormwater runoff, wastewater discharges, oil/gas production, mining, or farming)
• Pesticides and herbicides (from stormwater runoff, agriculture, or residential uses)
• Organic chemical contaminants including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals (byproducts of industrial processes, petroleum production, gas stations, stormwater runoff, or septic systems)
• Radioactive contaminants (naturally occurring or from oil/gas production or mining)

To ensure tap water safety, EPA prescribes regulations limiting contaminant levels in public water systems. FDA regulations establish similar limits for bottled water to provide equivalent public health protection.

Some individuals may be more vulnerable to water contaminants than the general population. Those with compromised immune systems—such as cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, organ transplant recipients, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune disorders, some elderly, and infants—may face increased infection risks. These individuals should seek advice about municipal water from their healthcare providers. EPA/CDC guidelines on reducing Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminant risks are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).

Elevated lead levels can cause serious health problems, particularly for pregnant women and young children. Lead in municipal water primarily comes from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. While your local public water system is responsible for providing high-quality municipal water, they cannot control materials used in plumbing components. After water has been sitting 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 about lead, consider water testing. Information on lead in municipal water, testing methods, and exposure reduction is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

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