Trabuco Canyon Water District

TCWD utilizes diverse water sources including purchased wholesale water, treated surface water, and local groundwater. Primarily, TCWD's Dimensions Water Treatment facility processes imported surface water from the Colorado River. Additionally, the district receives treated surface water from Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWDSC) or from the Baker Water Treatment Plant, which uses water from both MWDSC and Santiago Reservoir (Irvine Lake).

MWDSC's imported water comes from the Colorado River and the State Water Project, which draws from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Local groundwater is sourced from TCWD's Trabuco Creek Wells Service.

Understanding Water Contaminants

Water sources (both tap and bottled) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over land or through the ground, it dissolves natural minerals, sometimes radioactive materials, and can pick up substances from animal and human activities.

Potential contaminants include:

• Microbial contaminants such as viruses and bacteria from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural operations, and wildlife
• Herbicides and pesticides from agriculture, urban runoff, and residential uses
• Inorganic contaminants like salts and metals, which may occur naturally or result from urban runoff, industrial discharge, oil/gas production, mining, or farming
• Organic chemical contaminants including synthetic and volatile compounds from industrial processes, petroleum production, gas stations, urban runoff, and septic systems
• Radioactive contaminants that can be naturally occurring or result from oil/gas production or mining

To ensure tap water safety, the EPA and California Department of Drinking Water establish regulations limiting contaminant levels in public water systems. FDA regulations set similar limits for bottled water to provide equivalent public health protection.

Disinfection and Byproducts

Water disinfection was one of the 20th century's major public health advancements, significantly reducing waterborne disease outbreaks. Chlorine disinfection has virtually eliminated risks of microbial waterborne illnesses.

Chlorine is added at the source (well or treatment plant) with enough quantity to maintain a "residual" throughout the distribution system, preventing bacterial growth in pipes. However, chlorine can react with naturally-occurring elements to create disinfection byproducts (DBPs) that may pose health risks.

Trihalomethanes (THMs) and Haloacetic Acids (HAAs) are the most common DBPs in chlorinated water. In 2002, the Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule lowered the maximum THM annual average to 80 parts per billion and added HAAs to regulated substances. Your water complies with these regulations, and full Stage 2 compliance began in 2011.

Special Health Considerations

Some individuals may be more vulnerable to contaminants than the general population. Immunocompromised persons, including cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, organ transplant recipients, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk. These individuals should seek advice about drinking water from their healthcare providers.

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