Vernon Hills

The Vernon Hills Public Water System is dedicated to providing safe, clean water to all residents. We strongly uphold the principles of the Safe Drinking Water Act, which requires every water utility to publish an annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR). This report details our water sources, treatment processes, and comprehensive chemical analysis results.

If you would like a physical copy of the water report, please contact our office. For any questions about your Water Quality Report, feel free to reach out to our water quality specialist at 847-377-7500 anytime.

WHERE DOES OUR WATER COME FROM?

Generally, municipal water sources (both tap and bottled) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water flows over land or through ground layers, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and can pick up substances from animal presence or human activities.

Potential contaminants in source water include:

• Microbial contaminants
• Inorganic contaminants
• Pesticides and herbicides
• Organic chemical contaminants
• Radioactive contaminants

To ensure tap water safety, the State and EPA establish guidelines limiting certain contaminant levels in public water systems. Similarly, State Health Department and FDA regulations create comparable protections for bottled water.

Our water supply comes from two aquifers. In 2018, approximately 41.6% of our water was drawn from wells near the Mohawk River in Niskayuna, while 58.4% came from City of Schenectady wells in Rotterdam near the Mohawk River.

WATER TREATMENT PROCESS

Water undergoes natural purification as it percolates through soil, clay, rock, and sand layers. After extraction from the aquifer, additional treatment occurs before distribution:

• Gas chlorination to oxidize iron/manganese and disinfect
• Pressure sand filtration to remove iron and manganese
• Fluoridation at low levels for dental health
• Polyorthophosphate injection for corrosion control

The City's treatment process is nearly identical except they don't require pressure sand filtration due to minimal iron/manganese in their source water.

SYSTEM FACTS AND FIGURES

Our water system serves approximately 21,781 people through 8,100 service connections. We maintain two water sources supplying Niskayuna's distribution system and several blocks in Schenectady. Our average daily demand was 2,616,000 gallons, with our highest single day reaching 5,155,000 gallons.

All Niskayuna connections are metered, along with 13 City connections, while 359 City connections remain unmetered. Total water withdrawn in 2018 was 955,064,000 gallons, with 804,511,385 gallons (81%) measured through Niskayuna consumer meters. City customers used approximately 53,657,916 gallons (5.6%), with the remaining 150,552,615 gallons (13%) classified as "lost water."

WATER QUALITY TESTING

We routinely test for numerous potential contaminants in accordance with State regulations, including:

• Inorganic compounds
• Radiological contaminants
• Lead and copper
• Nitrate
• Volatile organic compounds
• Haloacetic acids
• Trihalomethanes
• Synthetic organic compounds

Additionally, we test 20 samples monthly for coliform bacteria. Some contaminants are tested less than annually as their concentrations typically change minimally year to year.

All municipal water, including bottled water, may contain small amounts of some contaminants. Their presence doesn't necessarily indicate a health risk. For more information about contaminants and potential health effects, contact the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791) or the Schenectady County Health Department at (518) 386-2818.