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The City tests your drinking water for many constituents as required by State and Federal Regulations. This
report shows the results of our monitoring for the period of January 1 - December 31, 2005.
This report is an overview of the quality of the water provided by the City of Grass Valley last year.
Included are details about where your water comes from, what it contains, and how it compares to
State standards. We are proud of our water and committed to providing you with information. For
more information about your water, call Rick Beckley at 477-4626.
City Council Meetings
The Grass Valley City Council meets the second and fourth Tuesday of every month at 7:30 pm at
125 East Main Street.
Source:
The City of Grass Valley purchases surface water from Nevada Irrigation District, originating from
Lower Scott’s Flat Lake. This water is transmitted in channels and pipelines to the Alta Vista Treatment
Plant where it is treated and distributed to the consumer.
TERMS USED IN THIS REPORT:
- Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL): The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology.
- Treatment Technique: A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in
drinking water.
- Action Level: The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or
other requirements which a water system must follow.
- Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal (MRDLG): The level of a drinking water disinfectant below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contamination.
- Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG): The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety. Include the following definitions only if your report contains information on disinfectant residuals, or a detected contaminant that is regulated by an action level (e.g., lead) or a treatment technique (e.g., turbidity):
- Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level (MRDL): The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants.
- PPM: Parts per million.
- ND: Not Detected.
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Vulnerability
All drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the USEPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).
Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immuno-compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. USEPA/Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).
The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally-occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity.
- Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, that may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife.
- Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, that can be naturally-occurring or result from urban stormwater runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming.
- Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and residential uses.
- Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, that are byproducts of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff, and septic systems.
- Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally-occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.
In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, USEPA and the state Department of Health
Services (Department) prescribe regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water
provided by public water systems. Department regulations also establish limits for contaminants in
bottled water that must provide the same protection for public health.
Tables 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 list all of the drinking water contaminants that were detected during the
most recent sampling for the constituent. The presence of these contaminants in the water does not
necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk. The Department requires us to monitor for
certain contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants are not
expected to vary significantly from year to year. Some of the data, though representative of the water
quality, are more than one year old.
Mike Busse, Treatment Plant Operator
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