Keesler's annual water quality report released Published June 23, 2010 81st Aerospace Medicine Squadron KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Is my water safe? Last year, as in years past, your tap water met all U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and state drinking water health standards. Local water vigilantly safeguards its water supplies and once again we are proud to report that our system has not violated a maximum contaminant level or any other water quality standard. Do I need to take special precautions? 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. EPA/Centers for Disease Control guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Water Drinking Hotline, 1-800-426-4791. Where does my water come from? Keesler drinking water is pumped from the Lower Graham Ferry Aquifer, a groundwater source. All water provided to Keesler is pumped from wells located on base property. The water from the wells is mixed, treated with chlorine and fluoride, stored and distributed. Source water assessment and availability The purpose of a source water assessment is to determine the quality of the raw water used for drinking water. At Keesler, the only treatment performed on source water is the addition of chlorine and fluoride. Because of limited chemical treatment, the analytical results for Keesler's drinking water are representative of its source water. Why are there contaminants in my drinking water? Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants doesn't necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency's 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, which 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, which are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff, and septic systems; and 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, EPA prescribes regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. Food and Drug Administration regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health. How can I get involved? Education is the key to getting involved and understanding your drinking water. Additional information is available from the Centers for Disease Control at http://www.cdc.gov/safewater/. Water conservation tips Did you know that the average U.S. household uses approximately 400 gallons of water per day or 100 gallons per person per day? Luckily, there are many low-cost and no-cost ways to conserve water. Small changes can make a big difference -- try one today and soon it will become second nature. Take short showers. A five-minute shower uses 4 to 5 gallons of water compared to up to 50 gallons for a bath. Shut off water while brushing your teeth, washing your hair and shaving and save up to 500 gallons a month. Use a water-efficient showerhead. They're inexpensive, easy to install, and can save you up to 750 gallons a month. Run your clothes washer and dishwasher only when they are full. You can save up to 1,000 gallons a month. Water plants only when necessary. Fix leaky toilets and faucets. Faucet washers are inexpensive and take only a few minutes to replace. To check your toilet for a leak, place a few drops of food coloring in the tank and wait. If it seeps into the toilet bowl without flushing, you have a leak. Fixing it or replacing it with a new, more efficient model can save up to 1,000 gallons a month. Adjust sprinklers so only your lawn is watered. Apply water only as fast as the soil can absorb it and during the cooler parts of the day to reduce evaporation. Teach your kids about water conservation to ensure a future generation that uses water wisely. Make it a family effort to reduce next month's water bill! For more information, log on to www.epa.gov/watersense Source water protection tips You can help protect your community's drinking water source in several ways: Eliminate excess use of lawn and garden fertilizers and pesticides - they contain hazardous chemicals that can reach your drinking water source. Pick up after your pets. Dispose of chemicals properly; take used motor oil to a recycling center. Volunteer in your community. Find a watershed or wellhead protection group in your community and volunteer to help. If there are no active groups, consider starting one. Use EPA's Adopt Your Watershed to locate groups in your community, or visit the Watershed Information Network's How to Start a Watershed Team. Organize a storm drain stenciling project with your local government or water supplier. Stencil a message next to the street drain reminding people "Dump No Waste - Drains to River" or "Protect Your Water." Produce and distribute a flyer for households to remind residents that storm drains dump directly into your local water body. Additional information for lead If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. Keesler is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but can't control the variety of materials used in plumbing components. When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to two minutes before using water for drinking or cooking. If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water tested. Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at http:// www.epa.gov/safewater/lead. Infants and children who drink water containing lead in excess of the action level could experience delays in their physical or mental development. Children could show slight deficits in attention span and learning abilities. Adults who drink this water over many years could develop kidney problems or high blood pressure. Compliance data violation reporting, monitoring We are required to monitor your drinking water for specific contaminants on a monthly basis. Results of regular monitoring are an indicator of whether or not our drinking water meets health standards. In July 2009, a water sample tested positive for total coliform during routine bacteriological sampling. The Mississippi Department of Health requires that valid resamples are collected within 24 hours of MSDH notification for each positive routine sample. We did not collect the required number of resamples within 24 hours, resulting in a monitoring violation. A re-sample was taken July 29, which met the MSDH requirement. Samples analyzed July 30 were negative for total coliforms. A public notification of the monitoring violation was provided in the Keesler News, Sept. 3, 2009, page 9. Water quality data table The table below lists all drinking water contaminants detected during the calendar year of this report. The presence of contaminants in the water doesn't necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk. Unless otherwise noted, the data presented in this table is from testing done in the calendar year of the report. The EPA or the state requires us to monitor for certain contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants don't change frequently. For more information, contact Staff Sgt. Billy Wince Jr., 376-0590; or e-mail billy.wince@us.af.mil View Keesler's annual water quality chart here: http://www.keesler.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-100623-030.pdf