2005 City of Morgan City
Annual Water Quality Report
PWS ID # 1101005
What’s the Quality
of My Water?
The City of Morgan City is pleased to share this water
quality report with you. It describes to you, the customer, the quality of your
drinking water. This report covers January 1 through December 31, 2005. The
City of Morgan City’s drinking water supply surpassed the strict regulations of
both the State of Louisiana and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),
which requires all water suppliers to produce reports like this every year to
each customer.
In
2005 our water department distributed 1,221,068 gallons of water to our
customers. Morgan City has two surface water sources, the Atchafalaya River and the InterCoastal Waterway. Two independent raw water sources provide an
alternative raw water supply in the event of deterioration or contamination of
the raw water source in use.
Water
plant operations are based on single stage clarification followed by filtration
and disinfection.
A
Source Water Assessment Plan (SWAP) is now available from our office. This plan
is an assessment of a delineated area around our listed sources through which
contaminants, if present, could migrate and reach our source water; it also
includes an inventory of potential sources of contamination within the
delineated area, and a determination of the water supply's susceptibility to
contamination by the identified potential sources. According to the SWAP, our
water system had a susceptibility rating of low. If you would like to review
the SWAP, please feel free to contact City Hall @ 985-385-1770.
The
cost of drinking water is rising as we meet the needs of aging infrastructure,
comply with public health standards, and expand service areas. These increasing
costs may cause us to raise your rates. However, despite rate increases, water
is still a bargain.
If
you have any questions about this report or concerning your water utility,
please contact Murphy Arcemont, Manager of Water and Wastewater Treatment, by
calling 985-380-4658 or by writing to this address: PO Box 1218, Morgan City , LA 70381. We want our valued customers to be informed about their water
utility. You can attend Regular City Council meetings on the 4th Tuesday of
each month in the City Court House at 6:00PM.
The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) wants you to know:
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
that must provide the same protection for public health.
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 water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and
potential health effects can be obtained by calling the EPA’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.
Contaminants that
may be present in source water include:
Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which 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 storm water
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 storm water
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 storm water runoff, and septic systems.
Radioactive contaminants,
which can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and
mining activities.
Notes:
1The state allows us to monitor for some
contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these
contaminants do not change frequently. Some of our data, though accurate, are
more than one year old.
2Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness of the
water. We monitor it because it is a good indicator of the effectiveness of our
filtration system. Turbidity has no health effects. However, turbidity can
interfere with disinfection and provide a medium for microbial growth.
Turbidity may indicate the presence of disease-causing organisms. These
organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites that can cause symptoms such
as nausea, diarrhea and associated headaches.
3Total organic carbon (TOC) has no health
effects. However, TOC provides a medium for the formation of disinfection
byproducts. These byproducts include trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids.
Drinking water containing these byproducts in excess of the MCL may lead to
adverse health effects, liver, or kidney problems, or nervous system effects,
and may lead to an increased risk of getting cancer.
4Some people who drink water containing
haloacetic acids in excess of the MCL over many years may have an increased
risk of getting cancer.
5Some people who drink water, containing
trihalomethanes in excess of the MCL over many years may experience problems
with their liver, kidney or central nervous system, and may have an increased
risk of getting cancer.
6The MCL for beta
particles is 4 mrem/year. EPA considers 50 pCi/L to be the level of concern for
beta particles.
Definitions
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.
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.
Maximum
Residual Disinfectant Level Goal or 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
contaminants.
Maximum
Residual Disinfectant Level or 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.
Action
Level (or AL): The concentration of a contaminant, which, if exceeded,
triggers treatment or other requirements, which a water system must follow.
Treatment
Technique (or TT): A required process intended to reduce the level of a
contaminant in drinking water.
90th
Percentile: 90% of samples are equal to or less than the number in the
chart.
MREM
(or millirems): a measure of radiation absorbed by the body.
NTU
(or Nephelometric Turbidity Units): A measure of clarity.
NA:
Not applicable.
ND:
Not detectable at testing limits.
PPB
(or parts per billion): micrograms per liter (ug/l).
PPM
(or parts per million): milligrams per liter (mg/l).
Su:
Standard Unit.
HARA: Highest Annual Rolling
Average.
LRAA: Lowest
Running Annual Average.
CDC: Centers
for Disease Control.
EPA:
Environmental Protection Agency
Water Conservation
Because Morgan City is surrounded
by water, most people don’t think about water conservation. But reducing your
water usage can mean substantial savings in your water, sewer, and electric
bill. Reducing water usage can also reduce the need for new or expanded
wastewater treatment facilities. If every family in Morgan City reduces water
use, the volume of water entering the Morgan City Wastewater Treatment Plant is
reduced. Dollars saved by not expanding wastewater treatment facilities can be
used to upgrade Morgan City’s water treatment and distribution facilities. A
family can decrease water use by up to 20% without major discomfort or
expense. Fixing a steady faucet drip saves 20 gallons a day. Fixing a leaking
toilet saves at least 200 gallons a day. You can test for a leaking toilet by
adding food coloring to the tank. If any color appears in the toilet bowl
after 30 minutes without flushing, you have a leak. You can also test for
leaks in general by checking your water meter while no water is being used. If
the meter dial moves, you have a leak. The following are some simple
guidelines to conserve water:
Indoors
Wash only full loads of laundry
or adjust water level to match the load
Take short showers instead of
baths
Turn off water while brushing
teeth, shaving, etc.
Check toilets, faucets, and pipes
for leaks
To get warm water, turn on hot
water first and then add cold water
Limit use of garbage disposals
Don’t let water run while
cleaning vegetables
Cook using only the amount of
water necessary
Thaw frozen foods in the
refrigerator or microwave rather than in running water
Use pans with tightly fitted lids
to reduce evaporation
Wash only full loads in the
dishwasher
Outdoors
Water during cool time of day to
minimize evaporation
Avoid over watering and watering
the pavement
Use soaker hoses to apply water
slowly and directly to the soil
Clean driveways and sidewalks
with a broom or blower rather than a hose
Mow as infrequently as possible
with mower blades set at least 3” high (short grass requires more water to
remain healthy)
Wash car with soap and water in a
bucket – rinse using hose with shut-off nozzle
Check for and repair leaks in
hoses and faucets
Add mulch to garden and landscape
areas to reduce water demand
Avoid overcrowding of plants to
reduce competition for water
Cover swimming pools when not
used – covers save 90% of evaporation losses
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