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Water Quality Reports (WQR) [1999 WQR] | 1999 WQR Home | Your Drinking Water | Definitions | Water Quality Table | General Water Information | More Information |
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General Water Information A word about drinking water... (1 ) 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 EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791). (2) 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 people, and infants can be
particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water
from their health care providers. EPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the
risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available
from EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline About source water prior to treatment... 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 occuring 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, 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 occuring or result from urban stormwater runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming. • Pesticides and herbicides that 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 by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production and can also come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff, and septic systems. • Radioactive contaminants that can be naturally occuring or 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 that must provide the same protection for public health. A special health-related item... One occurence of Cryptosporidium at the analytical detection limit was observed in the source water prior to treatment during 1998. Cryptosporidium is a microbial organism. When ingested, it can cause diarrhea, fever, and other gastrointestinal symptoms. This organism is found in animal wastes and sewage and is washed into rivers and streams when it rains. The best defense against this organism is an effective treatment process, most importantly filtration. Portsmouth’s triple-media filters are successfully removing tiny particles, including particles the same size as these organisms, from our water. We believe that new upgrades to our filtration and treatment process will enable us to achieve even greater particle removal, and thus greater protection from Cryptosporidium. |
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City of Portsmouth, Virginia - All rights reserved. |
last updated November, 2003 |
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