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P.O. Box 51370 Knoxville, TN 37950-1370 West Knox Utility Annual Drinking Water Report for 2005 West
Knox Utility District is pleased to present this year’s Annual Water Quality Report. The information contained in the table
covers the period from January 1, 2005 through December 31, 2005. This
report shows that your drinking water,
like all drinking water (Including bottled water) contains small amounts of
contaminants. It is important to
remember that the presence of these contaminants does not necessarily pose a
health risk. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the
Tennessee Department of Health and Conservation (TDH&C) have established
limits on these contaminants and have determined that your drinking water provided
by West Knox Utility District is safe to drink. Presently
West Knox Utility District operates two surface water treatment plants both located on the Clinch River on
Melton Hill Lake. Our goal is to
protect our water from contaminants
and we are working with the State to determine the vulnerability of our water
source to potential contamination.
The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) has prepared a Source Water Assessment Program (SWAP) Report for the untreated water
sources serving this water system. The
SWAP report assesses the susceptibility of untreated water sources to potential contamination. To ensure safe drinking water, all public
water systems treat and routinely test their water. Water sources have been rated as reasonably susceptible (high), moderately
susceptible (moderate) or slightly susceptible (low), based on geologic factors
and human activities in the vicinity of
the water source. The WKUD Water
System sources are rated as reasonably susceptible to potential contamination. An
explanation of Tennessee’s Source Water Assessment Program, the Source Water Assessment summaries, susceptibility scorings and the
overall TDEC report to EPA can be viewed online at www.state.tn.us/environment.dws.dwassess.php
or you may contact the Water System to obtain copies of specific
assessments. As
you can see by the table our system had no violations. We’re proud that your drinking water meets
or exceeds all Federal and State requirements. We have learned through our monitoring and
testing that some contaminants have been
detected. The EPA has determined
that your water IS SAFE at these
levels. Phone: 865-690-2521 Fax: 865-531-1960 Email: www.wkud.com Water
Quality Report 2005 Water
Quality Summary West
Knox Utility
District 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. MCL’s are set at very stringent
levels. To understand the possible
health effects described for many regulated contaminants, a person would have
to drink 2 liters of water every day at the MCL level for a lifetime to have a
one-in-a-million chance of having the described health effect. 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 the advise about
drinking water from their health care providers. More information about
contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the
Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Hotline at 1-800-426-4791. We want all of our customers to be informed about their
water and utility. If you want to learn
more please attend any of our regularly scheduled meetings. They are held on the 4th Thursday of each
month at 9:00 a.m. at the West Knox Utility District office located at 2328
Lovell Road, Knoxville, Tennessee. You
may also contact West Knox Utility District as listed below: Terms
& Definitions Below Detectable Limits (BDL)
- Laboratory
analysis indicates that the contaminant is not present in a detectable
quantity. Parts per million (ppm) or
Milligrams per liter (mg/L)- one part per million corresponds to one minute in
two years of a single penny in $10,000. Parts per billion (ppb) or
Micrograms per liter– one part per billion corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years, or a
single penny in $10,000,000. Parts per trillion (ppt) or
Nanograms per liter (nanograms/L)-one part per trillion corresponds to one minute in
2,000,000 years or one penny in $10,000,000,000,000. Parts per quadrillion (ppq)
or Picograms per liter (picograms/L)- one part per quadrillion corresponds to one minute
in 2,000,000,000 years or one penny in $10,000,000,000,000. Picocuries per liter (pCi/L)-
picocuries
per liter is a measure of the radioactivity in water. Millirems per year (mrem/yr)-
measure of
radiation absorbed by the body. Million Fibers per Liter
(MFL)- million
fibers per liter is a measure of the asbestos fibers that are no longer than 10
micrometers. Nephlometric Turbidity Unit
(NTU)- nephlometric
turbidity unit is a measure of the clarity of water. Turbidity in excess of 5
NTU is just noticeable to the average person. Turbidity does not present any
risk to your health. West Knox Utility District monitors turbidity because it
is a good indicator that our filtration system is functioning properly. Variances & Exemptions
(V&E)- State
or EPA permission not to meet an MCL or a treatment technique under certain
conditions. The State of Tennessee does
not allow variances and exemptions. Action Level– The concentration of a
containment, which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements that
a water system must follow. Treatment Technique (TT)- A treatment technique is a
required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking
water. Maximum Contaminant Level
(MCL)- The
“maximum allowed” is the highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in
drinking water. MCL’s are set as close
to the MCLG’s as feasible using the best available treatment technology. Maximum Containment Level
Goal (MCLG)- The
goal is the level of contaminant in drinking water, which below there is no
known or expected risk to health. MCLG’s allow for a margin of safety. CCR Units– CCR Units express the MCL in
whole numbers. For example ppb are used
to eliminate fractions of ppm. (I.E. 0.050 oom= 50 ppb) MRDL- ‘Maximum Residential
Disinfectant Level’- the highest level of disinfectant allowed in drinking
water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a
disinfectant is necessary for the control of microbial contaminants. MRDLG- ‘Maximum Residential
Disinfectant Level Goal’- The level of drinking water disinfectant below which
there is no known or expected risk to health.
MRDLG’s do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to
control microbial contaminants.
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