Latest News & Events

The Water We Drink

HOMER WATER SYSTEM
Public Water Supply ID: LA1027003

We are pleased to present to you the Annual Water Quality Report for the year 2016. This report is designed to inform you about the quality of your water and services we deliver to you every day (Este informe contiene informaci6n muy importante sobre su agua potable. Traduzcalo o hable con alguien que lo entienda bien). Our constant goal is to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water. We want you to understand the efforts we make to continually improve the water treatment process and protect our water resources. We are committed to ensuring the quality of your water.

Our water source(s) are listed below:

Source Name
Source Water Type
WELL #6, CAVER
Ground Water
WELL #10, MAYFIELD
Ground Water
NEW MAYFIELD WELL
Ground Water
WELL #11, DUTCH TOWN ROAD
Ground Water
WELL #5, SW MAYFIELD
Ground Water
 

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 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 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.

Radioactive Contaminants - which can be naturally-occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.

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 Source Water Assessment Plan, our water system had a susceptibility rating of 'MEDIUM'. If you would like to review the Source Water Assessment Plan, please feel free to contact our office.

In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations which 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. We want our valued customers to be informed about their water utility. If you have any questions about this report, want to attend any scheduled meetings, or simply want to learn more about your drinking water, please contact DANNY ROY LEWIS at 318-927-3555.

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. HOMER WATER SYSTEM is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but cannot 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 2 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.

 

The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals - Office of Public Health routinely monitors for constituents in your drinking water according to Federal and State laws. The tables that follow show the results of our monitoring during the period of January 1st to December 31st, 2016. 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.

In the tables below, you will find many terms and abbreviations you might not be familiar with.

To help you better understand these terms, we've provided the following definitions:

Parts per million {ppm) or Milligrams per liter (mg/l) -one part per million corresponds to one minute in two years or a single penny in

$10,000.

Parts per billion (ppb) or Micrograms per liter (ug/l)- one part per billion corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years, or a single penny in

$10,000,000.

Picocuries per liter (pCi/l)- picocuries per liter is a measure of the radioactivity in water.

Treatment Technique (TT) - an enforceable procedure or level of technological performance which public water systems must follow to ensure control of a contaminant.

Action level (Al)- the concentration of a contaminant that, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements that a water system must follow.

Maximum contaminant level (MCL) - the "Maximum Allowed" MCL 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 contaminant level goal(MCLGl - the "Goal" is the level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to human health. MCLG's allow for a margin of safety.

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.

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 contaminants.

Level 1 assessment -A study of the water system to identify potential problems and determine (if possible) why total coliform bacteria have been found in our water system.

Level 2 Assessment -A very detailed study of the water system to identify potential problems and determine (if possible) why an E.coli MCL violation has occurred and/or why total coliform bacteria have been found in our water system on multiple occasions.

During the period covered by this report we had the below noted violations.

Compliance Period                               Analyte                                          I Type

 

1/1/2014- 12/31/2016
LEAD & COPPER RULE
LEAD CONSUMER NOTICE (LCR)
2/1/2016 - 2/29/2016
CHLORINE
MONITORING, ROUTINE (DBP), MAJOR
 

Our water system tested a minimum of 4 samples per month in accordance with the Total Coliform Rule for microbiological contaminants. During the monitoring period covered by this report, we had the following noted detections for microbiological contaminants:

Microbiological         Result                                          MCL                                                            MCLG                                 Typical Source

No Detected Results were Found in the Calendar Year of 2016                                                                                                                                                                              

In the tables below, we have shown the regulated contaminants that were detected. Chemical Sampling of our drinking water may not be required on an annual basis; therefore, information provided in this table refers back to the latest year of chemical sampling results. 

Regulated

Contaminants
Collection

Date
Highest

Value
Range
Unit
MCL
MCLG
Typical Source
BARIUM
3/21/2016
0.072
0.027-

0.072
ppm
2
2
Discharge of drilling wastes; Discharge from

metal refineries; Erosion of natural deposits
FLUORIDE
3/21/2016
0.16
0.12-

0.16
ppm
4
4
Erosion of natural deposits; Water additive which promotes strong teeth; Discharge from

fertilizer and aluminum factories
SELENIUM
3/21/2016
34
34
ppb
so
so
Discharge from petroleum and metal

refineries; Erosion of natural deposits; Discharge from mines
 
 

Radionuclides
Collection

Date
Highest

Value
Range
Unit
MCL
MCLG
Typical Source
GROSS BETA PARTICLE ACTIVITY
3/21/2016
2.98
2.53

2.98
pCi/1
so
0
Decay of natural and man-made deposits. Note: The gross beta particle activity MCL is 4 millirems/year annual dose equivalent to the total body or any internal organ. 50

pCi/L is used as a screening level.
 

Lead and

Copper
Date
9QTH

Percentile
Range
Unit
AL
Sites

Over AL
Typical Source
COPPER, FREE
2014 - 2016
0.6
0.1- 2.8
ppm
1.3
1
Corrosion of household plumbing systems;

Erosion of natural deposits; Leaching from wood preservatives
LEAD
2014 - 2016
7
1- 22
ppb
15
1
Corrosion of household plumbing systems;

Erosion of natural deposits
 

Disinfection

Byproducts
Sample Point
Period
Highest

LRAA
Range
Unit
MCL
MCLG
Typical Source
TOTAL HALOACETIC

ACIDS (HAAS)
DIALYSIS CENTER
2016
0
0-0
ppb
60
0
By-product of drinking

water disinfection
TOTAL HALOACETIC

ACIDS (HAAS)
EBENEZER CHURCH ROAD
2016
0
0-0
 
60
0
By-product of drinking

water disinfection

4.4                                              water chlorination
 
TTHM                            DIALYSIS CENTER                          2016       4              4.4-        ppb     80       0                                       By-product of drinking

 

1.11                                            water chlorination
 
TTHM                            EBENEZER CHURCH ROAD            2016       1              1.11-      ppb     80       0                                      By-product of drinking

 

 

I Secondary Contaminants            Collection Date                 Highest Value               Range                            Unit                                                    SMCL

 

3.5
 
Pa ge 14

 

 

ALUMINUM
10/8/2012
0.2
0.2
MG/L
0.05
CHLORIDE
3/21/2016
6.7
4.9-6.7
MG/L
250
IRON
3/21/2016
 
0.29 - 3.5
MG/L
0.3
MANGANESE
3/21/2016
0.039
0.0092-0.039
MG/L
0.05
PH
3/21/2016
7
6-7
SU
8.5
SULFATE
3/21/2016
9.8
6-9.8
MG/L
250
 

+++++++++++++++Environmental Protection Agency Required Health Effects Language+++++++++++++++ Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. lmmuno-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/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 (800-426-4791). 

Additional Required Health Effects Language:

Infants and children are typically more vulnerable to lead in drinking water than the general population. It is possible that lead levels at your home may be higher than at other homes in the community as a result of materials used in your home's plumbing. If you are concerned about elevated lead levels in your home's water, you may wish to have your water tested and flush your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using tap water. Additional information is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4761).

There are no additional required health effects violation notices.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Thank you for allowing us to continue providing your family with clean, quality water this year. In order to maintain a safe and dependable water supply we sometimes need to make improvements that will benefit all of our customers.

We at the HOMER WATER SYSTEM work around the clock to provide top quality drinking water to every tap. We ask that all our customers help us protect and conserve our water sources, which are the heart of our community, our way of life, and our children's future. Please call our office if you have questions.

PUBLIC NOTICE
Homer Water Svstem LA1027003
We are required to monitor your drinik ng water for specific contaminants on a regular basis. Results of regular monitoring are an indicator of whether or not your drinking water meets health standards. Please be aware of the following violation(s):

Chlorine Residual Monitoring Violation(s): We are required to monitor your drinking water for chlorine residual at our point of collection taps at the same time bacteriological samples are collected. Results of regular monitoring are an indicator of whether or not your drinking water meets health standards. During the following monitoring period(s)

I.    May I, 2015 - May 3/, 2015

Homer Water System did not monitor for chlorine residual at the same time bacteriological samples were collected, and therefore we cannot be sure of the quality of your drinking water during that time.

This is not an emergency. There is nothing you need to do at this time. As our customer, you have the right to know what happened and what is being done to correct the situation. Necessary action has been taken to prevent these violations from recu1Ting.

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.

If you have questions, please contact our office.

Instructions: Addendum to Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) - Water We Drink
Insert: Disinfectants - Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level {MRDL) and Disinfection By-products - Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL)

For all systems which use either Chlorine or Chloramines, as a disinfectant: You must report the annual average disinfectant residual level result and range of individual results in a Table in your CCR as shown in the following examples. You must also add the appropriate health effects language to the report in the Health Effects Language Section if the MRDL for either disinfectant was exceeded.

For all systems which use Chlorine Dioxide as a disinfectant: You must report the highest daily chlorine dioxide disinfectant residual level result and range of results and you must report the highest arithmetic average of monthly sample sets (3 samples in distribution system) and range in a Table in your CCR as shown in the following examples. You must also add the appropriate health effects language to the report in the Health Effects Language Section if the Chlorine Dioxide MRDL or the Chlorite MCL was exceeded.

For all systems which use Ozone as a disinfectant: You must report the annual average bromate level result and range of individual results in a Table in your CCR as shown in the following examples. You must also add the appropriate health effects language to the report in the Health Effects Language Section if the bromate MCL was exceeded.

Example Table (The below data is for example only and is not real data for the water system)

Contaminants
Date
Result
Unit
Range        MRDL or                MRDLG or

MCL                       MCLG
Typical Source
Chlorine

 

Chloramines
2015

2015
I.I

1.8
ppm

 

ppm
0.6-1.7      4                     4

0.7-2. l      4                     4
Water additive used to

control microbes Water additive used to control microbes
Chlorine

Dioxide
2015
778
ppb
722-778    800                 800
Water additive used to

control microbes
Chlorite
2015
0.6
ppm
0.4-0.6      I                     0.8
By-product of drinking

water disinfection
Bromate
2015
6
ppb
2-6             10                   0
By-product of drinking

water disinfection
 

Contaminant
Result value
Health Effects Language if exceeded
Chlorine MRDL
Highest running annual arithmetic average, computed quarterly, of

monthly samples
Some people who use water containing chlorine well in excess of the MRDL could experience irritating effects to their eyes and nose. Some people who drink water containing chlorine well in excess of the MRDL

could experience stomach discomfort.
Chloramines

MRDL
Highest running annual arithmetic average,

computed quarterly, of monthly samples
Some people who use water containing chloramines well in excess of the MRDL could experience irritating effects to their eyes and nose. Some

people who drink water containing chlorarnines well in excess of the MRDL could experience stomach discomfort or anemia.
Chlorine Dioxide MRDL
Highest daily value
Some infants and young children who drink water chlorine dioxide in excess of the MRDL could experience nervous system effects. Similar effects may occur in fetuses of pregnant women who drink water

containing chlorine dioxide in excess of the MRDL. Some people may experience anemia.
Chlorite MCL
Highest arithmetic average of monthly sample sets (3 samples in distribution system
Some infants and young children who drink water containing chlorite in excess of the MCL could experience nervous system effects. Similar effects may occur in fetuses of pregnant women who drink water

containing chlorite in excess of the MCL. Some people may experience anemia.
Bromate MCL
Highest running annual
Some people who drink water of containing bromate in excess of the
arithmetic average,          MCL over many years may have an increased risk of getting cancer.

computed quarterly, of monthly samples
 

2016 CCR, MRDL Insert - Page I

Addendum to Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) - Water We Drink
Calculating Quarterly running annual averages (RAAs) for disinfectants (Chlorine (Free) and Chloramines (Total)) Compliance residuals are taken from monthly bacteriological samples (Lab 8 forms)

Example I:

•  System size: 25-1,000 people              Samples: I per month ;

Example table (The below data is for example only and is not real data for the water system)

Month                                 Jan.         Feb.     Mar.
Apr.
May        Jun.
Jul.
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.        Dec.
   Monthly Sample (ppm)   0.7              0.6          0.6
 
0.7           0.6
0.9
0.8
0.8
0.7
0.8           0.8
Monthly Avg.                                      0.6          0.6
0.5
0.7           0.6
0.9
0.8
0.8
0.7
0.8           0.8
 
 
                       ! st Quarter                             2nd Quarter

3rd Quarter

4•h Quarter

 

 

 

0.7
 
Quarterly Avg.                                       0.6                                         0.6

   Quarterly RAA*                             0.7                                        0.6

0.8

0.7

0.8

0.7

*Reported RAA for I" - 3rd quarters are based on results from previous quarters not reported on this table.

Information to report in CCR

Highest Quarterly RAA Value for the year= 0.7 ppm Range of individual values (0.5-09)

Example contaminant table to insert into CCR:

 

 

 

Example 2:

•   System size: 1,001-2,500 people         Samples: 2 per month

Example table (The below data is for example only and is not real data for the water system)

Typical Source

 

Contaminants
Date
Result
Unit
Range
MRDL
MRDLG
Chlorine
2015
0.7
ppm
0.5-0.9
4
4
 
 
Water additive used to control microbes

 

Apr.
 

1.4
 
                                              1st Quarter                             2nd Quarter                             3'd Quarter                               4th Quarter

Month                                 Jan.         Feb.       Mar.                     Sample I (ppml   1.0                         2.1                                            1.4       2.2

May        Jun.        Jul.          Aug.        Sept. 1.4             2.5          2.6                         1.4

Oct. 2.9

Nov. 3.7

Dec. 1.8

 

1.4
 
Sample 2 (ppm)                  1.4           1.9          0.8          2.2           2.3          1.6           2.1          2.8           1.4                                           2.7

Monthly Avg.                      1.2       2.0            I. I              2.2           1.9           1.5           2.3          2.7                                                    2.8

Quarterly Avg.                                      1.4                                          1.9                                         2.1

Quarterly RAA*                             1.7                                          2.3                                        1.9

*Reported RAA for I51 - 3rd  quarters are based on results from previous quarters not reported on this table.

Information to report in CCR

Highest Quarterly RAA Value for the year= 2.3 ppm Range of individual values (0.8 -3.7)

 

Contaminants
Date
Result
Unit
Range
MRDL
MRDLG
Chloramines
2015
2.3
ppm
0.8-3.7
4
4
 
 
Example contaminant table to insert into CCR:

2.9

3.3

       2.6     

2.0

1.8

1.8

 

 

 

 

Calculations

Typical Source

Water additive used to control microbes

•        Monthly Avg. = (Sum of individual sample results collected in the month)/ total number of samples in month Example: For January in Example 2: (1.0+ 1.4)/2= 1.2

•        Quarterly Avg.= (Sum of monthly avgs. for a quarter)/3 Example: For I51  Quarter in Example 2: (1.2+ 2.0+ 1.1)/3 = 1.4

•        Quarterly RAA = (The Quarterly Avg.+ 3 previous Quarterly Avgs.)/4

Example: For Quarterly Avg. for 4th Quarter in Example 2: (2.6+2.l+l .9+1.4)/4 = 2.0

 

ear / 4

 

2016 CCR, MRDL Insert - Page 2

Download 2015 Consumer Confidence Report