Consumer Confidence Report Water Quality Report 2013
Arlington Water Utilities
Every Drop is Beautiful
2013 Water
Quality Report
Save Water. Nothing Can Replace It.
The City of Arlington’s conservation program is
part of a regional effort to help plan for future water
supply needs and meet the requirements of the Texas
Commission on Environmental Quality and Texas Water
Development Board. With reservoir levels decreasing
and water capacity below normal, the City of Arlington
is asking residents and businesses to comply with City
ordinances and use water wisely. The City of Arlington
appreciates your commitment to conserving water
and we encourage you to save water and money by
changing your water use habits today. For more water
conservation tips, visit www.SaveArlingtonWater.com.
Why does my water smell musty
sometimes?
For more information:
Water Quality:...................................817-575-8984
Laboratory Services water sample requests, water quality questions
or water quality problems. If you have questions concerning this
brochure, ask for the laboratory.
Customer Services:.............................817-275-5931
During certain times of the year, it is not uncommon
to experience some taste and odor issues with your tap
water. A naturally occurring compound called geosmin is
produced by bacteria in soil and algae found in surface
water. Extreme temperatures can kill off algae in surface
water, which releases the geosmin into the water. While
the taste and odor can be unpleasant, geosmin is not
toxic or harmful. The water remains safe to drink. The
human nose is extremely sensitive to geosmin. If you
poured a teaspoon of geosmin into the equivalent of 200
Olympic-sized swimming pools, you would still be able
to smell it. The general threshold for human detection
is about 15 nanograms per liter (parts per trillion);
however people with sensitive pallets can detect these
compounds in drinking water when the concentration is
as low as 5 nanograms per liter. This is why some
customers notice the changes
in taste and odor while others
Conser vation Tip
do not. Heating the water
Up to 30% of water is lost to
increases the volatility of
evaporation when watering
these compounds, which
in the afternoons.
explains why the smell is
more easily detected when
you are in the shower or when
used for hot beverages. To make the water
taste better, try chilling it, adding ice cubes, a slice
of lemon, or a few drops of lemon juice. And remember
that the change in taste and odor is only temporary.
Open new or transfer account, billing inquiries, water conservation,
water and sewer rates.
Emergency Water, and
Sewer Services (24 hours):...................817-459-5900
Service interruptions, water leaks, sewer problems
Tarrant Regional Water
District (TRWD):................................817-237-8585
Texas Commission on Environmental
Quality (TCEQ):..................................512-239-1000
To participate in decisions concerning water:
Attend the Arlington City Council meetings, held on the 2 nd and
4 th Tuesday nights at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chamber located at
City Hall, 101 West Abram Street.
Meeting schedule is posted online at
www.ArlingtonTX.gov/citycouncil/meeting_schedule.html
To view City Council Agenda or to watch
a City Council meeting webcast, please visit
www.ArlingtonTX.gov/citycouncil/agenda.html
Visit our website at:
www.ArlingtonTX.gov/water/CCR
Este informe incluye información importante sobre su agua
potable, si necesita ayuda para entender esta información
por favor llame al 817-575-8984.
Ban bao cao nay bao gom nhung thong tin can biet ve nuoc
uong. Moi chi tiet va thac mac xin lien lac 817-575-8984.
Published May 2014
Photography by Anh Ainsworth
A
s you read through this report, you will notice that drinking water produced by Arlington Water Utilities meets
or exceeds all Federal and State drinking water quality regulations. Substances found in Arlington water are well
below the maximum allowable levels. The information included in this report reflects the data collected from January 1
through December 31, 2013, unless noted otherwise.
How is Arlington water treated?
The water in Arlington is treated at two state of the art
water treatment plants. Ozone is used
as the primary disinfectant. Aluminum
sulfate and a cationic polymer are added
Reservoirs
to help dirt and other particles clump
together and settle out during treat-
ment. The water is then filtered through
granular activated carbon beds to remove
Pre-Ozonation
smaller particles and substances that are
Mixing
chamber
dissolved in the water. The water is then
chloraminated (treated with chlorine and
then ammonia) as it enters the clearwell
for storage. Chloramine is the secondary disinfectant that
keeps the water safe on its way to your faucet.
Drinking water, including bottled
The
water, may reasonably be expected
to contain at least small amounts of
some constituents. The presence of
these constituents does not necessarily
indicate that water poses a health risk. In
order to ensure that tap water is safe to
drink, the EPA prescribes regulations that
Is Arlington water safe to drink?
Absolutely. Our employees take great pride in producing
and delivering to you, our customer, water that meets all
Federal and State regulations. To ensure your water is of
the highest quality, Arlington Water Utilities Laboratory
closely monitors the drinking
Raw water
Primary
pump station
disinfection
water at over 100 distribu-
(Ozone)
Filters
tion locations throughout
the city. In 2013, the
laboratory collected 5,608
Coagulation Sedimentation Secondary
disinfection (Chloramine)
basin
basin
samples and performed
12,506 tests monitoring 144
Clearwell storage
analytes.
Y ou may be more vulnerable than the general
population to certain microbial contaminants, such
as Cryptosporidium, in drinking water. Infants, some
elderly or immuno-compromised persons such as
those undergoing chemotherapy for cancer; those
who have undergone organ transplants; those who are
undergoing treatment with steroids and people with
HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders can be
particularly at risk from infections. You should seek
advice about drinking water from your health care
provider. Additional guidelines on appropriate means
to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium are
available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-
426-4791).
General information about lead
limit the amount of certain substances in
water provided by public water systems.
The treatment process removes these
substances from the raw water and
provides further protection prior to
In Arlington we not only use chlorine to disinfect the water
but also ammonia. This produces a compound known
as chloramines. Chloramines are toxic to fish and must
be neutralized before any fish are added to your tank.
Many pet supply stores carry solutions that will neutralize
chlorine as well as ammonia. Or you can do the following
prior to adding any fish to the tank :
For every 10 gallons of water, add 1
teaspoon of household liquid bleach
Conser vation Tip
to your tank water and mix. Let the
water sit in the tank overnight.
When cleaning out fish tanks,
Add three times the amount of
give the nutrient-rich water to
commercial dechlorinating agent as
your plants.
indicated on the bottle and mix. Let
the water sit for at least 24 hours and
check the water with a chlorine test kit
also available at pet supply stores.
Health information for Special Populations
Distribution
sending it to the distribution
system. More information about
contaminants and potential health
effects can be obtained by calling
the Environmental Protection Agency’s
(EPA) Safe Drinking Water Hotline at
800-426-4791 or visiting the EPA website
at www.epa.gov/safewater.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Safe Drinking Water Hotline
Did You Know…
Arlington Water Utilities has a
rated capacity of 172.5 M.G.D.
to meet water demand
Where does lead in drinking water come from? If
present, lead is introduced into your drinking water
from plumbing fixtures and materials, not from the
water source. Although lead was banned from use in
pipe and solder in 1986, older homes may still have
materials containing lead.
Where does Arlington drinking water come from? Arlington purchases its water for treatment from
the Tarrant Regional Water District. The water is taken from four reservoirs. Cedar Creek, Richland-Chambers and Lake Benbrook
supply the John F. Kubala Water Treatment Plant. Lake Arlington supplies the Pierce-Burch Water Treatment Plant.
Cryptosporidium Monitoring Information:
In 2013 Tarrant Regional Water District monitored all raw
water sources for Cryptosporidium and found none in the
source waters servicing Arlington.
Cryptosporidium is a microscopic, disease- causing
parasite, housed in a hard-shelled egg-shaped oocyst.
When ingested, the oocyst splits open, releasing
sporozoites. These sporozoites invade the lining of the
gastrointestinal tract and can cause an illness called
cryptosporidiosis. Cryptosporidiosis is typically an
acute short-term infection but can become severe and
non-resolving in children and immuno-compromised
individuals.
In addition to coagulation and filtration, Arlington uses
Ozone (the primary disinfectant) to further protect against
Cryptosporidium.