Absolutely. The treated water delivered to GWD customers meets all state and federal water quality regulations and is continually tested to assure its safety. Turbidity, or cloudiness is a very important measure of water clarity. It can be used to illustrate the quality of the water supplied to treated water customers (the lower the turbidity the cleaner the water). The maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) established by the California Department of Health Services (DOHS) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is 0.5 NTU. GWD's turbidity is consistently below 0.1 NTU.
Water hardness makes cleaning tasks more difficult and forms scale in home water heaters and industrial boilers. On the other hand, soft water tends to be corrosive. Therefore, the American Water Works Association suggests an ideal hardness of 79 milligrams per liter (mg/l).
Trihalomethanes (THMs) are potential cancer-causing substances which are formed when chlorine is used as a disinfectant during the water treatment process. All surface water supplies (such as lakes) contain natural organic substances which chlorine converts to THMs, a disinfection by-product. USEPA allows a maximum THM level of 100 PPB, and GWD is required to test its water on a quarterly basis. In the past year, THM levels have ranged from 23 to 67 PPB, with an average level of 45 PPB.
All raw water sources, including Lake Cachuma, contain bacteria -- most of which are not disease-causing. The disinfection process at the Corona Del Mar Water Treatment Plant destroys any potentially harmful bacteria. GWD tests for coliform bacteria, including E. Coli, at 25 locations in the system each week. Fecal coliforms have never been detected, and test results have always been far better than the DOHS requirements.
The EPA is requiring water ulilities throughout the country to advise consumers of the possibility of lead contamination from home plumbing systems. Lead does not typically occur naturally in water. It can sometimes be found in tap water as a result of corrosion of household plumbing materials containing lead. The use of leaden solder for domestic plymbing was banned in 1986. The GWD has tested the water from over 60 homes that were built in the five years prior to this ban. Federal rgulatins required that 90% of these samples contain less than 15 PPB of lead. The results were much better than that. In fact, in most cases no lead was detected.
Too much lead in the human body can cause serious damage to the brain, kidneys, nervous system, and to red blood cells. The greatest risk, even to short-term exposure, is to young children and pregnant women. Lead levels in your drinking water are likely to be the highest:
There are no lead materials used in the GWD ystem. If you are concerned about lead in your tap water, you should let the water flow for one to two minutes before using it for drinking or cooking.
GWD is cooperating fully with the EPA to conduct sampling and public education on this subject. District representatives are attending national public hearings and are following the development of the regulations and guidelines closely. If you would like a free booklet discussing lead in drinking water, please call the national toll-free EPA hotline (1-800-426-4791). GWD will keep customers posted on regulation developments.