Local Water Quality Reports Available

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 12, 2008

There has been recent attention given to levels of pharmaceuticals in public drinking water supplies. Suggestions for further managing this issue continue to be discussed by researchers and agencies. However, persons using public water supplies should be aware that other types of potential contaminants are routinely monitored by local water suppliers. All water customers are to receive a report of their water quality at least once per year.

Public water suppliers are to provide customers with a report on the quality and source of the local drinking water in their consumer confidence reports, or "CCR's". These reports are intended to provide consumers with important information about the quality of their drinking water, as required by federal law," says John Church, University of Illinois Extension Educator, Natural Resources, Rockford. There are not any reporting or monitoring requirements for private individually-owned wells.

If during routine testing throughout the year, the water supplier finds contaminants that are above the maximum contaminant level (MCL), or other violations of EPA standards are found that "have the potential to have serious adverse effects on human health as a result of short term exposure", then consumers are to be notified within 72 hours of the detection.

Consumers with questions about any reported violations or frequency of testing should contact their water supplier, the Illinois EPA, or their local health department.

The annual reports include information about the source of drinking water, such as a lake, river, or aquifer and whether it meets federal drinking water requirements. It indicates how susceptible local drinking water is to contamination and will identify potential sources of contamination. It will list the contaminants detected in the water supply, and will outline the potential health effects of any contaminant found in violation of an EPA health standard.

University of Illinois Extension has a fact sheet to help water consumers and others understand the reports. To receive a copy of the fact sheet, contact a local University of Illinois Extension office or go to the fact sheet in the Natural Resource section of the University of Illinois Extension – Rockford Center website at http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/rockfordcenter/nre2130.html and scroll to the Water Quality Fact Sheets – U. of I. Extension section.

The Consumer confidence reports are part of the right-to know provisions in the 1996 Amendments to the federal Safe Drinking Water act. They are aimed at improving public information about drinking water and increasing participation in water quality protection efforts.