TO: BOARD OF DIRECTORS

PREPARED BY: CLINT STEWART, Superintendant of Public Works

FOR: REGULAR BOARD MEETING, March 11, 2010

ITEM: PUBLIC WORKS REPORT

SUMMARY:

POTABLE WATER

(***Este informe contiene información muy importante sobre su agua beber. Tradúzcalo ó hable con alguien que lo entienda bien.)

Bear Valley Community Services District conducts numerous water quality tests for over 100 drinking water contaminants as required by State and Federal Regulations. This report is a snapshot of the quality of last years water and presents the analytical results of the Districts monitoring for the period of January 1 – December 31, 2008.

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 the 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.

All of our drinking water is pumped from underground aquifers by 27 municipal water wells that extract groundwater from the aquifers underlying both Bear Valley and Cummings Valley. A complete list of these wells and their locations is available at the District Office upon request. Upon removal, the ground water is disinfected to protect you against microbial contaminants.

You Can Help Protect Your Supply of Water

You can help protect your water supply by following label instructions when using lawn and garden chemicals. When disposing of household chemicals, used oil, paint and any other hazardous waste, contact the Kern County Environmental Health Department at (661) 335- 7315. Please do not pour hazardous materials in the gutters or your back yards and be conscious of our fragile watershed areas when hiking, fishing or enjoying other outdoor activities. While enjoying our beautiful outdoors, please be aware that pets, litter and human waste may contaminate the District’s water supply and may cause great harm to those residents who drink the water.

Our regular Board meetings are held on the second Saturday of each month and the fourth Thursday of each month. Please feel free to participate in these meetings. If you have any questions or need further information, please call Clinton Stewart, Superintendent of Public works or John Murray Water Supervisor at (661) 821-4428.

Contaminants that may be present in source water include:

In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the State Department of Health Services (DHS) prescribe regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. The DHS regulations also establish limits for contaminants in bottled water that must provide the same protection for public health.

TERMS and ABBREVIATIONS:

monitoring and reporting requirements, and water treatment requirements.

or expected risk to health. PHGs are set by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA).

treatment or other requirements which a water purveyor must follow.

appearance of the drinking water. Contaminants with SDWSs do not affect health at the MCL levels.

WATER QUALITY DATA

The drinking water contaminants detected during the 2008 calendar year are listed in Tables 1 through 5, below. The presence of these contaminants in the water does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk. The DHS requires the District to monitor for certain contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants are not expected to vary significantly from year to year. Some of the data, though representative of the water quality, are more than one year old.

TABLE 2 – SAMPLING RESULTS SHOWING THE DETECTION

OF LEAD AND COPPER

The results of Lead and Copper monitoring are from samples taken in 2008.

Lead and Copper monitoring is required by the State every three (3) years, the next samples are scheduled for 2011.

TABLE 3 – SAMPLING RESULTS FOR SODIUM AND HARDNESS

Note: * See summary information below for detail

TABLE 5 – DETECTION OF CONTAMINANTS WITH A SECONDARY DRINKING WATER STANDARD

Summary Information for Contaminants Exceeding an MCL or AL, or a Violation of any Treatment or Monitoring and Reporting Requirements

The District conducted water quality tests for over 100 drinking water contaminants as required by State

and Federal Regulations. The analysis for general minerals and inorganic constituents detected no (0) contaminants exceeding their respective MCL or AL for Primary drinking water standards and no (1) exceeding their respective MCL for Secondary drinking water standards. In addition to the standard tests for general minerals and inorganic constituents, our water was tested for more than 80 synthetic and volatile organic chemicals. All tests for synthetic and volatile organic chemicals resulted in NO detections above the laboratory detection limits. The information provided below further describes the specific detections and their health effects.

Nitrate in drinking water at levels above 45 mg/L is a health risk for infants of less than six months of age. High nitrate levels in drinking water can interfere with the capacity of the infant’s blood to carry oxygen, resulting in a serious illness; symptoms include shortness of breath and blueness of the skin. High nitrate levels above 45 mg/L may also affect the ability of the blood to carry oxygen in other individuals, such as pregnant women and those with certain specific enzyme deficiencies. Nitrate levels may rise quickly for short periods of time because of rainfall or agricultural activity. If you are caring for an infant or are pregnant, you should ask advice from your health care provider.

Secondary MCL’s

Iron and manganese in concentrations in excess of their respective Secondary MCL’s were detected in two (2) wells tested. The Secondary MCL’s were established to protect you against unpleasant aesthetic

effects such as color, taste, odor, and the staining of plumbing fixtures (e.g. tubs and sinks) and clothing while washing. The high iron and manganese levels are due to leaching of natural deposits and were a byproduct of wells sitting idle and being tested immediately after being put back online. The wells were not in use at the time and remain unused.

Aluminum Information

Aluminum in concentrations in excess of its respective MCL was detected in two (2) wells. The Secondary MCL was established to protect you from unpleasant aesthetic affects such as color, taste, and odor and the staining of plumbing fixtures (e.g. tubs and sinks) and clothing while washing. The high Iron and Manganese levels are due to the leaching of natural deposits and were a byproduct of wells sitting idle. These wells not in use at the time.

Color Information

Two (2) tests exceeded the Secondary MCL for color. Color is a naturally occurring organic by-product. Excessive color is typically caused by the well being in an unused state for an extended period of time. These wells remain unused.

Some people who drink water containing arsenic in excess of the MCL over many years could experience skin damage or problems with their circulatory system and may have an increased risk of getting cancer.

Uranium and Gross Alpha were not tested during the previous year. State standards require wells to be tested every four (4) years. Naturally occurring uranium has been detected in groundwater throughout many areas of California, particularly in areas that have deep bedrock wells where the uranium leaches into groundwater from natural mineral deposits within the bedrock. Areas with an abundance of uranium mineralization, and where uranium concentrations have been detected in water-supply wells above the MCL, include Kern County, San Bernardino County, and Riverside County.

The U.S. EPA has proposed a drinking water standard for uranium of 20 parts per billion (ppb equal to ug/L). If uranium in drinking water exceeds 20 ppb for extended periods of time, an appropriate water-treatment system or use of an alternate source of drinking water can be considered. Point-of-use reverse-osmosis (RO) units have successfully been used by private well owners to reduce uranium concentrations. Other household treatment technologies, such as distillation and anion exchange, also can reduce uranium. However, boiling water will increase, not reduce, the amount of uranium.

Radon, a radioactive daughter product of uranium decay, can cause indoor air-quality problems in areas of uranium mineralization. Radon is a radioactive gas that you can’t see, taste or smell and is found throughout the U.S. Radon can move up through the ground and into a home through cracks and holes in the foundation. Radon can build up to high levels in all types of homes. Radon can also get into indoor air when released from tap water from showering, washing dishes, and other household activities. Compared to radon entering the home through soil, radon entering the home through tap water will in most cases be a small source of radon in indoor air. Radon is a known human carcinogen. Breathing air-containing radon can lead to lung cancer. Drinking water containing radon may also cause increased risk of stomach cancer. If you are concerned about radon in your home, test the air in your home. Testing is inexpensive and easy. Fix your home if the level of radon in your air is 4 picocuries per liter of air (pCi/L) or higher. There are simple ways to fix a radon problem that aren’t too costly. For additional information, call your State radon program or call EPA’s Radon Hotline (800-SOS-RADON).

All of the District wells are sampled for MTBE and those deemed to be at risk due to proximity to the MTBE contaminated sites have been placed on an accelerated testing schedule. Currently, none of our wells test positive for MTBE in any amount. The three (3) sites where MTBE has been detected are currently undergoing investigation and/or remediation. The District will continue to monitor the progress of the cleanup work and remain pro-active throughout the entire remediation process of these sites. MTBE is only one of hundreds of contaminants the District is required to monitor, report, and keep below mandated levels in your drinking water. It is a responsibility that we have always taken very seriously and will continue to do so.

Additional General Information on Drinking Water

All drinking water including bottled water may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of these contaminants does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the USEPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).

Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immune-compromised individuals such as individuals with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, individuals who have undergone organ transplants, individuals with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk of infections. These individuals should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. The USEPA/Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines and appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791)

Should I Use a Home Treatment Device?

Your water is safe to drink straight from the tap. If you decide to install a home treatment device, please be advised that you must take responsibility for maintaining it. In fact, you may make your water unsafe by failing to maintain your home treatment device. The District does have hard water. Because of this, many residents may desire to install a water softener that softens the water by an ion exchange system. Sodium or potassium exchange systems are the only methods known to work effectively. Despite the presence of hard water, rest assured that hard water does not threaten the overall quality of health of residents receiving water.

Source Water Assessment Information

A Source Water Assessment was conducted for the Bear Valley Community Services District in March, 2002. No contaminants, other than those noted in this report, have been detected in the water supply; however, the source is considered most vulnerable to the following activities:

Grazing

Septic Systems-Low Density

Sewer Collection System

Wastewater Treatment Plant

A Complete copy of the assessment may be viewed at:

Bear Valley Community Services District

28999 South Lower Valley Road

Tehachapi, CA 93561

System / Report Information

Water System Name: Bear Valley Community Services District

Water System Number: PWS 1510038

Report Date: May 2008