Drinking Water Quality Report

The City of Delray Beach is pleased to present our Drinking Water Quality report for water supplied to our customers from January 2005 to December 2005. This report is intended to provide our customers with information relating to the quality of water produced by the City of Delray Beach Water Treatment Plant and the stringent governmental guidelines for treatment and testing. We are proud to report that The City of Delray Beach met or exceeded all federal and state standards for drinking water during 2005.

ESPANOL: Este es un documento muy importante a respecto de su agua de Tomar. Y se puede obtener en Espanol en La Casa Municipal.

KREYOL: Ti Liv sa, se yon Dokiman trezenpotan Konsenan Kalite Dlo Ke w bwe. Si w ta vle, w Kapab jwen'n li an Kreyol nan Siti Hall Delray Beach la.

Health Information

Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immune-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 (1-800-426-4791).

Why Are Contaminants Present In Drinking 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 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.
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 storm water 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 storm water 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 storm water runoff, and septic systems.
  
  
• Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.

In order to insure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations, which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. FDA regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water, which must provide the same protection for public health. 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. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency's Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).

Where Does Our Water Come From?

The City of Delray Beach withdraws water from a shallow under-ground aquifer known as the "Anastasia Formation". There are 30 raw water wells located throughout the City from which water is drawn and piped to the water treatment plant. We are currently operating under a water use permit issued by the South Florida Water Management District. Our water use permit allows for the withdrawal of up to 21 million gallons per day.

How Is Our Water Treated?

The City of Delray Beach Water Treatment Plant utilizes what is known as "Lime Softening Process" to treat raw water prior to distribution to our customers. Upon arrival at the water treatment plant, the raw water is first aerated to remove natural gasses. The water is then blended with lime in a clarifier for softening, color removal and iron removal. After the blending process the water is then filtered and disinfected per the Health Department. Prior to distribution, Fluoride is injected to maintain one part per million to prevent tooth decay.

How We Ensure The Highest Water Quality?

During the treatment process as well as after the water is released into the distribution system, it undergoes a series of intense testing. Thousands of samples are analyzed each year for chemical, physical and microbiological parameters. The results of this test are compared with standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These results are indicated on the tables in this pamphlet. When reading these tables, the lower the test results, the higher the water quality. When levels are so low that they cannot be detected by our testing equipment, a less than (<) sign is used. This ongoing testing and research is your assurance that water produced by the City of Delray Beach will be of the highest quality for consumption each time you turn on your faucet.

Additional Testing

In addition to the primary and secondary contaminants, which were detected, we also conduct tests for the presence of an additional 85 contaminants, such as VOC's, PCB's & Pesticides, Unregulated Contaminants, Arsenic, Asbestos, Mercury and many others. We are pleased to report that all of these additional contaminants were below the detection limits of our sampling instruments and we have had no Bacteriological violations.

Additional Information

The City of Delray Beach conducts regular City Commission meetings on the first and third Tuesday of every month in the Commission chambers at City Hall. These meetings are open to the public and are an excellent forum for citizens to voice their questions and concerns. The Environmental Services Department of the City is open Monday through Friday from 7:30am to 4:30pm and can be contacted directly for questions and concerns relating to water quality. We have worked very hard to maintain a first rate facility and we welcome the public to tour our Water Treatment Plant. Tours can be scheduled by contacting the Water Treatment Plant directly.

See also Water Treatment Plant for further details of our water treatment process.

Important Telephone Numbers

City of Delray Beach Environmental Services Dept.		(561) 243-7295
Florida Department of Health		(904) 791-1599
City of Delray Water Treatment Plant		(561) 243-7318
Environmental Protection Agency		(800) 426-4791
Palm Beach County Public Health Unit		(561) 355-3070

Interesting Comparisons

1 part per million is equal to:		1 cent in $10,000
		1 second in 12 days
		1 inch in 16 miles
		1 par in 55,500 rounds of golf
		1 pound in 500 tons

Definitions

Maximum Contaminant Level Goal  (MCLG): The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLG's allow for a margin of safety.

Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL): 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 Residual Disinfectant Level Goal (MRDLG): The level of a drinking water disinfectant below which there is no known or expected risk to health.  MRDLG's do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contaminants.

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.

Action Level (AL): The concentration of a contaminant, which, if exceeded, triggers a treatment, or other requirement, which a water system must follow.

Abbreviations

Parts per Million (ppm)      Not Detected (ND)
Parts per Billion (ppb)        Not Applicable (N/A)