Annual Drinking Water Quality Report
Center, ND
2022
We are pleased to present to you this year's Annual Drinking Water Quality Report. This report is designed to inform you about the safe clean water we deliver to you every day. Our constant goal is to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water. We want you to understand the efforts we make to continually improve the water treatment process and protect our water resources. We are committed to ensuring the quality of your water. Our water source is reated surface water purchased from the Southwest Water Authority (SWA). The source of SWA water is Lake Sakakawea.
The North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality has prepared a Source Water Assessment for the city of Center and the SWA. Information regarding this program is available upon request.
The SWA, in cooperation with the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality, has completed the delineation and contaminant/land use inventory elements of the North Dakota Source Water Protection Program. Based on the information from these elements, the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality has determined that our source water is "moderately susceptible" to potential contaminants. No significant sources of contamination have been identified.
If you have any questions about this report or concerning your water utility, please contact Keith Reuther @ 701-400-4704. We want our valued customers to be informed about their water utility. If you want to learn more, please attend any of our regularly scheduled meetings. They are held on the first Monday of every month at 7:00 p.m. in the Civic Center. If you are aware of non-English speaking individuals who need help with the appropriate language translation, please call Keith at the number listed above.
The City of Center would appreciate it if large volume water customers would please post copies of the Annual Drinking Water Quality Report in conspicuous locations or distribute them to tenants, residents, patients, students, and/or employees, so individuals who consume the water, but do not receive a water bill, can learn about our water system.
The City of Center routinely monitors for contaminants in your drinking water per Federal and State laws. The following table shows the results of our monitoring for the period of January 1st to December 31st, 2022. As authorized and approved by EPA, the state has reduced monitoring requirements for certain contaminants to less often than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants are not expected to vary significantly from year to year. Some of our data [e.g., for inorganic contaminants], though representative, is more than one-year-old.
The sources of drinking water (both tap 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, may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations and wildlife.
Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, can naturally occur or result from urban storm water, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil production, mining, or farming.
Pesticides and herbicides, which 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, 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.
To ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prescribes regulations which limit the number of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health.
In the following table, you will find many terms and abbreviations you might not be familiar with. To help you better understand these terms we have provided the following definitions:
Not applicable (NA), No Detect (ND)
Parts per million (ppm) or Milligrams per liter (mg/l) - one part per million corresponds to one minute in two years or a single penny in $10,000.
Parts per billion (ppb) or Micrograms per liter (mg/l) - one part per billion corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years, or a single penny in $10,000,000.
Picocuries per liter (pCi/l) –Pico curies per liter is a measure of the radioactivity in water.
Action Level (AL) - the concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow.
Treatment Technique (TT) - A treatment technique is a required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.
Maximum Contaminant Level - The “Maximum Allowed” (MCL) is the highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology.
Maximum Contaminant Level Goal - The “Goal” (MCLG) is the level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety.
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.
Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal (MRDLG) – The level of a drinking water disinfectant below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contaminants.
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2022 Test Results for the city of Center, ND
& SWWA’s OMND Treatment Plant
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Contaminant
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MCLG
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MCL
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Level
Detected
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Units
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Range
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Date
(year)
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Violation
Yes/No
Other Info
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Likely Source of Contamination
|
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Lead/Copper
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Copper
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N/A
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1.3
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0.249
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ppm
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N/A
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2020
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0 Sites exceeded AL
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Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits; leaching from wood preservatives
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|
Lead*
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N/A
|
15
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2.38
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ppb
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N/A
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2020
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0 Sites exceeded AL
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Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits
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|
Inorganic Contaminants
|
|
Arsenic
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0
|
10
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1.01
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ppb
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N/A
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2019
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No
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Erosion of natural deposits; runoff from glass and electronics productions waste.
|
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Nitrate-Nitrite
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10
|
10
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0.036
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ppm
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N/A
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2022
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No
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Runoff from fertilizer use; leaching from septic tanks, sewage; erosion of natural deposits
|
|
Disinfectants
|
|
Chloramines
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MRDL=4.0
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MRDL=4
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3.4
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ppm
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0.0 to 3.8
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2022
|
No
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Water additive used to control microbes.
|
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Radioactive Contaminants
|
|
Gross Alpha, Including RA, Excluding RN & U
|
15
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15
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No Detect
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pCi/1
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N/A
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2018
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No
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Erosion of natural deposits
|
|
Radium, Combined (226, 228)
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N/A
|
5
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0.691
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pCi/1
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N/A
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2018
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No
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Erosion of natural deposits
|
|
Uranium, Combined
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N/A
|
30
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No Detect
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ppb
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N/A
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2018
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No
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Erosion of natural deposits
|
|
Unregulated Contaminants
|
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Alkalinity, Carbonate
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N/A
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N/A
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7
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ppm
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No Detect to 7.0
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2022
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No
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N/A
|
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Bicarbonate as HCO3
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N/A
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N/A
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213
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ppm
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182 to 213
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2022
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No
|
N/A
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Microbial Contaminants
|
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Turbidity**
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N/A
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TT=.3
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0.02
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NTU
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N/A
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2022
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100% of samples met Turbidity Limits
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Soil Runoff
|
|
Stage 2 Disinfection By-Products
|
|
HAA5
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N/A
|
60
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10
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ppb
|
N/A
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2022
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No
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By-product of drinking water chlorination
|
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TTHM
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N/A
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80
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19
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ppb
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N/A
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2022
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No
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By-product of drinking water chlorination
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Total Organic Carbon Removal
|
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Alkalinity-Source
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N/A
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N/A
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175
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MG/L
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159 to 175
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2022
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No
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Natural erosion, certain plant activities, certain industrial wastewater discharges
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Carbon, Total Organic (TOC) Finished
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N/A
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N/A
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1.92
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MG/L
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1.43 to 1.92
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2022
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No
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Naturally present in the environment
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Carbon, Total Organic (TOC) Source
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N/A
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N/A
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3.91
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MG/L
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3.13 to 3.91
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2022
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No
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Naturally present in the environment
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Surface Water Treatment Rule Monitoring Data:
Lowest Monthly Percentage of Samples Meeting Turbidity Limits= 100%
Highest Single Measurement = 0.02
Violation: Disinfection By-products Rule -Failure to Monitor/Report (Major) 2nd & 3rd quarters of 2022. This rule requires us to monitor monthly chlorine levels and report them to the Department of Environmental Quality on a quarterly basis. During the 2nd & 3rd quarters of 2022 (April, May, June July, August, September & October) the required number of samples were not taken, or the report was not submitted on time; therefore, we are unsure of the level of disinfectant during that time. Some people who use water containing chlorine well more than the MRDL could experience irritating effects to their eyes and nose. Some people who drink water containing chlorine well more than MRDL could experience stomach discomfort. The City of Center has taken steps to correct this violation of the Disinfectants and Disinfection By-products Rule by returning to a routine monitoring and reporting schedule.
Violation: Revised Total Coliform Rule (RTCR) – Failure to Routine Monitor (Major) June of 2022. Our water system is required to sample Total Coliform bacteria monthly. We failed to collect the required number of total coliform samples during the month of June of 2022 and are therefore unsure of the quality of the water at that time. Coliforms are bacteria that are naturally present in the environment and are used as an indicator that other, potentially harmful, waterborne pathogens may be present or that a potential pathway exists through which contamination may enter the drinking water distribution system. The City of Center has taken steps to correct this violation of the Revised Total Coliform Rule by returning to a routine testing schedule.
**Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness of the water. The SWWA monitors it because it is a good indicator of the effectiveness of their filtration system. 100% of samples met turbidity limits.
*If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. The City of Center’s System is responsible for providing high quality drinking water but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components. Use water from the cold tap for drinking and cooking. When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking. If you are concerned about lead in your drinking water, you may wish to have your water tested. Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.
EPA requires monitoring of over eighty drinking water contaminants. Those contaminants listed in the table above are the only contaminants detected in your drinking water.
Unregulated contaminants are those for which EPA has not established drinking water standards. The purpose of unregulated contaminant monitoring is to assist EPA in determining the occurrence of unregulated contaminants in drinking water and whether future regulation is warranted.
Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immuno-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 microbiological contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).
Drinking water, including bottled water, may be expected to contain at least lesser amounts of som2 contaminants. The presence of 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 Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).
MCL’s are set at very stringent levels. To understand the possible health effects described for many regulated contaminants, a person would have to drink two liters of water every day at the MCL level for a lifetime to have a one-in-a-million chance of having the described health effect.
Thank you for allowing us to provide your family with clean, quality water this year. To maintain a safe and dependable water supply we sometimes need to make improvements that will benefit all our customers. These improvements sometimes require rate structure adjustments.
Please call our office @ 701-794-3650 if you have questions.
The report will not be mailed to water customers. Copies of the CCR are available upon request by stopping in the City Office.
