BDM Rural Water System

Annual Drinking Water Quality Report
January 1, 2009 – December 31, 2009


Water Quality

Last year, we monitored your drinking water for more than 80 possible contaminants. This brochure is a snapshot of the quality of the water that we provided last year.  Included are details about where your water comes from, what it contains, and how it compares to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state standards.  We are committed to providing you with information because informed customers are our best allies.

For more information about your water and information on opportunities to participate in public meetings, call (605) 448-5417 and ask for David Wade.  If you have any questions about this report please contact:

David Wade, General Manager
705 7th Street or PO Box 49
Britton, SD 57430
Phone: (605) 448-5417

Water Source Information

We serve more than 4,750 customers an average of 1,150,000 gallons of water per day. Our water is groundwater (Middle James Aquifer) that we produce from local wells.  The state has performed an assessment of our source water and they have determined that the relative susceptibility rating for the Brown-Day-Marshall RWS public water supply system is low.

Additional Information

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 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 stormwater 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 stormwater 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 stormwater 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 ensure 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 (800-426-4791).

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 microbial contaminants can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).

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 Brown-Day-Marshall RWS public water supply system is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components.  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 water, you may wish to have your water testes.  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.

Detected Contaminants

The following table lists all the drinking water contaminants that we detected during the 2009 calendar year.  The presence of these contaminants in the water does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk.  Unless otherwise noted, the data presented in this table is from testing done January 1 – December 31, 2009.  The state requires us to monitor for certain contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of those contaminants are not expected to vary significantly from year to year. Some of the data, though representative of the water quality, is more than one year old.


Terms and Abbreviations Used in the Following Table

The following definitions are provided to assist you in understanding our water quality test results and the following discussion of the results.

Action Level (AL) - The concentration of a contaminant which, when exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements, which a water system must follow.  For Lead and Copper, 90% of the samples must be below the AL.

Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) - 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 (MCLG) - 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.

Parts Per Million (ppm) - One part per million corresponds to one minute in two years or a single penny in $10,000.

Parts Per Billion (ppb) - One part per billion corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years  or a single penny in $10,000,000.

2009 Water Quality Tests Results
 

Regulated Contaminants
Substance	90% Level	Test Sites> Action Level	Date   Tested	Highest Level Allowed (AL)	Ideal Goal	Major Source of Contaminant
Copper	0.3	0	09/28/04	AL=1.3 ppm	0 ppm	Corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits; leaching from wood preservatives.
Lead	1	0	9/27/07	AL =15 ppb	0 ppb	Corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits.

1. The symbol (>) means greater than.

 

Regulated Contaminants
Substance	Level Detected	Range	Date   Tested	Highest Level Allowed (MCL)	Ideal Goal	Major Source of Contaminant
Fluoride	1.22	0.9 - 1.22	12/16/09	4 ppm	4 ppm	Erosion of nature deposits; water additive which promotes strong teeth; discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories.

 

Summary of 2009 Water Quality Tests Results

We routinely test our water for over 80 different substances. Of those more than 80 substances, only those 3 substances shown in the table were detected.

We Welcome Your Input

BDM Rural Water holds monthly meetings of its board of directors. The meetings are held the last Monday of every month at 7:30 p.m. at the system office at 705 7th Street. If you would like to attend one of the meetings you are welcome, the board provides an opportunity in the agenda for public input.