Annual Drinking Water Quality Report 1998

P.O. Box 246 - Capitan, NM 88316 Phone: 505-354-2247 fax 505-354-2713

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Annual Drinking Water Quality Report 1998

Is my water safe?

We're pleased to present to you last year's Annual Quality Water Report. This report is designed to inform you about the quality water and services 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 ground water from two wells four miles east of Capitan. Our wells draw water from the San Andres formation of the aquifer. Last year, as in years past, your tap water met all U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state drinking water health standards. Local water vigilantly safeguards its water supplies and once again we are proud to report that our system has never violated a maximum contaminant level or any other water quality standard. The Village of Capitan is in the process of developing a wellhead protection plan.

This report is a snapshot of the water quality for the year 1998. Included are details about where your water comes from, what it contains, and how it compares to standards set by regulatory agencies. We are committed to providing you with information because informed customers are our best allies.

Why are there contaminants in my drinking water?

The Village of Capitan routinely monitors for constituents in your drinking water according to Federal and State laws.
The table on the following pages shows the results of our monitoring for the period of January 1st to December 31st,
1998. As you can see by the table our system had only one violation for the 1998 year and this was that we did not generate a Consumer Confidence Report. This is the Report for 1998, and the 1999 report is also available. We're proud that your drinking water meets or exceeds all Federal and State requirements. We have learned through our monitoring and testing that some constituents have been detected. The EPA has determined that your water is SAFE at these levels. As water travels over the land or underground, it can pick up substances or contaminants such as microbes, inorganic and organic chemicals and radioactive substances. All drinking water, including bottled drinking water, may be reasonably expected to contain at least small amounts of some constituents. It's important to remember that the presence of these constituents does not necessarily pose a health risk. MCL's are set at very stringent levels. To understand the possible health effects described for many regulated constituents, a person would have to drink 2 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. 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).

Results of radon monitoring

Radon is a radioactive gas that you can't see, taste, or smell. It 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).

We at the Village of Capitan work around the clock to provide top quality water to every tap. We ask that all our customers help us protect our water sources, which are the heart of our community, our way of life and our children's future. If you have any questions .about this report or concerning your water utility, please contact Terry Cox or David Cox at Village Hall - 354-2247. 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, held on the second the and fourth Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. in the Village Hall Building, 114 Lincoln.

Espanol (Spanish)

Este informe contiene informacion muy importante sobre la calidad de su agua beber. Traduscalo o hable con alguien que lo entienda bien.

Water Quality Data Table

The table below lists all of the drinking water contaminants that we detected during the calendar year of this report. The presence of 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 in the the calendar year of the report. The EPA or the State requires us to monitor for certain contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants do not change frequently.

Important Drinking Water Definitions:

MCLG: Maximum Contaminant Level Goal: 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.

MCL: Maximum Contaminant Level: 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.

			Your	Range		Sample
Contaminants (units)	MCLG	MCL	Water	Low	High	Date	Violation	Typical Source

Inorganic Contaminants
Arsenic (ppb)	NA	50	0.3	NA		----	No	Erosion of natural deposits; Runoff from orchards; Runoff from glass and electronics production wastes
Barium (ppm)	2	2	0.0219	NA		----	No	Discharge of drilling wastes: Discharge from metal refineries, Erosion of natural deposits
Chromium [Total) (ppb)	100	100	2.7	NA		----	No	Discharge from steel and pulp mills; Erosion of natural deposits
Fluoride (ppm)	4	4	1.2	NA		----	No	Erosion of natural deposits-, Water additive which promotes strong teeth; Discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories
Nickel (ppb)	MNR	MNR	6.87	NA		----	No	Erosion of natural deposits; Leaching
Selenium (ppb)	50	50	1	NA		----	No	Discharge from petroleum and metal refineries; Erosion of natural deposits; Discharge from mines
Thallium (ppb)	0.5	2	0.06	NA		----	No	Discharge from electronics, glass and Leaching from ore-processing sites; drug factories

Units Description:
NA: Not applicable
ND: Not detected
NR: Not reported
MNR Monitoring not required, but recommended.

ppm: parts per million, or milligrams per liter (mg/l)

ppb: parts per billion. or micrograms per liter (µg/l)

For more information contact:

Village Of Capitan		Phone: 505-354-2247
Attn: Terry or David Cox		Fax: 505-354-2834
P.O. Box 246		E-mail:villagekg@netscape.net
114 Lincoln
Capitan, NM 88316-0246

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