We're pleased to present to you this 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 be aware of 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. The Village of Plover obtains its water supply from 3 wells located in the southeastern portion of the Village. The wells are constructed in unconsolidated sand and gravel aquifers. Well 1 is located at 301 Black Oak Drive to a depth of 110 feet and produces about 1500 gallons per minute. Well 2 is located at 300 Water Way to a depth of 118 feet and produces about 1900 gallons per minute. Well 3 is located at 1500 Pleasant Drive to a depth of 100 feet and produces about 1500 gallons per minute. Two nitrate removal systems reduce the level of nitrates in the water before the water enters the distribution system. The water system includes over 92 miles of water main, over 900 fire hydrants, a 500,000 and a 1,000,000 gallon tower. Through intergovernmental agreements, emergency connections to the City of Stevens Point and the Village of Whiting have been constructed which can be used to supply water to the village residents in the event of an extreme emergency.

I'm pleased to report that our drinking water is safe and meets federal and state requirements.

This report shows our water quality and what it means.

If you have any questions about this report or concerning your water utility, please contact David Fritsch, Water System Manager at 345-5254. 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 normally held on the Monday preceding the second Village Board of every month at 5:00 pm at the Municipal Center.

The Plover Water System routinely monitors for constituents in your drinking water according to Federal and State laws. This table shows the results of our monitoring for the period of January 1st to December 31st, 2007. 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.

In this table you will find many terms and abbreviations you might not be familiar with. To help you better understand these terms we've provided the following definitions:

Non-Detects (ND) - laboratory analysis indicates that the element is not present.

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 - one part per billion corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years, or a single penny in $10,000,000.

Parts per trillion (ppt) or Nanograms per liter (nanograms/l) - one part per trillion corresponds to one minute in 2,000,000 years, or a single penny in $10,000,000,000.

Parts per quadrillion (ppq) or Picograms per liter (picograms/l) - one part per quadrillion corresponds to one minute in 2,000,000,000 years or one penny in $10,000,000,000,000.

Picocuries per liter (pCi/L) - picocuries per liter is a measure of the radioactivity in water.

Millirems per year (mrem/yr) - measure of radiation absorbed by the body.

Million Fibers per Liter (MFL) - million fibers per liter is a measure of the presence of asbestos fibers that are longer than 10 micrometers.

Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU) - nephelometric turbidity unit is a measure of the clarity of water. Turbidity in excess of 5 NTU is just noticeable to the average person.

Action Level - 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.

Number of Contaminants Required to be Tested
This table displays the number of contaminants that were required to be tested in the last five years. The CCR may contain up to five years worth of water quality results. If a water system tests annually, or more frequently, the results from the most recent year are shown on the CCR. If testing is done less frequently, the results shown on the CCR are from the past five years.

Contaminant Group	# of Contaminants
Inorganic Contaminants	16
Disinfection Byproducts	1
Radioactive Contaminants	1
Unregulated Contaminants	34
Microbiological Contaminants	2
Volatile Organic Contaminants	21
Synthetic Organic Contaminants including Pesticides/Herbicides	23

Inorganic Contaminants

Contaminant (units)	MCL	MCLG	Level Found	Range	Sample Date (if prior to 2007)	Violation	Typical Source of Contaminant
BARIUM (ppb)	2	2	.017 (average)	.000-.017	7/25/2005	NO	Discharge of drilling wastes; Discharge from metal refineries; Erosion of natural deposits
CHROMIUM (ppb)	100	100	2	0-.2.0	7/25/2005	NO	Discharge from steel and pulp mills; Erosion of natural deposits
COPPER (ppm)	AL=1.3	1.3	.3670	.0672-.5800	9/13/2005	NO	Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits; Leaching from wood preservatives
FLUORIDE (ppm)	4	4	1.2 (average)	1.1- 1.3		NO	Erosion of natural deposits; Water additive which promotes strong teeth; Discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories
LEAD (ppb)	AL=15	0	4.20	0-6.40	9/13/2005	NO	Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits
NITRATE (N03-N) (ppm)	10	10	6.75 (average)	5.71-8.02		NO	Runoff from fertilizer use; Leaching from septic tanks, sewage; Erosion of natural deposits
SELENIUM (ppm)	50	50	0 (average)	0-1	7/25/2005	NO	Runoff from fertilizer use; Leaching from septic tanks, sewage; Erosion of natural deposits
SODIUM (ppm)	n/a	n/a	6.91	2.79-6.91	7/25/2005	NO	n/a

Note:
0 of the 30 required sites sampled for Copper exceeded the MLC.
0 of the 30 required sites sampled for Lead exceeded the MLC.

Volatile Organic Contaminants

Contaminant (units)	MCL	MCLG	Level Found	Range	Sample Date (if prior to 2000)	Violation	Typical Source of Contaminant
TTHM (ppb)	80	0	3.2 (average)	n/d-4.5		NO	By-product of drinking water chlorination

Unregulated Contaminants

Contaminant (units)	MCL	MCLG	Level Found	Range	Sample Date (if prior to 2000)	Violation	Typical Source of Contaminant
BROMODICHLOROM ETHANE (ppb)	n/a	n/a	.79 (average)	nd-1.11		NO	n/a
BROMOFORM (ppb)	n/a	n/a	.82 (average)	nd-1.18		NO	n/a
CHLOROFORM (ppb)	n/a	n/a	.28 (average)	nd-.39		NO	n/a
DIBROMOCHLOROM ETHANE (ppb)	n/a	n/a	1.27 (average)	nd-1.80		NO	n/a
SULFATE (ppm)	n/a	n/a	9.58 (average)	6.80-9.58	7/25/2005	NO	n/a

Microbiological Contaminants:

(1) Total Coliform. Coliforms are bacteria that are naturally present in the environment and are used as an indicator that other, potentially-harmful, bacteria may be present. Coliforms were found in more samples than allowed and this was a warning of potential problems.

(2) Fecal coliform/E.Coli. Fecal coliforms and E. coli are bacteria whose presence indicates that the water may be contaminated with human or animal wastes. Microbes in these wastes can cause short-term effects, such as diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. They may pose a special health risk for infants, young children, and people with severely compromised immune systems.

 (3) Alpha emitters. Certain minerals are radioactive and may emit a form of radiation known as alpha radiation. Some people who drink water containing alpha emitters in excess of the MCL over many years may have an increased risk of getting cancer.

 (4) Copper. Copper is an essential nutrient, but some people who drink water containing copper in excess of the action level over a relatively short amount of time could experience gastrointestinal distress. Some people who drink water containing copper in excess of the action level over many years could suffer liver or kidney damage. People with Wilson's Disease should consult their personal doctor.

 (5) Fluoride. Some people who drink water containing fluoride in excess of the MCL over many years could get bone disease, including pain and tenderness of the bones. Children may get mottled teeth.

(6) Lead. Infants and children who drink water containing lead in excess of the action level could experience delays in their physical or mental development. Children could show slight deficits in attention span and learning abilities. Adults who drink this water over many years could develop kidney problems or high blood pressure.

 (7) Nitrate. Infants below the age of six months who drink water containing nitrate in excess of the MCL could become seriously ill and, if untreated, may die. Symptoms include shortness of breath and blue-baby syndrome. Nitrate in drinking water at levels above 10 ppm is a health risk for infants of less than six months of age. High nitrate levels in drinking water can cause blue baby syndrome. Nitrate levels may rise quickly for short periods of time because of rainfall or agricultural activity. If you are caring for an infant you should ask advice from your health care provider.

Infants and young children are typically more vulnerable to lead in drinking water than the general population. It is possible that lead levels at your home may be higher than at other homes in the community as a result of materials used in your home’s plumbing. If you are concerned about elevated lead levels in your home’s water, you may wish to have your water tested and flush your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using tap water. Additional information is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).

What does this mean?

As you can see by the table, our system had no violations. 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 elements have been detected. The EPA has determined that your water IS SAFE at these levels.

"All sources of drinking water are subject to potential contamination by constituents that are naturally occurring or are man made. Those constituents can be microbes, organic or inorganic chemicals, or radioactive materials."

All 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 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 at 1-800-426-4791.

MCL’s are set at very stringent levels. To understand the possible health effects described for many regulated elements, 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.

Total Coliform: The Total Coliform Rule requires water systems to meet a stricter limit for coliform bacteria. Coliform bacteria are usually harmless, but their presence in water can be an indication of disease-causing bacteria. When coliform bacteria are found, special follow-up tests are done to determine if harmful bacteria are present in the water supply. If this limit is exceeded, the water supplier must notify the public by newspaper, television or radio. To comply with the stricter regulation, we have increased the average amount of chlorine in the distribution system.

Nitrates: As a precaution we always notify physicians and health care providers in this area if there is ever a higher than normal level of nitrates in the water supply.

Lead:  Lead in drinking water is rarely the sole cause of lead poisoning, but it can add to a person's total lead exposure. All potential sources of lead in the household should be identified and removed, replaced or reduced.

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 (800-426-4791). 

 

Please call our office if you have questions.

We at the Plover Water System 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.

Both the DNR and EPA have references for customer questions. Some good ones include:

DNR Publications – visit DNR’s Drinking Water and Groundwater web site to get more information or publications on Wisconsin’s drinking water at: http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/water/dwg

Drinking Water and Health: What You Need to Know – references for more information: http://www.epa.gov/safewater/dwhealth.html

Any specific questions regarding water quality and testing can be directed to the Water System Manager, David Fritsch at (715) 345-5254.