Drink up: JBER’s tap water is verified excellent

A water utility seldom takes the opportunity to tell customers all they are doing to produce exceptional-quality drinking water. The Environmental Protection Agency and the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation have given us an opportunity to tell the rest of our story in the form of this annual consumer confidence report.

We are pleased to provide this comprehensive report for our customers who work and reside on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. The water you consume is of exceptional quality and exceeds the standards established by the EPA.

Who are we?

While there are two public water systems on JBER, they are connected and operate as a continuous system from the water plant to the consumer. This allows us to efficiently operate as a team to serve the military personnel and civilian employees of JBER. This report will provide many technical aspects of our water quality; it is also an opportunity to show some of what goes on behind the scenes.

Doyon Utilities owns and operates utilities located on the Richardson side of JBER. As the water purveyor on the that side, Doyon manages the water plant and distribution lines, conducting bacteriological and chemical tests to ensure all quality standards are met.

Once the water reaches the Elmendorf side, the 673d Civil Engineer Group and 673d Medical Group Bioenvironmental Engineering flight take over. CEG provides distribution system oversight, while bioenvironmental engineering monitors quality, including additional testing of the system for bacterial contamination, with each major population area sampled at least once a month.

Additionally, several chemical contaminants are re-sampled to verify results, as required by the state of Alaska. The results ensure quality.

To ensure long-term reliability of the source, we have conducted studies to determine where to focus our resources. Our plant receives continuous oversight.

You can be confident the staff of state-certified professional water treatment operators will protect the quality of your water.

We welcome suggestions to make these reports more informative, and we encourage you to use the water you need, but don’t needlessly use water. Conservation is important and we ask you to do your part.

Where does our water come from?

JBER’s drinking water is obtained from surface-water drainage and three local wells.

Large debris is removed before it enters the treatment plant where it is undergoes several conventional processes. The plant is designed to produce seven million gallons of water per day, and all processes are controlled and monitored by computers.

Because groundwater is a high-quality source of raw water, the only treatment necessary is disinfection. Each well is equipped with its own in-line chlorination equipment to ensure water is free of microbial contamination. Water is tested several times a day to ensure pH, chlorine residuals, and fluoride are at appropriate levels.

This report summarizes drinking water quality for the period between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2016.

An electronic copy can be downloaded at doyonutilities.com or jber.jb.mil. Hard copies are also available at DU or by calling 455-1540.

Water testing and your health

The sources of drinking water (both tap and bottled) include rivers, lakes, ponds, reservoirs, springs and wells. As water travels over the land or underground, it can dissolve natural minerals. In some cases, it can pick up radioactive material, or substances resulting from animal or human activity.

Although our water supply may contain some of these contaminants, it is important to know these substances are either removed completely or reduced to a safe level before water arrives at your tap. These may include:

Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment facilities, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations and wildlife.

Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which may naturally occur or result from storm runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater, oil and gas production or farming.

Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban storm water runoff, and residential uses.

Organic contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic compounds, which are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and may also come from gas stations, urban storm water runoff and septic systems.

Radioactive contaminants, which may occur naturally or result from oil and gas production and mining activities.

To ensure tap water is safe to drink, EPA regulations limit the amount of certain contaminants. Food and Drug Administration regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water, which must provide the same protection for public health. More information about contaminants and potential health effects is available through the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791.

Some people in the general population may be more vulnerable than others to contaminants in drinking water. Immuno-compromised persons such as those undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, persons with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, and some elderly and infants, can be particularly at risk of infection. These people should seek advice from their health care providers. EPA and Centers for Disease Control guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection are available from the EPA hotline.

For information or for water quality questions, call the DU sitemanagement office at 338-3600 or BE at 384-3985.

Quality data for community water systems throughout the country is available at waterdata.com.

Source water assessment

For the last several years, the ADEC has been working on assessing the vulnerability of the water sources that provide water to all of the public systems in Alaska. The assessment for JBER’s water treatment plant is available by contacting Bioenvironmental Engineering at 552-3985 or Kathleen Hook at 455-1540.

Hydrant maintenance

Hydrant maintenance is a top priority. Twice a year, in April and September, we visit each hydrant and test the water flow and performance, to provide superior fire protection to ensure safety and well-being.

Drinking water test results

Drinking water, including bottled, may reasonably be expected to contain small amounts of some contaminants. Their presence does not necessarily indicate a health risk. For more information about contaminants and potential health effects, call the EPA hotline at (800) 426-4791.

The table lists the regulated contaminants required to be monitored by the EPA detected in the water. While most monitoring is required annually, some contaminants are sampled less frequently.

The interim enhanced surface water treatment rule required testing for trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids at the farthest end of the system. This sampling was done quarterly in 2016. All the substances we found were present in quantities less than the EPA’s limits for safe drinking water.

For a complete listing of test results, please call Bioenvironmental Engineering at 552-3985 or Kathleen Hook at 455-1540.

Lead/copper in drinking water

The Safe Drinking Water Act requires public water systems to test water samples from its customers to determine lead and copper levels. Elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially in pregnant women and young children.

Samples were collected at numerous locations on JBER-R during June 2015, and at JBER-E during June and July 2016. During both events, the 90th percentiles were below the EPA action levels.Lead in drinking water is primarily from components of service lines and home plumbing, so water is tested at service locations.

If abnormal levels of lead or copper are detected, residents will be notified and JBER will correct the problem.

To minimize contamination of drinking or cooking water, let the tap run for 30 seconds to two minutes to flush water that has been sitting for several hours. For more information about lead, call the EPA hotline or visit epa.gov/safewater/lead.

Some residents, especially in older housing, may experience brown or rusty water from their faucets. This is usually caused by minerals and does not mean that the water is not safe, but if it does not run clear after several minutes, report it to housing maintenance. Another common occurrence is white cloudy water. This is due to oxygen, and is often noticed in winter. Water that doesn’t clear after sitting for a few minutes should also be reported.

To read the full report, visit http://www.jber.jb.mil/Portals/144/hot/2018-JBER-water-report.pdf.