2004 Randolph Avenue
St. Paul, Minnesota 55105
(651) 690-8631 FAX (651) 690-6522
Safety, Security, and Risk Management Department





1998 Drinking Water Report
October 13, 1999


In compliance with recent state and federal legislation, The College of St. Catherine is issuing the results of monitoring done on its drinking water for the period January 1 to December 31, 1998. The 1998 report is to be published by October 19, 1999. Subsequent annual reports will be published on July 1 of the following year. The purpose of this report is to advance consumers’ understanding of drinking water and heighten awareness of the need to protect precious water resources.

Source of Water


The College of St. Catherine provides drinking water to its community members from a groundwater source: a 778 foot deep well. Call Robert J. Nygren at 690-8631 if you have questions about The College of St. Catherine drinking water or if you would like information about opportunities for public participation in decisions that may affect the quality of the water.

Results of Monitoring


The results contained in the following table indicate an exceedance of a federal standard with an asterisk (*). Some other contaminants were detected in trace amounts that were below legal limits. The table that follows shows the contaminants that were detected in trace amounts last year. (Some contaminants are sampled less frequently than once a year; as a result, not all contaminants were sampled for in 1998. If any of these contaminants were detected the last time they were sampled for, they are included in the table along with the date that the detection occurred.)


Key to abbreviations:


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.
AL Action Level: The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirement which a water system must follow.
PCi/l PicoCuries per liter (a measure of radioactivity)
ppb Parts per billion, which can also be expressed as micrograms per liter (ug/l)
ppm Parts per million, which can also be expressed as milligrams per liter (mg/l).
nd No detection.
Contaminant
(units)		MCLGMCLLevel FoundTypical Source of
Contaminant
RangeAverage result +
Total Coliform
Bacteria		0 present>1 present ------- 5*
Naturally present in the environment
Trichloroethylene (ppb)------- 5.0 0.30.225
Discharge from metal degreasing and factories.
cis-1,2 Dichloroethane
(ppb)		 70.0 70.02.4-3.6 2.6
Discharge from industrial chemical factories
Fluoride (ppm)
(10/15/97)		 4.0 4.0------ 0.16· Minnesota requires all municipal water systems to add fluoride to the drinking water to promote strong teeth;
· also erosion of natural deposits
Alpha Emitters
(pCi/l) (10/15/97)		-------- 15.0-------- 11.1
Erosion of natural deposits.
+ This is the value used to determine compliance with federal standards. It sometimes is the highest value detected and sometimes is an average of all the detected values.


* We had a violation of the Total Coliform Rule during July of 1998. 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.


In response to this problem, we issued a boil order to the campus community, imported spring water for drinking, drained the water distribution system, refilled the system with hyperchlorinated water to disinfect the pipes, let the chlorine sit in the system for 48 hours, drained the system again, flushed it, refilled it, and re-tested. No coliforms were detected at that time, nor have they been since.


The College of St. Catherine now chlorinates water after being pumped from the well, before entry into the campus water distribution system. This will effectively eliminate the potential of coliforms’ abilities to live in our distribution system.

Lead and Copper Testing



Contaminant (units)MCLGAL90% Level# sites over ALTypical Source of Contaminant
Lead (ppb)------159.01out of 10Corrosion of plumbing systems.
Erosion of natural deposits.
Copper (ppm)------1.30.280 out of 10Corrosion of plumbing systems, erosion of natural deposits, leaching from wood preservatives


Some contaminants do not have Maximum Contaminant Levels established for them. These “unregulated contaminants” are assessed using state standards known as health risk limits to determine if they pose a threat to human health. If unacceptable levels of an unregulated contaminant are found, the response is the same as if an MCL had been exceeded; the water system must inform its customers and take other corrective actions. In the table that follows are the unregulated contaminants that were detected but did not pose a threat to human health:


Contaminant (units) Level FoundTypical Source of Contamination
RangeAverage/Result
Chloroform (ppb)nd-0.5 0.125
Disinfection byproduct
Sodium (ppm) (10/15/97)------- 5.6
Erosion of natural deposits


Compliance with National Primary Drinking Water Regulations


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, 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, 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, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. Food and Drug Administration regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health.


Drinking water, including bottled water, may be reasonably 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 at 800-426-4791.


Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immuno-compromised perosns 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 are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at
800-426-4791.


Respectfully submitted,


Robert J. Nygren
Director, Safety and Security