College of St. Catherine 1999 Drinking Water Report

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

PWSID: 1620035

College of St. Catherine
1999 Drinking Water Report

The College of St. Catherine is issuing the results of monitoring done on its drinking water for the period from January 1 to December 31, 1999. 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 residents from a groundwater source: a 778-foot-deep well.

Call Robert Nygren, 651-690-8631 if you have questions about the College of St. Catherine drinking water or would like information about opportunities for public participation in decisions that may affect the quality of the water.

Results of Monitoring

No contaminants were detected at levels that violated federal drinking water standards. However, some 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 1999. 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 MCLG’s 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.

90th Percentile Level- This is the value obtained after disregarding 10 percent of the samples taken that had the highest levels. (For example, in a situation in which 10 samples were taken, the 90th percentile level is determined by disregarding the highest result, which represents 10 percent of the samples.) Note: In situations in which only 5 samples are taken, the average of the two with the highest levels is taken to determine the 90th percentile level.

pCi/l- PicoCuries per liter (a measure of radioactivity).

ppb- Parts per billion, which can also be expressed as micrograms per liter (ug/1).

ppm- Parts per million, which can also be expressed as milligrams per liter (mg/l).

Contaminate (units)	MCLG	MCL	Level Found Range (1999)	Average/ Result*	Type Source of Contaminate
Trichloroethylene	0	5.0	--	0.3	Discharge from metal degreasing sites and other factories.
Fluoride (ppm) (10/15/1997)	4.0	4.0	--	0.16	State of Minnesota requires all municipal water systems to add fluoride to the drinking water to promote strong teeth; Erosion of natural deposits
Alpha Emitters (pCi/l) (10/15/1997)	0	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.

Contaminant (units)	MCLG	AL	90% Level	# sites over AL	Typical Source of Contaminant
Lead (ppb) (06/29/1998)	NA	15	9.0	1 out of 10	Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits.
Copper (ppm)	NA	1.3	0.28	0 out of 10	Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits; Leaching from wood preservatives.

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 case, 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 contaminates, 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–occuring 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 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 at 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 are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791.