Utilities work to maintain safe water From the cover
Put into perspective
The gist
Types of contaminants
Radioactive contaminants: can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities Organic chemical contaminants: byproducts of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff and septic systems Pesticides and herbicides: may come from a variety of sources, such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff and residential uses Microbial contaminants: may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations and wildlife Inorganic contaminants: can be naturally occurring or result from urban stormwater runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming
The two primary disinfectants added to water are chlorine and chloramine. According to TCEQ requirements, the min- imum level of free chlorine and chloramines required in the distribution system ranges from 0.2-0.5 milligrams per liter. The maximum resid- ual disinfectant level is 4 mg/L. This requirement was set by the EPA to reduce the risk of cancer and other illnesses caused by high chlorine con- tent in the water, according to the EPA website. These chemicals kill microbial contaminants in the water system to make it safe to drink. If consumers want to further remove other contam- inants, post-tap water filtration may be required depending on which chemical or disinfectant is being targeted for removal.
Eric Yeggy, director of technical affairs for the Water Quality Association, said the main reason a homeowner would install water alteration is due to smell, taste and odor. As for alternative forms of drinking water, such as alkaline water or bottled water, Yeggy mentioned that the Environmental Protection Agency, Food and Drug Administration and other organizations have not yet determined whether alkaline water has any health benefits or not. According to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the three primary sources for bottled water are regulated municipal water suppliers, stand-alone wells or rainwater collection systems. Alongside this, local water quality is monitored with more regulations than bottled water, according to information from Schertz Seguin Local Government Corporation.
SOURCE: TEXAS COMMISSION OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY/COMMUNITY IMPACT
What’s being done
Chlorine counts The maximum allowed chlorine is 4 parts per million, while the minimum is 0.2 ppm.
Water treatment process
Chlorine is the primary disinfectant used by local utilities, Kristerpher Lombard, GVSUD distribution plant operator, said. Lombard explained that for larger water systems, high concentrations of disinfectant chemicals may be used to ensure that the disinfectant residuals remain in water being distributed to a home or service line on the far end of a service area. Since groundwater is generally free of contami- nants, chlorine is all that needs to be added to make the water drinkable, Drawdy said. Fluoride is the most common water additive, with Universal City being the only city in the area that adds the chemical.
(average ppm)
Step 1: Water pulled from source (aquifer) Step 2: Water treated at treatment plants with chlorine solution Step 3: Water filtered to remove suspended solids Step 4: Water stored in large tanks and moved through transmission system to designated delivery points
Green Valley Special Utility District 1.58
1.79 San Antonio Water System
1.45 Schertz Seguin Local Government Corporation
0.84 Universal City
SOURCE: SCHERTZ SEGUIN LOCAL GOVERNMENT CORPORATION, GREEN VALLEY SPECIAL UTILITY DISTRICT, SAN ANTONIO WATER SYSTEM, CITY OF UNIVERSAL CITY/COMMUNITY IMPACT
SOURCE: GREEN VALLEY SPECIAL UTILITY DISTRICT, SCHERTZ SEGUIN LOCAL GOVERNMENT CORPORATION/COMMUNITY IMPACT
Love God, Love Others, Reach the World Saturday Service 5 PM Sunday Services • Traditional , 9am • Bible Study (All Ages) , 10:15am • Contemporary , 11:30am Celebrate Recovery , Sundays, 5:00pm
C IBOLO V ALLEY BAPTIST CHURCH
5500 FM 1103 Schertz, TX • (210) 658-0525 • cibolovalleychurch.org
16
COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
Powered by FlippingBook