The 2008

Annual Drinking Water Quality Report

For the City of Minto, North Dakota

The City of Minto, as required by the federal Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), has prepared and is distributing to our customers this year's annual drinking water quality report. This is our opportunity to share information on the quality of water we provide to your home, apartment, or business. In addition, this report is an educational tool that allows us to inform you of the source of our water, our treatment facilities, and processes. It is our daily goal to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water.

If you own or manage an apartment complex or have renters, we encourage you to share this report with them. If you have questions regarding this report, please call Henry Czapiewski, our Water Superintendent, at (701)248-3480. Questions will also be answered at our regularly scheduled city council meeting on the first Monday of each month at 7:00 PM. If you are aware of non-English speaking individuals who need help with the appropriate language translation, please call Tami Ulland at (701)248-3858.

This report has required definitions of terms, language requirements, tables of water quality data, and other pertinent information you will hopefully find interesting and educational.

A. Source of Minto's Water:

The city currently uses ground water. Our ground water is obtained from Fordville Aquifer and two production wells are located 22 miles west of the city. Our ground water treatment plant has limited production of 120 gallons per minute and our wells directly supply water to the City as the demand requires.

Our public water system, in cooperation with the North Dakota Department of Health, has completed the delineation and contaminant/land use inventory elements of the North Dakota Source Water Protection Program. Based on the information from these elements, the North Dakota Department of Health has determined that our source water is moderately susceptible to potential contaminants.

B. Source Water Assessment:

The city is involved in the Wellhead Protection Program. Copies of the Wellhead Protection report along with other relevant information are available at our city offices during normal business hours.

C. Contaminants Which May Reasonably Be Expected To Be Found In Drinking Water And Bottled Water:

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 materials, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity.

Contaminants that may be present in source water include:

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

(B) 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.

(C) Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and residential uses.

(D) 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.

(E) 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 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 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 (800-426-4791).

D. Some People Are More Vulnerable to Contaminants:

Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immunocompromised 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. Environmental Protection Agency/Center for Disease Control (EPA/CDC) guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).

E. Required Definitions:

Maximum Contaminant Level Goal or MCLG:

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.

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.

Treatment Technique:

A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.

Action Level:

The concentration of a contaminant, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow.

F. Table of Detected Regulated Contaminants

(The data presented is for 2008 or the most recent in accordance with state and federal regulations.)

Key for Sections F and H

AL = Action Level

MCL = Maximum Contaminant Level

MCLG = Maximum Contaminant Level Goal

MFL = million fibers per liter

MRDL = Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level

MRDLG = Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal

mrem/year = millirems per year (a measure of radiation absorbed by the body)

n/a = Not Applicable

nd = Not Detected

NTU = Nephelometric Turbidity Units

pCi/l = picocuries per liter (a measure of radioactivity)

ppm = parts per million, or milligrams per liter (mg/l)

ppb = parts per billion, or micrograms per liter (mg/l)

ppt = parts per trillion, or nanograms per liter

ppq = parts per quadrillion, or picograms per liter

TT = Treatment Technique