CCR Articles - Paradise Irrigation District

CCR Report Definitions

RAL (Regulatory Action Level): Concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements that a water system must follow.

μS/cm (microsiemens per centimeter): A unit expressing the amount of electrical conductivity of a solution.

MCL (Maximum Contaminant Level): The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. Primary (health-related) MCLs are set as close to the PHGs (or MCLGs) as is economically and technologically feasible. Secondary MCLs (SMCLs) are set to protect the odor, taste and appearance of drinking water.

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 are set by the USEPA.

MFL (million fibers per liter): A measure of the presence of asbestos fibers that are longer than 10 micrometers.

MRDL (Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level): The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants.

MRDLG (Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal): The level of a drinking water disinfectant below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contaminants.

NA: Not applicable.

ND (Not detected): The substance was not found by laboratory analysis.

NS: No standard.

NTU (Nephelometric Turbidity Units): Measurement of the clarity/cloudiness—or turbidity—of water. Turbidity in excess of 5 NTU is just noticeable to the average person.

PDWS (Primary Drinking Water Standard): MCLs and MRDLs for contaminants that affect health, along with their monitoring and reporting requirements and water treatment requirements.

PHG (Public Health Goal): The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. PHGs are set by the California EPA.

TT (Treatment Technique): A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.

ppm (parts per million): One part substance per million parts water (or milligrams per liter). Imagine one ping-pong ball in an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

ppb (parts per billion): One part substance per billion parts water (or micrograms per liter). Imagine one ping pong ball in 1,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

pCi/L (picocurries per liter): A measurement of radioactivity.

If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. PID is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components. When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking [Optional: If you do so, you may wish to collect the flushed water and reuse it for another beneficial purpose, such as watering plants]. If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water tested. Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at http://www.epa.gov/lead.

Federal regulations require Paradise Irrigation District to sample for lead and copper in your drinking water every three years and then the state reviews those samples for compliance. Based on the sampling results, there is no rea-son for concern. The samples show no lead and only minimal results for copper—and those levels are well below the action level for con-cern. However, if you are concerned about lead and/or copper in your water, you may wish to have your water tested. Information on lead and copper in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or a Quick Reference Guide at https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPDF.cgi?Dockey=60001N8P.txt or call the district at 530/877-4971.

Chemical	Year Sampled	Violation	Action Level	Public Health Goal*	Amount Detected at the 90th%	Sites Above Action Level
Copper (ppm)	2020	No	1.3	0.3	0.08	0/10
Lead (ppb)	2020	No	15	0.2	ND	0/10

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Health information for medically-vulnerable residents of our community

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 may be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers.

The US EPA/CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791 or http://water.epa.gov/drink/hotline.

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Substances that could be in drinking 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, radio-active material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of plants, animals or from human activity.

To make sure our tap water is safe to drink, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) and the State Water Resources Control Board (State Board) prescribe regulations limiting the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. State Board regulations also establish limits for contaminants in bottled water that 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. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations and California law also establish limits for contaminants in bottled water that provide the same protection for public health. Additional information on bottled water is available on the California Department of Public Health website (https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CEH/DFDCS/Pages/FDBPrograms/FoodSafetyProgram/Water.aspx).

More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the U.S. EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791.

Microbial Contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, that may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife;

Inorganic Contaminants, such as salts and metals, that can be naturally occurring or can result from urban stormwater runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming;

Pesticides and Herbicides, that 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 which can also come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff, agricultural applications, and septic systems;

Radioactive Contaminants, that can be naturally occurring or can be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.