&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Providing Timely Drinking
Water and Source Water
Quality Information to You
Community
Des Moines Water
Works' Project
E M P A C 1
Environmental Monitoring for Public Access
& Community Tracking
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DISCLAIMER
This document has been reviewed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and approved for
publication. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recom-
mendation of their use.
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EPA/625/R-01/006
April 2002
Providing Timely Drinking Water
and Source Water Quality
Information to Your Community
Des Moines Water
Works' Project
National Risk Management Research Laboratory
Office of Research and Development
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency
Cincinnati, Ohio 45268
Recycled/Recyclable
Printed with vegetable-based ink on
paper that contains a minimum of
50% post-consumer fiber content
processed chlorine free.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The development of this handbook was managed by Scott Hedges (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
Office of Research and Development, National Risk Management Research Laboratory) with the support of
ERG, Inc., an EPA contractor. Technical guidance was provided by the Des Moines Water Works (DMWW)
staff, EPA's Office of Water, and EPA Region 7. EPA and DMWW would like to thank the following people
and organizations for their substantial contributions to the contents of this handbook:
Mitch Basefsky Tucson Water
Pat Bruner, Des Moines Water Works
Bob Dunlevy, EPA Region 7
Vince Dwyer, Des Moines Water Works
Ron Hunsinger, East Bay Municipal Utility District
Julie Hutchins Cairn, Seattle Public Utilities
Bruce Macler, EPA Region 9
Dan Quintanar, Tucson Water
Carl Reeverts, EPA Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water
Dave Scharf, Des Moines Water Works
Carrie Sears, Des Moines Water Works
Connie Steffen, Des Moines Water Works
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CONTENTS
Acknowledgments ii
Foreword iii
1 . INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 What Do Water Utilities Do? 2
1.2 Why Is It Important to Communicate Timely Drinking Water and Source Water
Quality Information to the Public? 3
1.3 Des Moines Water Works' EMPACT Project 4
2. How TO USE THIS HANDBOOK 5
3. WATER QUALITY MONITORING—AN OVERVIEW 7
3.1 Introduction to Water Quality Monitoring 8
3.2 Regulation of Drinking Water 8
3.3 Source Water 14
4. DES MOINES WATER WORKS 17
4.1 Overview of DMWW Operations 17
4.2 Support Programs and Systems 19
5. DMWW's EMPACT PROJECT 27
5.1 DMWW's EMPACT Project Phases 27
5.2 DMWW's EMPACT Project Web Site 33
6. COMMUNICATING DRINKING WATER AND SOURCE
WATER QUALITY INFORMATION 41
6.1 Outreach Plan 41
6.2 Outreach Products 42
6.3 Distribution and Feedback 44
APPENDIX A DMWW DUTREACH MATERIALS 47
APPENDIX B GLOSSARY OF TERMS 59
APPENDIX C TUCSON WATER'S EMPACT WATER
QUALITY PROJECT 65
APPENDIX D C DM M u N i CATI ON s/D UTREACH
PLANNING AND RESOURCES 67
in
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DREWC
The Technology Transfer and Support Division of the EPA Office of Research and Development's (ORD's)
National Risk Management Research Laboratory initiated the development of this handbook to help inter-
ested communities, particularly those with medium and large public water systems, learn more about the Des
Moines Water Works (DMWW) EMPACT project. DMWWs EMPACT project provides Des Moines met-
ropolitan community residents with timely information about the factors that affect their drinking water
supply. ORD, working with DMWW, produced this handbook to transfer the lessons learned from the proj-
ect and reduce the resources needed to implement similar projects in other communities.
You can order copies of this handbook (both print and CD-ROM versions) online at ORD's Technology
Transfer Web site at http://www.epa.gov/ttbnrmrl. You can also download a PDF version of the handbook from
this site. In addition, you can order print and CD-ROM versions of the handbook by contacting either ORD
Publications or the Office of Water Resource Center at:
EPA ORD Publications
26 W Martin Luther King Dr.
Cincinnati, OH 45268-0001
EPA NSCEP Toll free: 800-490-9198
EPA NSCEP Local: 513-489-8190
EPA Office of Water Resource Center (RC 4100)
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20460
Phone: 202-260-7786
E-mail: center.water-resource@epa.gov
Please make sure you include the title of the handbook and the EPA document number in your request
We hope that you find this handbook worthwhile, informative, and easy to use.
IV
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1
INTRODUCTION
Would residents in your community have trouble answering
these types of questions:
• How safe is your drinking water today?
• How healthy are the watersheds in and around
your community?
• Could simple changes in your lifestyle help
improve water quality in your area?
• How would you measure these improvements,
and what would they mean to you and your
family?
If so, your water utility and the community residents it serves would benefit from a project that
uses new and innovative methods and technologies to deliver timely, accurate, and under-
standable information about the quality of drinking water and source water in your area.
This handbook has been designed with this goal in mind:
To show you how one water utility—the Des Moines Water Works (DMWW)—
is implementing a project to provide timely drinking water and source water
quality information to the Des Moines metropolitan community.
The handbook provides a detailed case study of DMWW's project to encourage medium
and large water utilities (or communities responsible for supplying drinking water) to con-
sider adopting strategies for delivering timely data to the public. Although small water
systems and communities not subject to federal drinking water regulations are not likely to
have the resources to implement such a project, these entities may also find some portions
of this handbook valuable.
ABOUT THE EMPACT PROGRAM
This handbook was developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's)
EMPACT program. EPA created EMPACT (Environmental Monitoring for Public Access and
Community Tracking) in 1997- The program is now administered by EPA's Office of
Environmental Information.
The EMPACT program promotes new and innovative approaches to collecting, managing,
and communicating environmental information to the public. Working with communities in
156 of the largest metropolitan areas across the country, the program takes advantage of new
technologies to provide community members with timely, accurate, and understandable
environmental information they can use to make informed, day-to-day decisions about their
lives. EMPACT projects cover a wide range of environmental issues, including water quality,
ground water contamination, smog, ultraviolet radiation, and overall ecosystem quality. To
learn more, visit EPA's EMPACT Web site at http://www.epa.gov/empact.
1 INTRODUCTION
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1.1 WHAT Da WATER UTILITI
Water utilities are responsible for producing drinking water of consistently high quality for
their consumers. EPA and the states develop and enforce standards to protect the quality of
drinking water, and water utilities must meet these standards. Producing high quality drink-
ing water ideally follows an approach with multiple barriers to prevent contaminants from
reaching consumers. The earliest possible barrier (i.e., the most ideal barrier) is watershed and
wellhead protection, which ensures that contaminants do not enter source water. Therefore,
strong environmental stewardship is an essential element of drinking water supply.
DRINKING WATER VS. SOURCE WATER
When considering the responsibilities of water utilities, it is very important to distinguish
between drinking water and source water:
Drinking water is water that is conveyed to residences and businesses from a public water
system. Typically, this water is treated by a water utility to make it potable. Drinking water is
sometimes referred to as finished water.
Source water (i.e., raw water) is ambient water that is accessed by water utilities to treat for
distribution as drinking water. Source water can originate in either a surface source (such as a
lake, river, or reservoir) or a subsurface source (such as a well).
Water utilities collect and analyze drinking water and source water quality data to facilitate
the following:
• Produce and deliver high quality water.
• Assure consumers and regulators that drinking water is of high quality.
• Continue to improve the quality of drinking water through research.
Water utilities are challenged every day. The regulatory environment is changing. Science
is also changing, as is our knowledge of water quality and how it impacts consumers and
the environment is changing. Water utilities continually strive to improve the performance
of their treatment and distribution systems, make improvements to meet new challenges,
and communicate with consumers in an honest and timely manner.
THE WATER DATA AND TOOLS PROJECTS
DMWW's EMPACT project is one of four Time-Critical Water Data and Tools Projects. These
projects were formed through a partnership between the EMPACT program and EPA's Office
of Water. Through case studies of these four unique projects, the Water Data and Tools
initiative is designed to demonstrate local capability to collect and communicate water quality
data that are meaningful, defensible, and easily accessible, and build a framework to
encourage other communities to do the same through technology transfer and outreach.
1 INTRODUCTION
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WATER DATA AND TOOLS PROJECTS
Project
Chesapeake Bay
Locations
Baltimore, MD
Web site
Data and Tools
http://mddnr.chesapeakebay.net/empact Water quality ir
Washington, DC
Jefferson Parish New Orleans, LA http://www.jeffparish.net
Ohio River Cincinnati, OH http://www.orsanco.org/empact
Louiseville, KY
Pittsburgh, PA
Des Moines Des Moines, IA http://www.dmww.com/empact
support of
Pfiesteria surveil
lance
Freshwater diver-
sions and algal
blooms
Swimming and
fishing conditions
Drinking water
and source water
quality
Visit http://www.epa.gov/surf2/empact/tools.htmlfor more information on the EMPACT Water Data
and Tools Projects.
1.2 WHY is IT IMPORTANT TO COMMUNICATE
TIMELY DRINKING WATER AND SOURCE
WATER QUALITY INFORMATION
PUBLIC?
All members of a community have a right to know about the current quality of their drink-
ing water because drinking water quality affects public health. The need to provide timely
drinking water quality data is most urgent when these data indicate an acute result that can
have immediate effects on a utility's customer population. Your efforts to provide your cus-
tomers with timely information on the quality of their drinking water will build public
confidence in your utility's ability to provide safe, healthy, reliable drinking water.
Businesses relying on consistently high-quality water to support a production process can
use timely water quality information to determine whether to maintain or modify their
processes. By disseminating these timely data on a Web site, you may reduce the number of
phone calls to your utility from consumers or manufacturers seeking specific water quality
test results.
From a human health perspective, the urgency for timely source water quality information
is typically less than that for drinking water quality information. However, the timeliness
of source water quality information may be critical when spills or other environmental
emergencies occur in the watershed. The presentation of timely source water quality data
and trends on a Web site can inform and influence the behavior of residents in your water-
shed. This heightened public awareness would not only enable local residents and public
officials to make informed decisions about land use management and water conservation
measures, but would also encourage affected groups to take a larger and more proactive
role in instituting practices to restore and preserve the quality of source waters.
1 INTRODUCTION
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1.3 DES MCDINES WATER WORKS' EMPACT
DMWW is the largest water utility in the state of Iowa. Serving over 350,000 people,
DMWW operates two major water treatment plants and pumps an average of 43 million
gallons of water per day.
In 1998, EPA's EMPACT program funded DMWW's EMPACT project, which provides
Des Moines metropolitan community residents with timely information about the factors
that affect their drinking water supply. DMWW's EMPACT project is broken into three
phases:
• Phase I is the development of a data management protocol, tools, and electronic
links required to identify, manage, and deliver drinking water quality information
to the project Web site.
• Phase II is the periodic collection, Web posting, and updating of source water
quality information collected from selected monitoring sites within the Racoon
River and Des Moines River watersheds.
• Phase III is the adaptation of the methods and tools developed for Phases I and II
to existing urban runofif studies conducted by DMWW.
DMWW's EMPACT project strives to encourage Des Moines residents, as
well as the entire watershed community, to assume a larger role in restoring
and preserving the quality of source waters in the community. Project part-
ners include EPA's Office of Groundwater and Drinking Water (OGWDW),
EPA Region VII, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, and the United
States Geological Survey (USGS). You can visit DMWW's EMPACT proj-
ect Web site at http://www.dmww.com/empact.
1.3.1 PROJECT COSTS
To plan, design, develop, install, and implement the three phases of its
EMPACT project, DMWW incurred a total cost of approximately $245,000.
This cost should give you an idea of how much a comparable project might
cost your utility. However, every project that communicates timely informa-
tion about drinking water and source water quality is unique to its community.
Therefore, the cost of your project will also be unique.
1 INTRODUCTION
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Z
Haw To USE THIS HANDBOOK
This handbook has been designed to show you how DMWW is implementing a project to
provide timely drinking water and source water quality information to the Des Moines
metropolitan community. The handbook intends to encourage medium and large water
utilities (or communities responsible for supplying drinking water) to consider adopting
strategies for delivering timely data to the public. Although small water systems and com-
munities not subject to federal drinking water regulations are not likely to have the
resources to implement such a project, these entities may also find some portions of this
handbook valuable.
The handbook is organized into the following chapters:
• Chapter 3 presents an overview of water quality monitoring. Specifically, the chap-
ter discusses the federal and state regulations and guidelines applicable to drinking
water and source water. It also discusses typical methods used by water systems to
collect and disseminate information about drinking water and source water qual-
ity. Chapter 3 is targeted toward readers who are not familiar with federal and state
drinking water and source water regulations and guidelines. Therefore, water util-
ity personnel are likely already familiar with the material presented in this chapter.
• Chapter 4 presents an overview of DMWW operations and discusses the key pro-
grams and systems that support these operations. Specifically, the chapter discusses
DMWWs sample collection/analysis program, data management system, and
communications/outreach program. It also discusses the integrated collection of
software and hardware components that further
supports DMWW's operations. This chapter is
targeted toward all readers.
• Chapter 5 presents a detailed case study of
DMWW's EMPACT project. The chapter
describes the three project phases in detail and
discusses the EMPACT project area on
DMWW's Web site. This chapter is targeted
toward all readers.
• Chapter 6 focuses on communications
and outreach. The chapter discusses many of
DMWW's communication/outreach efforts.
Chapter 6 is targeted toward personnel tasked
with implementing an outreach plan.
• Appendix A contains brochures and
pamphlets related to DMWW's communica-
tion/outreach plan, including a Consumer
Confidence Report. These materials are dis-
cussed in Chapter 6.
• Appendix B presents a glossary of terms used in
the handbook. This glossary is targeted toward
all readers.
2 Haw Ta USE THIS HANDBOOK
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• Appendix C presents a brief case study of the EMPACT Water Quality Project
implemented at the Water Quality Division of Tucson Water in Tucson, Arizona.
This appendix is targeted toward all readers.
• Appendix D presents general guidance on creating a comprehensive outreach plan
and provides a list of resources for presenting water quality information to the pub-
lic. This appendix is targeted toward personnel tasked with implementing an
outreach plan.
Throughout this handbook, you will find lessons learned and success stories related to
DMWWs EMPACT project. You will also find references to supplementary information
sources, such as Web sites, guidance documents, and other written materials that will pro-
vide you with a greater level of detail.
2 Haw Ta USE THIS HANDBOOK
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3
WATER QUALITY MONITORING —
OVERVIEW
All water-even from the healthiest rivers and lakes-contains naturally occurring substances
from the soil, surrounding vegetation and wildlife, and biological, physical, and chemical
processes. Some water sources may be contaminated by man-made chemicals or the by-
products of industrial processes. The purpose of water quality monitoring is to
measure the presence and quantity of these constituents or parameters in water.
This chapter introduces the concept and measurement of water quality from the
perspective of drinking water utilities and discusses some of the regulations and
guidelines that public water systems must follow to protect water quality.
Section 3.1 provides a general introduction to the concept of drinking water and
source water quality monitoring related to drinking water utilities. Sections 3.2 and
3.3 discuss the federal and state regulations and guidelines that public water sys-
tems must follow to protect the quality of drinking water and source water,
respectively. These sections also introduce the water quality monitoring and com-
munication requirements associated with these regulations and guidelines.
TO LEARN MORE
To learn more about water quality, consult the following references and Web sites:
• EPA's Water Projects and Programs page at:
http://www.epa.gov/epahome/waterpgram.htm.
• EPA's Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water (OGWDW) site at:
http://www. epa.gov/safewater/.
• Drinking Water: Past, Present, and Future. USEPA/OW, February 2000,
EPA816-F-00-002.
• National Library of Medicine drinking water page at:
http://www. nlm. nih.gov/medlineplus/drinkingwater. html.
• The National Agricultural Library Water Quality Information Center site at:
httpillwww. nal. usda.gov/wqic.
• For questions about drinking water requirements under the Safe Drinking Water Act
(SDWA), contact the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791 or via e-mail at
hotline-sdwa @epa.gov.
• See Appendix D for additional references.
13 WATER QUALITY MONITORING—AN OVERVIEW
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3.1 INTRODUCTION TO > DUALITY
M ONITORING
The quality of water affects how we are able to use it; conversely, the way we use our water
can affect its overall quality. The federal government, states, and localities are all involved
in the regulation, monitoring, and control of our nation's waters to protect the quality of
water for its intended use. Therefore, it is important to distinguish between the quality of
drinking water and the quality of source water.
PUBLIC WATER SYSTEMS
There are approximately 170,000 public water systems in the United States. EPA classifies
these water systems according to the number of people they serve, the source of their water,
and whether they serve the same people year-round or on an occasional basis. Public water
systems, which may be either publicly or privately owned, provide water for human
consumption through pipes or other constructed conveyances to at least 15 service connections
or serve an average of at least 25 people for at least 60 days per year. EPA has defined three
types of public water systems:
Community Water System: A public water system that supplies water to the same population
year-round. For example, the water system operated by DMWW (a water utility) is considered
a community water system. There are approximately 54,000 community water systems
operated in the United States.
Non-Transient Non-Community Water System: A public water system that regularly supplies
water to at least 25 of the same people for at least six months per year, but not year-round.
Some examples are water systems at schools, factories, office buildings, and hospitals. There are
approximately 20,000 non-transient non-community water systems operated in the United
States.
Transient Non-Community Water System: A public water system that provides water to at
least 25 people per day in a place such as a gas station or campground where people do not
remain for long periods of time. There are approximately 93,000 transient non-community
water systems operated in the United States.
The federal and state regulations and guidelines designed to protect the quality of these
waters are discussed in the following sections.
3.2 REGULATION OF DRINKING WATER
Federal regulation of drinking water quality began in 1914, when the U.S. Public Health
Service set standards for certain disease-causing microbes. Today, water quality is protected
by a variety of different regulations and guidelines.
Through the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) established in 1974 and revised in 1986
and 1996, Congress authorized EPA to set enforceable health standards and required pub-
lic notification of water utility violations and annual customer reports on contaminants
found in drinking water. Under the authority of the SDWA, EPA sets standards for approx-
imately 90 contaminants in drinking water. Currently, standards are set for the following:
• Microorganisms, including (but not limited to) Cryptosporidium, Giardia lamblia,
Legionella, total coliforms (including fecal coliform and E. colt), and viruses.
Although some of these contaminants occur naturally in the environment, most
13 WATER QUALITY MONITORING—AN OVERVIEW
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originate in human and animal fecal waste. Many of these contaminants can cause
gastrointestinal illness if ingested. Legionella can cause Legionnaire's disease.
• Disinfectants and disinfection byproducts, including (but not limited to)
bromate, chloramines, chlorine, chlorine dioxide, chlorite, haloacetic acids, and
total trihalomethanes. These contaminants are either water additives used to control
microbes or byproducts of the disinfection process. Potential health effects vary with
each contaminant; they range from eye/nose irritation, stomach discomfort, and
anemia to liver, kidney, and nervous system effects and the increased risk of cancer.
• Inorganic chemicals, including antimony, arsenic, asbestos, barium, beryllium,
cadmium, chromium, copper, cyanide, fluoride, lead, mercury, nitrate, nitrite, sele-
nium, and thallium. These contaminants originate from a variety of different
sources, including (but not limited to) discharges from industrial processes, erosion
of natural deposits, corrosion of pipes, and runoff. Potential health effects are
specific to each contaminant; they can include circulatory system problems, skin
damage, intestinal polyps and lesions, increased blood pressure, kidney damage,
nerve damage, thyroid problems, bone disease, and the increased risk of cancer.
• Various organic chemicals. As with the inorganic chemicals, these contaminants
originate from a variety of different sources, including (but not limited to) dis-
charges from industrial processes, agricultural and municipal runoff, and leaching
from pipes. Potential health effects are specific to each contaminant; they can
include kidney, liver, immune system, nervous system, circulatory system, and gas-
trointestinal problems, reproductive difficulties, anemia, and the increased risk of
cancer.
• Radionuclides, including alpha particles, beta particles and photon emitters, Radium
226 and Radium 228, and uranium. These contaminants may originate through the
erosion and decay of natural and man-made deposits. If ingested, they may
potentially increase the risks of cancer. Uranium may also cause kidney toxicity.
For each of these contaminants, EPA sets a legal limit, called a maximum contaminant level
(MCL), or requires a certain type of treatment. Water utilities may not distribute drinking
water that doesn't meet these standards. Most states have been delegated the authority to
enforce the federal standards; state standards must be at least as strict as the fed-
eral standards.
National Primary Drinking Water Regulations are legally enforceable standards
that apply to public water systems. Primary standards protect public health by
limiting the levels of drinking water contaminants, including microorganisms,
disinfectants and disinfection byproducts, inorganic chemicals, organic chemi-
cals, and radionuclides. You can visit http://www.epa.gov/safewater/mcl.html for
detailed information on the contaminants regulated by national primary
drinking water regulations.
National Secondary Drinking Water Regulations are non-enforceable guidelines
regulating contaminants that may cause cosmetic effects (such as skin or tooth discoloration) or
aesthetic effects (such as taste, odor, or color) in drinking water. Examples of these contaminants
include metals, pH, total dissolved solids, odor, and color. You can visit
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/mcl.htmlfot detailed information on the contaminants regu-
lated by national secondary drinking water regulations. Although EPA recommends
13 WATER QUALITY MONITORING—AN OVERVIEW
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secondary standards to public water systems, the Agency does not require that these sys-
tems comply. States may, however, choose to adopt secondary standards as enforceable
standards.
HEALTH EFFECTS
The health-related contaminants regulated by primary and secondary drinking water
regulations fall into two groups according to the health effects they may cause:
Acute effects occur within hours or days of the time that a person consumes a contaminant.
People can suffer acute health effects from almost any contaminant if they are exposed to
extraordinarily high levels (as in the case of a spill). In drinking water, microbes such as
bacteria and viruses are contaminants with the greatest chance of reaching levels high enough
to cause acute health effects. Most people's bodies can fight off these microbial contaminants;
acute contaminants typically don't have permanent effects. Nonetheless, when high levels
occur, acute contaminants can make people ill and may be dangerous or deadly for the very
young, the very old, or people with immune systems weakened by HIV/AIDS, chemotherapy,
steroid use, or other reasons.
Chronic effects occur after people consume a contaminant at levels over EPA's safety standards
for many years. The drinking water contaminants that can have chronic effects are chemicals
(such as disinfection by-products, solvents, and pesticides), radionuclides (such as radium), and
minerals (such as arsenic). Examples of the chronic effects of drinking water contaminants can
include cancer, liver or kidney problems, or reproductive difficulties.
3.2.1 MONITORING DRINKING WATER QUALITY
Water utilities perform a wide range of water quality monitoring to meet several purposes.
First, water utilities routinely monitor and test public water systems to ensure compliance
with the more than 90 contaminants for which EPA has set national primary drinking
water regulations. Second, water utilities must also meet more stringent and additional
monitoring requirements set by the individual states. Finally, water utilities conduct other
routine monitoring as part of their day-to-day operations to ensure treatment effectiveness
and to ensure that finished water quality meets both health and aesthetic objectives. This
testing includes routine sampling as well as check sampling to confirm the results of any
problems discovered during routine sampling. Monitoring locations and frequency are
based on the parameters being monitored and are specific to each water utility based on its
source water type, size, treatment process, and distribution system. Some drinking water
parameters are monitored constantly while others are monitored only every few years.
The table on the following page shows the major groups of contaminants and the minimum
testing frequency to comply with the monitoring requirements under EPA's national pri-
mary drinking water regulations. If a problem is detected, there are immediate retesting
requirements that go into effect and strict instructions for how the public is informed. The
retesting is continued until the water system can reliably demonstrate that it is free of prob-
lems.
10 13 WATER QUALITY MONITORING—AN OVERVIEW
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CONTAMINANT
MINIMUM MONITORING FREQUENCY
Acute Contaminants
Bacteria
For community water systems, samples are collected
throughout each monthly monitoring period, ranging from
1 sample per month to 480 samples per month depending on
the system size. For non-community water systems, sampling
is conducted once per quarter.
Protozoa and Viruses
Continuous monitoring for turbidity and monthly
monitoring for total coliforms, as indicators.
Nitrate/Nitrite
Quarterly sampling for surface water systems and annual
sampling for groundwater systems.
Chronic Contaminants
Volatile Organics (e.g., benzene)
Quarterly sampling at each entry point into the water
system, reduced to annual (or less frequent) sampling if
no detects.
Synthetic Organics (e.g., pesticides)
Quarterly sampling at each entry point into the water
system, reduced to annual (or less frequent) sampling if
no detects.
Inorganics/Metals
For groundwater systems, sampling is conducted once
every 3 years. For surface water systems, sampling is
conducted annually.
Lead and Copper
Annual sampling is required, with the number of sites
ranging from 5 to 100, based on the size of the system.
Radionuclides
Four consecutive quarters of sampling during initial
annual compliance period; subsequent monitoring
frequency is reduced if levels are below the detection limit.
Sample Compliance Monitoring Schedule Required Under EPA Regulations.
3.2.2 PUBLIC NOTIFICATION OF DRINKING WATER
Vl OLATION S
Federal regulations require that water utilities notify the people they serve when any violation of
a drinking water contaminant standard has occurred or any other situation has occurred that
may pose a short-term risk to health. As utilities test their water, they may discover that levels of
certain contaminants are higher than federal or state standards. These conditions may occur due
to a change in local water conditions, heavy rainstorms, or an accidental spill of a hazardous sub-
stance. Water utilities may also fail to collect one or a series of their required samples at the
scheduled interval. Any time a water utility fails to meet any EPA or state standards for drink-
ing water (including missing required samples or collecting them late), the utility must inform
the people who drink the water.
13 WATER QUALITY MONITORING—AN OVERVIEW
11
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Depending on the severity of the situation, water utilities have from 24 hours to 1 year to
notify the people they serve of a violation. EPA specifies three categories, or tiers, of pub-
lic notification. For each tier, water utilities have different amounts of time to distribute the
notice and different ways to deliver the notice:
Immediate notice (Tier 1): Any time a situation creates the potential for immediate human
health impacts, water utilities have 24 hours to take whatever steps are necessary to notify
people who may drink the water. In these situations, water utilities must use mass media
outlets such as television and radio, post their notice in public places, or personally deliver
a notice to the people they serve.
Notice as soon as possible (Tier 2): Any time a water utility distributes water that hasn't
been treated properly or contains contaminants at levels that exceed EPA or state standards,
the utility must notify the people it serves as soon as possible, within 30 days of the viola-
tion as long as the situation does not pose an immediate risk to human health. The water
utility must provide notice through the mail or via hand delivery to residences and through
posting in conspicuous places for other persons served by the water system.
Annual Notice (Tier 3): When a water utility violates a drinking water standard but the
violation does not have a direct impact on human health (for example, failing to take a
required sample on time), the utility has up to 1 year to provide a notice of this situation
to the people it serves. This extra time gives water utilities the opportunity to consolidate
these notices and send them with annual water quality reports (Consumer Confidence
Reports, described below).
Regardless of their tier classifications, all notices must include the following:
• A description of the violation that occurred, including the potential health effects.
• The population at risk and whether alternate water supplies should be used.
• What the water utility is doing to correct the problem.
• Actions consumers can take.
• When the violation occurred and when the water utility expects it to be resolved.
• How to contact the water utility for more information.
• Language encouraging broader distribution of the notice.
In addition to Tier 1 and Tier 2 notices, EPA requires that water utilities place annual
drinking water quality reports into the hands of the people they serve. These reports, called
Consumer Confidence Reports (CCRs), enable consumers to make practical, knowledge-
able decisions about their health and their environment. Water utilities may enhance their
reports as they wish; however, each report must provide consumers with fundamental
information about their drinking water.
The first of these reports came out in 1999; water utilities now publish reports by July 1
every year. CCRs are the centerpiece of the "right-to-know" provisions in the 1996
Amendments to the SDWA. The Amendments contain several other provisions aimed at
improving public access to information about drinking water, including the annual public
water system compliance report and improved public notification in cases where drinking
water is not meeting a contaminant standard. You can read more about these reports at
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/ccrl.html. In addition, examples of CCRs from DMWW are
included in Appendix A.
12 13 WATER QUALITY MONITORING—AN OVERVIEW
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WHAT DETERMINES THE PUBLIC NOTIFICATION TIER?
The following violations, situations, or conditions require Tier 1, Tier 2, or Tier 3 notifications. For
more information on the Public Notification Rule, visit http://www.epa.gov/safewater/pn.html.
Tier 1
• Fecal coliform violations; failure to test for fecal coliform after an initial total coliform sample tests
positive.
• Nitrate, nitrite, or total nitrate/nitrite maximum contaminant level (MCL) violation; failure to
collect a confirmation sample.
• Chlorine dioxide maximum residual disinfectant level (MRDL) violation in the distribution
system; failure to collect required samples in the distribution system.
• Exceedence of the maximum allowable turbidity level (if elevated to Tier 1 by the primacy agency).
• Special notice for non-community water systems with nitrate exceedences between 10 mg/L and 20
mg/L, where the system is allowed to exceed 10 mg/L by the primacy agency.
• An outbreak of a waterborne disease or other waterborne emergency.
• Other violations or situations determined by the primacy agency.
Tier 2
• All MCL, MRDL, and treatment technique violations, except where a Tier 1 notice is required.
• Monitoring violations, if elevated to Tier 2 by the primacy agency.
• Failure to comply with variance and exemption conditions.
• Turbidity consultation: When public water systems have a treatment technique violation resulting
from a single exceedence of the maximum allowable turbidity limit or an MCL violation resulting
from an exceedence of the 2-day turbidity limit, they must consult their primacy agency within 24
hours. The primacy agency will then determine whether a Tier 1 notice is necessary. If consultation
does not occur within 24 hours, the violation is automatically elevated to Tier 1.
Tier 3
• Monitoring and testing procedure violations, unless the primacy agency elevates the violation to
Tier 2.
• Operation under a variance and exemption.
• Special public notices such as a fluoride secondary maximum contaminant level (SMCL)
exceedence or the availability of unregulated contaminant monitoring results.
13 WATER QUALITY MONITORING—AN OVERVIEW 13
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WHAT'S IN A CONSUMER CONFIDENCE REPORT?
CCRs must provide consumers with the following fundamental information about their
drinking water:
• Identification of the lake, river, aquifer, or other drinking water source.
• A brief summary of the susceptibility of the drinking water source to contamination based
on the source water assessments that states are currently completing.
• Directions on how to get a copy of the water system's complete source water assessment.
• The level (or a range of levels) of any contaminant found in local drinking water along with
EPA's legal limit (MCL) for comparison.
• The likely source of that contaminant in the local drinking water supply.
• The potential health effects of any contaminant detected in violation of an EPA health
standard and a description of the utility's actions to restore safe drinking water.
• The compliance of the water system with other drinking water-related rules.
• An educational statement for vulnerable populations about avoiding Cryptosporidium.
• Educational information on nitrate, arsenic, or lead in areas where these contaminants are
detected at levels greater than 50% of EPA's standard.
• Phone numbers for additional sources of information, including the water utility and
EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).
3.3 SOURCE WATER
In contrast with drinking water, federal regulation of source water quality has
been less detailed and has allowed for more flexibility in the monitoring and
reporting of source water quality. While many states, water utilities, and local-
ities have watershed and wellhead protection/management programs, the
1996 SDWA Amendments placed a new focus on source water quality. The
1996 Amendments require states to implement Source Water Assessment
Programs (SWAPs) to assess areas serving as drinking water sources and iden-
tify potential threats to these sources. You can read more about source water
assessments at http:llwww. epa.gov/safewater/protect/assessment. html.
By 2003, states are required to complete a source water assessment for every
public water system. Each SWAP will be uniquely tailored to state water
resources and drinking water priorities. However, each assessment must
include four major elements:
• A delineation (or map) of the source water assessment area.
• The potential sources of contamination in the delineated area.
• The susceptibility of the water supply to those contamination sources.
• Public release of the assessment results.
State SWAPs have been reviewed and approved by EPA; states and localities are currently in
the process of developing source water assessments. These assessment reports will be pro-
vided to the public in a variety of ways. Some states plan to convene public workshops, while
others will have copies available at public libraries, local government offices, or water sup-
14
13 WATER QUALITY MONITORING—AN OVERVIEW
-------
pliers. Many states also plan to post the assessment summaries on the Internet. In addition,
the results of the assessments will be included in the annual water quality reports that
community water systems are required to prepare for the people they serve. You can
find links to each state's drinking water and source water protection pages at
http-.llwww. epa.gov/safewater/dwinfo. html.
In addition to the source water assessment requirements of the SDWA Amendments, all
surface source waters are federally regulated by the Clean Water Act (CWA) and the rules
and regulations that have been developed under that authority. The CWA impacts those
sources (both point sources and nonpoint sources) that contribute pollutants to the nation's
surface waters. Point sources are stationary locations or fixed facilities from which pollu-
tants are discharged. Nonpoint sources are diffuse sources of pollutants associated with
land use or groundwater flow. Examples include runoff from agriculture, forestry, or urban
activities. You can learn more about the CWA and all associated programs and require-
ments at http://www.epa.gov/ow.
3.3.1 MONITORING SOURCE WATER QUALITY
Typically, source water quality monitoring is conducted by water utilities to determine the
quality of water feeding the water treatment system and adjust the treatment process based
on raw water characteristics. In addition, many localities and water utilities conduct source
water monitoring as part of their watershed and wellhead protection/management
programs.
Water utilities are not required by the regulations under the Safe Drinking Water Act to
provide source water quality monitoring results to either EPA or the public, but they may
choose to do so through program-specific outreach products, such as Web sites.
13 WATER QUALITY MONITORING—AN OVERVIEW 15
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CLEAN WATER ACT PROGRAMS THAT IMPACT SURFACE SOURCE
WATER QUALITY
The Water Quality Criteria and Standards Program. This program includes a compilation of
national recommended water quality criteria for the protection of aquatic life and human
health for approximately 150 pollutants. These criteria have been published pursuant to
Section 304(a) of the CWA and provide guidance for states and tribes to use in adopting
water quality standards. These water quality criteria cover the following types: aquatic life,
biological, drinking water, human health, and nutrient. You can find out more about this
program at http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/standards.
The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permitting Program. This
program requires that all point sources discharging pollutants into waters of the United States
obtain an NPDES permit. These permits implement water quality standards and effluent
limitations guidelines that have been developed for specific industrial categories. You can find
out more about this program at http://www.epa.gov/owm/npdes.html.
Nonpoint source programs such as the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Program.
Under Section 303(d) of the CWA, states, territories, and authorized tribes are required to
develop lists of impaired waters. These impaired waters do not meet water quality standards
that states, territories, and authorized tribes have set for them, even after point sources have
installed minimum required levels of pollution control technology. The TMDL rule requires
that these jurisdictions establish priority rankings for waters on the list and develop TMDLs
for these waters. A TMDL not only specifies the maximum amount of a pollutant (its
loading) that a water body can receive and still meet water quality standards but also allocates
pollutant loadings among point and nonpoint sources. While TMDLs have been required by
the CWA since 1972, until recently states, territories, tribes, and EPA have not developed
many. Several years ago, citizens' organizations began bringing legal actions against EPA
seeking the listing of waters and the development of TMDLs. To date, there have been about
40 legal actions in 38 states, and EPA is under court order or consent decrees in many states
to ensure that TMDLs are established, either by the state or by EPA. Currently, EPA is
working to develop changes to the TMDL regulations. Until then, the current TMDL rule
remains in effect. You can find out more about this program at http://www.epa.gov/owow/tmdl
and at http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps.
EPA's Clean Lakes Program. The Clean Lakes Program was established in 1972 as Section
314 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to provide financial and technical assistance
to states in restoring publicly owned lakes. The early focus of the program was on research
and development of lake restoration techniques and evaluation of lake conditions. The Clean
Lakes Program regulations promulgated in 1980 redirected the program activities to diagnose
the current conditions of individual lakes and their watersheds, determine the extent and
sources of pollution, develop feasible lake restoration and protection plans, and implement
these plans. The CWA Amendments of 1987 expanded the program to include state-wide
assessments of lake conditions. EPA has encouraged states to use these assessment funds to
develop the institutional and administrative capabilities needed to carry out their lake
programs. You can find out more about this program at http://www.epa.gov/owow/lakes.
16 13 WATER QUALITY MONITORING—AN OVERVIEW
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DES MOINES WATER WORKS
DMWW is the largest municipal water utility in the state of Iowa. Serving over 350,000
people, DMWW operates two water treatment plants and pumps an average of 43 million
gallons of water per day. This chapter briefly discusses many of the day-to-day operations
conducted at DMWW and introduces some of the key programs and systems that support
DMWW's operations.
4.1 OVERVIEW OF DMWW OPERATIONS
DMWW is located on the banks of the Raccoon River in the city of Des Moines. The util-
ity draws source water from the Raccoon River, the Des Moines River, an infiltration
gallery, and several wells. The infiltration gallery is a large horizontal well constructed in
the sand and gravel adjacent to the Raccoon River. It yields river water and groundwater
that have been naturally filtered through the sand and gravel. DMWW selected these
source water supplies based on the quality of these waters and the utility's ability to treat
these waters.
DMWW maintains an emergency supply of source water in the Maffitt Reservoir. This
reservoir, constructed for DMWW during the 1940s, is located southwest of the Des
Moines metropolitan area within 600 acres of wooded land; the area is popular for fishing
and hiking. To enhance the quality of water in the reservoir, DMWW recently purchased
105 acres of surrounding farmland to provide watershed protection.
DMWW operates two drinking water treatment plants: the Fleur Drive plant and the
Maffitt plant. The Fleur Drive plant (considered the main plant) has the capacity to treat
100 million gallons of source water per day. It is operated by DMWW staff on a continu-
ous basis. The Maffitt plant was constructed to address reliability issues that arose when a
serious flood put the Fleur Drive plant underwater and out of service in 1993. In addition
to providing a backup for the main plant, the Maffitt plant provides an additional 25 mil-
lion gallons of drinking water per day for the growing Des Moines population. The Maffitt
plant is in service on a continuous basis; it is adjacent to the Maffitt Reservoir, located
about 10 miles southwest of the main plant, outside of the Raccoon River flood plain.
Typically, DMWW operates the Maffitt plant remotely.
Both of DMWW's treatment plants use a multi-step process to treat source water. The
typical treatment process used at the Fleur Drive plant is illustrated in the diagram on
page 18 and briefly described below.
• Source water for the Fleur Drive plant is obtained from the Raccoon River, the Des
Moines River, and the infiltration gallery system.
• Powdered activated carbon is fed into river water to remove man-made and natu-
ral organic chemicals (thereby improving the taste and odor). Ferric chloride is
added to remove particulates. The pre-treated river water is then combined with
water from the infiltration gallery.
• The combined water is softened with soda ash and/or lime. Alum or ferric chloride
is added to remove minerals and other particles from the softened water.
4 DES MOINES WATER WORKS 17
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RIVER
CHEMICAL
ADDITION
DISTRIBUTION
CHLORINATION &
FLUORIDATION
Typical treatment process used at DMWW's Fleur Drive Plant
• The pH of the water is adjusted with carbon dioxide, and the water is stabilized
with polyphosphate.
• The water is filtered through layers of sand to remove any remaining particles.
• When increased levels of nitrate are possible in river water, DMWW treats the
water in its nitrate removal process.
• Fluoride is added to the water to aid in the prevention of tooth decay, and chlorine
is added as a disinfectant to kill bacteria. The treated drinking water is stored in a
clear well until it is pumped into the distribution system.
Water at the Maffitt plant is treated using a similar multi-step process. Because source water
for this plant is usually obtained exclusively from wells, DMWW does not pre-treat this
water as it does river water. Also, DMWW does not operate a nitrate removal process at
the Maffitt plant because nitrate is typically found at low levels in the well water.
Through more than 800 miles of underground water mains and pipe (both iron and plas-
tic), DMWW distributes drinking water from both treatment plants to the Des Moines
18
4 DES MDINES WATER WORKS
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metropolitan community. DMWW provides total water service (including distribution sys-
tem maintenance) to the city of Des Moines, Polk County, Windsor Heights, and the
Warren County Water System. Through this total water service, DMWW performs pre-
ventative maintenance on all valves and hydrants, detects main leaks, repairs main breaks,
and replaces and repairs valves and hydrants. In addition, the utility reads meters, makes
service calls, prepares bills, and responds to customer service inquiries. DMWW also sup-
plies water to several other cities, communities, and water systems. For example, the utility
maintains a partnership with the city of Ankeny. Through this partnership, DMWW pro-
vides drinking water, reads meters, manages billing, and responds to customer service
inquiries while the city of Ankeny makes service calls and maintains its own distribution
system.
In addition to its drinking water treatment and distribution responsibilities, DMWW
operates the Water Works Park, about 1,500 acres of land near downtown Des Moines.
4.2 SUPPORT PROGRAMS AND SYSTEMS
DMWW relies on several programs and systems to support its day-to-day operations.
Sections 4.2.1 through 4.2.3 discuss a few of DMWWs key support programs and sys-
tems: the sample collection/analysis program, the data management system, and the
communications/outreach program. All of DMWWs operations are further supported by
an integrated collection of software and hardware components; this support system is dis-
cussed in Section 4.2.4.
4.2.1 SAMPLE COLLECTION /A N A LY s i s
DMWW monitors the quality of its drinking water and source water to satisfy both treat-
ment process control and regulatory requirements. (See Chapter 3 for a discussion of
applicable regulatory requirements and guidelines.) The utility maintains an in-house lab-
oratory to conduct a variety of analyses on its water samples. To ensure that data are
accurate and representative, DMWW follows a comprehensive set of procedures for sam-
pling and laboratory quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC); many of these procedures
are required by EPA. DMWW has a quality assurance project plan (QAPP) in place to
document its adherence to these procedures.
DMWWS QUALITY ASSURANCE PROJECT PLAN (QAPP)
DMWWs QAPP provides a detailed framework for the utility's sampling and analytical
procedures. Specifically, DMWWs QAPP covers the following:
• The laboratory mission, organizational structure, personnel, the physical facility, laboratory
reagents and supplies, reagent standardization, contamination control, and laboratory
safety.
• Standard sampling procedures, acceptance criteria, chain-of-custody, a sampling plan for
softening analyses, non-routine sampling, and on-site analysis.
• Inorganic, organic, and microbiological analytical procedures.
• Data quality assurance.
• Preventative equipment maintenance schedules, routine maintenance procedures, instru-
ment performance and optimization, protocol for correcting equipment problems, and
equipment use and maintenance record-keeping.
• Equipment inventory.
4 DES MOINES WATER WORKS 19
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The Hach® 1720D
Process Turbidimeter
DMWW collects and analyzes samples within its water treatment and distribution system.
The table below lists the drinking water parameters typically monitored by DMWW
Asterisks identify the parameters monitored to fulfill regulatory requirements for
DMWW's drinking water. [Note that the parameters marked
with asterisks do not add to the 90 federally regulated parameters
because some listed parameters (e.g., HAAs, SOCs, VOCs) rep-
resent more than one standard and others have been omitted
because subsequent monitoring has been waived or is very infre-
quent.] Monitoring frequency (monthly, weekly, daily, or
_ ^q—— continuous) varies with each analysis. The utility uses Hach®
IL J CL-17 analyzers to monitor chlorine levels and Hach® 1720D
analyzers to monitor turbidity levels in its drinking water. These
analyzers are connected, with other treatment process control
monitors, to DMWW's supervisory control and data acquisition
(SCADA) system. The SCADA system is equipped with data
monitors and alarms with pre-set parameter levels to assist
DMWW's water production personnel with monitoring the
treatment system around the clock.
DMWW also periodically collects and analyzes source water sam-
ples. The table on the next page lists the source water parameters
that are typically monitored by DMWW. When the utility is
operating its nitrate removal process, DMWW monitors Nitrate-
N to fulfill the requirements of its state operating permit.
Monitoring frequency (monthly, weekly, daily, or continuous)
varies with the source water type and location and each analysis.
Samples are collected from selected sites within the Raccoon
River and Des Moines River watersheds, wells, and the Maffitt
Reservoir.
CL-17
alyzer
DRINKING WATER PARAMETERS TYPICALLY MONITORED BY DMWW
Acetochlor*
Antimony*
Arsenic*
Atrazine*
Barium*
Bromide
Cadmium*
Calcium hardness
CCPP*
Chloride
Chlorine
Chromium*
Conductivity
Copper
Cryptosporidium
R coli*
Fluoride*
HAAs*
HPC*
Iron
Langalier's Index
Lead*
Manganese
Magnesium
hardness
Mercury*
Metolachlor*
Nitrate-N*
Nitrite-N*
Odors
O-phosphate
P-alkalinity
pH*
Potassium
Radionuclides*
Selenium*
SOCs*
Sodium
Sulfate*
SUVA*
Temperature
Thallium*
THMs*
TOG*
Total coliforms*
Total hardness
Turbidity*
UV-254*
VOCs*
^Parameters collected to fulfill regulatory requirements are marked with asterisks.
20
4 DES MOINES WATER WORKS
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SOURCE WATER PARAMETERS TYPICALLY MONITORED BY DMWW
Acetochlor Iron Potassium
Ammonia Lead Sodium
Atrazine Manganese Sulfate
Bromide Magnesium hardness SUVA
Calcium hardness Metolachlor Temperature
Chloride Nitrate-N* TOG*
Copper Nitrite-N Total coliforms
Cryptosporidium O-phosphate Total hardness
E. coli Odors Turbidity
Fluoride P-alkalinity UV-254
HPC pH
^Parameters collected to fulfill regulatory requirements are marked with asterisks.
URBAN RUNOFF STUDIES
DMWW conducted a series of urban runoff studies to determine the microbial and chemical
influences of main urban creek watersheds on the utility's source waters. Each of DMWWs
source water rivers has a primary urban creek (Walnut Creek for the Raccoon River and Beaver
Creek for the Des Moines River) with a branch that not only meanders through residential and
business areas but also extends beyond these areas into agricultural land. Walnut Creek is
multi-branched and eventually empties into the Raccoon River 2 miles upstream of DMWWs
water intake. Beaver Creek has one main creek channel plus a small branch. The mouth of
Beaver Creek is located 3 miles upstream of DMWWs Des Moines River water intake.
DMWW conducted its urban runoff studies over a 2-3 year period. To determine the
microbial and chemical influences of these creeks, DMWW tested creek water for total E. coli
counts, nitrate, ammonia, and other chemistry determinations. Samples were collected by a
DMWW laboratory technician during a rainfall event. DMWW performed the creek sampling
using two different approaches. One approach was to sample water from the creek mouth,
water from the river upstream from the creek, and water from DMWWs downstream intake.
The second approach involved a complete or nearly complete study that used the basic
approach above but included several other creek monitoring sites. DMWW selected 12
mapped sampling sites for the Beaver Creek watershed and up to 20 mapped sampling sites for
the Walnut Creek watershed.
The results of DMWWs urban creek studies indicate that bacterial contamination of Des
Moines urban creeks sometimes significantly affects the bacterial counts found in DMWWs
source water rivers, despite the relatively small amounts of flow from these creeks. DMWW
determined that the high bacteria levels in urban creeks are likely the result of pet and wild
animal waste deposited in Des Moines metropolitan storm sewers; however, DMWW did
locate more than one broken sewer line during its studies. DMWWs results also indicate that
urban runoff accounts for very little of the nitrate measured in the utility's source water.
4 DES MOINES WATER WORKS 21
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4.2.2 DATA MANAGEMENT
DMWW carefully manages and validates its monitoring data to ensure that only data of known
and documented quality are used to make environmental and operational decisions. DMWW's
data validation process is illustrated in the flow diagram on page 23.
Data management begins with DMWW's laboratory analyst. All sample analyses must adhere
to the laboratory QA/QC procedures documented in DMWW's QAPP. The laboratory analyst
enters data that meet these requirements and the QC measurements made during the analysis
into a laboratory information management system (LIMS). The LIMS automatically compares
the data (both the analytical result and the QC measurements) to a range of acceptable values
that DMWW has pre-programmed into the LIMS. The system flags data as suspect if they do
not fall within the range. The laboratory analyst carefully reviews the data she has entered to
ensure that she has not made a typographical error. The control range feature in the LIMS can
help the analyst quickly identify suspect or erroneous data during her review.
After DMWW's data have been reviewed by the laboratory analyst, these data are validated by
either DMWW's QA/QC officer or QA/QC supervisor. These personnel conduct their valida-
tion reviews in light of their extensive experience with the operation and control of DMWW's
treatment process, historical trends in DMWW's water quality, and close communication with
DMWW's treatment process operators and supervisors. Specifically, the QA/QC officer and
QA/QC supervisor perform the following types of analyses:
• Compare data within the LIMS control range with hard-copy analytical results to
locate any incorrectly transcribed data that may have still fallen within the LIMS con-
trol range and were therefore not detected by the laboratory analyst.
• Review records and documentation to ensure that samples were collected and
nalyzed correctly.
• Review data in light of historical water quality measurements, treatment process expert-
ise, and other known factors that may affect the values of certain parameters. During
this review, the QA/QC officer or supervisor determine whether or not the data seem
logical.
When his review is complete, either the QA/QC officer or the QA/QC supervisor marks
validated data as "approved" in the LIMS. Because the LIMS package allows for the valida-
tion of individual analytical results, DMWW can approve one result and reject another
result measured in the same sample. In some cases, DMWW may collect additional samples
and/or repeat laboratory analyses to replace certain erroneous results. DMWW's data man-
agement process can take anywhere from a few hours to one week, depending on the staff
available to perform the separate data reviews. Data are prioritized for review based on the
significance of the results to the operation of DMWW's water treatment process.
4.2.3 COMMUNIC AT ION AND DUTREACH
DMWW follows a comprehensive plan for communication and outreach. Through this
plan, DMWW uses several different mechanisms and products to convey information to the
Des Moines metropolitan community. See Chapter 6 for more detailed information about
DMWW's outreach plan. Some of DMWW's communications/outreach products and
mechanisms are briefly introduced below.
The Monthly Newsletter: H2O Line. DMWW's monthly newsletter provides DMWW's
customers with information on current issues related to drinking water and source water
quality.
Annual Consumer Confidence Report. DMWW's June newsletter typically functions as a
Consumer Confidence Report (CCR). The CCR, required by federal drinking water regu-
lations, enables DMWW community residents to make practical, knowledgeable decisions
22 4 DES MOINES WATER WORKS
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DMWW's DATA VALIDATION PROCESS
Analysis Performed
Data quality reviewed by analyst
No
oes result
meet QC
quirement?
Data entered into database
by analyst
No
Do data
meet LIMS
criteria?
Data validation by QA/QC officei
or supervisor
Questioned
Not acceptable
Data approved, data marked as
approved in LIMS
Data rejected, data marked as
rejected in LIMS
4 DES MOINES WATER WORKS
23
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about their health and their environment. See Chapter 3 of this handbook for more infor-
mation on the CCR and the federal regulations that require its publication.
Welcome Brochure. DMWW sends a "Welcome" brochure to all of its new customers. The
pamphlet contains a variety of useful introductory information, including billing and pay-
ment options, a description of DMWWs treatment process, information about the services
provided by DMWW, and applicable rules/regulations.
Annual Business Report. The main goal of DMWW's annual report is to present financial
information to its customers; however, DMWW also includes a few pages of educational
materials in the report. The content of these materials depends on issues and concerns of
the current year.
Other Outreach Mechanisms. DMWW visits area schools to teach children of all grade
levels about drinking water and source water. The utility also offers tours of its facilities to
school children and adults. DMWW prepares technical outreach information for confer-
ences held by organizations such as the American Water Works Association. In addition,
the utility has prepared a series of fact sheets to answer specific questions from its cus-
tomers.
The DMWW Web Site. DMWW uses its Web site (http://www.dmww.com) to communi-
cate a wide variety of information to the Des Moines community.
4.2.4 SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE SYSTEMS
DMWW operates an integrated collection of software packages and hardware devices
designed and programmed to compile, manage, retrieve, and post data and information in
support of DMWW's day-to-day operations. This integrated system consists of three gen-
eral components: the database server, the firewall, and the Web server. Consider these
definitions:
• Database Server. A database server hosts a database management system, a soft-
ware package that allows users to store and modify information in a database.
• Firewall. A firewall is either a hardware device, a software package, or a combina-
tion of these mechanisms designed to protect internal computer systems from
intentional, hostile intrusion from outside sources.
• Web Server. A Web server hosts a software system that allows for data delivery to
outside users over the Internet or internal users over an Intranet.
These system components are briefly discussed below.
DATABASE SERVER
DMWW uses a database server to support both regulatory and treatment process control
requirements for data compilation and management. DMWW's database server, a
Hewlett-Packard® UXTM™ workstation, hosts an Oracle™ DBMS (Version 7.3.2) to
manage the utility's drinking water and source water data. The Oracle™ database is rela-
tional, which means that it allows DMWW to store data in the form of related tables. As
discussed previously, DMWW also uses a laboratory information management system
(LIMS) package developed by PE Nelson to support its analytical data management
requirements. DMWW selected the PE Nelson LIMS package based on its ease of use, sys-
tem security features, flexibility, minimal hardware and equipment requirements, and
compatibility with the utility's existing Oracle™ DBMS.
24 4 DES MOINES WATER WORKS
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A request to extract information from the database is made in the form of a query.
Although different database management systems support different types of query lan-
guages, Structured Query Language (SQL) is typically considered to be the most
common format for constructing queries. DMWW's Oracle™ DBMS supports SQL
(PL/SQL); DMWW personnel write code in SQL to query data.
DMWW personnel perform all DBMS maintenance and management. The utility has
found that this maintenance can be very time consuming. DMWW's QA/QC officer
dedicates at least 30 percent of his time to maintaining and managing DMWW's DBMS;
he feels that the system typically requires about 50 percent of his time. DMWW conducts
daily, monthly, and annual tape backups of all data on its internal network; archived data
are stored in a secure location. The utility's monthly archives are maintained for 2 years.
DMWW never discards its annual archives.
FIREWALL
DMWW uses a Borderware™ firewall to protect its internal computer systems and Web
site. A firewall examines all data traffic between two networks to determine if the traffic
pattern meets certain criteria for security. If the criteria are met, the firewall allows data
to flow between the networks. If the criteria are not met, the firewall halts the data trans-
mission. A firewall can filter both inbound and outbound data traffic using a variety of
filtering techniques.
WEB SERVER
DMWW's Web server allows DMWW to serve data over the Internet using Hyper Text
Markup Language (HTML), a program language used for publishing information on the
Web.
DMWW's Web server hosts its Web site, which provides a location on the Internet for
the utility's customers to access information. DMWW has an existing high-speed Internet
connection and a fully functioning Web site to communicate with its customers.
4 DES MOINES WATER WORKS 25
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26 4 DES MOINES WATER WORKS
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DMWW's EMPACT PROJECT
In 1998, EPA's EMPACT program funded DMWW's EMPACT project, which provides Des
Moines metropolitan community residents with timely information about the factors that affect
their drinking water supply. This project is designed to enhance DMWW's day-to-day operations
and community outreach program, in part, through the delivery of timely drinking water and
source water quality information. The project strives to encourage Des Moines residents, as well as
the entire watershed community, to assume a larger role in restoring and preserving the quality of
community source waters.
This chapter presents a case study of DMWW's EMPACT project. Section 5-1 discusses the proj-
ect phases. Section 5.2 discusses DMWW's EMPACT project Web site.
5.1 MWW'S EN- HASES
DMWW's EMPACT project is broken into three phases:
• Phase I is associated with the Web posting and updating of timely drinking water quality
information.
• Phase II is associated with the Web posting and updating of timely source water quality
information and supporting static information and documents.
• Phase III is associated with the Web posting of static results from DMWW's urban runoff
studies.
These phases are discussed in detail below.
5.1.1 DMWW EMPACT PROJECT—PHASE I
Phase I of DMWW's EMPACT project focuses on the posting and updating of timely drinking
water quality data to the EMPACT project area of DMWW's Web site. The table on page 28 pres-
ents the parameters and sampling frequencies for the Phase I data that are available on DMWW's
project Web site. DMWW selected this subset of parameters based on what the utility felt would
be of greatest interest to the Des Moines metropolitan community.
All drinking water data associated with the EMPACT project are validated and processed through
DMWW's data management system (discussed in Chapter 4). Overall, DMWW's data manage-
ment process has not been enhanced to support the utility's EMPACT project; DMWW has always
required timely water quality data to effectively operate its treatment system. DMWW's EMPACT
project does not directly increase or decrease the amount of time required to perform data valida-
tion; however, the implementation of the EMPACT project may in some cases require additional
resources for QA/QC reviews.
All validated data are available for extraction and posting to the EMPACT project area of
DMWW's Web site. Data that fail any of the data management review steps are marked as suspect
or rejected; these data are not delivered to the public. Data are prioritized for review based on the
significance of the results to the operation of the water treatment process. To ensure that most data
are available to Web users within 1 week of collection, DMWW follows a review schedule (e.g., the
QA/QC officer or supervisor plans to review data on Wednesday and Friday of each week).
B DMWW's EMPACT PROJECT 27
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PARAMETER
REGULATED* SAMPLING FREQUENCY
Alkalinity (Total)
Daily
Carbonate Precipitation Potential
Weekly
Calcium Hardness as CaCO
3
Daily
Chloride
Weekly
Chlorine (Free)
Continuous online
Conductivity
Weekly
Cryptosporidium
Monthly
Fluoride
Daily
Heterotrophic Plate Count Bacteria
Daily
Langeliers Index
Weekly
Magnesium Hardness as CaCO3
Daily
Metals (potassium, sodium, iron, manganese)
Monthly
Metals (lead, copper)
Monthly
Nitrate - N
Weekly/daily when near MCL
Nitrite - N
Weekly
Ortho-Phosphate
Weekly
Pesticides (Metolachlor, Acetochlor, Atrazine) /
Weekly (April-October)
pH
Daily
Silica (Reactive )
Annually
Sulfate
Weekly
Temperature
Daily
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)
Weekly
Total Hardness as CaCO
3
Daily
Total Coliforms
Daily
Total Organic Carbon (TOC)
Weekly
Total Trihalomethanes
Weekly
Turbidity
Continuous online
:(: Regulated constituents must be reported to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) as part of
a regular compliance program. Unregulated constituents are monitored for general water quality and treat-
ment process information but not reported to the IDNR.
Timely data for these
DMWW's Web site.
water quality constituents are available on the EMPACTproject area of
28
DMWW's EMPACT PROJECT
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VALIDATING TIMELY DATA
The analysis of drinking water is well regulated and conducted by certified laboratories using
EPA-approved methods. A very important part of the data management process is data
validation, which must occur before drinking water sample results can be considered final and
ready for public release. The reason for this part of the process is to avoid the unnecessary
public concern that would occur if invalid positive results were released and then found to be
incorrect. For most parameters, the data validation process can occur in only a few days.
Thus, in this context, timely data is that which minimizes the time between the generation of
validated sample results and the availability of these results to the public. Typically, the time
between sampling drinking water and providing the validated sampling results to the public
can range from a few days to a maximum of 3 weeks.
To increase the timeliness of water quality data available to the Des Moines community,
DMWW could post "provisional" data to the EMPACT project area of its Web site shortly
after laboratory analysis. Although provisional data have met the QA/QC requirements for
sample collection and laboratory analysis, these data are not validated. DMWW has chosen
not to post provisional data to its Web site because the utility feels that the potential
disadvantages of posting erroneous data (e.g., causing unnecessary community alarm)
outweigh the advantages of increasing the timeliness of these data.
During the design and construction of Phase I, DMWW dedicated its resources to developing the
data delivery approach, technical systems, and communications/outreach goals required to support
all phases of its EMPACT project. DMWW spent approximately 2 years completing the design and
construction of Phase I.
During the design of the data delivery approach and technical systems, DMWW analyzed its hard-
ware and software systems to determine the utility's existing technical resources and expertise,
identify the key technical issues to be addressed during EMPACT project design, and identify
potential technical challenges. After fully evaluating its existing systems, DMWW chose to dedi-
cate a significant portion of its EMPACT project funding to support the skilled technical labor
(both internal and external) necessary create a new DMWW EMPACT project area on the utility's
existing Web site and build the mechanisms necessary to deliver timely data to that site.
First, DMWW replaced its existing Web server. The new server runs Microsoft® Internet
Information Server (IIS) 4.0™. DMWW selected Microsoft® IIS 4.0™ because it provides the
utility with a platform for building more sophisticated Internet applications. At first, DMWW
attempted to create an electronic link from the new Web server to its existing Oracle™ database.
However, this link proved to be both unreliable and inefficient. DMWW suspects that these issues
arose due to certain differences in communication between the Oracle™ and Microsoft® systems.
To resolve these differences, DMWW converted an existing SQL Server database into a staging area
for the data and electronically linked this database to the Web server. Each night, approved data are
extracted from DMWW's Oracle™ database and stored in the SQL Server database. When a user
requests information from the EMPACT project area on DMWW's Web site, these data are pulled
from the SQL Server database. See Section 5.2 for more information on DMWW's Web site.
In some ways, DMWW's decision to modify some of its existing technical components conserved
funding and resources: DMWW was not required to purchase many significant pieces of hardware
and software to support its EMPACT project. In other ways, DMWW's decision resulted in some
challenges: DMWW and its contractors were required to dedicate extra resources to closely exam-
ine and redesign specific features of the existing technical components to create a fully functional
and compatible data delivery system.
DMWW's EMPACT PROJECT 29
-------
While designing the data delivery system, DMWW considered its available technical resources
(both internal and external) to support not only the design and development of the system but also
the long-term implementation of the system. DMWW's project phasing approach allowed the util-
ity to dedicate a portion of its internal technical resources to the EMPACT project while the utility
conducted other important non-EMPACT information systems tasks (such as ensuring the Y2K
compliance of DMWW's computer systems).
5.1.2 DMWW'S EMPACT PROJECT—PHASE II
When Phase I of DMWW's EMPACT project was fully implemented, DMWW and its technical
contractors modified the Phase I system to support the Phase II delivery of timely source water
quality data to community residents. DMWW then dedicated its available technical resources to
post key pieces of static data to the EMPACT project area on the utility's Web site to fully imple-
ment the subsequent components of Phase II.
Phase II includes the following three components:
• Component I focuses on the posting and updating of timely source water quality data to
the EMPACT project area on DMWW's Web site. The complete implementation of this
component took only a few weeks because it uses the data delivery approach and techni-
cal systems developed for Phase I.
• Through Component II, DMWW places its annual CCR on its Web site. DMWW's
CCR enables Des Moines metropolitan community residents to make practical, knowl-
edgeable decisions about their health and their environment. Refer to Chapter 6 for more
information on DMWW's CCR, and refer to Chapter 3 for more information on the fed-
eral regulations that require its publication.
• Component III provides relevant data extracted from the Iowa Department of Natural
Resources (IDNR) source water assessment program (SWAP), which was developed in
compliance with Section 1453 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). See Chapter 3
for more information on the SWAP and the SDWA.
The table on page 31 presents the parameters and sampling frequencies for the Phase II data avail-
able on the EMPACT project area of DMWW's Web site. DMWW selected this subset of
parameters based on what the utility felt would be of greatest interest to the Des Moines metro-
politan community.
Through the execution of Phase II of its EMPACT project, DMWW procured and installed two
early-alert source water monitoring stations at the Racoon River intake and the Des Moines River
intake. DMWW uses these monitoring stations to provide treatment plant operators with as much
warning as possible when rapid changes in source water quality warrant immediate modifications
to the drinking water treatment process. Each early-alert monitoring station contains four Hach®
water analyzers to monitor nitrate, ammonia, pH, and turbidity.
Using the early-alert analyzers, DMWW collects and analyzes source water samples for nitrate every
2.5 minutes, samples for ammonia every 7-5 minutes, and samples for pH and turbidity continu-
ously. The analyzers are currently programmed to collect and analyze samples at their maximum
frequencies; however, DMWW may consider decreasing the monitoring frequency to reduce costs
in the future. The early-alert analyzers are connected, with other treatment process control moni-
tors, to DMWW's SCADA system. Data from these analyzers are not available on the EMPACT
area of DMWW's Web site.
30 B DMWW's EMPACT PROJECT
-------
PARAMETER SAMPLING FREQUENCY
Alkalinity (Total) 5/week
Ammonia - N Weekly*
Calcium Hardness as CaCO3 5/week
Chloride Weekly
Cryptosporidium Monthly
E. coli 5/week
Fluoride Weekly
Heterotrophic Plate Count Bacteria 5/week
Magnesium Hardness as CaCO3 5/week
Metals
(potassium, sodium, iron, manganese, lead, copper) Weekly
Nitrate - N Weekly/daily when near MCL*
Ortho-Phosphate Weekly
Pesticides (Metolachlor, Acetochlor, Atrazine) Weekly (April - October)
Sulfate Weekly
Temperature 5/week
Total Hardness as CaCO3 5/week
Total Coliforms 5/week
Total Organic Carbon (TOG) Weekly
Turbidity 5/week*
Timely data for these source water quality constituents are available on the EMPACTproject area of
DMWW's Web site.
*Note: Frequencies marked with an asterisk are for manual monitoring only. These parameters are
monitored on a more frequent basis using automatic analyzers. Only the manual monitoring data are
available on the EMPACT area of DMWW's Web site.
DMWW has found that maintenance of the Hach® early-alert analyzers can be very time-con-
suming. During the spring and summer, DMWW must repeatedly clean mud from the analyzers
due to the seasonal turbidity increase in area source water rivers. The utility spends at least 1 hour
per day cleaning and maintaining the analyzers at each station during this part of the year. During
the fall and winter, the utility spends about 1 hour every 2 weeks maintaining the analyzers at each
station.
DMWW's EMPACT PROJECT 31
-------
HACH® ANALYZER WATER QUALITY PARAMETER
APA 6000
Nitrate
APA 6000
Ammonia
EC 310
pH
Surface Scatter 6
Turbidity
The Hack® APA 6000
The Hach® EC 310™
pH Monitor.
The Hach® Surface
Scatter 6 Turbidimeter
The nitrate and ammonia analyzers are self-calibrating; DMWW reviews the calibration periodi-
cally. DMWW manually calibrates the pH and turbidity analyzers each month. Because the Hach®
analyzers are modular instruments, DMWW can repair the analyzers on site simply by removing
and replacing the broken part. DMWW keeps a large supply of spare parts on site to support rou-
tine and emergency replacements.
THE CHALLENGES OF REAL-TIME QA/QC
The data provided by the early-alert analyzers have allowed DMWW to become more pro-
active in modifying its treatment process in response to sudden changes in source water
quality. However, DMWW is still developing a QA/QC protocol for using these analyzers.
When an early-alert analyzer indicates a sudden change in source water quality, DMWW
water production personnel immediately collect and analyze a manual sample to verify the
reading for that parameter. However, when the analyzers indicate a very large change in
source water quality, DMWW personnel sometimes modify the water treatment process prior
to verifying the analyzer reading. To develop a continuing log of accuracy measurements,
DMWW programs its analyzers to collect periodic quality samples. For every seven source
water samples analyzed, the analyzer will collect one sample from a separate intake line that
DMWW has connected to a sample of water with a known quantity of parameters. DMWW
periodically checks the results of the QC sample to ensure the accuracy of the analyzer
readings. With time, DMWW hopes to decrease the amount of manual and QC samples it
takes to verify the accuracy of its early-alert analyzers.
5.1.3 DMWW'S EMPACT PROJECT—PHASE III
Through the execution of Phase III of its EMPACT project, DMWW will post the results from its
urban runoff studies to the EMPACT project area of its Web site to enable its customers to observe
the effects of urban watersheds on the quality of their drinking water. As discussed in Chapter 4,
the urban runoff studies attempted to determine the microbial and chemical influences of main
32
DMWW's EMPACT PROJECT
-------
urban creek watersheds on the utility's source waters. DMWW expects to post the results of these
studies on its Web site by spring 2002.
When Phase III of the EMPACT project has been fully implemented, DMWW will dedicate its
available technical resources to operating, maintaining, and periodically enhancing its EMPACT
project data delivery system and Web site, while continuing to support other important day-to-day
information systems tasks (such as redesigning the utility's electronic billing system).
S.Z DMWW'S EMPACT PROJECT WEB SITE
Because DMWW's EMPACT project phases represent unique topics and different implementation
schedules, the EMPACT project area on DMWW's Web site is organized around these phases.
The EMPACT project area on DMWW's Web site is located at http://www.dmww.com/empact.asp.
This site provides the following:
• An answer to the question, "What is safe drinking water?"
• Answers to frequently asked questions about drinking water and source water.
• A diagram of DMWW's drinking water treatment process.
3 Des Moines Water Works - EMPACT - Microsoft Internet Explorer
File £dit View Favorites Jools nelp
Address ©1 httpV/www.dmww.com/empacfe.asp
— DES MOINES
WATER WORKS 1 2201 VALLEY DHIVE I DE.S MOIINE.S. IOWA SQ321 M90
Home | General Info | Water Quality | Water Works Parks | Education | Employment | Customer Service | Contact Us |
Des Moines
Waterworks and the
Source Water
-FAQ
- Assessment Program
- Volunteer Program
Water Quality Report
WHAT IS EMPACT?
EMPACT, Environmental Monitoring for Public Access and Community Tracking, is part of a $3.5
million national campaign sponsored by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
EMPACT aims to work with communities to make timely, accurate and understandable environmental
information available to millions of people. Des Moines' project is one of four water quality EMPACT
projects.
Links
-Dictionary (EPA)
PHASE I of the Des Moines Waterworks (DMWW) EMPACT project features
interactive real time information, incorporating the daily collection, analysis,
posting, and updating of all drinking water quality data.
PHASE II is projected for implementation in January 2000. It will feature the
periodic collection, posting, and updating of source water quality data from the
Raccoon, Des Moines Rivers and infiltration gallery. It will also include
contamination source information.
The EMPACT project area on the DMWW's Web site.
B DMWW's EMPACT PROJECT
33
-------
Home General Info Water Quality
Water Works Parks Education
Employment Customer Service
Water Quality R
Project Overview
Drinking Water
-FAQ
- Health Effects (EPA)
Source Water
-FAQ
- Assessment Program
- Volunteer Program
Urban Runoff Study
Safe Drinking Water
Water Quality Report co
sat Tims Source Wa
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supplier draws from to obtain its raw water supply.
; This water is treated and distributed to the
community. The two main types of source water are
^' surface water, such as rivers, lakes, and reservoirs,
and groundwater. The source waterfor Des Moines
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Internet
A user can request source water data from the EMPACT project area on DMWW's Web site.
• Information about the Des Moines River and Raccoon River watersheds.
• The DMWW service map.
• The most recent annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR).
• An overview of the DMWW EMPACT project and descriptions of project
Phases I, II, and III.
• Timely data on the presence and/or quantity of specific parameters found in Des Moines
drinking water or source water.
From this site, Des Moines community residents can request timely water quality information from
two links: Phase I—Drinking Water Information and Phase II—Source Water Information. Users
can learn about the presence and/or quantity of specific parameters found in their drinking water
or source water by selecting the parameter from a drop-down list of options.
From the user's computer, a data request works like this:
• The user selects a specific analytical parameter from a drop-down list.
• The user selects the desired range of sampling dates for that particular parameter. If the
user does not specify a date, the Web site automatically defaults to a range beginning
1 month prior to the present date.
• The user clicks the "Show Me" button.
34
DMWW's EMPACT PROJECT
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Des Homes Water Works - EMPACT - Phase II Lab Data - Microsoft Internet Explorer
File Edit View Favorites Jools Help
Address £] http:/Vwww.dmwwxom/lempact_results_p2.asp?toolbar=3
— DES MOINES
WATER WORKS I 2201 VALLEY DRIVE I DES MOINES, low* 5O321 119O
Home | General Info Water Quality Water Works Parks | Education | Employment | Customer Service | Contact Us |
Water Quality
Project Overview
Drinking Water
-FAQ
- Health Effects (EPA)
Test Description
lAnimonia-N is a metabolic waste product formed from the decomposition of proteins
land other nitrogen containing substances. It is also manufactured and sold as
[commercial fertilizer. Nitrogen is recycled in the environment^ many different forms,
[including ammonia, and is usually reported in all forms as the concentration of
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Source Water
-FAQ
- Assessment Program
-Volunteer Program
Urban Runoff Study
Safe Drinking Water
Water Quality Report
Treatment Process
Watershed
Factsheets
below are the 6 available test results measured in (mgfl) that have been obtained <
days between Mar 12, 2002 and Apr 12, 2002.
There is no Water Quality Standard forthis contaminant.
EPA Drinking Water Regulations and Health Advisories Page is WWW.EPA.GOVroSTfToolsWwstds.html
Links
-Dictionary (EPA)
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RACCOON RIVER
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water data are
to the user in a table on a
At DMWW, the data retrieval process works like this:
• DMWW's Web server accepts the user's request in the form of HTML and repackages the
request into SQL.
• The Web server sends the SQL request through the firewall.
• Inside the firewall, the SQL request is processed by DMWW's SQL Server, and the
requested validated data are extracted from the staging database. Recall that DMWW
uploads data from the LIMS/OracleTM database to the SQL Server database nightly.
• The extracted data are sent back through the firewall to the Web server.
• The Web server formats the data and displays a results page.
The results page contains the following features:
• A brief, succinct description of the selected parameter.
• An explanation of the data returned by the user's inquiry.
DMWW's EMPACT PROJECT
35
-------
• The MCL and Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) established by EPA for that
parameter (applicable only to the drinking water page).
• A link to EPA's Drinking Water Regulations and Health Advisories page for more infor-
mation about the health effects related to that parameter.
• A tabular or graphical representation of the data.
• A link to EPA's Drinking Water Regulations and Health Advisories page:
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/mcl.html for information about the health effects of certain
parameters in drinking water.
• Links to other Web sites providing information consistent with the topic and message of
DMWW's EMPACT site.
• A link to EPA's "Terms of Environment" site http://www.epa.gov/OCEPAterms.
• A link that allows the customer to send an email to DMWW
PLUG-INS
A "plug-in" is a software module that works along with an Internet browser to add a specific
feature to a Web site. For example, a plug-in can allow users to listen to music or view videos
on a Web site. If a Web site requires a plug-in to execute a specific feature, users must
download the plug-in program to experience that feature. DMWW selected a software
package, Chart FX™, to display certain pieces of requested data in a chart format on the
EMPACT project area of its Web site. To use this feature, users must download Chart FX™
(a "plug-in"). The first time a user requests charted data from his or her personal computer,
the Web site displays a "warning" asking the user to agree to download the plug-in. The
Internet browser then guides the user through the downloading process. The user is required
to download the plug-in only once; the user's computer will automatically access the plug-in
for viewing charts in the future.
DMWW feels that this plug-in increases the number of options for viewing data on the site,
thereby enhancing the user-friendliness of the site. Although DMWW could program its site
to display charts, the plug-in allows DMWW to offer this feature without dedicating valuable
resources to formatting data. DMWW has found that many of its customers are comfortable
and familiar with plug-ins; the utility has received only a few questions and concerns about
the requirement to download this module.
The EMPACT project area on DMWW's Web site is programmed to present data in either a table
or a chart. The table format allows the user to view individual analytical results for a selected param-
eter measured on selected dates at selected sampling locations. The chart format allows the user to
view and compare analytical results for a selected parameter over the entire range of selected dates
and sampling locations. The charting function also allows the user to view information about a spe-
cific data point (e.g., parameter concentration, sample collection date, and sample description) by
holding the cursor over that data point in the chart.
5.2.1 DESIGNING THE WEB SITE
The designers of the EMPACT project area on DMWW's Web site included water treatment and
laboratory personnel, information systems personnel, technical contractors, and a communications
specialist. This team found the design process to be iterative. The team's design initially focused on
answering the following question: "Is my drinking water safe?" However, when the initial design
36 B DMWW's EMPACT PROJECT
-------
Address ^1 http://www.dmww.com/empact_p1.asp
I 220I VALLEY DRIVE I OE6 MOINES, IOWA 50321-1190
Home General Info [Water Quality [Water Works Parks Education | Employment | Customer Service | Contact Us |
Water Quality
Project Overview
Drinking Water Quality Data
Drinking Water
-FAQ
- Healtn Effects (EPA)
Source Water
-FAQ
-Assessment Program
-Volunteer Program
Urban Runoff Study
Safe Drinking Water
Water Quality Report
Treatment Process
Watershed
Lies Homes Water Works (.ijiVi'iAiVfl takes fin ide in providing Odr Surf Your
customers with the highest quality drinking water. The chart Pelow Watershed
gives you our real time water quality testing results on our treated An EPA
drinking water. To see the up-to-the-minute data and get an information stte
explanation of the contaminants we test for. simply select a
contaminant from the drop down list, select your preferred viewing
format, and click on the "SHOW ME" button
Select a water quality
:est location:
Links
- Dictionary (EPA)
Regulated tests
Unregulated tests
Select the range of
days of data you want to
view:
|A|| Finished Watery]
-^ I Chlorine (Free)
(Calcium Carbonate Precipitation Potential_J
<• Regulated
<~ Unregulated
from: |03/12/2002
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The EMPACTproject area on DMWW's Web site. Note
and explained links (in the right frame) for
left frame).
simple instructions (in the center frame)
or experienced users (in the
was reviewed, the team determined that a simple answer to this question would not necessarily ben-
efit DMWW's customers. The team also considered that this question cannot always be answered
simply. For example, when DMWW measured high levels of nitrate in its treated drinking water
in 1999, the utility felt that customers should have access to detailed information about the con-
dition of the water due to the increased risk of "blue baby syndrome" (methemoglobinemia) to
infants under 6 months of age. However, DMWW could not simply answer "no" to the above ques-
tion because nitrate levels in the water never exceeded the legal limits (MCLs) established for
nitrate. (Refer to Chapter 3 of this handbook for public notification requirements and additional
information on the regulation of drinking water.)
WEB SITE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OPTIONS
There are many software packages available to assist you with designing and constructing your
Web site. These programs prompt you to design your Web pages in desktop publishing
format and automatically convert your designs into HTML. These programs can greatly
simplify Web page design and construction for inexperienced users. However, DMWW relied
only partially on these tools—a large amount of automatically generated code can increase the
complexity of a site's technical architecture. DMWW used Microsoft® FrontPage™ to create a
conceptual design of the EMPACT project area on its Web site; the utility then passed these
conceptual designs over to its technical contractor, who coded this area of the site based on
the design proofs.
DMWW's EMPACT PROJECT
37
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After reviewing the initial design, DMWW moved to a news-style design format with water qual-
ity data charting options prominently featured on both the drinking water and source water
portions of the site. The team decided to address drinking water and source water on separate areas
of the site because the information and messages associated with these water types differ greatly. The
news-style design format allows DMWW to address water quality issues currently of interest to the
media on the "front page" of the EMPACT project area on its Web site. DMWW feels that the cur-
rent design of its site provides customers with direct access to important information while ensuring
user friendliness, functionality, and user confidence in the information provided.
The EMPACT project area of DMWW's Web site is designed to keep written content brief, suc-
cinct, informative, and enhanced with illustrations. To maintain the attention and interest of the
user, the site provides "quick hits" of written information followed by graphical representations of
applicable data. DMWW feels that one of its biggest communication challenges is making sure that
the timely water quality information presented on the Web is not too technical for the average audi-
ence member. When deciding on the content and technical detail to include on the site, DMWW
was careful to avoid re-creating information that could already be accessed via links to other sites.
DMWW's Web site design included common navigational features (drop-down lists, radio buttons,
dialogue boxes, and action buttons) that are familiar to Web users. DMWW felt that these features
would make users more comfortable with navigating about the site. Also, by incorporating these
common features, DMWW controlled user request options, streamlining data requests with avail-
able data to reduce error messages and user frustration. By making direct links constantly accessible
on the site's left frame, DMWW organized the site to make navigational options simple and logi-
cal. The team also ensured that all links for additional information were related to the concept and
purpose of the site to avoid leading users away from the site's topic and message.
Early in the design planning of DMWW's EMPACT site, the team realized that users would need
to scroll down to fully view data charts. The team felt that this requirement diminished the overall
effect of the results display, so the team had the page reconstructed to remove the DMWW
EMPACT header when data results and charts are displayed. The trade-off, however, is that results
are depicted on a separate Web page, and users must use the browser's "back" button (rather than
a site link) to return to the previous page and continue navigation through the site.
DMWW designed the EMPACT project area of its Web site to be fairly complex. The project area
includes several Web pages and offers different options for timely data requests and display. Many
different SQL statements are required to support these options. The Web pages in the EMPACT
project area are designed in framed format. Although this format simplified the initial technical
design of the project area, DMWW feels that the frames now limit certain modifications to the look
and organization of this area on the Web site.
To quantify the effectiveness and overall success of the EMPACT project area on its Web site,
DMWW uses the following measurements:
• Total number of visits to the site.
• Visit patterns vs. time of day.
• The number of visits made by each type of user.
• Customer surveys.
• Customer feedback from the Web site.
38 B DMWW's EMPACT PROJECT
-------
LESSON LEARNED: USING CONTRACTORS
DMWW's first Web contractor went out of business during the design and construction of
the EMPACT project area of DMWW's Web site. DMWW hired a second Web contractor
to move ahead with the design and construction. In light of project resource and schedule
constraints, DMWW chose to move ahead with the frame format initiated by the first
contractor. DMWW feels that this format currently limits some of its options for revising the
Web design. Eventually, the utility would like to eliminate the frames from the EMPACT
project area of its Web site.
It is important for a utility to require detailed and thorough written documentation of the
work performed by contractors, especially when the utility plans to use internal personnel to
implement technical systems that have been developed by its contractors.
FEEDBACK
DMWW receives feedback on its Web site through its e-mail system. Most of the feedback
regarding the EMPACT project area on DMWW's Web site has been positive and
congratulatory in nature. Many times, customers request additional or more detailed
information about a specific topic after having visited the Web site in search of basic
information. DMWW sees this trend as a very positive sign that it is reaching out to its
customers and sparking a new level of interest in community water quality—especially source
water quality. DMWW has received some negative feedback as well. Some customers have
asked to see more detailed technical information posted on DMWW's site, but DMWW feels
that responding individually to requests for more information is the best way to ensure that
the Web site is reaching out to the average member of its target audience.
A water utility in Sydney, Australia had some specific technical questions about the EMPACT
project area on DMWW's Web site. After repeated communications with DMWW, the
Sydney Water System is in the process of constructing a similar Web site for disseminating
timely water quality data to its customers!
B DMWW's EMPACT PROJECT 39
-------
40 B DMWW's EMPACT PROJECT
-------
6
COMMUNICATING DRINKING
A.TEI
.ITY INFORMATION
Even the best programs and systems for data collection/analysis, data management, and data
delivery won't ensure project success unless information has been accurately and effectively com-
municated with community residents and consumers. This chapter discusses DMWW's
communication/outreach program. For general guidance on creating an outreach plan and a list of
resources you can use to enhance your outreach efforts, see Appendix D.
6.1 I UTREACH
At DMWW, a communications specialist coordinates and leads all outreach efforts. She works
closely with DMWW's experts in water quality and information systems to implement the utility's
outreach plan.
DMWW has an ongoing partnership with three municipal organizations in Des Moines: Metro
Waste Authority, the Des Moines Metropolitan Wastewater Reclamation Facility, and the Storm
Water Division of the City of Des Moines. DMWW and these organizations have joined to form
the Urban Environmental Partnership. The partnership will implement a series of cooperative out-
reach efforts to communicate the importance of water quality protection in the urban environment.
Working together, they avoid duplicating outreach efforts, increase their resources, and reach a
greater number of people with their cohesive outreach message. The partnership is advertised with
a flyer.
DMWW also partnered with the Natural Resources Conservation Service to offer a watershed tour
that provided information about existing voluntary programs for watershed conservation and
efforts to reduce nitrate in agricultural runoff. In addition, DMWW is partnering with Pheasants
Forever, a group that promotes environmental responsibility as a way to conserve recreational
opportunities like hunting. This partnership strives to communicate the importance of environ-
mental responsibility to children in Des Moines.
The overall goal of DMWW's outreach program is to educate all members of the Des Moines com-
munity. DMWW is currently running a public relations campaign called "DMWW: Your Pipeline
to Water Information." Through this campaign, DMWW is teaching its customers that the util-
ity's purpose is not only to provide them with clean, safe drinking water but also to respond to any
questions or concerns they may have about their drinking water and source water.
DMWW tailors many of its outreach efforts to fulfill the overall goal of the information pipeline
campaign. Here are some examples of DMWW's specific outreach goals:
1. Provide Des Moines community residents with information on current issues related to
drinking water and source water quality.
2. Enable Des Moines community residents to make practical, knowledgeable decisions
about their health and their environment.
3. Present DMWW business and financial information to its customers.
4. Provide Des Moines community residents with convenient access to timely drinking
water and source water quality information.
COMMUNICATING DRINKING WATER AND SOURCE WATER QUALITY INFORMATION 41
-------
drbap
partnership
The Des Moines area utilities believe that
source water protection is essential for our
community and future generations. Des Moines
Water Works (DMWW), Metro Waste Authorit
(MWA), the Des Moines Metropolitan
Wastewater Reclamation Facility (WRA), and
the Storm Water Division of the City of Des
Moines have formed a partnership to help
protect and preserve our water resources.
This tri-party coalition, sharing a common
customer base, will implement a series of
program initiatives designed to educate the
public on the importance of water quality
protection in the urban environment. This
partnership will identify meaningful practices the
urban dweller can implement in their daily lives
to provide effective water quality protection.
Metro Waste Authority
Des Moines
Water Works
SlMMEST. The Urban Environmental
Partnership is dedicated to providing an
integrated education program designed to
protect water quality in the urban watershed.
The primary focus is to assist the community -
individuals, businesses, and public utilities - in
understanding its roles and responsibilities in
water and waste management.
DMWW has formed a partnership with three municipal
organizations to communicate the importance of water qualit
protection in the urban area.
DMWW's broad and diversified target audience
includes the entire Des Moines community. DMWW
has divided its audience into several categories, includ-
ing youngsters, students, parents, senior citizens, new
customers, business owners, and various organizations.
DMWW has become familiar with the characteristics
of its audience categories by providing over 80 years of
water utility service to the Des Moines metropolitan
area. DMWW continues to profile its audience cate-
gories by soliciting public feedback through a variety of
different mechanisms. These mechanisms are discussed
in Section 6.3.
G.2 DUTREACH PRODUCTS
DMWW has developed several different outreach
products to communicate with its target audience cat-
egories. Some of these products are discussed below.
THE DMWW WEB SITE
DMWW uses its Web site (http://www.dmww.com) to
communicate a variety of information to the Des
Moines community. The Web site provides community
residents with convenient access to the following:
• General information about DMWW
• Information on area parks and recreation.
• A customer service page.
• Utility engineering and construction
information.
• Education for all users, from businesses and
parents to teachers and students.
• Employment opportunities.
• A video clip and photos of the Des Moines
flood of 1993-
• The DMWW EMPACT project area.
In response to customer requests, DMWW hopes to
expand the Web services available to its customers by
spring 2002.
MONTHLY NEWSLETTER: HZO LINE
DMWW's monthly newsletter provides DMWW's
customers with information on current issues related to
drinking water and source water quality. DMWW
introduced its information pipeline campaign in its
January 2001 newsletter. Subsequent newsletters have
42
COMMUNICATING DRINKING WATER AND SOURCE WATER QUALITY INFORMATION
-------
Address | £] http: //www. dmww. corn/def ault. asp
— DES MO1NES
WATER WORKS i
Home | General Info | Water Quality | Water Works Parks | Education | Employment | Customer Service | Contact Us |
Welcome to Des Moines Water Works
in the News - Water and Pharmaceutics
Pharmaceuticals, hormones and other orgs
the news recently. The U.S. Geological Soc
the USGS press release or obtain more inft
http:/Aw/w.usgs.gov
Water S
Water is a necessary item in the home and
water straight from the faucet. Wise use oft;
water wisely also means using it safely to p
your family from potential water-related acci
1 .Water spills on slick floor surfaces can c;
pets!) away from freshly mopped floors.
2 Small children should never be left alom
allow distractions such as the doorbell orte
3. Do not put electrical appliances near star
\
iiiiT^
i
File Edit View Favorites Joels Help
p /'Aw..'!",' drnww corn/default asp
Ours to Protect and Defend
Protecting our precious water resources is essential. Even the smallest contributions can make a significant impact in preserving
and protecting our water. How can you help?
• Be Informed and Involved. Learn about our watershed and the issues that affect it within our community and state. Volunteer as
a water quality monitor. Local volunteers take water quality measurements to track pollutants and the progress of protection and
restoration programs.
• Practice Backyard Water Basics. Use a simple soil testing kit from a gardening supply store to determine if and how much
fertilizer is needed. Apply only the amount necessary, reducing your costs and potentially harmful runoff. Introduce natural
pesticides, such as ladybugs, instead of applying chemical pesticides. Water your lawn conservatively (see article in this issue)
and avoid applying fertilizer or pesticides when rain is predicted to reduce harmful runoff. In addition, plant new trees, shrubs, or
grass to help prevent soil erosion.
-Good Housekeeping. Learn proper disposal methods for harmful household cleaners. Pickup litter, pet waste, and lawn refuse
to keep them out of storm sewers, which lead directly to our rivers. Repair or replace leaking, dripping faucets and install water-
saving shower heads and toilets. Keep septic systems in good working order.
For more information on how YOU can help, contact DMWW at (515) 2S3-S700 or visit our website atwww.dmww.com.
Board Meeting Dates • 2002
Des Moines Waterworks Board of Trustees 2002 meeting dates are listed below. Agendas for each meeting will be
posted on-line approximately one week prior to each meeting date. Board agendas may be viewed on this site by clicking
on the "General Info" tab, then clicking on the "Board Agenda" link.
DMWWs Web site at http:lwww.dmww.com
discussed the watersheds and watershed protection, the presence of nitrate in treated drinking water, and
"pros and cons" of water filtering devices. DMWWs monthly newsletters for January 2001 through April
2001 are included in Appendix A
ANNUAL CONSUMER CONFIDENCE REPORT
DMWWs June newsletter typically functions as a Consumer Confidence Report (CCR). The CCR,
required by federal drinking water regulations, enables DMWW community residents to make practical,
knowledgeable decisions about their health and their environment. See Chapter 3 of this handbook for more
information on the CCR and the federal regulations that require its publication. An example of DMWWs
CCR is included in Appendix A.
WELCOME BROCHURE
DMWW sends a "Welcome" brochure to all of its new customers. The pamphlet contains information about
the following topics:
• DMWWs mission, location, business hours, and contact information.
• Billing information and payment options.
• Responsibilities of DMWW and its customers.
• Procedures for water meter readings and maintenance.
COMMUNICATING DRINKING WATER AND SOURCE WATER QUALITY INFORMATION
43
-------
• DMWW's drinking water treatment process.
• Utility tours.
• Parks and recreation.
• Community tree plantings.
• Rules/regulations.
ANNUAL BUSINESS REPORT
The main goal of DMWW's annual report is to present financial information to its customers;
however, DMWW also includes a few pages of educational materials. The content of these materi-
als depends on issues and concerns of the current year. To encourage customers to keep its 2001
report, DMWW incorporated a note pad into the report. For 2002, DMWW has incorporated a
planning calendar into the report. The calendar includes water and health facts, in addition to
DMWW's contact information, on each page.
DTHER DUTREACH PRODUCTS AND TOOLS
In addition to the products and tools discussed above, DMWW uses these
outreach mechanisms:
• DMWW visits area schools to teach children of all grade levels about drinking water and
source water.
• DMWW offers tours of its facilities to adults and school children.
• DMWW prepares technical outreach information for conferences held by organizations
such as the American Water Works Association.
• DMWW has prepared a series of fact sheets to answer specific questions from its cus-
tomers. These fact sheets provide information on a wide range of topics, including the
presence of alkalinity, lead and copper, nitrate, and Cryptosporidium in drinking water.
SPECIAL DUTREACH EFFORTS
Occasionally, DMWW will prepare outreach products to address specific issues. For example,
DMWW prepared one fact sheet on how to winterize a home. The target audience for this fact
sheet lived in one particular Des Moines metropolitan neighborhood. This neighborhood had a
higher percentage of water pipes break during the winter months due to poor maintenance prac-
tices. Because the occupants of this neighborhood were predominantly Hispanic, DMWW had the
fact sheet prepared in Spanish. The fact sheet was disseminated to neighborhood residents by
DMWW service workers.
6.3 DISTRIBUTION AND FEEDBACK
DMWW uses a variety of mechanisms to distribute its outreach products. For example, DMWW's
Web site is "distributed" to Web users via the Internet. Many of DMWW's newsletters, pamphlets,
and fact sheets are distributed through the mail; some outreach flyers are included in customer bills.
Also, through school visits, during tours of DMWW and area watersheds, and even through cus-
tomer phone calls, DMWW conveys outreach messages by speaking directly with its customers.
DMWW tries to increase the longevity of many of its outreach products, thereby increasing the
number of product distribution mechanisms available to the utility. For example, by making its
44 6 COMMUNICATING DRINKING WATER AND SOURCE WATER QUALITY INFORMATION
-------
Annual Business Report into a notepad or a calendar, DMWW can distribute this product through-
out the year not only to customers but also to visitors and convention groups.
DMWW has established several mechanisms for outreach follow-up and public feedback. For
example, the utility held focus group meetings to solicit customer input and feedback on
DMWW's CCR. Also, through its information pipeline campaign, DMWW encourages its cus-
tomers to contact the utility with any questions or concerns they have about Des Moines drinking
water or source water.
FOCUS GROUP SUCCESS
DMWW conducted two focus group meetings on its CCR. The first meeting was held prior
to the publication of the CCR to solicit input from customers on the ideal format and
content of the report. A follow-up meeting was then held after the publication of the first
CCR to solicit feedback. One of the CCR features that especially pleased this follow-up focus
group was the "kids corner," which has games and activities for children. The customer
feedback indicated that this tool is a very effective way to increase the longevity of the CCR
and encourage parents and children to talk about Des Moines water issues.
DMWW's Web site provides customers with the option of providing feedback directly to the util-
ity via e-mail. A central point of contact (DMWW's communications specialist) is responsible for
either responding directly to the feedback or forwarding the comment, question, or request to the
appropriate team member at DMWW. Technical feedback about water quality information is for-
warded to the water laboratory or water production department, feedback about DMWW's
history or educational opportunities is forwarded to DMWW's education specialist, and feedback
about the general appearance and functionality of the Web site is forwarded to DMWW's
information systems department. In all cases, DMWW responds to each customer's feedback as
soon as possible.
COMMUNICATING DRINKING WATER AND SOURCE WATER QUALITY INFORMATION 45
-------
46 6 COMMUNICATING DRINKING WATER AND SOURCE WATER QUALITY INFORMATION
-------
APPEN DIX A
DMWW DUTREACH
MATERIALS
DESHOINESHmillOBB
City of Cli-» Wa-tar DajMrtnaat » Cily oi Cumming, « Das Moiiias Water Worka
autDn Water D*jMrtaiKHit • City of Noiw Jk • City of PlnaiantHill
Polk County Rural Wobar Diitricttfl • SB Folk Rural Watar Dijtrict
ater B*jMrhn..ant • Woxnn Water D iatrict » City of Waukaa
aigkts • Xsnia Rural Watar District- Souttnarftit
Pes Moines Tfeter Works
(DMWW) is an industry leader,
providing our customers with
high quality drinking water for
80 years . Our continued, proven
treatment processes, alotig with
new, innovative techniques and
studies mill ensure that DMWW
remains an industry leader into
the new inillentii' |
DMWW taks
a pro active
approach to con'
trolling mater
taste and odor,
an indicator of
water Duality.
Our laboratory
performs total
organic carbon
CTOOandUV'ZS4 tests on the
rivers daily to determine which
source rater has the lo-rcest con-
centration of dissolved organic
material. Based on these tests,
the Water Production
Department will select which
river to use and will adjust the
dosage of powdered activated car-
bon to absorb these natural
organic materials, allowing them
to be removed during the treat-
ment processes. This step signifi-
cantly improves the taste and
odor of your water.
Record Nitrate fear
DMWWs Nitrate Removal
Facility was operated a record set-
ting- IDSdajs during- 1999, at a
total operating cost of approxi-
mately $250,000. Nitrate concen-
trations reached record levels in
the Raccoon Rirer and
Infiltration Gallery.
DMWW monitors nitrate con-
centrations weeldy until levels
begin to increase, then daily dur-
ing peak nitrate season. When
nitrate concentrations in our
treated water exceed 3 5 mil
ligrams per liter (rng/1), we begin
operating the Nitrate Removal
Facility. Water is diverted to the
iacility for treatment, to main--
tain a nitrate concentration of
8 5 mg/1 or lowsr in the finished
or drinking water. The drinking
water standard for nitrate
Trending data indicates
that nitrate concentrations
in our rivers are continual-
ly increasing. In an effort
to address this challenge,
DMWW made p^ing
modifications in 1999 to
increase the capacity of
the Nitrate Removal
Facility.
Cutting Edge Science
One of the ongoing microbial
studies being conducted at
DMWW is on the cutting edge
of water industry science. One
method of stud'pngbacteria,
called culturing, grows bacteria
in a lab environment. Recent
studies conducted in molecular
biology have confirmed that
there are bacteria that have not
been previously cultured.
DMWWs tnicrobiologist has
grown bacteria believed ID be
previously uncultured. DMWWs
microbiologist has grown uncul-
tured bacteria using rrrer water.
While the significance of these
uncultured bacteria is unknown,
Des Moines metro area cus-
tomers can rest assured that
DMWW has the ability to stay
current with T^tsr equality trends
in order to have solutions in
place should a problem arise.
Wiat's On Our Plates?
DMWWs daily water Duality
testing determines the total num-
ber of bacteria present in a water
sample, including; the harmless
ones. Beyond standard utility
water testing, DMWW routinely
performs Heterotropic Plate
Count (HPC) studies on its dis-
tribution system water, an impor-
tant indicator of the on-going
bacterial condition of the water.
DMWWs arcrage HPC is very
low. These bacteria are harm-
less, but can reduce the residue
chlorine that is available to pro'
tect the distribution syste m from
bacterial contamination. That is
why DMWW monitors both
HFC and free chlorine residual
in the distribution system •• to
ensure good, safe water Duality at
the point of delivery to our cus-
tomers .
Up A Creek
Recent studies have revealed
that large amounts of bacteria
enter TSalnutCreek after hard
rains. DMWWs bacterium study
on Walnut Greek, initiated last
summer, will help determine if
human waste is leaking into the
watershed. Preliminary studies
have shown that these contami-
nants are in the raw water of the
creels. Evidence of a specific
cause is still unknown. DMWW
laboratory professionals are striv-
ing to ascertain the cause of the
large bacterial loads in our urban
creeks and find a solution to die
problem.
DMWW will continue to
ensure that you are provided
with safe, high Duality water. We
are commit-
ted to being
an industry
leader in
water treat-
ment and
quality now
and in the
future. *
ir*
w We Treat Your
Drinking Water
begin by feeding powdered actuated car-
bon intothe riverwaterfor removal of man-made
and natural organic chemicals. The water is then
pretreatedto remove dirt and debris and combined
with waterfrom the infiltration gallery system. The
combined water then flows into lime softening
basins. The pH of the wateris adjusted before the
final filtering process. The water is passed through
layers of sand and various sizes of gravel to remove
any remaining particles. Des Moines Waterworks
activates its nitrate removal facility to remove this
contaminant from yourwater during periods of high
nitrate levels. Afterthis final phase, fluoride is
added to aid in the prevention of tooth decay and
chlorine is added as a disinfectant to Mil bacteria.
The clean water is stored in a clearwell until
pumped into the pipes of the distribution system.
Des Moines Waterworks laboratory and water
production staff collect and test water samples
from throughout the system several times a day.
These tests ensure that the proper chemical levels
are maintained and that the water remains free of
unwanted contaminants.
I | y-LHUESQFTCNiro ^^7--^ -_ ^_
There are three sources of waterfulfillingthe needs of Des Moines Waterworks cus-
tomers. Approximately two-thirds is supplied by either the Raccoon or Des Moines Rivers.
The remaining one-third comes from the infiltration gaIIerysystern (shallow groundwater).
As rain and snow run across the slope of land in ouriruatershed, they carry soil and
pollution, depositing them in creek; leadingto the Raccoon and Des Moines Rwers.
Some precipitation sinks into the ground, dissolving substances that may enter our
groundwater supplies. Everyone can contribute to improving watershed health by utiliiing
conservation practices that protectthe land and the quality of water in ourrivers.
Improving environmental quality improves our quality of life now and in the future.
APPENDIX A DMWW OUTREACH MATERIALS
47
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Turbidity
-luoride
Nitrat (asNJ
Sodium
Sulfate
HHIEETLEVB.
JU.LOWH.F (KtCL]
4 JO mg/l
JDJ3 mg/l
unregulated
unregulated
DKIWWHAf«E
UHNQ
OE&MaW&nVEH
miWWHAH
UHIW
EHVKlCLd
ilHPA aaai]
Mtiazine 3 JO
Metolachlor hJ/A
Total Trihalom ethane 1DQ.Q
n/d-0.21
n/d-0.27
MICROBIOLOGICAL CONTAMINANTS
NTU n/d-O.S NTU 0.10 NTU N/A
INOKGANIC CONTAMINANTS
0.60-13 mg/l O.S1-12 mg/l 13 mg/l
1.1-93 mg/l 1DO mg/l
9.4-26JQ mg/l 260 m|/l
3S.O-64.0 mg/l 930 mg/l
ORGANIC CONTAMINANTS
0.20 pg/l 021 pgyl
n/d 027 pg/
n/ti-n.10
13-10.0 mg/l
7S-20.0 m|/l
23.0-93.0 mg/l
4.0 mf/l
3D JO mf/l
unregulated
unregulated
MS/1
3.0
N/A
1*1
270-410
25.0-300 14/1
41D
Vtfl
SOURCES OF CONTAMNflNF
Additive to Ft emote Strong Teeth
Runoff from Fertiliser Use
Erosion of Natural Deposits
Erosion of Natural Deposits
Runoff from Herbicide Use
Runoff from Fertiliser Use
By-product of Chlorine Disinfection
Copper
ACTION IEVELIAL] DMWW Will mKENTlLE** SOURCES OF CONTflAlNANT
DMWW COPPER AND LEAD -Regulated at Customr Tap
13 mg/l n/d Corrosion of Home Plumbing
150 u|/l 30-0 Ml/*! (5 sites above AL) Corrosion of Home Plumbing
samples must be below Action L&fet
LEADS hfants and young children are typically more vulnerable to lead in drinking water than the general population, ft is possible that lead levels at your home maybe higher
than at other homes in your community as a result of materials used in your home's plumbing. If you are concerned about e leva fed lead levels in your home's water, you may
wish ID have your water tested and flush your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using tap water. Additional information is available from the Sate Drinking Water Hotline at
(300)426-4791.
NOTE: The EPA requires monitor ing of over SO drinking water contaminants. Those listed aboveare the only contaminants detected in your drinking water. For a complete list.,
contact DesMoines wJater Works or your local water utility.
The following utilities had distribution violations in 1999. The specifics of each violation and corrective actions are
provided in detail. If you have any questions, please contact the utility.
UTILITY
CityofClive
VIOLATION CORRECTIVE ACTION
Home water filtration system nonacute Coliform detect .. Repeat samples at origination point; notice
mailed to customers
.Unsatisfactory Coliform Bacteria test 6/99 Four repeat samples 6/19/99; all negative;
5 routine samplings in 7/99
Bacterial Coliform monitoring & reporting Heed to meet resampling requirements;
violation 9/99 -5 samples not collected 7/99; Resampled; implemented new scheduling
12/99 Coliform monitoring system for testing
Nonacute coliform bacteria violation Resampled; implemented new scheduling
6/99 & 11/99; 12/99 Coliform monitoring system fortesting
CityofWaukee Lead exceeded 90th perc entile Action Level Resume lead & copper testing; educated
customers about lead
CifyofGumming .
Cite of Not walk
Action Level (AL)-The concentration of a conta minant that, if exceeded, triggers a
treatment or other require merit that a water system must follow.
: Chemicals - Che mical substances of mineral origin, such as lead and copper.
^oiitaminaiit Level (MCL) -The highest level of 8 conta rninant allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as
close to tiie HCLGs as feasible usingthe best available treatment technology.
TvffggirniTtii CnnhFmitiatit Level Goal (MCLG)-The level of a conta minant in drinking water below which til ere is no known or
expected risk to health. MCLGs allowfor a margin of safety.
I Micio biological Contaminants -Very small organisms, such as bacteria, algae, plankton, and fungi.
I N/A-Not applicable
n/d- Not detected
NTU - Nephelometric Turbidity Units.
Organic Contaminants- Naturally occurring or synthetic substances containing mainty carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen.
This includes most pesticides and industrial chemicals.
pCi/1- picocuries per liter; measure of radioactivity.
Lig/1- micrograms per liter; parts of conta minant per billion parts of water. One part per billion (ppb) is equrvalentto a single
penny in ten million dollars.
tns/l- milligra ms per liter; parts of conta minant per million parts of water. One part per million (pp rn) is equivalent to a single
penny in ten thousand dollars.
Radionuclides - Contaminants grving off ionizing radiation.
Treatment Technique (TT) - A required process intended to reduce the level of a contamina.ntjn drinking water.
48
APPENDIX A DMWW OUTREACH MATERIALS
-------
Inadequately treated water may contain dis-
ease-causing organisms. These organisms
include bacteria, viruses, and parasites, which
can cause sympto ms such as nausea, era mps,
diarrhea, and associated headaches. Some
people may be more vulnerable to contami-
nants in drinking waterthan the general popula-
tion.
Immuno-compromised persons such as per-
sons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy,
persons who have undergone organ trans-
plants, people with HIV/ AIDSorotherimmune
I system disorders, some elderly,
nd infants can be particularly
t risk from infections. These
should seek advice
about drinking wa tier from their
" health care providers. The
Center for Disease Control has
guidelines on appropriate
means to lessen the risk of
infection by CryptosporKlium
and ottier microbial contaminants. They are
available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline.
In order to ensure tin at tap water is safe to
drink, the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA.) prescribes regulations, which limit the
amount of certain contaminants in water provid-
ed by public water systems.
Nitrate in drinking
water at levels above 10
ppm is a health riskfor
infants of less than SK
months of age. High
nitrate levels in drinking
water can cause blue
ba by synd ro me. Nitrate
levels may rise quickly
for short periods oftime
because of rainfall or agricultural activity. If you
are caringfor an infant; you should askfor
advice from your health care provider.
FDA regulations establish limits for contami-
nants inbotfJed water that must provide the
same protectionfor public health. An/ bottled
waterthat is labeled "drinkingwater" hasto
meetEPA's drinking water regulations. Drinking
water, including bottled water, may reasonably
be expected to contain at least small amounts
of some conta minants. The presence of con-
taminants does not necessari^ indicate that
water poses a health risk.
More information about contaminants and
potential health effects can be obtained by call-
ing the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline.
SAFE
DRINKING
WATER
HOTLINE:
1-800426-4791
Cryptosporidiumis a microscopic organism
found in rivers and streams that c an cause 'iat-
rhea, fever and gastrointe stinal distress if
inge ste d It finds its way into the water she d
thr ough animal and human waste s.
Cryptosporidiumis effectively eliminated by a
treatment process -that includes sedimentation,
filtration, and disinfection.
Cryptosp ocidium has NEVER been Found
in your dunking water.
DMWW recently colluded a stutty to
determine tlie amount of Cfy? to.^e'm&itw? we
eliminate from, our source water through tbe
treatment process. Crj/ptosp&ttt&ifFf is a micro-
scopic organism, kno^jm. to cause intestinal ill-
nesses, found in tte feces of infecte d animals
and liutnans. It is rarely found in the rivers
fr om which we dt aw water.
After exte nave studie s, D MW\# s micr obiol-
ogj.st dete rmine d that we e ffec tive ly eliminate
99.99% of the C^o^«i&j*w fr om the raw
water. The combination of DMW^s water
tre atment capability and the fact that the Des
Moines and Raccoon
Rivet s c ontain veri
numbers of
partnership
To promote both improved service to our
customers and environmental protection of
our watershed, Des Moines Water Works
"WW) has formed a new partners Kip with
three other Des Moines area utilities:
Waste water Reclamation Authority (W RAX
Ivletro Waste Authority (MWA), and the City
of Des Moines1 Storm Water Utility. The part--
nets hip is targeting1 three areas to enhance
ustomer education and communication:
1 Training1 of Customer Service employees
in the functions and operations of each utility
to assist them in answering1 customer calls
about other local water utilities.
* Developing- and presenting1 curriculum in
the Des Moines area schools., emphasising1 the
interdependent relationship between the utili--
ties and teaching childrenabout protecting1
our water resources.
* Educating; our customers about good water
stewardship as it relates to all of the water util-
ities through publications such as emsling1 util-
ity newsletters, bill inserts, web pages., and
press releases.
Contact DMWW or any of the Urtan
Environmental I^rtners for more information.
* Baking soda, borax, and white vinegar are
effective, earth-friendly cleaning products.
» The greatest single cause of an increased
water bill is a leaking or running toilet, wasting
250 to 5000 gallons of water a day!
4 Bottled water costs up to 1000 times more
than DM WvV water from your tap.
t Using mulch around gardens, bushes, and
trees is a great way to trap moisture, reducing
your need to water more often. Mulch also
becomes a rich nutrient for plants.
* An acre of corn contributes more to humidity
than a lake of the same size.
* A I/8th inch crack in a pipe can spew up to
250 gallons of water a day, wrecking floors, fur-
niture, and valuable possessions in addition to
wasting water.
* A leak of one drop per second wastes 2,400
gallons of water peryear.
* As waterflows in streams, sits in lakes, orfil-
tersthrough layers of soil and rock in the
ground, it dissolves or absorbs the substances
that it touches.
Dispose used motor oil, antifreeze, paints,
and other hazardous materials at the Regional
Collection Center ratherthan down the drain.
APPENDIX A DMWW OUTREACH MATERIALS
49
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Ankeny.r -
aquifer 1. \//*Ypn
CCR Vi~J- ^
List
Maffitt
monitoring
nitrate
Moruialk
Pleasant Hill
Polk County
pumps
quality
Raccoon
safe
se dime ntati on
SE Polk
Urbandale
Warren
LUG Til
watershed
Waukee
Windsor Heights
Xenia
Z T R B
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WISE
VATE
WRD
Use a blue crayon or
pencil to color m all
the letters with a •
ora * $ut not the
') to reveal the type
of wrct e r mo.de at
DMWW.
revealing thff
color the
^ete
drop.
U A
T L
I I
0 T
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8 T
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0 N A
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0 I T A R T L I
AN KENT
AiiLeirf City Council • 1st and 3^1 Monday of eack motitli at 5:00 pjn.
410 W«t lit StMet • AnlKtiy, loroa 500Z1
cum
Cli™ City Council • lit, 3d, &. 5tk" TLunday of sack montk
("J^Amoafc)
CliTC City Hall • 1900 NW 114tL St. • Cli™, loma 50325
GUMMING
CummiiTff City Council • 2tid atid 4tk Monday «ada montk
City ffafl • CuflUTUtlff, Iowa 50031
DES MOINES
Boaul of Water TKbrla TiTHteei • 4tk Tuaday eack montk at 9:00 a.m.
Dei Mimei Water Woil • 2201 Valley D.™ • Dei Mjmei, lo^a 50321
JOHNSTON
Joknston City Council • lit and 3rd Ltiiday of eack montk
City Hall • 6221 ktrle Hay Road • Jokniton, Iowa 50131
NORWALK
Hoi-malt City Council • lit and 3m Tkunday of eack montk at 5:30 p .m
705 Nortk A*nue • Norwili, lows 50211
PLEASANT HILL
Pleaiant Hill City Council • 2nd and 4tk Tuesday of eack montk at 6:30 p.m.
Pleaiant Hill City Hall • 5151 Maple Diire • Pleaiant HiJJ, Iowa 50317
POLK COUNTY Ml HAL WATER DISTRICT #1
Annual Meeting in Janrafy tack year • Call for date
660 NW 66tk Atenue, Suite 2 • Des Moines, Jo™ 50313
SOUTHEAST POLK RURAL WATER DISTRICT
V^te!1 Doajii • 3ai Vfediiesday of -sadi mo±T.tk • Co«.1a.(Tt offios fof time
6540 NE IZtkAnnue • Altooni.Iowi 50009
URBANDALE
Water Board of Trustees • Meets montkjy • Cafl 27&3940 for information
Umandale Water Department • 3720 85tk Stffiet • TJi-bandale, lonra 50322
WARREN WATER
Bond of Directed • 3rd Monday eack montk at 7:30 p in.
Wamn Water Office • 1204 East 2ndAKnu= • Indkncja, I™ 50125
WAUKEE
Waulcee Cily Council "lit and 3m Monday eack montk
WauJree City Hall • 250 HijWy 6 • Waulee, Io™ 50263
WINDSOR HEIGHTS
Windsor Heiffkts City Council "1st and 3ld Monday eack montk at 4 p.m.
Windsor Heijkts City Hal • 1133 65tk Stoset • Windsor Heigkts, Iowa 50311
XENIA - Soutlweft & W«dward
Board cf DirecKn • Tkunday of 3
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Pure water has been said to be our
most important nutrient, and possibly
most underestimated. Drinking water i
only quenches our thirst, but it aids in
building and maintenance of a healthy
body. Some of the numerous health
fits of drinking water include maintainin
fitness, fighting illness, reducing effects i
aging, and boosting energy. Simply tur
on the faucet for a drink that works i
ders for your body!
* Drinking adequate amounts of water
helps your digestion and metabolism i
at full capacity.
A Water can boost your endurance, ma
exercise more effective and helping yc
work out at higher levels.
A You can hold off hunger and prevent
over eating by drinking more water.
•Research has found that water plays i
active role in reducing the risk of some i
eases or ailments like bladder cancer, uln
nary tract cancer, and kidney stones.
4 Health officials consider water to be a|
weapon against the common cold and
cough.
•Consuming plenty of water keeps you
skin supple, helping you look younger.]
•Drinking water when traveling can he
reduce fatigue.
•Dehydration can contribute to migraii
headaches; getting enough water is imp
tant in fighting them.
DtinA cft
Health experts recommend
drinking at least eight 8-ounce glasses of
water each day. DMWW has some tips on
how to make sure you get enough water.
* Drink moderate-sized portions of water
spread throughout the day.
• Drink a glass when you wake up, before
and after exercising, and make water
available at all times.
» Try carrying a water bottle with you dur-
ing the day.
• Have one glass of water for each caf-
feinated beverage you drink.
A monthly publication of
DES MOINES WATER WORKS
2201 Valley Drive
Des Moines, IA 50321
515-283-8700
www.dmww.com
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ganuatg 2007
Water is an essential element in life.
Des Moines Water Works (DMWW) is
your water authority. We will provide
you with the information about drinking
water, our treatment process, and impor-
tant health issues that affect you every
day.
As an industry leader, DMWW has
provided high-quality drinking water to its
customers for over 80 years. One of our
duties as a utility is to provide you with
information pertinent to your health and
well being. DMWW uses informational
vehicles such as the H^O Line, the
Consumer Confidence Report, and other
water-related newsletters to educate cus-
tomers and young people about water
treatment and quality. You canre/y on
DMWW as a water expert when it comes
to research and distribution of informa-
tion concerning water-related issues.
DMWW will gladly provide you with
information on several water-quality relat-
ed topics. Fact sheets, such as those on
lead and copper, fluoride, and nitrate;
treatment brochures; and other printed
materials-are available upon request by
calling our Customer Service department
at 283-8700.
Des Moines Water Works is your water authority!
gftction.
DMWW takes a proactive approach in
keeping your drinking water safe. Using
state of the art facilities and innovative
scientific research methods, we consis-
tently produce high-quality drinking water
that meets or exceeds Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) standards. Daily
water-quality testing and ongoing scientif-
ic studies enable us to closely monitor the
source water for contaminants. We can
then ensure proper treatment techniques
are maintained to produce safe, clean
drinking water. With the Treatment Plants
at Fleur and Maffitt Reservoir, DMWW
provides reliable quantities of water to
Des Moines and the surrounding commu-
nities.
It is our civic and legal duty to inform
our customers of any health alerts or EPA
violations affecting your drinking water.
An example is a nitrate level higher than
the maximum contaminant level set by
the EPA. In the rare event that this were
to occur, DMWW would issue a public
notice explaining precautionary measures
for customers. However, DMWW built the
Nitrate Removal Facility in 1991, greatly
reducing the probability of a nitrate viola-
tion in your drinking water and reaffirm-
ing our commitment to bring you safe
drinking water.
Commitment
In order to maintain high standards
for water quality, DMWW believes it is
important to advocate source water pro-
tection. DMWW teamed up with Metro
Waste Authority, Wastewater Reclamation
Authority, and the City of Des Moines-
Storm Water Division, forming the Urban
Environmental Partnership. This group
emphasizes the importance of water qual-
ity protection and other environmental
subjects through educational programs.
Another project DMWW coordinated was
the Volunteer Monitoring Project in the
Raccoon River Watershed. Residents
i within the water-
shed provided
river water samples
to DMWW for
analysis to deter-
mine the nitrate
concentrations
throughout the
watershed. Results
from that study are
available on the
EMPACT Web site.
DMWW is committed to remain an industry leader in water treatment and quality.
The next rime you have a question about water, tap into DMWW for the answer.
EMPACT Web site -www.dmww.com/empact
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o you need to filter your tap
water to receive clean,
delicious tasting water?
Many companies say they can rid your water of
minerals and contaminants, making your water and
food taste better in your home. However, the water
vou receive from DMWW U a safe, tilrntittit-tasting
fntdiiit to prepare
food arid to clean
fruits and vegeta-
bles. DMWW's
water is also legs
(.[pensive for your
cooking needs
and has no
adverse
effects.
r D*fWW adds powdered 1
activated carbon to absorb our
source water's natural organic
material and man-made chemi-
cals, allowing removal during
treatment. This significantly
improves the taste and odor of
your drinking water. Using acti-
vated carbon filters in your
nmet such «s those found in
'filter pitchers or faucet-
mounted filters, is not neces-
sary because this process takes
place at the treatment plant.
low much maintenance is
reauired for
nome filtration systems?
Consumers do not always recognize the
importance of properlv maintaining a home
filtration system. Failing to change filters on a
routine schedule can lead to bacteria buihl-up,
causing serious health risks tor vour house-
hold. A number of filtration svstem> require
you to change the filter on a monthh basi
This can lie an e.i'pen*iw protest com-
pared to simply turning on the tap. Let
. DMWW maintain safe, clean water for von!
The real question should
be... why aren't more Americans
drinking tap water? We would be glad to
hear from you at 283-8700 or through our
Web site at www.dmww.com
Forget filtering, just turn on the tap!
Treating Water Right
Water treatment is a vital step to make sure a
safe high quality product is delivered to your tap. Des
Moines Water Works operates two facilities, the new
Treatment Plant at Maffitt Reservoir and the
Treatment Plant on Fleur Drive, treating up to 125
million gallons of water per day.
The Mattitt plant draws its water from shallow
groundwater collector wells that run along the
Raccoon Rh'er. This water is naturally filtered )>v the
earth's course sand and gravel delivering water free
from river sediment. Mamtt Reservoir also serves as
an emergency water supply for the plant. At the
Fleur Drive plant, water can be drawn from either
the Raccoon or Des Moines Rivers in addition to the
infiltration gallery, a groundwater collection system.
DMWW plant operators and laboratory staff screen
all source water daily to determine which has the
highest quality water for treatment and distribution.
Treatment Process
1 Addition of powdered activated carbon to remove
organic matter, silt, and dirt. This is used only at the
Kleur plant due to river water as source water. The
Maffitt plant begins treatment with lime softening.
L2. Lime softening to remove hardness compounds,
germs, and bacteria.
3 Filtration through sand and gravel to remove
remaining particles. \Vhen necessary at the Fleur
plant, a nitrate removal process is used to keep the
filtered river water sate for drinking.
4 Addition of fluoride to help prevent dental cavities
and chlorine to disinfect the water,
~i. Treated, clean, safe water enters storage tanks,
eventually to he pumped through the distribution
network right to your tap!
A monthly publication of
DES MOINES WATER WORKS
2201 Valley Drive
Des Moines, IA 50321
515-283-8700
www.dmww.com
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What
are ou rea
I
Have you heard claims about
improving the drinking water in
your home? Numerous water
treatment arid filtration companies
say they can provide you with
higher quality drinking water.
However, many of these claims
can be misleading. As your
pipeline to water information, Des
Moines Water Works (DMWW)
has the answers you need to know
about your high quality drinking
water - right from the tap!
DMWW is a leader among the
municipal water treatment facili-
ties that help make America's
drinking water supply one of the
safest in the world. Yet, it is esti-
mated that nearly 40 percent of
Americans use some sort of home
water treatment device instead of
relying on dependable, safe, and
clean tap water. Households use
anything from simple filter pitch-
ers to complex water filtration
systems. What it may boil down to
is creating an unnecessary expense
in your home.
^J
II
Jk,
; non
"iteration systems necessary to
; and reduce contaminate
DMWW's number one priority is to provide you with
safe, high quality water. Our source water is tested several
times a day to ensure proper chemical levels are added in
the treatment process, so that the treated water remains
safe according to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
standards. By taking pre-
cautionary measures
r Some home filtration systems may i
actually be removing valuable nutrients and
disinfection chemicals found in your tap
water. Fluoride is an additive, not a con-
taminant, beneficial to your dental health
by helping to prevent tooth decay. While
most simple filtration systems do not
remove fluoride, more complex types do
take this additive out. Chlorine - the
number one chemical removed in filtra-
tion systems - is x-ital in eliminating
harmful bacteria from your drinking
water. These minerals are not harmful to
you, and are
necessary for { Home filtration sys-
during the treatment
process, DMWW
makes certain your
drinking water is safe
when it reaches
tap.
o \ need to use a water softener or
filter to soften my tap water?
Some home filtration systems use brass faucets, a
combination of copper and lead. As water stands in the
faucet, it dissolves the metal and increases the lead con-
tent of your drinking water. Filtered water can also be
more corrosive due to its deficiency in mineral content,
possibly raising the amount of lead dissolving into your
water. The consumption of lead may cause delays in
physical and mental development in children, and kidney
problems or high blood pressure in adults.
maintaining
good health
and clean
water.
terns are not necessary to
remove nitrate because
DMWW treats the source
water according to EPA stan-
dards for nitrate. In fact, most
home filtration systems do not
remove nitrate. DMWW has
the capability of running its
nitrate removal facility when
source water nitrate levels
exceed EPA standards.
convert the
hardness level
from milligrams
per liter (mg/L)
to grains per
gallon (gpg),
divide the mg/L
value by 17.1.
Some appliance
optimum per-
formance stan-
dards ask for
hardness in
Lead and copper are not found in >»
DMWWs treated water, but may enter from
the plumbing in your home. DMWW leaves
enough hardness compounds in the water to coat
your pipes as it travels to your tap. This prouvis
the pipes from the corrosiveness of water. The
water DMWW sends
to your tap is softened
f Soft water helps soap and other ^
cleaning products work more effective-
ly. It is less likely to leave "scum" rings
and other traces of mineral deposits in
your home. DMWW strives to maintain
the total hardness of the drinking
water to less than 15O milligrams per
liter (mg/L), the moderate range. This
provides you with sufficiently soft water
to make cleaning products work more
effectively.
during the lime-treat-
ment process, If you
choose to use a water
softener in your
home, the benefits
may not outweigh
the costs.
"filtering througK" tfiis information for
more dues about water aLi^fehj-
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Recent studies target-
ing the water industry have
provided evidence that tap water is
as safe, if not safer, and contains less
bacteria than some types of bottled
water.
Fluoride, the number one tooth decay
fighting agent, is an additive that most bottled ^
water manufactures remove during their filter-
ngprocess. Extensive dental research has
own that to6W*aicSy"among children and
adults has been significantly reduced due to
the presence of fluoride in public drinking
water. The American Dental Association
(ADA) has endorsed the addition of fluoride
to community water supplies for over 40
years.
Des Moines Water Works (DMWW)
adds fluoride to its water according to the
ADA'S recommended levels. Bottled water
manufacturers are regulated by the Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) and are not
required to disclose the amount of fluoride
contained in their product. Most brands faU^1
he.EPAlsguiQ'e.liriesJiatfeeattfiiul flu-
oride content.
In addition, bottled water manufacturers
make claims of greater purity than tap water.
This is not completely accurate. Two different
federal agencies regulate the testing processes
and standards of the water sources. The EPA
is responsible for monitoring tap water, while
the FDA monitors bottled water. Tap water is
required to be tested more frequently and
' more stringently, providing greater scrutiny of
its quality and bacterial content.
The next time you're looking for an
inexpensive, healthy thirst-quencher, just
i on the tap!
DMWW s employees
painting a hydrant.
Facts and Figures
about '*>,
Fire Hydrants
a Fire hydrants serve purposes
other than fire protection.
DMWW uses hydrants to flush
stagnant water from water
mains during maintenance and
to release air after repairs have
been made in order to prevent
damage to home plumbing. The city also uses fire
hydrants for street and sewer cleaning.
fi DMWW owns and maintains the fire hydrants in
the public right-of-way. Some fire hydrants are
installed only for maintenance purposes because
their capacity for water pressure is not high enough
for fire protection. You can identify maintenance
hydrants by their red-colored tops.
B Fire hydrant tops come in colors other than red.
A color-coding system indicates how much water is
available in gallons per minute (gpm) from the
hydrants.
Red hydrant tops = under 500 gpm
Orange hydrant tops - 500-1000 gpm
Green hydrant tops - 1000 or more gpm
Green-topped hydrants with green caps designate
high-volume hydrants connected to feeder mains.
fi Fire hydrants are painted to make them visible
for the fire department. DMWW has standardized
on a yellow color for the body of the hydrant.
fi You can help DMWW and the fire department
access and locate hydrants more easily for repair
and protection. Shovel snow away from hydrants,
keep grass or weeds trimmed low around them,
and please, do not plant flowers or shrubs around
hydrants - hydrants exist for your protection!
A monthly publication of
DES MOINES WATER WORKS
2201 Valley Drive
Des Moines, IA 50321
515-283-8700
www.dmww.com
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March 2001
Winding Through Your Watershed
No matter where we live, we are all in a
waters/led.
Watersheds are areas where water flows across
or under the land and drains into a river, lake,
stream, pond, or other body of water. It includes
the people who live in the area as well as land,
air, plants, and animals. According to the Iowa
Watershed Task Force, "A watershed is everything
between the rain and the stream."
DesMQines Water works Watershed
ScuxCty
Several features make watersheds unique.
Watersheds vary in shape and size. Some are
large, including millions of acres of land and small-
er watersheds within them. Others can be as small
as a city block, or a puddle in your back yard. As a
Des Moines Water Works' customer, you live in
both the Raccoon and Des Moines River water-
sheds. Each is a part of the Mississippi River water-
shed, which is made up of thousands of smaller
watersheds.
A geographical boundary around the water-
shed is formed by a ridge or high area. This forces
water to drain toward or away from your water-
shed. But watersheds are also interconnected. The
water that travels through one land area - including
farm fields, forestland, suburban lawns, and city
streets - will eventually affect and flow through
another.
Watersheds are composed of different terrain.
The flatness or steepness of the land (terrain)
impacts how quickly the water empties into a body
of water. If the water drains faster, there is more
potential for flooding and soil erosion.
Different soil types are found within water-
sheds. Those that consist of sandy
- -i soil soak up water faster, reducing
V runoff. A watershed that has clay
/ soil does not allow as much water
to seep into the ground, leading to
greater runoff.
Watersheds are affected
by the land use. The activ-
ities and residents of the
land area nearest the
water impact the
watershed. Cities,
homes, roads, facto-
ries, farming, recre-
ation, mining, and
construction all
modify the watershed and
affect the natural resources
within it.
You play an important role in helping
maintain a healthy watershed.
Pollutants traveling through your watershed
affect your entire home, work, and play areas.
Water and other natural resources are necessary to
live, and what we do in the watershed can change
the quality and availability of these materials.
There are two types of watershed pollution:
point-source and nonpoint-source. Point-source
pollution begins from the leakage of contaminants
from a specific, easily identifiable source. Examples
include pollution coming from industrial or sewage
discharge pipes, hog lots, or storm sewers.
Nonpoint-source pollution comes from many dif-
ferent areas as water runs across or through the
ground. This type of pollution is harder to identify,
measure, and control. Some examples include
runoff from fields or forestland, parking lots, failing
septic systems, construction sites, and automobile
exhaust.
By following Best Management Practices
(BMPs), you can help keep your watershed clean
and safe. BMPs are positive ways to control pollu-
tants and prevent them from contaminating the
water supply. You can use BMPs in your home,
yard, and community to enjoy and maintain a
healthy living environment.
Bffi . . at
& m your
• Do not dump hazardous household chemicals, such as fertifiz-
er, oil-based paint, or antifreeze, down the drain! Take them to
the MWA's Regional Collection Center in Bonduranf (967-5512)
for safe disposal, or use environmentaily safe cleaning products.
• Recycle your newspapers, magazines, milk jugs, juice bottles,
metal cans, clear glass, and anything else possible to reduce the
quantity of garbage you send to the landfill.
• Plant grass, trees, and shrubs to prevent soil from blowing or
washing away. Bag leaves and grass clippings for compost collec-
tion to keep them from washing into storm sewers.
• Do not dump chemicals of anything else down storm sewers -
most lead straight to our rivers.
f * Keep your vehicles in good condition to prevent oil and
j antifreeze leaks from entering storm sewers from the street or
your driveway.
• Do not litter! You can volunteer to help clean up area parks.
H20
-------
|C_jur l^ole in
I Removing
DMWW is committed to providing you with
I safe drinking water by helping to reduce or elimi-
I nate nitrate in our source water. We have built
I coalitions, implemented cost effective technolo-
I gies, and developed landscapes that will protect
I our watershed. Some of these projects include:
• A formalized education program. Classroom
presentations are available for grade levels
K-8. The information focuses on daily
water use, water conservation, the water
treatment process, and the importance of
protecting our watersheds. DMWW is the
only water utility in Iowa with this type of
program.
• Participation in the Urban Environmental
Partnership (UEP). This group was formed
to educate the public on the importance of
water quality protection through watershed
protection in an urban area. DMWW part-
ners with Metro Waste Authority,
Wastevvater Reclamation Authority, and the
City of Des Moines' Storm Water Division.
• Volunteer Monitoring Project on the
Raccoon River Watershed. Along with
DMWW, volunteers collected over 1000
water samples during a year-long project
surveying the nitrate concentrations in vari-
ous locations of the Raccoon River water-
shed.
• Environmental Monitoring for Public
Access and Community Tracking
(EMPACT). DMWW was awarded an EPA
grant to develop a Web site that provides
Des Moines' treated water and source water
quality information to anyone with Internet
access. Visit the Web site at
www.dmww.com/empact.
DMWW continually looks for new ways to
I address nitrate issues while consistently providing
I you with clean, safe drinking water.
FACTS:
e m o v a
1— a c i i t 4
e s s e I s
• There are 8 nitrate removal vessels
with a total operating capacity of 15
million gallons of water per day locat-
ed in DMWW's Nitrate Removal
Facility.
• Each vessel is 132 inches in diameter,
14 feet 2-7/8 inches high, and weighs
11,000 pounds.
• The vessels contain a total of 450 cubic
feet of ion exchange resin and 232
cubic feet of support gravel for the
resin.
• The Nitrate Removal Facility has
enough space to add 2 more vessels, if
necessary.
A monthly publication of
DES MOINES WATER WORKS
2201 Valley Drive
Des Moines, IA 50321
515-283-8700
www.dmww.com
-------
m
:
:
>
"
•'•
n
i
rn
>
r
'
A
pri 2OOI
once nT i ng
DMWW is Your Source for Important
The word m'/ru/e may generate some
questions in your mind when you associate it
with water quality and your health. Newspaper
and television coverage about nitrate frequent-
ly discusses how it can harm the environment,
water supply, or humans. Nitrate can lead to
some serious consequences concerning your
well-being, but Des Moines Water Works
(DMWW) uses several methods to ensure that
your drinking water remains below the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stan-
dards for nitrate concentrations, providing you
with safe, healthy drinking water. f
DMWW's Fleur Plant has the option of
selecting from three water sources - $ie
Raccoon River, Des Myincs Kuer, arid infiltra-
tion gallery - for use in our drinking water
treatment process. Our lab monitors the source
water through daily testing of flic water quality
in each river. We then choose the one \\ ith the
lowest nitrate concentrations to provide you
with the best quality drinking water possible.
Another alternative is running our Nitrate
Removal Facility when aerate levels are high
in the source water (see "Nixing Nitrate in
Your Water").
The maximum contaminant level (MCL)
set by the EPA is 10 milligrams per liter (mg/1)
of water. DMWW maintains a level below the
MCL. If the nitrate level in your drinking
water were to exceed the MCL, we are
required to notify you of the necessary precau-
tions to follow.
So what exactly is nitrate and how might
it affect you? Nitrate is a chemical compound
of nitrogen and oxygen that easily dissolves in
water. It is typically used as a plant nutrient
found in fertilizer, but it can form in septic
Nitrate Information
systems, animal feed lots, manure,
unsiewater, and sanitary landfills as
well. Nitrate enters our source water
from both urban and rural watershed
run-off or contamination of groundwa
ter from the application of f'crlilixcrs.
the unlikely event that nitrate
leveh exceed the MCL in your drinkir
Mfcr, a major
concern exists for
infants under the
age of six
months. Nitrate
can enter the
infant's body
transforming into
nittjte, which
reduces the abili-
ty of blood to
carry oxygen.
ThisT||| cause
Blue SSly Syndrome, a life threatening condi-
tion thatflf(pjires immediate medical attention.
Indicators of this condition include the infant
appearing blue and having shortness of breath.
Research has also linked nitrate to other
health concerns, such as the development of
certain types of cancer in adults. However, a
higher risk is present for infants because their
immature organs have a more difficult time
processing nitrate.
Although the possibility of a nitrate warn-
ing exists, the likelihood of this event is very
rare due to the preventative measures DMWW
has built into the treatment process. We make
it our priority to provide you with healthful,
safe, and clean drinking water.
Inside Our Nitrate Removal Facility
Exterior view of the Nitrate Removal
Facility and underground clear wetls.
Qne of the
largest water
quality issues that
DMWW faces is
the level of nitrate
in the Raccoon
and Des Moines
I River, two of our
water sources.
Data trends over
the post 25 years
show that the
concentrations of
nitrate have
steadily
increased. This
problem may be
caused by the continuing use
and heavier application of fertil-
izer on the land in our water-
ished. DMWW built the Nitrate
Removal Facility in the winter of
1990-1991 as a preventative
measure to keep your drinking
water safe at times when nitrate
concentrations are extremely high
in our source water.
The Nitrate Removal Facility
consists of eight nitrate removal
vessels that can treat up to 15 mil-
lion gallons of water per day.
Depending on the nitrate concen-
tration level and plant flow,
DMWW will operate between four
and all eight vessels at one time.
The facility has been operated
from zero to 106 days in the year,
with an average of 45 days of
operation per year since 1991.
DMWW uses a process called
"ion exchange" to remove nitrate
from the water. Nitrate ions are
captured by resin material as the
water passes through the nitrate
removal vessel, and chloride ions
are released into the water to
reduce the amount of nitrate ions.
This process is similar to a home
water softening device that
removes calcium and magnesium
ions from the water, exchanging
them for sodium ions. The nitrate-
reduced water is then blended
with pre-treated drinking water to
produce a safe, clean product with
nitrate concentrations below ihe
EPA's 10 mg/i MCL.
After the nitrate has been col-
lected in the removal vessels,
DMWW pumps water concentrat-
ed with sodium chloride through
the vessels to exchange the cap-
tured nitrate for chloride. The
water containing the collected
nitrate is then diluted with infiltra-
tion gallery water and discharged
back into the Raccoon River. Due
to the large volume of nitrate con-
centrations already in the river
and the small amount of water
DMWW discharges, this process
does not add to nitrate concentra-
tion problems in other cities and
water utilities downstream.
Although the Nitrate Removal
Facility is a proactive approach in
keeping the drinking water safe
from nitrate contamination, the
best way to keep nitrate from
entering the source water is
through watershed protection pro-
grams. With your heip in protect-
ing our water sources, the need to
use the Nitrate Removal Facility in
the future could be greatly
reduced, or even eliminated.
-------
B
GLOSSARY OF TERM
Acetochlor: A herbicide sold under the trade name of Harness. It is an unregulated contaminant
with no maximum contaminant level (MCL).
Alkalinity: A measure of the acid-neutralizing property of water.
Anion: A negatively charged ion.
Aquifer: A water-bearing stratum of permeable rock, sand, or gravel.
Atrazine: A herbicide and SDWA-regulated contaminant with a maximum contaminant level
(MCL) of 0.003 mg/1.
B
C
Calcium Carbonate Precipitation Potential (CCPP): The amount of hardness that can come out
of the water to form protective scale on plumbing surfaces.
Calcium Hardness as CaCO3: A measure of the calcium mineral contribution to total hardness.
Chloride: A common table salt component found in all natural waters. Concentrations greater
than 250 mg/1 can cause the water to taste salty and contribute to metal corrosion.
Chlorine: A gas that is commonly added to drinking water as a disinfectant to make the water
safe to drink.
Coliforms: Microorganisms that live in the digestive tracts of humans and animals. The detection
of coliform bacteria in treated drinking water suggests that a treatment or distribution system is
not working properly.
Conductivity: The ability to carry an electric current. Its measurement in water indicates the
amount of dissolved salts or minerals in the water.
Consumer Confidence Report (CCR): An annual drinking water quality report required by the
Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) for customers of public water supply systems.
Copper: A metal that can be present in drinking water through the corrosion of plumbing mate-
rials such as copper pipes.
Cryptosporidium: A microscopic organism found in rivers and streams that can cause diarrhea,
fever, and gastrointestinal distress if ingested. It finds its way into the watershed through animal
and human wastes.
D
Disinfection byproduct: A compound formed by the reaction of a disinfectant such as chlorine
with organic material in the water supply.
APPENDIX B GLOSSARY OF TERMS 59
-------
Database: A collection of data organized by fields, records, and files. A field is a single piece of information,
a record is a complete set of fields, and a file is a collection of records.
(Definition from http://www.webopedia.com.)
Database management system: A collection of computer programs that enables you to store, modify, and
extract information from a database. (Definition from http://www.webopedia.com.)
Domain name: A name that identifies one or more Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. Domain names are used
in Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) to identify particular Web pages.
(Definition from http://www.webopedia.com.)
Drinking water: Water that is conveyed to residences and businesses from a public water system. Typically,
this water is treated by a water utility to make it potable. Drinking water is sometimes referred to as finished
water.
E
E. colt: Bacteria whose presence indicates that the water may be contaminated with human or animal wastes.
Ecosystem: All of the interacting organisms in a defined space in association with their interrelated physical
and chemical environment.
Fecal Coliform: Bacteria found in the intestinal tracts of warm-blooded animals. The presence of fecal col-
iform in water is an indicator of pollution and possible contamination by pathogens.
Finished water: See "Drinking Water."
Firewall: A system designed to prevent unauthorized access to or from a private network. Firewalls can be
implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of both. (Definition from http://www.webopedia.com.)
Fluoride: A naturally occurring mineral added to water to help reduce cavities in young people.
G
H
Hardness: The amount of soap-precipitating minerals in the water. Both calcium and magnesium combine
with soap to make it less effective. A hardness measurement is expressed as the amount of CaCOj (pure
limestone) that would produce the hardness.
Hardware: Computer devices that you can actually touch, such as disks, disk drives, display screens, key-
boards, printers, boards, and chips. (Definition from http://www.webopedia.com.)
Heterotrophic Plate Count (HPC) bacteria: All bacteria found growing on a non-selective food media.
These are not indicators of disease, but large numbers in a drinking water distribution system indicate stale
water, minimal disinfection and, therefore, an increased risk of disease. HPC bacteria can also cause unpleas-
ant tastes and odor in the water.
HyperText Markup Language (HTML): Programming language for publishing hypertext on the Web.
(Definition from http://www.webopedia.com.)
60 APPENDIX B GLOSSARY OF TERMS
-------
I
Infiltration Gallery: A sub-surface groundwater collection system, typically shallow in depth, constructed
with open-jointed or perforated pipes that discharge collected water into a watertight chamber from which
the water is pumped to treatment facilities and into the distribution system. Usually located close to streams
or ponds.
Inorganic Contaminants: Mineral-based compounds such as metals, nitrates, and asbestos. These contami-
nants are naturally-occurring in some water, but can also get into water through farming, chemical
manufacturing, and other human activities. EPA has set legal limits on 15 inorganic contaminants.
Internet Browser: A software application used to locate and display Web pages. The two most popular
browsers are Netscape® Navigator™ and Microsoft® Internet Explorer™. (Definition from
http://www. webopedia. com.)
J
K
Langeliers Index: A corrosion indicator based on pH. A positive number means that the water will deposit
protective minerals on plumbing to prevent metal pipe corrosion.
Lead: A metal that can be present in drinking water through the corrosion of plumbing materials such as
lead solder.
M
Magnesium Hardness as CaCO3: The magnesium contribution to total hardness. It is measured and
expressed as the equivalent amount of CaCO3 (pure limestone) that would produce this hardness.
Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL): The highest level of a contaminant that EPA allows in drinking
water. MCLs ensure that drinking water does not pose either a short-term or long-term health risk. EPA sets
MCLs at levels that are economically and technologically feasible. Some states set MCLs that are more strict
than EPA's.
Methemoglobinemia: A blood disorder caused when nitrite interacts with the hemoglobin in red blood
cells. Unlike hemoglobin, the methemoglobin formed in this interaction cannot carry sufficient oxygen to
the body's cells and tissues. Although methemoglobinemia is rare among adults, cases have been reported
among infants, where nitrate-contaminated water was used to prepare formula and other baby foods.
Metolachlor: A herbicide sold under the trade name of Dual. It is an unregulated contaminant with no
maximum contaminant level (MCL); however, a health advisory concentration for this pesticide has been set
at 0.070 mg/1.
Microorganisms: Tiny living organisms that can be seen only with the aid of a microscope. Some microor-
ganisms can cause acute health problems when consumed in drinking water. Also known as microbes.
N
Nitrate-N: A form of nitrogen fertilizer that is readily available to plants. This form of nitrogen is very water
soluble and moved through the soil into groundwater and surface water.
APPENDIX B GLOSSARY OF TERMS 61
-------
Nitrite-N: The actual form of nitrogen that can combine with hemoglobin to form methemoglobinemia or
"blue baby syndrome." It is an intermediate compound that is formed when ammonia is converted to
nitrate by bacteria.
Nonpoint source: Any source of pollution not associated with a distinct discharge point.
O
Organic Contaminants: Carbon-based chemicals, such as solvents and pesticides, which can get into water
through runoff from cropland or discharge from factories. EPA has set legal limits on 56 organic contami-
nants.
Ortho-phosphate: A naturally occurring substance that is sometimes added to the water for additional cor-
rosion protection.
Pfiesteria: toxic dinoflagellate (microscopic, free-swimming, single-celled organisms, usually classified as a
type of alga) associated with fish lesions and fish kills in mid-Atlantic Coastal Waters.
pH: A measure of the strength of an acid on a 0-14 scale, where 7 is neutral, less than 7 is acidic, and
greater than 7 is basic.
Plug-in: A hardware or software module that adds a specific feature or service to a larger system. For exam-
ple, there are a number of plug-ins for Internet browsers to enable the display of different types of audio or
video messages.
Point source: A stationary location or fixed facility from which pollutants are discharged or emitted. Also,
any single identifiable source of pollution, e.g., a pipe, ditch, ship, ore pit, factory smokestack.
Pollutant loading: The quantity of a pollutant entering the environment (soil, water, air).
Potable (drinking) water: Water that meets U.S. EPA and/or state water quality standards and is considered
safe and fit for human consumption.
Potassium: A common element found at low levels in drinking water.
Protazoa: Single-celled, eucaryotic microorganisms without cell walls. Most protozoa are free-living although
many are parasitic.
Q.
R
Radionuclides: Any man-made or natural element that emits radiation. Radionuclides may cause cancer
after many years of exposure through drinking water.
Server: A computer or device on a network that manages network resources. For example, a database server
is a computer system that processes database queries. (Definition from http://www.webopedia.com.)
Silica (SiO2): A common, naturally occurring substance in the earth's crust. It can contribute to scale forma-
tion and reduce pipe corrosion.
62 APPENDIX B GLOSSARY OF TERMS
-------
Sodium: One of the two components in ordinary table salt (sodium chloride). It is a common substance in
nature and is a needed mineral in the diet. The amount of sodium in water is generally small relative to the
amount present in food.
Software: Computer instructions or data. Anything that can be stored electronically.
(Definition from http://www.webopedia.com.)
Source water: Ambient water that is accessed by water utilities to treat for distribution as drinking water.
Source water can originate in either a surface source (such as a lake, river, or reservoir) or a subsurface source
(such as a well). Source water is sometimes referred to as raw water.
Structured Query Language (SQL): A standardized query language for requesting information from a data-
base. SQL was first introduced as a commercial database system in 1979 by Oracle Corporation.
(Definition from http://www.webopedia.com.)
Sulfate: A stable form of sulfur common in natural waters, especially where gypsum is present. It can pro-
duce a taste in drinking water when present in concentrations over 200 mg/1 and may produce a laxative
effect when present in concentrations over 750 mg/1.
Synthetic Organic Chemicals (SOCs): Man-made (anthropogenic) organic chemicals. Some SOCs are
volatile; others tend to stay dissolved in water instead of evaporating.
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS): The amount of dissolved substances, such as salts or minerals, in water.
Total Organic Carbon (TOC): A measure of carbon compounds in water that are from an organic (living)
origin. In combination with a disinfectant such as chlorine, the presence of TOC can result in the formation
of trihalomethanes.
Trihalomethane (THM): One of a class of compounds known as disinfection byproducts that result from
chlorinating water containing naturally occurring organic material.
Turbidity: A measurement of scattered light (cloudiness) in a column of water. Light is scattered when it
strikes suspended particles such as clay, silt, or microscopic organisms.
Volatile Organics: Chemicals that, as liquid, evaporate into the air.
W
Quality: A measure of the presence and quantity of certain constituents or parameters (like naturally occur-
ring substances, man-made chemicals, and industrial contaminants) in water.
Web server: A computer that delivers (serves up) Web pages. Every Web server has an IP address and possi-
bly a domain name. Any computer can be turned into a Web server by installing server software and
connecting the machine to the Internet. (Definition from http://www.webopedia.com.)
Wellhead: A particular well site location, as differentiated from other well site locations, that exist in the
same water system.
Wetland: an area that is regularly saturated by surface or groundwater and subsequently is characterized by
prevalence of vegetation that is adapted for life in saturated soil conditions. Examples include swamps, bogs,
fens, marshes, and estuaries.
APPENDIX B GLOSSARY OF TERMS 63
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64 APPENDIX B GLOSSARY OF TERMS
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TUCSON WATER'S EMPACT WATER
QUALITY PROJECT
The Water Quality Management Division of Tucson Water, in Tucson, Arizona, delivers more than
37 billion gallons of water annually to approximately 675,000 customers. The city of Tucson,
Arizona is one of the largest U.S. cities that currently obtains its drinking water supply from
groundwater wells. To ensure future sustainability, Tucson has started to supplement its groundwa-
ter supply with water from the Colorado River through the Central Arizona Project (CAP).
Tucson's selected blend of recharged Colorado River water and groundwater is known as the
Clearwater Supply. The Tucson Water EMPACT project seeks to introduce this alternate and nec-
essary supply of water to the public by providing timely information on the quality of the blended
drinking water at taps in homes and businesses. Tucson's EMPACT project not only provides a
resource for water quality information, but also results in environmental benefits through a focused
consumer outreach effort.
PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS
Tucson Water has received a 2-year grant from EPA's EMPACT program. Tucson's EMPACT proj-
ect partners include the following:
• Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
• Tucson Unified School District, David T Smith Resource Center
• Tucson-Pima Public Library
• University of Arizona, Water Resources Research Center
• University of Arizona, Southwest Environmental Health Sciences Center
• Pima County Health Department
• Pima County Waste Water Management
• Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
• University of Arizona, National Science Foundation, Water Quality Center
• Citizens and Neighborhood Services
SAMPLE COLLECTION /A N A LY s i s
Tucson Water's EMPACT project increases the number of water quality parameters currently
measured by the utility and adds continuous on-line monitoring. Specifically, the utility has added
continuous on-line monitoring of the quality of potable water and the quantity and general qual-
ity of recycled wastewater and secondary effluent discharged to the Santa Cruz River. One objective
of the EMPACT project is to expand the utility's monitoring technology to include a new process
for measuring total trihalomethanes. Trihalomethanes are suspected human carcinogens that can
form when drinking water that contains organic material is disinfected with chlorine.
Also under the EMPACT project, Tucson Water has selected 22 locations for on-line monitoring
to track the conveyance of finished water throughout the utility's distribution system. Tucson is
installing the on-line instrumentation over the next year to continuously track chlorine residual,
conductivity, estimated total dissolved solids, pH, and temperature. This special monitoring pro-
APPENDIX c TUCSON WATER'S EMPACT WATER QUALITY PROJECT 65
-------
gram will provide Tucson Water's customers with information on water quality throughout the util-
ity's distribution system.
DATA MANAGEMENT/DATA DELIVERY
The objective of Tucson Water's EMPACT project data management, processing, and delivery sys-
tem is to improve the time relevancy of water quality data related to the potable distribution system.
To do this, Tucson Water is developing timely methods for transmitting and verifying the quality
of data from the on-line and manual monitoring programs and posting these data to the project
Web site. The EMPACT project will allow community residents to identify their street addresses
on a Web site map, receive easily understandable results from nearby water monitoring stations, and
obtain a timely report on the quality of their drinking water.
C OM M U N I CAT I ONS/DUTREACH
The outreach objectives for Tucson's EMPACT project include identifying the water quality/quan-
tity data desired by targeted groups and developing effective, state-of-the art methods to
communicate these data. Building on existing city programs, the EMPACT project will identify
specific constituencies and solicit feedback on the water quality data desired and the best formats
for individualizing data by location and creating a context for understanding water resources.
Through its outreach products, Tucson hopes to eliminate any misperception about community
water quality and provide a source of reliable, authoritative information on fast-breaking water
quality issues.
FOR MORE IN FORM ATI ON
For more information about Tucson Water's EMPACT water quality project, visit
http://www.ci.tucson.az.us/water.
66 APPENDIX c TUCSDN WATER'S EMPACT WATER QUALITY PROJECT
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D
C OM M U NICATIONS/D UT REACH
PLANNING AND RESOURCES
This appendix will assist you with developing and implementing an outreach plan for communi-
cating a variety of information to the public. Section D.I provides general step-by-step guidance
on creating an outreach plan. Section D.2 includes guidelines for effectively communicating tech-
nical information and provides a list of resources you can use to enhance your outreach efforts.
D.I CREATING AN DUTREACH PLAN
Your outreach efforts will be most effective if you plan them carefully. An outreach plan ensures
that you have thoroughly considered all aspects of your outreach efforts before you begin. Your
plan does not need to be lengthy or complicated! You can develop a plan simply by documenting
your answers to these questions, which are discussed in the following subsections:
• Who are your partners?
• What are your outreach goals?
• Whom are you trying to reach?
• What information do you want to communicate?
• What outreach products will you develop?
• How will your outreach products reach your audiences?
• What follow-up mechanisms will you establish?
• What is your schedule for implementation?
TIP: Outreach planning is a creative and iterative process that involves a number of interrelated
steps. As you move through each of the planning steps discussed below, you should revisit the deci-
sions you have made for previous steps to make sure you are creating a fully integrated,
comprehensive, and achievable outreach plan.
D.I.I ^RE YOUR PARTNERS?
Try to involve a variety of people in the design and development of your outreach plan. When pos-
sible, consider involving the following:
• A communications specialist or someone who has experience with developing and
implementing outreach plans.
• Technical experts (e.g., experts in water quality, policy, information systems).
• Representatives of your target audience categories.
• Key individuals who will be involved in implementing your outreach plan.
Consider inviting community organizations to partner with you in planning or implementing
your outreach efforts. Potential partners might include local businesses and trade associations,
environmental organizations, schools, community groups, local health departments, local plan-
ning and zoning authorities, and other local or state agencies. Partners can help you with outreach
APPENDIX D COMMUNICATIONS/OUTREACH PLANNING AND RESOURCES 67
-------
planning, product development and review, and/or product distribution. Partnerships can be valu-
able mechanisms for leveraging resources while enhancing the quality, credibility, and overall success
of your outreach efforts.
D.I .2 WHAT ARE YOUR DUTREACH GOALS?
Outreach goals should be clear, simple, action-oriented statements about what you hope to accom-
plish through your outreach efforts. Every other aspect of your outreach plan should relate to your
goals.
Try to rank and prioritize your goals in terms of relative importance. Consider the importance of
your goals as you move through the planning process. For goals of greater importance, you will want
to tailor your partnerships, outreach products, and information dissemination strategies to allow you
to reach a greater number of affected people in a shorter amount of time.
D.I.3 WHOM ARE You TRYI NB TO REACH?
To answer this question, you must both identify and profile your target audience. The identification
and profiling processes are discussed below.
IDENTIFYING YOUR AUDIENCE
As you design your outreach plan, you will need to clearly identify the target audience for your out-
reach efforts. The types of audiences targeted for a water quality outreach program might include
the general public, local businesses and trade associations, decision-makers, educators and students,
and community groups (e.g., homeowners associations, fishing/boating organizations, and garden-
ing clubs). Some types of target audiences, such as educators and community groups, might serve
as pathways to help you disseminate information to other types of audiences, such as students and
the general public.
If you have more than one target audience, you may want to consider dividing the group into audi-
ence categories. For example, if the water quality information you intend to provide to the general
public differs from the information you intend to provide to businesses, you may want to consider
these targets as separate audience categories.
PROFILING YOUR AUDIENCE CATEGORIES
Your outreach efforts will be most effective if you tailor the type, content, and distribution of your
outreach products to the characteristics of your target audience categories. To do this, you will want
to profile the situations, interests, and concerns of your audience members. These profiles will help
you identify the most effective ways to reach each audience category. Consider how you would
describe your audience members:
• What is their current level of knowledge about drinking water and source water?
• What is their average education level? What language do they speak?
• What should they know about drinking water and source water quality in your commu-
nity? What actions would you like them to take?
• What information is likely to be of immediate interest to them?
• Once they develop an awareness of water quality issues in your community, what infor-
mation will they want to know?
68 APPENDIX D COMMUNICATIONS/OUTREACH PLANNING AND RESOURCES
-------
• How much information will they want to see? How much time are they willing to spend
to understand the information?
• How do they generally receive information? How would they prefer to receive your infor-
mation?
• In what types of professional, recreational, and domestic activities do they typically
engage? Are there any organizations or centers that might represent pathways for your
outreach efforts?
When you answer these questions, talk with representatives of your target audience categories and
with colleagues who have successfully reached out to your audience categories.
D.I.4 WHAT INFORMATION Do You WANT To
C O M M U N I C AT E 7
In this step, think about the key points, or "messages," you want to relate to your audience. A mes-
sage is the "bottom-line" information you want your audience to remember, even if they forget the
details. A message is usually phrased in a brief (often one-sentence) statement. Outreach products
often have multiple related messages.
D.I. 5 WHAT DUTREACH PRODUCTS WILL You DEVELOP?
You will want to determine what types of outreach products or tools will most effectively reach each
of your target audience categories. There are many different types of outreach products available in
print, audiovisual, electronic, event, and novelty formats.
Your outreach goals and target audience profiles will help you select appropriate and effective out-
reach products and tools. A communications specialist can provide you with valuable guidance on
choosing the most appropriate products to meet your goals within your resource and time con-
straints. When selecting your products, consider your answers to the following questions:
• How much information does your audience really need to have? How much does your
audience need to know immediately? (Keep in mind that the simplest, most straightfor-
ward product is generally the most effective.)
• Is the outreach product likely to appeal to your audience? How much time will it take
your average audience member to interact with the product? Is your audience likely to
make that time?
• Will the distribution and organization of your product be easy and cost-effective?
• How many people will the product reach?
• What time frame is needed to develop and distribute/organize the product?
• How much will it cost to develop the product? Do you have access to the talent and
resources needed for product development?
• What other related products are already available? Can you build on existing products?
• When will the information be out of date? (Keep in mind that you will want to spend
fewer resources on products with shorter life spans.)
APPENDIX D COMMUNICATIONS/OUTREACH PLANNING AND RESOURCES 69
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Would it be effective to have distinct phases of products over time? (For example, con-
sider the first phase of a product designed to raise awareness, followed by a second phase
of products at later dates to encourage changes in behavior.)
How newsworthy is the information you are trying to communicate? (Information with
inherent news value is more likely to be rapidly and widely disseminated by the media.)
OUTREACH PRODUCTS
Print
Brochures
Educational curricula
Newsletters
Posters
Question-and-answer sheets
Editorials
Fact sheets
Newspapers and magazine articles
Press releases
Utility bill inserts
Audiovisual
Electronic
Events
Novelty Items
Cable television programs
Exhibits and kiosks
E-mail messages
Web pages
Briefings
Fairs and festivals
One-on-one meetings
Public meetings
Banners
Buttons
Floating key chains for boaters
Magnets
Public service announcements (radio)
Videos
Subscriber list servers
Interactive compact disks
Community days
Media interviews
Press conferences
Speeches
Bumper stickers
Coloring books
Frisbee discs
Mouse pads
D.I.6 Haw WILL YOUR DUTREACH PRODUCTS REACH
YOUR AUDIENCES?
You have many outreach product distribution options available to you. Consider the following examples:
• Mailing lists belonging to your organization or partner organizations.
• Phone and fax.
• E-mail.
• Internet.
• Journals or newsletters put out by partner organizations.
• Television.
• Radio.
• Print media.
• A hotline that distributes products upon request.
• Meetings, events, or locations (e.g., libraries, schools, community centers) where products
are made available to the public.
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You should consider how each of your products will be distributed and determine who will be
responsible for distribution. For some products, your organization might manage the distribution.
For other products, you might rely on intermediaries (e.g., the media or educators) or organizational
partners. You should consult with a communications specialist to obtain information about the time
and resources required for various distribution options. Consider the following issues when you
select your distribution mechanisms:
• How does your audience typically receive information? How would they prefer to receive
your information?
• What distribution mechanisms has your organization used in the past for this audience
category? Were these mechanisms effective?
• Can you identify a partner organization that would be willing to assist you with
distribution?
• Can the media play a role in distribution?
• Will your distribution mechanism really reach the intended audience? For example,
although the Internet can be an effective distribution mechanism, certain audience cate-
gories may have limited access to it.
• How many people will your product reach through the distribution mechanism you are
considering?
• Do you have sufficient resources available to fund and implement the distribution mecha-
nisms you are considering?
D. 1 .7 WHAT FOLLOW-UP MECHANISMS WILL You
E STAB LI sn7
If you have successfully reached out to your target audiences, you may receive requests for additional
information. Your audience members may become concerned about the issues you have communi-
cated to them. As part of your outreach plan, you should determine if and how you will respond to
the follow-up interests of people in your community. Consider the following questions:
• What types of reactions or concerns are audience members likely to have in response to
the outreach information?
• Who will be responsible for handling requests for additional information?
• Should you indicate on your outreach products where people can go for additional infor-
mation? Will you provide a contact name, phone number, and/or Internet, mail, or
e-mail address? Will you establish a hotline?
• How will you track and analyze feedback?
• How and when will you use feedback to improve your outreach efforts?
D.I . B W H AT i s Yo UR SCHEDULE FOR IMPLEMEN TAT ION?
Once you have selected the most effective combination of goals, audience categories, messages, prod-
ucts, and distribution mechanisms for your project, you should develop an implementation schedule
for your outreach plan. First, consider the relative importance of each of your outreach goals. You
APPENDIX D COMMUNICATIONS/OUTREACH PLANNING AND RESOURCES 71
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should have a shorter implementation schedule associated with your most important goals. For each
of your outreach products, consider how much time will be needed for design, development, and
distribution. Be sure to factor in sufficient time for product review. When possible, also factor in
some time for testing and evaluation by representatives of your target audience category to solicit
feedback on the effectiveness of your product.
D.Z RESOURCES FOR PRESENTING WATER QUALITY
INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC
As you begin to implement your outreach plan and develop outreach products, you should make
sure that these products present your messages and information as clearly and accurately as possible.
This section discusses methods for effectively communicating technical information to the public
and provides resources to help you shape the style and content of your outreach products.
D.Z.I Haw Da You PRESENT TECHNICAL
INFORM AT ION TO THE PUBLIC?
Environmental topics are often technical in nature, and water quality is no exception. Nevertheless,
this information can be conveyed in simple, clear terms to nonspecialists. Principles of effective writ-
ing for the public include avoiding jargon, translating technical terms into everyday language, using
the active voice, keeping sentences short, and using headings and other formatting devices to pro-
vide a very clear, well-organized structure. You can refer to the following Web sites for more ideas
about how to write clearly and effectively for a general audience:
• The National Partnership for Reinventing Government has developed a guidance docu-
ment, Writing User-Friendly Documents, which is available at
http://www.plamlanguage.gov/.
• The Web site of the American Bar Association,
http://www.abanet.org/lpm/writing/styl.html, has links to important online style manuals,
dictionaries, and grammar primers.
• The Web site of the Environmental Education and Training Partnership,
http://eee.eetap.org, has guides for developing environmental education documents.
As you develop outreach products for a specific audience, remember to consider what your audience
members are already likely to know, what you want them to know, and what they are likely to under-
stand. Then tailor your information accordingly. Provide only the information that will be valuable
and interesting to the target audience. For example, local businesses might be interested in the hard-
ness of the potable water they are using for manufacturing processes; however, senior citizens
interested in the overall safety of their drinking water are not likely to be engaged by this topic.
When developing outreach products, you should consider any special needs of the target audience.
For example, if your community has a substantial number of people who speak little or no English,
you will need to prepare communication materials in their native language.
The remainder of this section provides some online resources that you can consult when developing
your outreach projects. Some of the Web sites listed below contain products, such as downloadable
fact sheets, that you can use to support your communication and outreach efforts.
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FEDERAL RESOURCES
EPA's Office of Groundwater and Drinking Water (OGWDW)
http: //www. ep a. gov/safewater
This site provides information on a variety of topics, from drinking water and health, source water
protection, and training to applicable regulations, standards, and guidance. The site also includes a
kid's page, which contains games and activities to help children learn about drinking water.
EPA's Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds (OWOW)
http: IIwww. epA.gov/owow
This site provides a variety of information related to wetlands, oceans, and watersheds. The site pro-
vides new information, resources for concerned citizens, and answers to frequently asked questions.
Specific to watersheds, the site provides information on water quality monitoring and watershed pol-
lution issues.
EPA's Surf Your Watershed
http: IIwww. epa.gov/surf5
EPA provides this service to locate, use, and share environmental information on watersheds. One
section of this site, "Locate Your Watershed," allows users to enter the names of rivers, schools, or a
zip code to learn more about the water resources in their local watersheds. Users can also access the
Index of Watershed Indicators (IWI) from this site. The IWI is a compilation of information on the
health of aquatic resources in the U.S. The index uses a variety of indicators to determine whether
rivers, lakes, streams, wetlands, and coastal areas can be described as "well" or "ailing".
EPA's NonPoint Source Pointers
http:'//www. epa.gov/owow/nps/facts
This Web site features a series of fact sheets on nonpoint source pollution. The series covers topics
including programs and opportunities for public involvement in nonpoint source control, manag-
ing urban runoff, and managing nonpoint pollution from various sources (e.g., agriculture, boating,
households).
U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service
http://www. wcc. nrcs. usda.gov/water/quality/jrame/wqam
This site includes guidance documents that provide the following resources: a simple tool to estimate
the sensitivity of a water body to nutrients, a procedure to evaluate the conditions of a stream based
on visual characteristics, and information on how to design a monitoring system to observe changes
in water quality associated with agricultural nonpoint source controls.
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
Project WET (Water Education for Teachers)
http:'//www. montana. edu/wwwwet
The goal of Project WET is to promote awareness, appreciation, knowledge, and stewardship of
water resources by developing and disseminating classroom-ready teaching aids and establishing state
and internationally sponsored Project WET programs. This site includes a list of all state Project
WET Program Coordinators to help you locate a contact in your area.
APPENDIX D COMMUNICATIONS/OUTREACH PLANNING AND RESOURCES 73
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Water Science for Schools
httpillwwwva. usgs.gpvledulindex. html
L O O O
The U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS's) Water Science for School Web site offers information on
many aspects of water quality, along with pictures, data, maps, and an interactive forum where
students can give opinions and test their water knowledge.
Global Rivers Environmental Education Network (GREEN)
httpillwww. earthforce. c
The Global Rivers Environmental Education Network (GREEN) helps young people protect the
rivers, streams, and other vital water resources in their communities. This program merges hands-
on, scientific learning with civic action. GREEN is working with EcoNet to compile pointers on
water-related resources on the Internet. This site (http://www.igc.apc.org/green/resources.html)
includes a comprehensive list of water quality projects across the country and around the world.
Adopt-A-Watershed
http:llwww.adopt-a-watershed. orglabout. htm
Adopt-A-Watershed is a K-through-12 school/community learning experience that uses local water-
sheds as living laboratories in which students can engage in hands-on activities. The goal is to make
science applicable and relevant to students' lives.
National Institutes for Water Resources
httpillwrri. nmsu. edulniwrlniwr. html
The National Institutes for Water Resources (NIWR) is a network of 54 research institutes through-
out the U.S. They conduct basic and applied research to solve water problems unique to their areas
and establish cooperative programs with local governments, state agencies, and industries.
DTHER ORGANIZATIONS
The Watershed Management Council
http://watershed, org/wmc/aboutwmc. html
The Watershed Management Council is a not-for-profit organization whose members represent a
broad range of watershed management interests and disciplines. Members include professionals,
students, teachers, and individuals who are interested in promoting proper watershed management.
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