• Where does our drinking water come from?
• How is our water tested?
• What is the quality of our water?

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does my drinking water come from?

The Upper Sandusky Water System receives its drinking water from the Sandusky River and the drainage area of the Upper Sandusky Reservoir, located on the east side of the city.

What are sources of contamination to drinking water?

The sources of drinking water, both tap water and bottled water, include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells.  As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity.

Contaminants that may be present in source water include:
* Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations and wildlife
* Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally-occurring or result from urban storm water runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming
* Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban storm water runoff, and residential uses
* Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban storm water runoff, and septic systems
* Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally-occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.

Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).

What is Turbidity?

Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness of water and is an indication of the effectiveness of our filtration system. The turbidity limit set by the EPA is 0.30 NTU in 95% of the daily samples and shall not exceed 1 NTU at any time. The Upper Sandusky Water System’s highest recorded turbidity result for 2005 was 0.65 NTU and the percentage of samples meeting the turbidity limits was 91.94%.

The Upper Sandusky Water System had a treatment technique level exceedance during the months of January, July and November 2005. Turbidity has no health effects. However, turbidity can interfere with disinfection and provide a medium for microbial growth. Turbidity may indicate the presence of disease-causing organisms. These organisms include bacteria, viruses and parasites that can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches. Upper Sandusky Water System has taken the steps to correct this violation and prevent future violations from occurring.
 

Special Concerns

Special Concerns
Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. I mmuno-compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk from infection. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. EPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).

Trihalomethanes

Some people who drink water containing trihalomethanes in excess of the MCL over many years may experience problems with their liver, kidneys, or central nervous systems, and may have an increased risk of getting cancer.

Atrazine

During the months of June and July 2005, Upper Sandusky Water System failed to monitor the level of Atrazine. Some people who drink water containing Atrazine well in excess of the MCL over many years could experience problems with their cardiovascular system or reproductive difficulties. Upper Sandusky Water System has taken the steps to correct this violation and prevent future violations from occurring.

Drinking Water Regulations

In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations, which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. FDA regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water, which must provide the same protection for public health.

The EPA requires regular sampling to ensure drinking water safety. The City of Upper Sandusky Water System conducted sampling for Turbidity, Gross Alpha, Gross Beta, Fluoride, Nitrate, Nitrite, Phosphorus, Alachlor, Atrazine, Metolachlor, Metribuzin, Simazine, Toluene, Bromodichloromethane, Bromoform,
Chloroform, Dibromo-chloromethane Cyanazine, Acetochlor, and Propazine during 2005. Samples were collected for over 60 different contaminants, most of which were not detected in the City of Upper Sandusky water supply. The Ohio EPA requires monitoring of some contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants do not change frequently. Some of our data, though accurate, are more than one year old.
 

The Quality of your Water:
Listed below is information on those contaminants that were found in the Upper Sandusky Water System drinking water.

Definitions

Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG): The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health.  MCLGs allow for a margin of safety.

Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL): The highest level of contaminant that is allowed in drinking water.  MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology.

Parts per Million (ppm) or Milligrams per Liter (mg/L) are units of measure for concentration of a contaminant.

Parts per Billion (ppb) or Micrograms per Liter (µg/L) are units of measure for concentration of a contaminant.

Action Level (AL): The concentration of a contaminant, which, if exceeded, triggers treatment, or other requirements that a water system must follow.

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

Not Detected (ND): A result of ND means that no contaminant was detected in the sample.

Not Applicable (NA): A range of NA means that there was only one sample taken.

Not Regulated (NR): A value of NR means that the contaminant is not regulated although the EPA requires monitoring.

The “<” Symbol:  A symbol which means less than.  A result of <5 means that the lowest level that could be detected was 5 and the contaminant in that sample was not detected.
 

The City of Upper Sandusky Water System has prepared the following report to provide information to you, the consumer, on the quality of our drinking water.  Included within this report is general health information, water quality test results, how to participate in decisions concerning your drinking water, and water system contacts.  The City of Upper Sandusky takes pride in assuring you of your drinking water’s safety.

How do I participate in decisions concerning my drinking water?

Public participation and comment are encouraged at regular meetings of the City of Upper Sandusky Service Committee, which meets the second and fourth Tuesday of every month at 7:30 PM in the Municipal Building.
 

For more information on your drinking water, contact:

Dave Westbrook
Water Treatment Plant Supervisor
(419) 294-2416
Monday thru Friday
7:00 AM to 3:00 PM
 

Copies of this report may be obtained at the city’s water office in the Municipal Building or on the web at: www.uppersanduskyoh.com/ccr.htm
 

Additional information about the requirements for the Consumer Confidence Report may be obtained at the Ohio EPA web site at: www.epa.state.oh.us/ddagw/ccr.html

A Service of the
City of Upper Sandusky
119 North Seventh Street
Upper Sandusky, Ohio  43351