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Important Health Information

Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immuno-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 infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. EPA and Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by cryptosporidium and other microbiological contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).

Water Quality Report

The City of Owasso is pleased to submit to you the 2007 Annual Water Quality Report. We take great pride in providing you, our customer, with reliable and safe drinking water that meets all Federal and State regulations. Again this year, parameters in our water are well below the maximum allowable levels in most instances.

We want to keep you informed about the excellent quality of water and services delivered to you over the past year. This report explains where your drinking water comes from, and how the water is treated, monitored and delivered. The information included in this report reflects the data collected from January 1 through December 31, 2006 . The included Water Quality Tabulation shows that some contaminants were found, however, not at levels to cause any concern.

Drinking water, including bottled water, may be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of these contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects may be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791). In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the EPA prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water, which provide protection for public health, as well.

How to Contact Us?

For questions concerning your water service or water bill, please contact the Owasso Public Works Department at 272-4959 or Utility Billing Office at 376-1520, respectively.

Where Does Owasso’s Water Come From?

Our water is purchased from the City of Tulsa . The water is treated surface water transported from three sources in northeastern Oklahoma (Lake Oologah on the Verdigris River , Lakes Spavinaw and Eucha on Spavinaw Creek, and Lake Hudson on the Neosho River ). After the water reaches the lakes, it travels to the Mohawk and A.B. Jewell water treatment plants where it is treated to remove substances that might threaten public health.

Which Plant Treats Our Drinking Water?

Tulsa has a vast underground network of pipes that carry drinking water from two treatment facilities to our master meters. Which plant provides water to specific areas of the city and surrounding areas depends on daily changes in supply and demand. Generally, customers in the north and west portions of Tulsa (which includes Owasso) receive water treated at the Mohawk Plant and those in the south and east areas are served by the A.B. Jewell Plant. Both plants serve the central areas of Tulsa.

Is Owasso’s Water Safe to Drink?

The City of Owasso and the City of Tulsa routinely monitor for constituents in your drinking water according to Federal and State laws. In 2006, the City of Tulsa analyzed more than 2,300 samples looking for pollutants that might be dangerous to your health, and substances that can make the water taste or smell unpleasant. In addition, the City of Owasso collected 300 samples throughout the distribution system. The adjacent table shows the results of our monitoring for the period of January through December 2006.

What Does the Data Mean?

As you can see by the table, the drinking water delivered to Owasso area homes and businesses exceeds all federal requirements . Although some contaminants were detected in 2006, the EPA has determined that your water is safe at these levels.

What Are Contaminants?

The sources of drinking water (both tap 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 human activity. Contaminants that may be present in water prior to treatment include:

Microbial contaminants: Come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operation and wildlife.
Inorganic contaminants: Naturally-occurring or result from urban stormwater runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production and mining or farming.
Pesticides and herbicides: Come from a variety of sources such as agricultural urban stormwater runoff and residential uses.
Chemical contaminants: Include synthetic chemicals - are byproducts of industrial processes and petroleum production that can come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff and septic systems.
Radioactive contaminants: Naturally occurring substances or the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.

Water Quality Data Tabulation

Tulsa's Water Quality Data:
Regulated Contaminants	Avg.	Min.	Max.	MCL		MCLG	Likely Sources of Contaminants
Turbidity level found			0.16 NTU*	TT* = less than 0.3 NTU 95 percent of the time		N/A	Soil runoff
Lowest monthly percent meeting regulations			100%
Total Coliform Bacteria within distribution system			1.8%	Presence of coliformbacteria in more than 5% of monthly samples		0	Naturally present in the environment
Lead	0 ppb at the 90th percentile			AL* = 15 parts per billion		0	Corrosion of household plumbing systems
Copper	0.11ppm at 90th percentile			AL* = 1.3 parts per million		1.3	Corrosion of household plumbing systems
Gross Beta Radionuclides		2.17	2.68	4 mrem/yr*		N/A	Decay of natural and man made deposits
Gross Alpha Radionuclides		0.5	1.7	16 pCi/L		N/A	Erosion of natural deposits
Haloacetic Acids	26	0	34	60 parts per billion annual average		N/A	By-product of drinking water disinfection
Total Organic Carbon		27.30%	73.30%	TT* - Treatment Technique		N/A	Naturally found in the environment
Fluoride		0	1.3	4 parts per million		2	Water additive promoting strong teeth
Nitrate		0.13	1.1	10 parts per million		10	Runoff from fertilizer use
Chlorine	1.9	0.1	3.3	MRDL* - 4.0 parts per million annual average		MDRLG* 4.0	Water additive used to control microbes
Trihalomethane	61	16	98	80 parts per billion annual average		N/A	By-product of drinking water chlorination
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. The risk assessment developed for trihalomethanes showed that those consuming 2 liters of water with 100 ppb trihalomethanes for 70 years increased the likelihood of developing cancer by 1 in one million.
Atrazine**		0	0.31	3 parts per billion		3	Runoff from herbicide used on row crops
Chlorite		0.03	0.36	1 part per million		0.8	By-product of drinking water disinfection
Unregulated Contaminants
Sodium		6.6	27	Standards have not been established			Naturally occurring or urban stormwater runoff
Owasso's Water Quality Data:
Microbial Contaminants	Detected		MCL	MCLG	Likely Sources of Contaminants
Total Coliform	0		≥ positive	0 positive	Naturally present in the environment
Fecal Coliform and E. Coli	0		≥ positive	0 positive	Human and animal fecal waste

*Definitions of Terms Found in the Table:
MCL (Maximum Contaminant Level): The highest level of a contaminant allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology and taking cost into consideration. MCLs are enforceable standards.
MCLG (Maximum Contaminant Level Goal): The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety and are non-enforceable public health goals.
MRLD (Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level): The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants.
MRDLG (Maximum Residual Disinfectanat Level Goal): The level of a drinking water disinfectant below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contaminants.
TT (Treatment Technique): A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.
AL (Action Level): The concentration of a contaminant, which if exceeded, triggers a treatment or other requirement which a water system must follow.
NTU (Nephelolometric Turbidity Unit): A measurement of the turbidity, or cloudiness, of the water. Turbidity has no health effects. However, turbidity can interfere with disinfection and provides 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, diarrhea, and associated headaches.
mrem/yr (millirems per year): A measure of radiation absorbed by the body.
ppm (parts per million): Comparable to 1 minute in two years.
ppb (parts per billion): Comparable to 1 minute in 2,000 years.
N/A (Not Applicable)
**Data collected November 2000. Frequency of monitoring requirements is within compliance regulations.