CANTON WATER QUALITY - TEST RESULTS FOR 2020

2020

Water Quality Report

CANTON COMMUNITY

Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness of water. We monitor it because it is a good indicator of the effectiveness of our filtration system.

2020 Lead and Copper Monitoring at Customer’s Tap

*The 90th percentile value means 90 percent of the homes tested have lead and copper levels below the given 90th percentile value. If the 90th percentile value is above the AL additional requirements must be met.

CANTON’S ANNUAL REPORT

This report represents Canton’s required annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) on water quality. The purpose of the report is to inform you about the quality of your drinking water and the services associated with the process. This report will illustrate that we are providing you with a safe and dependable water supply.

DRINKING WATER

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 at 800/426-4791.

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 organics, 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.

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. “The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water, which must provide the same protection for public health.”

SOURCE WATER ASSESSMENT

Your source water comes from the Detroit River, situated within the Lake St. Clair, Clinton River, Detroit River, Rouge River, Ecorse River, in the U.S. and parts of the Thames River, Little River, Turkey Creek and Sydenham watersheds in Canada. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality in partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey,

the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA), and the Michigan Public Health Institute performed a source water assessment in 2004 to determine the susceptibility of potential contamination. The susceptibility rating is on a seven-tiered scale from ”very low” to “very high” based primarily on geologic sensitivity, water chemistry, and contaminant sources. The susceptibility of our Detroit River source water intakes were determined to be highly susceptible to potential contamination. However, all four GLWA water treatment plants that use source water from Detroit River have historically provided satisfactory treatment of this source water to meet drinking water standards.

GLWA has initiated source-water protection activities that include chemical containment, spill response, and a mercury reduction program. GLWA participates in the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit discharge program and has an emergency response management plan. In 2016, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality approved the GLWA Surface Water Intake Protection Program plan. The programs include seven elements that include the following: roles and duties of government units and water supply agencies, delineation

of a source water protection areas, identification of potential sources of contamination, management approaches for protection, contingency plans, siting of new water sources, public participation and public education activities. If you would like to know more information about the Source Water Assessment report, please call GLWA at 313/926- 8102.

CANTON’S WATER SOURCE

Canton purchases its water from the GLWA. Raw water is drawn from the Detroit River from two locations. The water is treated, then transported via large transmission mains to master meter pits in Canton. Pressure and flows are controlled by a series of meters and pressure-reducing valves and delivered via piping to your home.

Weekly water samples are collected by the GLWA at various locations in Canton and then tested. Dead-end mains are flushed by Canton’s Public Works Division and tested for

• Never flush unwanted or expired medication down the toilet. Wastewater treatment facilities can’t filter these chemicals out, so many drugs are being detected in drinking water.

For proper disposal of prescription drugs, Wayne County suggests you take all unused, unneeded, or expired prescription drugs out of their original containers; mix the prescription drugs with an undesirable substance, like used coffee grounds, cat litter, or old latex paint and put them in impermeable, nondescript containers, such as empty cans or sealable bags, further ensuring that the drugs are not divested or accidentally ingested by children or pets; then throw these containers in the trash.

You can also contact your local pharmacy to see if they have a take-back program in place for unused, unneeded, or expired prescription drugs.

PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL HEALTH CONCERNS

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT LEAD

If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. GLWA is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components.

When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to two minutes before using water for drinking or cooking. If you are concerned about lead in your water you may wish to have your water tested. Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline 800-426-4791 or at www. epa.gov/safewater/lead.

CANTON’S WATER IS SAFE

Canton’s water is tested for lead every year, the last tests were taken in 2020 and showed no significant detection of lead. While it is not uncommon for many older communities to use lead piping for water services, Canton’s infrastructure does not contain any lead services. If you have any questions please call Canton’s Division of Public Works at 734-397-1011.

Canton and the GLWA are committed to safeguarding our water supply and delivering the highest quality drinking water to protect public health. For questions about this report, call Canton Public Works or the GLWA hotline at 844/455-4592.

chlorine levels each quarter.

CANTON MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS

The State of Michigan and the EPA requires water testing on a regular basis to ensure its safety. Canton has met all the monitoring and reporting requirements for 2020.

YOUR DRINKING WATER IS SAFE - YOU CAN HELP KEEP IT THAT WAY

Your activities at home directly affect the quality of the rivers and lakes that are Southeast Michigan’s greatest resources. Every ditch, storm drain, and stream in your area empties into a larger waterway. The storm sewer catch basins and ditches at the end of your driveway and along your neighborhood streets empty into either the Lower Rouge River or the Middle Rouge River. Here are some items you can do to keep water safe:

• Select slow-release fertilizers which gradually contribute nitrogen to the grass roots. Slow-release fertilizers protect lakes and streams, promote and protect steady grass growth, and protect microbial life in the soil. Nutrients that reach rivers and lakes can cause excessive weed growth that depletes the oxygen supply for fish and aquatic insects.
• Avoid combination fertilizer and weed control products that often add unnecessary herbicides to the landscape.
• Much of the pollution that makes our rivers and lakes unsafe for swimming and fishing comes from animal waste, lawn and garden fertilizers, and vehicles leaking oil or antifreeze.
• Pesticides, fertilizer, and other improperly applied lawn chemicals can kill beneficial bacteria, insects, and worms while promoting shallow root growth and polluting our water resources.
• Paved surfaces such as sidewalks, roads, roofs, patios, and parking lots allow pollutants to easily get into water instead of filtering through soil. Fertilizers left on sidewalks and driveways can easily wash into storm drains if not swept back onto the lawn.

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, persons 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/Center for Disease Control guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available by calling the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800/426-4791.

CRYPTOSPORIDIUM AND GIARDIA

GLWA voluntarily monitors our source water for the presence of Cryptosporidium and Giardia. In 2020, the presence of Cryptosporidium and Giardia were detected in the source water at the Belle Isle Detroit River Intake serving Water Works Park, Springwells and the Northeast treatment plants. Cryptosporidium was detected once

in March and Giardia once in April. All other samples monitored in 2020 were absent for the presence of Cryptosporidium and Giardia.

Current test methods do not enable us to determine if these organisms are dead or if they are capable of causing disease. Symptoms of infection include nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. Most healthy individuals are able to overcome the disease within a few weeks. However, immuno-compromised people have more difficulty and are at greater risk of developing sever, life threatening illness. Immuno-compromised individuals are encouraged to consult their doctor regarding appropriate precautions to take to prevent infection. Cryptosporidium must be ingested for it to cause disease and may be passed through other means than drinking water. Surface water treatment systems like GLWA must provide treatment so that 99.9% Giardia is removed or inactivated.

KEYS TO DETECTED CONTAMINANTS TABLE