SPANAWAY WATER NEWS
A NEWSLETTER TO THE CUSTOMERS OF SPANAWAY WATER COMPANY -
Spring / Summer 2003
WATER QUALITY REPORT – 2003
Under the 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act revision public water systems are to
provide their customers with an annual water quality report. This newsletter
is your fifth annual report and includes information about: your water sources,
how to contact your water system, public participation opportunities, and most
importantly details of water quality and any detected contaminants.
We appreciate the time you take to read this annual report and learn about both
your water sources and Spanaway Water Company. We always strive to provide you
with safe, high quality water that meets or exceeds all federal and state standards.
Water quality is tested daily by water company employees and on a regular schedule
that includes weekly, annual, and tri-annual analysis by Washington State and
EPA certified laboratories.
Spanaway Water Company (SWC) is a non-profit mutual water company owned by all
the property owners (members) served by the company. SWC serves over 7,200 families
and more than 300 businesses in the Spanaway Area. The company’s Board of Directors
are elected from and by the company membership. Therefore, you can be certain
that high water quality and reasonable prices are top priorities.
The annual meeting of SWC is held on the second Monday of November at 7:30 p.m.
Members are elected to the Board of Directors at the annual meeting. The Board
meets at 7:00 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month, though occasionally
the meeting is rescheduled to the second or fourth Thursday. You are invited
to participate in all meetings. All meetings are held at the Company office
at 17418 5th Ave. E.
If you would like more information about Spanaway Water Company, the information
in this newsletter, contaminants, or any other water issues, we will be happy
to answer your questions. Please call 531-9024 and ask for Jeff Johnson, manager.
HOW AND WHY IS MY WATER TREATED & WHAT ABOUT FLUORIDE??
As water is pumped from each well, chlorine is added as a disinfectant that
provides extra protection and insures that no harmful bacteria are present.
The chlorine used is the minimum amount needed to maintain a detectable level
throughout the water system. Corrosion control treatment with sodium hydroxide
is utilized to reduce the naturally slightly acid water from six wells. This
treatment reduces the slight corrosive nature of the water and decreases the
copper levels found in some homes. Both these treatment requirements are mandated
under federal law.
Fluoride is not added to your water supply at this time. However, on October
2, 2002, the Tacoma-Pierce County Board of Health mandated water system fluoridation.
SWC and several other water systems have challenged this county mandate. The
challenge, currently before the state Supreme Court, strictly considers the
county board of health’s authority to require fluoridation and does not argue
for or against fluoridation itself. It is strongly believed that fluoridation
of a water system should be decided by the users of the water system. Should
the board of health’s fluoridation mandate be upheld by the Supreme Court, initial
capital start-up cost will be approximately $330,000 with ongoing annual costs
of more than $70,000. These costs would be reflected in an estimated three year
fluoridation surcharge of $4.25 each water bill and a $1.75 treatment cost charge
on each bill after the initial three years. We will keep you up-dated on the
fluoride issue in future newsletters.
Some of our wells do have the naturally occurring manganese. This may, even
at very low levels, cause “brown” water when large flows are created in water
mains, such as when fire hydrants are used for fire fighting or testing. The
rushing water picks up the manganese “rust” that settles in the mains. Manganese
is not a health related contaminant, rather it is an essential human nutrient
with a recommended daily amount (RDA) of 2.0 mg. However, even at 0.05 mg/l
(1/40th of the RDA) brown water may occur. The presence of manganese is therefore
considered an aesthetic problem, not a health issue. Your water company has
installed its first manganese filter at well 4 with additional units planned
for the Yakima and Buckeye Grove wells. The company’s main flushing program
has greatly improved water quality and reduced brown water calls. If you should
experience “brown” water, letting an outside faucet run for 5 to 15 minutes
should clear the problem. Routine main flushing is done on Tuesdays. To reduce
the risk of discoloring clothing we ask that you avoid washing clothes on Tuesdays.
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