Report praises Yuma’s water standards
City ‘met or surpassed’ federal, state levels in 2016
Yuma “met or surpassed” all federal and state drinking water standards in 2016, while delivering tap water to more than 110,000 customers.
Yuma conducted all water quality testing required by state and federal regulations, many more than required, throughout the year.
“Tests revealed the city’s drinking water quality met all regulatory standards set to safeguard public health,” the city reported. The state requires the city to monitor for certain substances less than once per year because the concentrations of substances do not change frequently. However, the city conducts more than 4,000 tests for 240 different contaminants every year.
The results of those thousands of tests performed at the city’s two water treatment plants and throughout its water distribution system are summarized in the annual Water Quality Report, also know as the Consumer Confidence Report.
The recently released report contains data collected between January and December 2016. It has information on source water, the levels of any detected contaminants and the city’s compliance with drinking water rules and monitoring.
The Utilities Department is required to make the report available to customers by July 1. Currently, community water systems in the United States are required to monitor their drinking water multiple times per day to test for more than 90 contaminants and report any violations that may have occurred.
Yuma also participated in the third stage of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation program, known as the UCMR3, by conducting additional tests. Participation helps the EPA determine if it needs to introduce new regulatory standards to improve drinking water quality.
In addition, the city must comply with Arizona Department of Environmental Quality regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems.
The main source of Yuma’s water is the Colorado River, de-
livered through the canal system. The water is treated by the Main Street and Agua Viva water treatment facilities.
The Main Street facility — producing drinking water for the Yuma area since 1892 — is a convention surface water treatment plant. It uses surface water, groundwater, or a blend of both.
Agua Viva, formerly the 9E Water Treatment Plant which began operation in 1983, treats surface and groundwater through a series of groundwater wells.
The report lists the contaminants that were detected in the drinking water. However, the city noted that the presence of small amounts of some contaminants does not mean the water poses a health risk.
Substances detected in the treatment facilities in safe quantities included: alpha emitters through the erosion of natural deposits; arsenic due to erosion of natural deposits, runoff from orchards and glass and electronics production wastes; barium: discharges of drill wastes, from metal refineries and erosion of natural deposits; fluoride due to erosion of natural deposits, additives to promote strong teeth, discharge from fertilizers and aluminum factories; nitrate due to runoff from fertilizer use, leaching from septic tanks and sewage and erosion from natural deposits; sodium, which is naturally present in the environment; turbidity through soil runoff; and uranium due to erosion of natural deposits.
In the distribution system,
the following substances were found in safe quantities: chlorine, which is added to the water to control microbes, and haloacetic acids and trihalomethanes, both byproducts of drinking water disinfection.
In residential water taps, testing detected lead and copper from erosion of household plumbing and natural deposits.
UCMR3 testing revealed bromochloromethane, which is used as a fire extinguishing fluid; cholorate, an agricultural defoliant; and chromium, chromium-6, molydenum, strontium and vanadium, all naturally present in the environment.
The report also contains a warning from the EPA on the impact of lead in home plumbing to health and how residents can reduce their potential exposure.
The report is available online on the city’s website www.yumaaz.gov, at the City Services bill payment counter on the first floor of City Hall, 1 City Plaza, or by calling the Utilities Department at 928-373-4500 and requesting a copy.
The city encourages community participation and welcomes input on water quality. The city’s Water and Sewer Commission is comprised of citizens interested in developing ideas and providing advice to the utilities director on a range of water and wastewater issues.
The commission meets on an as-needed basis at 5 p.m. in the Department of Public Works Administrative Conference Room. The public is invited to attend. Call 928-373-4500 for more information or specific meeting dates.