Town Notice: Water Quality Annual Report 2021

The Town of Front Royal Department of Public Works proudly announces the 2021 Annual Water Quality Report (aka Consumer Confidence Report). This report demonstrates the Town’s commitment to providing the highest quality water to our customers.

In 2021, the Town’s tap water met all of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Commonwealth of Virginia drinking water health standards.

This report provides customers with an overview of how tap water reaches your home or business, testing results for your water, and important information concerning your drinking water.

This is the 2021 ANNUAL WATER QUALITY REPORT from the Town of Front Royal

Once again, the Town of Front Royal provides you with our annual water quality report. This edition covers all testing completed from January 1 through December 31, 2021. We are pleased to inform you that our compliance with all state and federal drinking water laws remains exemplary.

As always, we are committed to delivering the best quality drinking water to you. To that end, we remain vigilant in meeting the challenges of source water protection, water conservation, and community education while continuing to serve the needs of all of our water users.

Where does our water come from?
The Town draws surface water from three sources: the South Fork of the Shenandoah River, Happy Creek, and Sloan Creek. Our Treatment facility produces drinking water that is supplied to you through the Town’s water distribution system.

How is our water treated?
Treatment begins with oxidation with the addition of sodium permanganate to the raw water, followed by coagulation through the addition of Poly Aluminum Chloride, which causes the small particles in the water to adhere to one another and grow in size. Flocculation occurs next to slowly mixing the water causing the particles to grow even larger. The water then passes into settling basins where the larger particles settle at the bottom of the basins. Sand and anthracite filters finish the removal of the particles not removed by settling. Before distribution, water is disinfected by UV and chlorine, and lime is added for corrosion control. Finally, fluoride is added to the water for dental protection.

How is our water tested?
Our Water Treatment Plant (WTP) operators conduct approximately 100 tests each day to ensure the quality of our drinking water. The water is tested for chlorine, pH, turbidity, alkalinity, hardness, and fluoride. Thank you for your interest in our water. If you have any questions about your drinking water, please contact:

Michael Kisner, WTP Manager, at (540) 636-7474 or mkisner@frontroyalva.com
Source Water Assessments

Source water assessments for the Town of Front Royal were completed by the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) on March 2, 2018. These assessments determined that the Town’s three water sources may be susceptible to contamination because they are surface waters exposed to a wide array of contaminants at varying concentrations. Changing hydrologic, hydraulic, and atmospheric conditions promote the migration of these contaminants from land-use activities on concern within the assessment areas. More specific information can be obtained by contacting the Town Water Treatment Plant (540) 636-7474.

Testing Results
Last year your tap water met all U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and state drinking water health standards. The Town vigilantly safeguards its water supplies and we are proud to report that our system has not violated a maximum contaminant level or any other water quality standard.

Cryptosporidium
Cryptosporidium is a microbial pathogen found in surface water throughout the U.S. Although filtration removes cryptosporidium, the most commonly-used filtration methods cannot guarantee 100 percent removal. Our monitoring indicates the presence of these organisms in our source water. Current test methods do not allow us to determine if the organisms are dead or if they are capable of causing disease. Ingestion of cryptosporidium may cause cryptosporidiosis, an abdominal infection. Symptoms of infection include nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. Most healthy individuals can overcome the disease within a few weeks. However, immune-compromised people are at greater risk of developing a life-threatening illnesses. We encourage immune-compromised individuals to consult their doctor regarding appropriate precautions to take to avoid infection. Cryptosporidium must be ingested to cause disease, and it may be spread through means other than drinking water.

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, organ transplant patients, HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorder patients, some elderly, and infants may be particularly at risk from infections and should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. The US EPA/CDC (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention) guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791.

Lead in Drinking Water
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 components associated with service lines and home plumbing. The Town of Front Royal 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 2 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 or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

PROUDLY PRESENTED BY TOWN OF FRONT ROYAL DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS
PWS ID # 2187406
www.frontroyalva.com

DEFINITIONS

• AL (Action Level): The concentration of a contaminant that, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements that a water system must follow.
• MCL (Maximum Contaminant Level): The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment
  technology.
• 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.
• MRDL (Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level): The highest level of disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that the addition of a disinfectant is necessary for
  control of microbial contaminants.
• MRDLG (Maximum Residual Disinfectant 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.
• NA: Not applicable
• NTU (Nephelometric Turbidity Unit): A measure of the clarity of water; Turbidity in excess of 5 NTU is just noticeable to the average person.
• pCi/L (picocuries per liter): A measure of radioactivity.
• ppb (parts per billion): One part substance per billion parts water (or micrograms per liter).
• ppm (parts per million): One part substance per million parts water (or milligrams per liter).
• TT (treatment technique): A required process intended to reduce the level of contaminants in drinking water.

In 2021, we have taken numerous samples in order to determine the presence of several substances. The table below shows a summary of these test results where contaminant levels were detected.

Many contaminants have been analyzed but were not present or below detectible limits. We feel it is important that you know exactly what and how much of a contaminant was present in the water.

The state allows us to monitor for certain substances less than once per year because the concentrations of these substances do not change frequently. In these cases, the most recent sample data are included, along with the year in which the sample was taken.

Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) are set at very stringent levels by the US Environmental Protection Agency. In developing the standards, EPA assumes that the average adult drinks 2 liters of water each day over a 70-year life span. EPA generally sets MCLs at levels that will result in no adverse effects for some contaminants or a one-in-ten-thousand to one-in-one-million chance of having the described health effect for other contaminants.

Click here to view the 2021 Water Quality Report online.