Brian Melton, City Administrator of Morrison, IL, submitted this Public Service Announcement.
In 2022, as in years past, your tap water met all USEPA and State Drinking Water health standards. Our system vigilantly safeguards its groundwater supply….We are able to report that the Department had no violations of a contaminant level or of any other water quality standard during the past year. This report summarizes the quality of water that we provided last year, January 1, through December 31, 2022, including details about where your water comes from, what it contains, and how it compares to standards set by regulatory agencies.
We are committed to providing you with this information, because informed customers are our best allies. We invite you to participate in the decision-making processes that affect drinking water quality. Please feel welcome to attend any of our regularly-scheduled City Council meetings, which are held at 6:30 p.m., on the second and fourth Mondays of each month, at the Morrison Community Room located, 307 S. Madison Street, Morrison, IL. The City of Morrison Water Department will notify you immediately, if there is any reason for concern about your drinking water.
This report is intended to provide you with important information about your drinking water and the efforts made by the City of Morrison Water Department to provide safe drinking water for our residents.
The source of drinking water used by the City of Morrison is Ground Water.
For more information regarding this report, contact Brian Melton or Shane Osborn at 815-772-7657. This report will not be mailed to customers/residents. If you would like additional data or a copy of this report, please contact City of Morrison Water Department, City Hall, 200 W. Main Street, Morrison, IL 61270.
Este informe contiene información muy importante sobre el agua que usted bebe. Tradúzcalo ó hable con alguien que lo entienda bien.
Source of Drinking Water
The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and groundwater wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it can dissolve naturally-occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity.
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 USEPA’’’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791.
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. USEPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the USEPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline 800-426-4791.
In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, USEPA prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. FDA regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water, which must provide the same protection for public health.
Contaminants that may be present in source water include:
• Micro 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 may 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 organic chemicals, which are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and may 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.
Availability of Morrison Source Water Assessment
Below is a summary of the IEPA Source Water Assessment of Morrison’s water system. The full report is available for viewing at City Hall.
Source Water Assessment
Based on information obtained from sampling data, the location of the wells relative to potential sources of contamination, and well depth, the Illinois EPA has determined that the Morrison Community Water Supply’s source water is not susceptible to contamination. As referenced above, this determination is based on a number of criteria including, monitoring conducted at the wells; monitoring conducted at the entry point to the distribution system; available hydrogeologic data on the wells.
The Illinois EPA has determined that the Morrison Community Water Supply is not vulnerable to viral contamination. This determination is based upon the evaluation of the following criteria during the Vulnerability Waiver Process; the community’s wells are properly constructed with sound integrity and proper sitting conditions; a hydraulic barrier exists which should prevent pathogen movement; all potential routes and sanitary defects have been mitigated, such that the source water is adequately protected; monitoring data did not indicate a history of disease outbreak; the sanitary survey of the water supply did not indicate a viral contamination threat. Because the community’s wells are constructed in a confined aquifer, which should prevent the movement of pathogens into the wells, well hydraulics were not considered a significant factor in the susceptibility determination. Hence, well hydraulics were not evaluated for this system ground water supply.
Source Water: Well #4 (11910) Next to tower northside Groundwater well; Well #5 (01855) SE Edge town by Ash Ave. Groundwater well.
Source Water Protection Efforts
The Illinois Environmental Protection Act provided minimum protection zones of 200 feet for your wells. These minimum protection zones are regulated by the Illinois EPA. To further reduce the risk to source water, the Facility has implemented a wellhead protection program, which includes the proper abandonment of potential routes of groundwater contamination and correction of sanitary defects at the water treatment facility. This effort resulted in the community water supply receiving a special exception permit from the Illinois EPA which allows a reduction in monitoring. The outcome of this monitoring reduction has saved the community considerable laboratory analysis costs.
Vulnerability waiver
Due to favorable monitoring history, aquifer characteristics, and inventory of potential sources of contamination, our water supply was issued a vulnerability waiver renewal for SOCs at Tap2 – Well number 11910 (Well #4). No monitoring for SOCs were required, between January 1, 2020, through December 31, 2022.
2022 Water Quality Data
Distribution
Lead and Copper
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. We are responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but we 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 or at https://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.
Lead and Copper Date Sampled MCLG Action Level (AL) 90th Percentile # of Sites Over AL Units Violation Likely Sources of Contamination
Copper 07/16/2020 1.3 1.3 0.21 0 ppm No Erosion of natural deposits; Leaching from wood preservatives; Corrosion of household plumbing systems
Lead 07/16/2020 0 15 9 1 ppb No Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits
Regulated Contaminants
Disinfectants and Disinfection
By-Products (Collection Date; Highest Level Detected; Range of Levels Detected; MCLG MCL Units Violation; Likely Source of Contamination.)
Chlorine 12/31/2022 1.1 0.7 – 2 MRDLG=4 MRDL=4 ppm No Water additive used to control microbes.
Haloacetic Acids
(HAA5) 2021 6 5.91 – 5.91 No goal for the total 60 ppb. No By-product of drinking water disinfection.
Total Trihalomethanes
(TTHM) 2022 4 4.31 – 4.3 No goal for the total 80 ppb. No By-product of drinking water disinfection.
Inorganic Contaminants (Collection Date; Highest Level Detected; Range of Levels Detected; MCLG MCL Units Violation; Likely Source of Contamination.)
Barium 2021 0.072 0.072 – 0.072 2 2 ppm No Discharge of drilling wastes; Discharge from metal refineries; Erosion of natural deposits.
Fluoride 2021 0.672 0.672 – 0.672 4 4.0 ppm No Erosion of natural deposits; Water additive which promotes strong teeth; Discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories.
Iron 2021 0.035 0.035 – 0.035 N/A 1.0 ppm No This contaminant is not currently regulated by USEPA. However, the State regulates. Erosion of natural deposits.
Manganese 2021 1.6 1.6 – 1.6 150 150 ppb No This contaminant is not currently regulated by the USEPA. However, the State regulates. Erosion of natural deposits.
Nitrate
(Measured as Nitrogen) 2021 0.04 0 – 0.04 10 10 ppm No Runoff from fertilizer use; Leaching from septic tanks, sewage; Erosion of natural deposits.
Selenium 2021 1.9 1.9 – 1.9 50 50 ppm No Discharge from petroleum and metal refineries; Erosion of natural deposits; Discharge from mines.
Sodium
2021 10 10 – 10 N/A N/A ppm No Erosion from naturally-occurring deposits. Used in water softener regeneration.
Radioactive Contaminants (Collection Date; Highest Level Detected; Range of Levels Detected; MCLG MCL Units Violation; Likely Source of Contamination.)
Combined Radium 226/228 2022 3.44 3.44 – 3.44 0 5 pCi/L No Erosion of natural deposits.
Gross Alpha excluding radon and uranium 2022 6.7 6.7 – 6.7 0 15 pCi/L No Erosion of natural deposits.
Water Quality Data Table Footnotes
Triennial or Less Frequent Monitoring Footnote
The State requires us to monitor certain contaminants less than once per year, because the concentrations of these contaminants do not change frequently. Some of our data, though accurate, is more than one year old.
GROSS ALPHA (pCi/L)
The MCL for Alpha emitters is 15 pCi/L. Certain minerals are radioactive and may emit a form of radiation known as alpha radiation. Some people who drink water containing alpha emitters in excess of the MCL–over many years–may have an increased risk of getting cancer.
COMBINED RADIUM (pCi/L)
The MCL for Combined Radium is 5 pCi/L. Some people who drink water containing radium 226 or 228 in excess of the MCL–over many years–may have an increased risk of getting cancer.
IRON
This contaminant is not currently regulated by USEPA. However, the State has set an MCL for this contaminant for supplies serving a population of 1000 or more.
SODIUM
There is not a State or Federal MCL for sodium. Monitoring is required to provide information to consumers and health officials that are concerned about sodium intake, due to dietary precautions. If the level is greater than 20 mg/I, and you are on a sodium-restricted diet, you should consult a physician about this level of sodium in the water.
About the Data
An MCL is 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. If a facility exceeds the MCL, the facility must immediately investigate treatment options, to reduce the level of the contaminant in the water supply. MCLs are first based on a Reference Dose (RfD) which carries a very low risk of causing adverse health effects. The RfD is obtained by taking the maximum daily dose of a toxic substance that does not produce any observable adverse health effects. This no-observable-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) dosage is divided by safety factors (SF), to obtain the reference dose. Regulatory agencies generally use safety factor values of between 10-to-1000.
What this Table Means
As you can see by the table, our system had no violations. We are proud that your drinking water meets or exceeds all Federal and State Requirements. We have learned through our monitoring and testing that some constituents have been detected. The EPA has determined that your water is SAFE at these levels. We, at the Morrison Water Department, work around the clock to provide top quality water to every tap. We ask that all our customers help us protect water sources, which are the heart of our community, our way of life, and our children’s future.