If you would like to know more about the information contained in this report, please contact Seth Barstad at (608) 634-4713.
First and Third Tuesday of each month at 6:00 p.m. held at City Hall. 200 N. Main Street. Westby, WI 54667
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 (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 systems 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/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Environmental Protection Agency's safe drinking water hotline (800-426-4791).
|
Source
ID |
Source |
Depth
(in feet) |
Status |
|
5 |
Groundwater |
1100 |
Active |
|
6 |
Groundwater |
1100 |
Active |
To obtain a summary of the source water assessment please contact, Seth Barstad at (608) 634-4713.
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:
In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. FDA regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water, which shall provide the same protection for public health.
|
Term |
Definition |
|
AL |
Action
Level: The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers
treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow. |
|
HA
and HAL |
HA: Health Advisory. An estimate of acceptable drinking water
levels for a chemical substance based on health effects information. HAL:
Health Advisory Level is a concentration of a contaminant
which, if exceeded, poses a health risk and may require a system to
post a public notice. Health Advisories are determined by
US EPA. |
|
HI |
HI:
Hazard Index: A Hazard Index is used to assess the
potential health impacts associated with mixtures of contaminants. Hazard
Index guidance for a class of contaminants or mixture of contaminants may be
determined by the US EPA or Wisconsin Department of Health Services. If a
Health Index is exceeded a system may be required to post a public notice. |
|
Level
1 Assessment |
A
Level 1 assessment is a study of the water system to identify potential
problems and determine, if possible, why total coliform bacteria have been found in our water system. |
|
Level
2 Assessment |
A
Level 2 assessment is a very detailed study of the water system to identify
potential problems and determine, if possible, why an E. coli MCL violation
has occurred or why total coliform bacteria have been found in our water
system, or both, on multiple occasions. |
|
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. |
|
MFL |
million
fibers per liter |
|
MRDL |
Maximum
residual disinfectant level: The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in
drinking water. There is convincing evidence that 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. |
|
mrem/year |
millirems per year (a measure of radiation absorbed by the body) |
|
NTU |
Nephelometric Turbidity Units |
|
pCi/l |
picocuries
per liter (a measure of radioactivity) |
|
ppm |
parts
per million, or milligrams per liter (mg/l) |
|
ppb |
parts
per billion, or micrograms per liter (ug/l) |
|
ppt |
parts
per trillion, or nanograms per liter |
|
ppq |
parts
per quadrillion, or picograms per liter |
|
PHGS |
PHGS:
Public Health Groundwater Standards are found in NR
140 Groundwater Quality. The concentration of a contaminant
which, if exceeded, poses a health risk and may require a system to
post a public notice. |
|
RPHGS |
RPHGS:
Recommended Public Health Groundwater Standards: Groundwater standards
proposed by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. The concentration of
a contaminant which, if exceeded, poses a health
risk and may require a system to post a public notice. |
|
SMCL |
Secondary
drinking water standards or Secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels for
contaminants that affect taste, odor, or appearance of the drinking water.
The SMCLs do not represent health standards. |
|
TCR |
Total
Coliform Rule |
|
TT |
Treatment
Technique: A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant
in drinking water. |
Your water was tested for many contaminants last year. We are allowed to monitor for some contaminants less frequently than once a year. The following tables list only those contaminants which were detected in your water. If a contaminant was detected last year, it will appear in the following tables without a sample date. If the contaminant was not monitored last year, but was detected within the last 5 years, it will appear in the tables below along with the sample date.
|
Contaminant
(units) |
Site |
MCL |
MCLG |
Level
Found |
Range |
Sample
Date (if prior to 2023) |
Violation |
Typical
Source of Contaminant |
|
HAA5
(ppb) |
DB1 |
60 |
60 |
2 |
2 |
No |
By-product
of drinking water chlorination |
|
|
TTHM
(ppb) |
DB1 |
80 |
0 |
0.5 |
0.5 |
No |
By-product
of drinking water chlorination |
|
Contaminant
(units) |
Site |
MCL |
MCLG |
Level
Found |
Range |
Sample
Date (if prior to 2023) |
Violation |
Typical
Source of Contaminant |
|
BARIUM
(ppm) |
2 |
2 |
0.015 |
0.014
- 0.015 |
No |
Discharge
of drilling wastes; Discharge from metal refineries; Erosion of natural
deposits |
||
|
FLUORIDE
(ppm) |
4 |
4 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
No |
Erosion
of natural deposits; Water additive which promotes strong teeth; Discharge
from fertilizer and aluminum factories |
||
|
NITRATE
(N03-N) (ppm) |
10 |
10 |
1.26 |
0.06
- 1.26 |
No |
Runoff
from fertilizer use; Leaching from septic tanks, sewage; Erosion of natural
deposits |
||
|
SELENIUM
(ppb) |
50 |
50 |
1 |
0
- 1 |
No |
Discharge
from petroleum and metal refineries; Erosion of natural deposits; Discharge
from mines |
||
|
SODIUM
(ppm) |
n/a |
n/a |
3.08 |
2.47
- 3.08 |
No |
n/a |
|
Contaminant
(units) |
Action
Level |
MCLG |
90th
Percentile Level Found |
#
of Results |
Sample
Date (if prior to 2023) |
Violation |
Typical
Source of Contaminant |
|
COPPER
(ppm) |
AL=1.3 |
1.3 |
0.1090 |
0
of 10 results were above the action level. |
No |
Corrosion
of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits; Leaching from
wood preservatives |
|
|
LEAD
(ppb) |
AL=15 |
0 |
1.46 |
0
of 10 results were above the action level. |
No |
Corrosion
of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits |
|
Contaminant
(units) |
Site |
MCL |
MCLG |
Level
Found |
Range |
Sample
Date (if prior to 2023) |
Violation |
Typical
Source of Contaminant |
|
GROSS
ALPHA, EXCL. R & U (pCi/l) |
15 |
0 |
4.0 |
1.9
- 4.0 |
No |
Erosion
of natural deposits |
||
|
RADIUM,
(226 + 228) (pCi/l) |
5 |
0 |
2.7 |
2.0
- 2.7 |
No |
Erosion
of natural deposits |
||
|
GROSS
ALPHA, INCL. R & U (n/a) |
n/a |
n/a |
4.3 |
2.2
- 4.3 |
No |
Erosion
of natural deposits |
||
|
COMBINED
URANIUM (ug/l) |
30 |
0 |
0.5 |
0.4
- 0.5 |
No |
Erosion
of natural deposits |
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. Westby Waterworks 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 www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.
During the year, we failed to provide lead results to persons served at the sites that were tested as required by the Lead and Copper Rule.