COPPER MOUNTAIN CONSOLIDATED METRO DISTRICT
2007 Drinking Water
Consumer Confidence Report
For Calendar Year 2006

Public Water System ID # CO0159030

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We are pleased to present to you this year’s water quality report.  Our constant goal is to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water.

General Information About Drinking Water
All 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 the water poses a health risk.  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 of infections.  These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers.  For more information about contaminants and potential health effects, or to receive a copy of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and microbiological contaminants call the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.

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:

• Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria that may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife.
• Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally-occurring or result from urban stormwater runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming.
• Pesticides and herbicidesthat may come from a variety of sources, such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and residential uses.
• Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are byproducts of industrial processes and petroleum production, and also may come from gas stations, urban storm water runoff, and septic systems.
• Radioactive contaminants, that can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.

In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment prescribes regulations limiting the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems.  The Food and Drug Administration regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water that must provide the same protection for public health.

Our Water Source(s)

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has provided us with a Source Water Assessment Report (SWAP Report) for our water supply.  You may obtain a copy of the report by visiting www.cdphe.state.co.us/wq/sw/swaphom.html or by contacting MIKE KOENIG at 970-968-2390. This report contains a summary of potential sources of contamination in the source water area. This information is included at the end of the Consumer Confidence Report.

The SWAP Report provides a screening-level evaluation of potential contamination that could occur.  It does not mean that the contamination has or will occur.  We can use this information to evaluate the need to improve our current water treatment capabilities and prepare for future contamination threats.  This can help us ensure that quality finished water is delivered to your homes.  In addition, the source water assessment results provide a starting point for developing a source water protection plan.

Please contact MIKE KOENIG at 970-968-2390 to learn more about what you can do to help protect your drinking water sources, any questions about the Drinking Water Consumer Confidence Report, to learn more about our system, or to attend scheduled public meetings.  We want you, our valued customers, to be informed about the services we provide and the quality water we deliver to you every day.

Terms and Abbreviations
The following definitions will help you understand the terms and abbreviations used in this report:

• Parts per million (ppm) or Milligrams per liter (mg/L) - one part per million corresponds to one minute in two years or a single penny in $10,000.
• Parts per billion (ppb) or Micrograms per liter (µg/L)- one part per billion corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years, or a single penny in $10,000,000.
• Parts per trillion (ppt) or Nanograms per liter (nanograms/L) - one part per trillion corresponds to one minute in 2,000,000 years, or a single penny in $10,000,000,000.
• Parts per quadrillion (ppq) or Picograms per liter (picograms/L) - one part per quadrillion corresponds to one minute in 2,000,000,000 years or one penny in $10,000,000,000,000.
• Picocuries per liter (pCi/L) - picocuries per liter is a measure of the radioactivity in water.
• Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU) - nephelometric turbidity unit is a measure of the clarity of water. Turbidity in excess of 5 NTU is just noticeable to the average person.
• Action Level (AL) - the concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow.
• Treatment Technique (TT) - A treatment technique is a required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.
• Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) - The “Goal” is 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.
• Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL)- The “Maximum Allowed” 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.
• Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal (MRDLG):  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.
• Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level (MRDL):  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.
• Running Annual Average (RAA): An average of monitoring results for the previous 12 calendar months.
  
• Gross Alpha, Including RA, Excluding RN & U: This is the gross alpha particle activity compliance value.  It includes radium-226, but excludes radon 222 and uranium.
• Microscopic Particulate Analysis (MPA): An analysis of surface water organisms and indicators in water.  This analysis can be used to determine performance of a surface water treatment plant or to determine the existence of surface water influence on a ground water well.

Detected Contaminants
COPPER MOUNTAIN CONSOLIDATED METRO DISTRICT (CMCMD) routinely monitors for contaminants in your drinking water according to Federal and State laws.  The following table(s) show all detections found in the period of January 1 to December 31, 2006 unless otherwise noted. The State of Colorado requires us to monitor for certain contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants are not expected to vary significantly from year to year, or the system is not considered vulnerable to this type of contamination.  Therefore, some of our data, though representative, may be more than one year old.  The “Range” column in the table(s) below will show a single value for those contaminants that were sampled only once. Violations, if any, are reported in the next section of this report. 

Note: Only detected contaminants appear in this report. If no tables appear in this section, that means that CMCMD did not detect any contaminants in the last round of monitoring.

Secondary standards are non-enforceable guidelines for contaminants that may cause cosmetic effects (such as skin or tooth discoloration) or aesthetic effects (such as taste, odor or color) in drinking water.  EPA recommends these standards but does not require water systems to comply.

Health Information About Water Quality
Infants and young children are typically more vulnerable to lead in drinking water than the general population.  It is possible that lead levels at your home may be higher than other homes in the community as a result of materials used in your home’s plumbing.  If you are concerned about elevated lead levels in your home’s water, you may wish to have your water tested and flush your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using tap water.  Additional information is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800)426-4791.

Copper is an essential nutrient, but some people who drink water containing copper in excess of the action level over a relatively short amount of time could experience gastrointestinal distress. Some people who drink water containing copper in excess of the action level over many years could suffer liver or kidney damage.  People with Wilsons Disease should consult their personal doctor.

Violations

Information About the Above Violation(s)
There are no additional required health effects violation notices.

CMCMD is required to include an explanation of the violation(s) in the above table and the steps taken to resolve the violation(s):

Although this did not violate Colorado’s state drinking water standards, a  90th  percentile sample tested for copper was one tenth of a part per million above the Action Level for copper. The state Water Quality Control Division (WQCD) required the following action:

 CMCMD sampled two tap water points and each of  three source water entry points to the drinking water system. These samples were tested for temperature, pH, alkalinity, hardness, and conductivity. These parameters are used to determine if water has a tendency to corrode copper plumbing.

These test results were forwarded to RTW, Inc. engineers, who ran them in a proprietary water chemistry computer model.

RTW, Inc. reported that the source water was not causing copper to exceed Action Levels, since there was none detected in any of the source water samples. Their computer model indicated the quality of our drinking water was unlikely to cause repeated exceedances of the copper regulations.

To ensure there are no ongoing elevated copper levels, CMCMD has proposed a repeat in 2007 of the 2006 sampling and testing for copper to the WQCD.

Addendum:  

2004 SWAP Report Summary of Potential Sources of Contamination (Excerpt)

“Table 2 presents a summary of the individual susceptibility of the water source(s) to various types of discrete contaminant sources that were evaluated.  Water sources with a Moderately High or High individual susceptibility to a discrete contaminant source generally are at greater risk for potential contamination from the discrete contaminant source than water sources receiving lower individual susceptibility ratings to similar or different discrete contaminant sources.  The water source(s) has/have the greatest risk to potential contamination from the following types of discrete contaminant sources:”