ARSENIC INFORMATION
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER
Este informe contiene información muy importante sobre su agua potable. Tradúzcalo o hable con alguien que lo entienda bien.
The City of Manteca's Water System has Levels of Arsenic Above Drinking Water Standards
Our water system recently failed a drinking water standard. Although this is not an emergency, as our customers, you have a right to know what happened, what you should do, and what we are doing to correct this situation.
We routinely monitor for the presence of drinking water contaminants. Recent testing results show that nine wells in our system exceed the standard, or maximum contaminant level (MCL), for Arsenic. The Federal standard for Arsenic is 10 ug/L. The annual average of the nine wells that are out of compliance is 13.7 ug/L. Compliance with the arsenic MCL is based on the average concentration of four consecutive quarterly samples (or an annual average) for each well, unless fewer samples would cause the running annual average to be exceeded.
What should I do?- You do not need to use an alternative (e.g. , bottled) water supply.
- However, if you have specific health concerns, consult your doctor.
- This is not an immediate risk. If it had been, you would have been notified immediately. However, some people who drink water containing arsenic in excess of the MCL over many years may experience skin damage or circulatory system problems, and may have an increased risk of getting cancer.
- The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently reduced the Arsenic MCL from 50 ug/L down to 10 ug/L. In accordance with this reduction, the City of Manteca collected samples from all of its wells and to date nine wells contain water with Arsenic levels above the MCL.
- The City of Manteca is currently installing filters to remove arsenic from wells with arsenic levels above the Federal MCL of 10 ug/L. In the meantime, the City is maximizing water production from sources with low arsenic levels.
Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.
For more information, please contact Keith Conarroe at (209) 456-8411 or at the following mailing address: 1001 W. Center St, Manteca, CA 95337, or send an e-mail to: water@ci.manteca.ca.us.
This notice is being sent to you by the City of Manteca, in compliance with the California Domestic Water Quality and Monitoring Regulations, as a means of keeping the public informed. Dated: 7/24/08