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(Data in this report are furnished by the CCMWA)
Why this report?
The Cobb County Water System (CCWS) is committed to delivering to you, our customer, water of quality that meets or exceeds federal and state standards. We are pleased this 2008 Water Quality Report shows we are doing that. This report, also called the Consumer Confidence Report, covers the calendar year 2007. Our priority is to deliver safe water to your home or business each day. We make significant efforts to protect our water resources for both existing needs and future generations.
The following pages provide the drinking water analysis summary results of a continuous testing program. Important definitions are provided to help clarify the information further. The CCWS’s Water Quality Report is also posted on our Internet website at www.cobbwater.org. For additional information contact our Customer Service Division at (770) 423-1000.
The bottom line is we provide safe, quality drinking water to you 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year because we know that it is vital to the health and well being of our community.
Who provides my water?
You are a customer of the CCWS, an agency of Cobb County Government. We distribute treated water to you and treat wastewater in a manner safe for your families and the environment.
The Water System purchases water from the Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority (CCMWA), a utility providing treated drinking water on a wholesale basis to other cities and counties in the region. CCMWA treats drinking water using state-of-the-art equipment and ensures water quality through continued monitoring and testing. Tap water is delivered to more than 174,000 customer accounts representing over 689,000 residents in the CCWS’s service area.
During 2002 the CCMWA and the Atlanta Regional Commission completed a source water assessment of potential sources of pollution that might impact our surface drinking water supplies. This information can help you understand the potential for contamination of your drinking water supplies and can be used to prioritize the need for
protecting drinking water sources.
A Source Water Assessment is a study and report which provides the following information: (1) Identifies the area of land that contributes the raw water used for drinking water; (2) identifies potential sources of contamination to drinking water supplies, and (3) provides an understanding of the drinking water supply’s susceptibility to contamination.
For more information on this project visit the Source Water Assessment website at www.atlantaregional.com/swap/ or request information by mail from the Atlanta Regional Commission, Environmental Planning Division, 40 Courtland Street, NE, Atlanta, GA 30303, Attention: Matthew Harper.
Where does my water come from?
The Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority was created by the Georgia State Legislature in 1951 for the purpose of providing potable water to Cobb County. The CCMWA operates two water treatment facilities having a total capacity of 136 million gallons per day.
The Wyckoff Treatment Plant located in northwestern Cobb County is supplied by Lake Allatoona, a Corps of Engineers impoundment of the Etowah River that also extends into Cherokee and Bartow counties. The Quarles Plant is in eastern Cobb County and draws its water directly from the Chattahoochee River. Flows in the River are controlled in large part by discharge from Lake Lanier, a second Corps of Engineers impoundment. Both of these watersheds upstream of the withdrawal points are entirely within the State of Georgia.
After treatment at these plants, water is transported to various areas within the County where it is fed into CCWS distribution lines and finally to your home or business.
How is my water treated?
The process begins by pumping untreated water from the river or lake into sedimentation basins where large particles are removed and the water is disinfected.
The water is then directed to a process called flocculation which is a gentle mixing of the water with a coagulant. This allows particles, called floc, to form and settle, clarifying the water. Next the water is put through a filtration system where water flows through sand filters trapping even smaller particles.
After filtration, chemicals are added for final disinfection. Except for chlorine and fluoride, every chemical used in the treatment process is removed before the finished water is distributed to you.
Why are there contaminants?
The sources of drinking water (both tap 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 human activity.
There are contaminants that may be present in source water including: Microbial 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 can be naturally-occurring or result from urban storm 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, storm water runoff and residential uses; organic chemical contaminants including synthetic (man-made) and volatile organics, which are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, or waste from gas stations, urban storm water runoff, and septic systems; and radioactive contaminants occurring naturally or resulting from gas and oil production and mining activities.
When there are contaminants, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set treatment methods to reduce them to levels that protect human health. CCMWA’s laboratory continuously monitors water quality to be sure it is properly treated to EPA standards. In addition, over 200 water samples throughout the CCWS distribution system are taken randomly each month and tested.
To ensure tap water is safe to drink, EPA sets limits on the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health. 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 EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1 (800) 426-4791.