Customer Notice of Lead and Copper Results in Drinking Water As a public water system we are required to test our tap water for lead and copper corrosion products from actual drinking water taps and notify participants of their test results. Samples are collected under worse-case conditions to maximize the amount of metals leached. Listed below are test results of samples collected this year. Public Water Supply Name: County: Waupun Correctional Institute Dodge Sample Address Sample Location: Kitchen Sink (JBCC) (i.e. kitchen tap, etc) PWSID: 11401423 Date Sampled: 9-10-2014 Thank you for participating in our drinking water lead and copper monitoring program. The results of the lead and copper sample collected at your location are in the table below. Location complies with Location complies with Copper Contaminant AL MCLG Your Result Lead health standard of 15? health standard of 1300? Lead (ppb) Copper (ppb) 15 0 1300 1300 2.0 Yes 390 90th Percentile Level: Overall public water system compliance is based on statistical analysis of all samples. Some individual locations may exceed the health standard, but approximately 90% of all sample locations must comply. Yes Lead 90th Percentile 20ug/L Copper 90th Percentile 700 ug/L Public system complies for lead overall? No Public system complies for copper overall? Yes IF YOUR LOCATION EXCEEDS THE HEALTH STANDARD, see reverse side of this page for health effects and advice to reduce corrosion products in your plumbing. Definition of terms ug/l: micrograms per liter. This is equivalent to one part-per-billion or ppb. Health Standard: The maximum concentration of lead or copper in drinking water recommended by health authorities. These are sometimes referred to as Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs). The MCL for lead is 15 ug/l; and for copper 1300 ug/l. Action Level: The concentration of lead or copper which, if exceeded by the 90 th percentile of a public water system’s overall samples, triggers a legal requirement to conduct public education, investigate the causes of excessive corrosion and take action to reduce lead and copper leaching. The action level for lead is 15 ug/l; and for copper1300 ug/l. If these are exceeded all customers of the public system are notified. 90th Percentile: That value representing the statistical 90th highest value out of 100 samples. For systems collecting only 5 samples it is calculated as the average of the two highest samples. For systems collecting 10 samples per year it is the 2nd highest sample value. Maximum Contaminant Level Goal: The level of lead or copper in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. The MCLG for lead is 0 ug/l (zero) and for copper 1300 ug/l. These are not legally enforceable goals, but ideal levels. If lead exceeds 15 ug/l in your water sample, please read the following: Lead causes serious health problems if too much enters your body from drinking water and other sources. Drinking water is just one way we consume lead. EPA estimates that less than 20% of lead exposure is from drinking water. Other major sources include lead paint dust, soil and food, food and beverage containers, leaded gasoline and occupational exposure. Too much lead can cause damage to the brain and kidneys, and it interferes with the production of red blood cells that carry oxygen to all parts of your body. The greatest risk of lead exposure is to infants, young children, and pregnant women. Scientists have linked the effects of lead on the brain with lowered IQ in children. Adults with kidney problems and high blood pressure can be affected by lower levels of lead more than healthy adults. Lead is stored in the bones, so it can be released later in life. During pregnancy, the child receives lead from the mother’s bones, which may affect brain development. If copper exceeds 1300 ug/l in your water sample, please read the following: The health effects from exposure to copper are less severe than lead, yet elevated levels in drinking water can increase overall exposure to a point where moderate to serious health effects occur. EPA estimates only 5% of normal copper exposure is from drinking water, while major sources include food, beverages, dust, soil, and commercial or industrial products containing copper. Our bodies require about 1000 ug of copper each day for good health. Adverse health effects from drinking water with excess copper include vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps and nausea. The seriousness increases with copper levels and length of exposure. Long term exposure (more than 14 days) to very high levels has caused kidney and liver damage in some people. Children under one year of age plus adults with Wilson’s disease or liver damage are more susceptible to copper toxicity. How to reduce or eliminate your exposure to lead and copper in drinking water: Lead and copper originate in plumbing materials and are released from pipes, valves and faucets by corrosion or friction. Wisconsin banned the use of lead solder in 1984. Prior to then lead was widely used in pipe solder, packing, valves, meters and as solid pipe. Brass is an alloy containing up to 15% lead, and most valves and faucets have brass bodies. Copper pipes installed prior to 1985 may have lead solder joints. Water quality affects how readily plumbing corrodes. Hard water deposits a protective scale in pipes which prevents metals from corrosion. Softened or highly treated water is more aggressive and tends to dissolve pipes and other plumbing materials. The following actions will help reduce your exposure to lead and copper in drinking water:  Run the water until it turns cold before drinking. It is a good idea to flush the water lines before drinking any time the water has been motionless in the distribution system for 6 hours or more.  Use cold water for cooking and preparing baby formula. Do not cook with or drink water from the hot water tap; lead dissolves more easily in hot water.  Do not boil water to remove lead. Boiling water will not reduce lead levels.  Look for alternative sources or treatment of water. If your lead result is above 15 ppb, you may want to consider purchasing bottled water or a water filter. Read the package to be sure the filter is approved to reduce lead or contact NSF International at 800-NSF-8010, or www.nsf.org for information on performance standards for water filters.  Identify if your plumbing fixtures contain lead. New faucets, fittings, and valves, may contain up to 8 percent lead including those advertised or labeled as “lead-free” and may contribute lead to drinking water. Consumers should be aware of this when choosing fixtures and take appropriate precautions. Lead and copper compliance samples represent worst-case-scenarios. You might consider taking additional water samples after flushing. Most labs charge about $25 for a metals analysis. Take 1 sample after flushing a minute or so; and another in the middle of a day or evening, to test a random sample during periods of regular water use. For more information call _______________________________or visit the WDNR website to view or print a brochure about lead at http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/drinkingwater/documents/forms/lead.pdf and about copper at http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/drinkingwater/documents/forms/copperdg027.pdf