“RE-BUILDING THE CITY’S WATER SYSTEMS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY” Sewerage & Water Board OF NEW ORLEANS 625 ST. JOSEPH STREET NEW ORLEANS, LA 70165 • 504-529-2837 OR 52-WATER www.swbno.org MITCHELL J. LANDRIEU, President SCOTT JACOBS, President Pro-Tem CEDRIC S. GRANT, Executive Director Date: June, 2017 To: Sewerage and Water Board Customers From: Lisa Martin Deputy Director of Communications Re: Water Quality 2016 Report Every Sewerage and Water Board customer will receive an informational insert in their water bill advising them that their drinking water, supplied by the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans, is of the highest quality. It also describes the water treatment process. The mailer is called 2016 Report of the State of Tap Water in New Orleans “Quality Water 2016.” This is the 19th time the Board has distributed this Consumer Confidence Report. It is a requirement of the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and must be mailed to all customers once a year, advertised in the Times-Picayune newspaper, posted on the Board’s website and be available at government offices and libraries. It is named “Quality Water 2016” because all of the water tests results are from 2016. You may have some questions, simply because the report is technical in nature and many chemical names and terms are used. While we would have liked to make it simpler, most of the wording used (including the names of all the chemical compounds) is required by the EPA. If you have any questions that are technical in nature, please call the S&WB Water Quality Laboratory, (504) 865-0420. We are pleased to provide this very positive report, which shows that the water supplied by the Sewerage and Water Board is of the highest quality. The entire report is posted here on the website. We hope that you will review it to learn about the purification process and the high quality of your drinking water. Please scroll to view the entire report. Members of the Board: ALAN ARNOLD • ROBIN BARNES • ERIC BLUE • MARION BRACY • DR. TAMIKA DUPLESSIS • SCOTT JACOBS RALPH W. JOHNSON • KERRI KANE • MITCHELL J. LANDRIEU • JOSEPH PEYCHAUD “An Equal Opportunity Employer” 2016 Quality WATER A REPOR T ON T HE S TAT E OF TA P WAT ER IN NE W ORL E A NS The Sewerage and Water Board is pleased to provide you with this Annual Water Quality Report (also known as the Consumer Confidence Report) for the year 2016. (Este informe contiene información muy importante sobre su agua potable. Tradúzcalo o hable con alguien que lo entienda bien). The Board is proud to provide the citizens of New Orleans each day with an abundant supply of quality water for personal and business needs and fire protection. Sustaining Life Through Safe and Steadfast Water Quality System SEWERAGE & WATER BOARD OF NEW ORLEANS Providing our City with Quality Water Services SOURCE & TREATMENT From its scanty beginnings in 1718 supporting the city’s original 14 blocks, the drainage, sewerage and water infrastructure have made it possible to build and later expand the City of New Orleans. In 1899, the Louisiana Legislature authorized the creation of the Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans (S&WB) to provide vital water and sewerage services. The Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans is proud of its 118 year history of providing safe, reliable water to the City of New Orleans including Algiers. Today, the Sewerage & Water Board supports a thriving and vibrant city more than 350 square miles and a population of more than 401,967 including both the East Bank and West Bank service areas. The Sewerage & Water Board provides New Orleans with high quality water, sewerage and drainage services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, where and when they are needed. On a normal day, New Orleans and Algiers combined uses approximately 141.3 million gallons of water for essential health, continued page 7 Presented by the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans. Serving the East and West Banks of Orleans Parish. The Mississippi River water is treated at the Carrollton Water Purification Plant for East Bank customers in Orleans Parish and at the Algiers Water Purification Plant for West Bank customers in Orleans Parish. In 2016, the Carrollton Water Purification Plant provided an average of 131.6 million gallons of drinking water per day to an estimated population of 348,420. The Algiers Water Plant provided an average of 9.7 million gallons of drinking water per day to an estimated population of 53,547. (Source of population figures is GCR, Inc). The treatment process at each plant is similar. The raw water is treated with chemicals called “coagulants” which cause the small particles in the water to come together to form larger particles which are then allowed to settle out of the water. Rapid sand filtration is used to remove even smaller particles. During the process, chloramine is added to disinfect the water. Lime is added to provide corrosion control and to increase the pH of the water to stabilize the disinfectant. Fluoride is added to prevent tooth decay. How contaminants can get into SOURCE WATER Cryptosporidium 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, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife. • Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturallyoccurring or result from urban stormwater runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming. Drinking water, • Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and residential uses. including bottled water, • Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are byproducts of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff, and septic systems. 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 • Radioactive contaminants, which 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 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates and establishes limits for contaminants in bottled water. Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline: (1-800-426-4791). 2 General flow diagram of water purification process PRIMARY TREATMENT Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general I M A R Y Tundergoing R E AT M E N T population. Immuno-compromised persons such as persons withP Rcancer LIME & FERRIC SULFATE FEEDERS 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 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 Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791). health effects can be obtained by calling the The Water Quality Laboratory is located within the Carrollton Water Purification Plant. It monitors river water and finished water from both the East Bank and Algiers. The Water Quality Laboratory assures the safety and purity of the city’s water by testing for organic, inorganic and microbiological compounds. Our water source is the Mississippi River, a surface water source. A Source Water Assessment has been conducted by the State of Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. This is an assessment of a delineated area around our water source through which contaminants, if present, could migrate and reach our source water. It also includes an inventory of potential sources of contamination within the delineated area, and a determination of the water supply’s susceptibility to contamination by the identified potential sources. According to the Source Water Assessment, our water system had a susceptibility rating of high. If you would like to review the Source Water Assessment, contact the Sewerage and Water Board Laboratory at (504) 865-0420 or waterinfo@swbno.org. FERRIC SULFATE & POLYELECTROLYTE FEEDERS RIVER INTAKE M IS S IS S IP P I R IV E R may reasonably be expected Cryptosporidium is a microscopic organism which, if ingested, can cause diarrhea, nausea, cramps, fever, and other gastrointestinal symptoms. It is found in sewage and animal waste which is washed into rivers and streams when it rains. Cryptosporidium can be found in nearly all surface waters in the United States. The best defense a water utility can provide is an effective treatment process which includes the multiple barriers of effective and continuous coagulation, disinfection, and filtration. In healthy persons, symptoms usually last two to three days. However, cryptosporidiosis can be very serious for people with severely weakened immune systems, such as chemotherapy and transplant patients and people with HIV infections. These people should consult a physician about extra protection, including boiling water, using certified bottle water, or using a home water filter capable of removing Cryptosporidium. While we occasionally detect low levels of Cryptosporidium in our source water (Cryptosporidium was not detected in any of our 2016 monthly Mississippi River samples), it has only been detected in our tap water three times – twice in 1998 and once in March 2014. In each instance, the concentration was 1 oocyst or less per 100 liters of water. The test for Cryptosporidium cannot determine if an oocyst is viable or capable of causing illness, and an occasional oocyst in the drinking water of utilities that use surface water is not unusual and does not necessarily indicate a health problem. PRIMARY SETTLING BASINS W/MECHANICAL SLUDGE REMOVAL SLOW MECHANICAL MIXING PUMPING STATION BAR SCREEN AND SURFACE SPRAY SLUDGE DISCHARGE TO RIVER CHLORINE FEEDER SECONDARY SETTLING AND DISINFECTION FLOURIDE FEEDER POLYPHOSPHATE FEEDER LIME AMMONIA FEEDER SECONDARY SETTLING & DISINFECTION CONTACT RESERVOIRS FILTRATION PUMPING TO STORAGE TO CITY DISTRIBUTION DUAL MEDIA FILTERS HIGH PRESSURE PUMPS 3 Contaminant Meets Requirements? Units DRINKING WATER Quality Results from 2016 Compliance Monitoring From January 1st thru December 31st 2016, monitoring was carried out to determine if the quality of the drinking water met State and Federal Regulations. This is called compliance monitoring. definitions In the table (right), you will find many terms and abbreviations, some with which you might not be familiar. To help you better understand these terms, we provide the following definitions: Parts per million (ppm) – This is a measure of concentration which corresponds to one milligram of a substance in one liter of water (mg/L), or about one drop in 10 gallons. Parts per billion (ppb) – This is a measure of concentration which corresponds to one microgram of a substance in one liter of water (ug/L), or about 1 drop in 10,000 gallons. Parts per trillion (ppt) – This is a measure of concentration which corresponds to one nanogram of a substance in one liter of water (ng/L), or about one drop in 10,000,000 gallons. Running Annual Average (RAA) – Average of data from the previous 12 months, calculated after each monitoring event or period. Locational Running Annual Average (LRAA) – Average of data at a specific monitoring location from the previous 12 months, calculated after each monitoring event or period. Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU) – This is a measure of the cloudiness of water. Turbidity in excess of 5 NTU is just noticeable to the average person. We monitor turbidity because it is a good indicator of the effectiveness of our treatment process. 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 required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water. Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) – 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 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 (MRDL) – The highest level of disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants. 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. 4 Amounts Detected East Bank West Bank Highest Level Allowed (MCL) MCL Goal (MCLG) Likely Sources REGULATED CONTAMINANTS detected in 2016 Total Coliform Bacteria Yes Turbidity 1 Yes % Positive 0 – 1.3 0 – 4.0 5 0 Naturally present in the environment samples per month NTU: 0.05 – 0.3 0.06 – 0.3 1.49 for any one sample; N/A Soil runoff Lowest monthly % 95% of samples each of samples < 0.3: 100.0 100.0 month should be < 0.3 Erosion of natural deposits; water additive which 0.26 – 0.92 0.53 – 0.92 promotes strong teeth; discharge from fertilizer and Fluoride Yes ppm 4 4 Avg. = 0.71 Avg. = 0.76 aluminum factories Nitrate+Nitrite Runoff from fertilizer use; leaching from septic tanks, Yes ppm 1.7 – 1.7 1.9 10 10 (as Nitrogen) sewage; erosion of natural deposits 90th percentile ppm: 0.2 0.1 Action Level = 1.3 Corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of Copper Yes 1.3 No. sites exceeding AL: 0 of 60 sampled 0 of 47 sampled for 90th percentile natural deposits; leaching from wood preservatives 90th percentile ppb: 7 3 Action Level = 15 ppb Corrosion of household plumbing systems, erosion of Lead Yes 0 No. of sites exceeding AL: 1 of 60 sampled 1of 47 sampled for 90th percentile natural deposits Discharge of drilling wastes; Discharge from metal Barium Yes ppm 0.046 – 0.047 0.025 2 2 refineries; Erosion of natural deposits Discharge from petroleum and metal refineries; Selenium Yes ppb ND 0.52 50 50 Erosion of natural deposits; Discharge from mines Uranium Yes ppb 0.53 – 0.54 0.87 30 0 Erosion of natural deposits Combined Radium Yes pCi/L ND – 2.3 ND 5 0 Erosion of natural deposits Gross Beta Particle Activity 2 Yes pCi/L 2.5 – 3.9 1.4 50 0 Decay of natural and man-made deposits Total Chlorine Residual Yes ppm Total Organic Carbon Removal3 Yes ratio Total Trihalomethanes Yes ppb (TTHMs) 0.5 – 5.0 highest RAA = 3.4 1.00 – 2.08 lowest RAA = 1.19 15 – 39 highest LRAA = 30 0.0 – 4.9 highest RAA = 2.7 1.00 – 1.58 lowest RAA = 1.01 11 – 57 highest LRAA = 34 MDRL: MDRLG: RAA should be < 4 RAA < 4 TT N/A RAA should be > 1 LRAA should be < 80 N/A Disinfectant added during water treatment Total Haloacetic Acids Yes ppb (HAA5s) 6 – 29 highest LRAA = 26 7 – 46 highest LRAA = 31 LRAA should be < 60 Byproduct of drinking water disinfection N/A Naturally present in the environment Byproduct of drinking water disinfection UNREGULATED CONTAMINANTS 4 detected in 2014 and 2015 (from EPA’s Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation 3) ND – 0.40 0.10 – 0.21 Used in the manufacture of paper, cotton, textile 1,4-Dioxane N/A ppb N/A N/A Avg = 0.18 Avg = 0.15 products, automotive coolant, cosmetics, and shampoos. Naturally present in the environment; used as 0.5 – 1.1 0.5 – 4.1 vanadium pentoxide which is a chemical intermediate Vanadium N/A ppb N/A N/A Avg = 0.8 Avg = 2.4 and a catalyst. ND – 2.6 ND – 2.2 Naturally present in the environment; molybdenum Molybdenum N/A ppb N/A N/A Avg = 1.6 Avg = 1.2 trioxide is a commonly used chemical reagent. 120 – 230 110 – 180 Naturally present in the environment; was used in the Strontium N/A ppb N/A N/A Avg = 176 Avg = 139 glass of CRT televisions. ND – 0.26 ND – 0.80 Naturally present in the environment; used in the Chromium – total N/A ppb N/A N/A Avg = 0.06 Avg = 0.27 manufacture of steel and other alloys. Naturally present in the environment; used in the ND – 0.09 ND – 0.12 manufacture of steel and other allows, chrome plating, Chromium – hexavalent N/A ppb N/A N/A Avg = 0.03 Avg = 0.09 dyes and pigments, leather tanning, and wood preservation. 120 – 490 92 – 1100 Byproduct of disinfection of drinking water; agricultural Chlorate N/A ppb N/A N/A Avg = 273 Avg = 438 defoliant; used in the production of chlorine dioxide. 1 Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness of the water. We monitor it because it is a good indicator of the effectiveness of our filtration system. Its sources include soil runoff. The MCL for Beta Particles is 4 mrem/yr. EPA considers 50 pCi/L to be the level of concern for Beta Particles. 2 3 Total Organic Carbon Removal is reported here as the ratio of TOC removal credits to that required by regulation. Unregulated contaminants are those that don’t yet have a drinking water standard set by EPA. Monitoring for these contaminants helps EPA decide whether these contaminants should have a standard. 4 N/A = not applicable 5 Tips for Reducing Lead Exposure from Drinking Water Is There Lead in New Orleans’ Tap Water? 1. Flush your tap if your water has not been used for several hours. Depending on the source of lead, this may take from 30 seconds to 5 minutes. Lead can dissolve into drinking water from lead-containing plumbing when it sits in pipes for several hours. Answer: There is no lead in the treated water leaving our purification plants. 2. Use only cold water for cooking and preparing beverages and infant formula. Lead dissolves more easily in hot water. 3. Do not boil water to remove lead. Boiling your water will not reduce lead. 4. Ask your physician to test your child’s blood lead levels. Louisiana Law requires primary medical providers to perform lead testing on children ages 6 months to 6 years. 5. Test your water for lead. Contact the S&WB at 52-WATER for more information. 6. Regularly clean your faucets’ aerators. Lead particles can collect in aerators. 7. Install “lead-free” fixtures. Prior to January 2014, fixtures containing up to 8% lead were allowed to be labeled lead-free. Now all fixtures are required to contain less than 0.25% lead. 8. Replace galvanized plumbing. Lead from lead service lines can build up in galvanized pipes and later be released. 9. Replace lead service lines. The service line from the meter to the house is the property owner’s responsibility. If water testing finds high lead levels in your water, the S&WB may replace the service line from the water main to your meter if it is lead. Be aware that service line replacements may cause a temporary increase in lead in your drinking water. Studies have found elevated lead levels lasting from days to 6 months after a lead service line replacement. 10. Consider using a water filter. Not all filters remove lead. Be sure the filter meets NSF Standard 53 for lead. Be sure to replace and maintain the filter according to the manufacturer’s instructions. 6 However, homes that are unoccupied and homes that are undergoing or have recently undergone plumbing renovation may experience elevated lead concentrations in their tap water. Homeowners should thoroughly flush all household plumbing before re-occupying the property. 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. The Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans 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 drinking 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 US EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791) or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead. Who Tests Your Water? Testing to determine if New Orleans’ drinking water complies with State and Federal drinking water quality standards is performed by the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, the Sewerage and Water Board Water Quality Laboratory, and DHH certified contract laboratories. Where a contaminant was detected in compliance monitoring, we have reported it in the table on the back of this page. In addition to the compliance monitoring required by drinking water regulations, the S&WB performs daily quality control testing in its laboratory as well as continuous online monitoring of important water quality parameters. Checking for Chemical Spills in the Mississippi River The Sewerage and Water Board participates in a program set up by the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality called the Early Warning Organic Compound Detection System (EWOCDS). DEQ provides equipment at locations along the Mississippi River from Baton Rouge to New Orleans to check for volatile organic contaminants in the river. The New Orleans location is the Sewerage and Water Board Water Quality Laboratory. Lab personnel analyze river samples each day and report any contamination to DEQ. The S&WB in turn benefits from advance notification of spills provided by upriver EWOCDS locations. Algiers Water Purification Plant Carrollton Water Purification Plant continued from cover household, commercial, industrial and fire-fighting purposes. Reliable, high quality water is a basic need essential to everyone. It is, therefore, worth knowing the specific details about your water quality. The Sewerage & Water Board 2016 Water Quality Report explains where New Orleans’ water comes from, what’s in it, how it’s monitored, tested, treated, delivered and more. The Sewerage & Water Board employees are proud that, once again, the first-rate quality drinking water they produced in 2016 met or exceeded all U.S. Environmental Protection Agency water quality standards and regulations. The Sewerage & Water Board delivered this high quality and abundant water supply to homes and businesses in Orleans Parish for drinking, personal care and fire-fighting needs. A team of expert managers, engineers, operators, machinists, laboratory chemists, technicians, environmental experts, pumping and power professionals, experienced pipe, valve and fire hydrant repair crews and administrative support personnel all work to achieve a single goal. That goal is a safe and steadfast water supply for the citizens of New Orleans. The Sewerage & Water Board manages a complex water supply system stretching from the East Bank to the West Bank and featuring an intricate series of pipelines and treatment systems. Two features of this system stand out. First, the drinking water provided is among the safest in the country. Second, the system for delivering that water leads the nation in infrastructure waterline replacement. The Mississippi River is New Orleans’ only source of potable water. The river flows past New Orleans at an average rate of 300 billion gallons per day. Raw river water is brought into two treatment plants by four intakes. The intakes are protected from ships and barges by concrete barriers and wooden pilings. The water is then treated via a complex purification process at the Carrollton Water Purification Plant for East Bank customers and at the Algiers Water Treatment Plant for West Bank customers. Combined, the two plants treat approximately 52 billion gallons of water per year. The plants remove about 23,000 tons of solid material from the raw river water. In 2016, the Carrollton Plant provided an average of 131.6 million gallons of drinking water per day to a population estimated to be about 348,420 people. The Algiers Water Plant provided an average of 9.7 million gallons to a population estimated to be about 53,547 people. Safe drinking water from the treatment plants is distributed through 2,000 miles of pipes, mains and 143,600 service connections. The water is also carried to approximately 17,000 fire hydrants for fire-fighting purposes. Water Quality Laboratory Conducts Continuous Monitoring The Sewerage & Water Board maintains a state-of-the-art Water Quality Laboratory to safeguard continuous and consistent superior water quality. The lab occupies 8,500 square feet of floor space in the Carrollton Water Plant. It is a cutting-edge environmental analysis facility, employing state-of-the-art technology for detecting and identifying contaminants in water at sub part per billion concentrations. The overall laboratory is divided into areas specifically designed and equipped for organic, inorganic, microbiological and plant production analyses. The Water Quality Laboratory is staffed by chemists, microbiologists and technicians. Key instrumentation used by the lab includes a gas chromatogaph-mass spectrometer system, a gas chromatograph, and a total carbon analyzer. The laboratory performs analyses for monitoring the quality of river water and finished water sampled from locations throughout the East Bank and West Bank sections of the city. Information generated in the laboratories is used to control plant treatment processes and research methods to improve those processes and the drinking water. The Water Quality Laboratory works in conjunction with the Louisiana Department of Health & Hospitals (DHH) on water testing. The Water Quality Laboratory regularly collects and tests water samples from designated sampling points throughout the system. These tests ensure the water delivered to New Orleans meets or exceeds federal and state drinking water standards and regulations. continued page 8 7 2016 WATER Quality Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans Mayor Mitchell J. Landrieu President Scott B. Jacobs President Pro Tem BOARD MEMBERS Alan Arnold Dr. Tamika Duplessis Robin A. Barnes Ralph W. Johnson Eric Blue Kerri T. Kane Marion B. Bracy Joseph E. Peychaud, Jr. (left) This photo shows crews replacing a 48” waterline in the construction of the Florida Avenue Canal Project, a part of the relocation and replacement of waterlines included in the Southeast Louisiana Urban Flood Control Program (SELA). Besides waterline replacement being a part of SELA, the city has a larger city-wide multi-year infrastructure repair/recovery waterline replacement program funded by FEMA. This program is designed to restore the city’s water distribution system. To ensure that the city is maximizing available funding, various agencies are involved in the co-ordination efforts of the program. Cedric Grant Executive Director Joseph R. Becker General Superintendent (right) The two new elevated water storage tanks planned for the Carrollton Plant will be a compliment to those tanks currently in service. These tanks will have a combined capacity of 4 million gallons and not exceed 200 feet in height. They will help mitigate the loss of water pressure due to power interruptions. Drinking water is one of the essential ingredients for life. continued from page 7 New Orleans Trailblazer In Replacing Aging Infrastructure The ongoing issues with water quality in Flint, Michigan have raised concerns over aging infrastructures in cities across the country. In most U.S. cities these outdated infrastructures include lead piping. But, while most cities are scratching their heads trying to figure out how to pay the enormous costs of an infrastructure overhaul, New Orleans is currently engaged in the most massive waterline replacement in the city’s history. The Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans is able to undertake this colossal endeavor because of FEMA and other funding secured post Hurricane Katrina. The S&WB is currently implementing a $188 million Waterline Replacement Program which is part of a larger City-wide, multi-year infrastructure repair/recovery effort funded by FEMA. The S&WB is coordinating design activities with the Department of Public Works’ (DPWs’) Recovery Roads Program. The water lines are being replaced concurrently with the Recovery Roads Program. FEMA worked with the S&WB and Department of Pubic Works (DPW) to develop a systematic, cost effective approach to restore the water distribution system. Approximately 135 miles of water lines qualified for replacement citywide. The program affects residents citywide and is being managed on a neighborhood-by-neighborhood basis. A Rigorous Purification Process Safeguards High Quality Water The Sewerage & Water Board utilizes a stringent, 3-stage water purification process to ensure water safety. The water that leaves the Eastbank and Westbank treatment plants is safe, high quality drinking water that is lead-free. As a municipal water utility, the S&WB is highly regulated by both the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Louisiana Department of Health & Hospitals 8 WATER is LIFE (DHH). EPA regulations indicate that 90 percent of the homes sampled must have no greater than 15 parts per billion (ppb) of lead in the drinking water. Samples in New Orleans have consistently been below EPA’s action levels. Once water leaves the treatment plant it may pass through lead service lines between the water main and the residence or building. The pipes do, however, have a protective coating and corrosion control chemicals are used to minimize lead contamination. The Waterline Replacement Program will replace existing pipes with concrete and PVC pipe. Since the Sewerage & Water Board is only responsible for service lines up to the meter, homeowners with old lead pipes are encouraged to replace them with PVC piping. If the homeowner is unable to replace the plumbing, water filters are available in varying price ranges that filter out lead. Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the US EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791) or at http://www.epa.gov/ safewater/lead. Annual Water Quality Report Since 1998, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has required all water utilities to produce and distribute annual water quality reports. The report is extensive and elaborates in its discussions on how the board meets EPA water standards and regulations. The EPA, with further enforcement by the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH), regulates for contaminants that are selected for enforcement. The board has been vigilant and proactive in its water purification mandates and complies with all regulations. We at the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans are committed to supplying safe drinking water of a quality that surpasses the requirements of State and Federal Regulations. Conclusion We are confident that a review of this report will help you better understand your water system and the complete dedication of the Sewerage and Water Board members and staff to provide the highest quality water for its customers—the citizens of New Orleans. After all, the Board members and employees are customers too. We are proud of our water, which has been judged the “Best Tasting” in competition with other water from cities throughout the United States. Taste is important, but equally important are the other water quality parameters described in this report. The Sewerage and Water Board will continue to produce high quality water through the use of proven treatment processes, as well as modern technology. F O R M O R E I N F O R M A T I O N — Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans Laboratory: (504) 865-0420 Emergency Department: (504) 52-WATER (529-2837) E-mail address: waterinfo@swbno.org Internet Home Page: www.swbno.org More information can be obtained at Sewerage and Water Board meetings which are held on the third Wednesday of every month at 625 St. Joseph St., New Orleans, L A 70065, at 9 a.m. U.S. E.P.A. Safe Drinking Water Hotline: 1-800-426-4791 U.S. E.P.A. Drinking Water Internet Home Page: www.epa.gov/safewater