DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY ENGINEERING FIELD ACTIVITY, WEST NAVAL FACILITIES ENGINEERING COMMAND 900 COMMODORE DRIVE SAN BRUNO, CALIFORNIA 9*066-5006 IN REPLY REFER TO: 11011 60BF /Hunters Point 16 July 1997 San Francisco Redevelopment Agency Atttt: Ms. June Bartholomew 770 Golden Gate Avenue San Francisco, CA 94102-3120 Deal' Ms. Bartholomew: This letter is to advise you of the possibility of lead and copper in the Hunters Point Shipyard drinking water. It is suggested that you advise all of your subtenants of this issue. In order to comply with the new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations, Hunters Point Shipyard (HPS) recently undertook a program, to monitor drinking water for lead and copper. The regulations establish maximum contaminated level goals (MCLGs) for lead and copper and define action levels as the concentration, which if exceeded, determines whether a water system must install corrosion control treatment, monitor source water, replace service lead lines, and undertake a public education program. The EPA action level for lead is 0.015 milligram per liter (mg/L) and the action level for copper is 1.3 mg/L. According to EPA, lead and copper enter drinking water from two sources: 1. Lead and copper can be present in the raw water entering the water system. 2. More frequently, lead and copper enter a water system due to corrosion of plumbing materials. Lead can enter water from corrosion of lead service lines, lead interior p'pes, lead solders and fixtures such as brass faucets. Copper enters water primarily from corrosion of pipelines, HEALTH EFFECTS OF LEAD AND COPPER Lead and copper in drinking water are of concern since ingestion of lead or copper can pose health risks. The effects associated with lead include interference with the blood cell formation, impaired reproductive functions, and elevation of blood pressure. Lead is also a suspected carcinogen. In children, lead can be particularly harmful; ingestion of lead may delay neurological and physical development, impair cognitive performance, and interfere with metabolism of vitamin D. Cooper which is micronuirient at lower levels, poses a health risk at high levels. The health effects associated with acute exposure t) I -S 'y I''*1'" to copper include anemia, liver and kidney damage, and stomach and intestinal distress. LEAD IN DRINKING WATER The initial round of drinking water sampling at HPS took place on December 16, 1993. Drinking water samples were collected from 20 sites within Hunters Point. The regulations define the water system at HPS to be a "non-transient, non-community" water system and require the system to collect 20 samples during the initial monitoring. HPS is concerned with the quality of the drinking water provided to employees, tenants, and visitors on the station. Action levels for lead are exceeded. The 90th percentile lead sample result for initial monitoring was 0.130 mg/L, significantly above the EPA action level of 0.0IS mg/L. Nine samples (taken from eight structures) out of 20 total exceeded the lead action level, with the highest containing 0.232 mg/L lead. However, the action level for copper was not exceeded. The 90th percentile copper sample result at HPS was 0.270 mg/L, considerably below the action level of 1.3 mg/L defined in the regulations. The highest detected concentration of copper was 0.425 mg/L, still lower than the copper action level. STEPS YOU CAN TAKE TO REDUCE EXPOSURE TO LEAD IN DRINKING WATER Despite our best efforts to control water corrosives and remove lead from the water supply, lead levels in some buildings can be high. Since the water tests performed indicate high levels of lead concentration, you should take the ibliowing precautions: 1, Let water run from the tap before using it for drinking or cooMng any time the water in a faucet has gone unused for more than six hours. The longer the water resides in your plumbing, the more lead it may contain. Flushing the tap means running the cold water faucet until the water gets noticeably colder, usually about 15-30 seconds. Although toilet flushing or showering flushes the water through a portion of your plumbing system, you still need to flush the water in each faucet before using it for drinking or cooking. Flushing tap water is a simple and inexpensive means you can take to protect your health. To conserve water, fill a couple of bottles for drinking water after flushing the tap. Whenever possible, use first flush water to wash dishes or water the plants. 2. Try not to cook with, or drink from the hot water tap. Hot water can dissolve lead more quickly than cold water. If you need hot water, draw water from the cold tap and heat it on the stove. 3. Remove loose lead solder and debris from the plumbing materials newly installed in wh ich plumbing has recently been replaced, by removing the faucet strainers from all taps and running the water from 3 to 5 minutes. Thereafter, periodically remove the strainers and flush our any debris that has accumulated over time. The steps described above will reduce the lead concentrations in your drinking water. However, if a water test indicates that the drinking water drawn from a tap contains lead above 15 parts per billion (ppb), water test indicates that the drinking water coming out of your tap contains lead concentration in excess of 15 ppb after flushing, or after we have completed our actions to minimize lead levels, then you may want to take the following additional measures: 1. Purchase or lease a treatment device. Treatment devices are limited in that each unit treats only the water that flows from the faucet to which it is connected and all of the devices require periodic maintenance and replacement. Devices such as reverse osmosis systems or distillers can effectively remove lead from your drinking water. Some activated carbon filters may reduce lead levels at the tap; however, all lead reduction claims should be investigated. Be sure to check the actual performance of a specific home treatment device before and after installing the unit. 2. Purchase bottled water for drinking and cooking. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS HPS exceeded the action level for lead during the monitoring of drinking water. However, the action level for copper was not exceeded. Based on the lead action level exceedance, HPS will take the following actions: 1. HPS will collect and submit results of Water Quality Parameters (WQP) including two rounds of samples at two sites throughout the distribution system and two samples at each entry point to the distribution system. The WQP samples must be analyzed for the following parameters: pH Alkalinity Calcium Conductivity Temperature Orthophosphate (if phosphate based inhibitor is used) Silica (if silicate based inhibitor is used) 2. HPS will also deliver a public education program informing its customers about lead in drinking water and post information posters on lead iii drinking water in a public place or common area of the buildings served by the system. 3. HPS will also collect Source Water Samples at each entry point in the distribution system and submit an optimal corrosion control treatment recommendation and a source water treatment recommendation within 6 months of their exceedance. Should you have any questions, please call me at (415) 244-3804. Sincerely, \ •s -J/Lutzj BEVERlitf FREITAS Head, BRAC Team West Real Estate SFRA INCOMING MAIL DIVISION FLOOR LEAD TO: COPIES TO: L:LEAD X:INFO ABEDIN AMATO AQUINO ARBUCKLE ARMSTRONG BELL V, BARTHOLOMEW BRANICK BROWNING CAMPBELL 0:0RIGINAL FIREHOCK GAGE GOLDMAN HABERT HARRIS SATTEM A HONG HSIN IGLESIAS KAPLAN _ ?q*RPIAK _ CENTRAL RCDS _ KREMERS _ LEE, J. _ LEE, O. D. mm®,'x», DAVIS, H. • * JAWING FXLLOM -X- X/0: ORGINAL BUT NOT LEAD McGUIRE MANIATIS MEACHAM MELE MENCHINI MORALES MURAOKA N^KAMURA HECHES NYBAKKEN ONG osmm 03WALD/CQMM PETERSON PHILLIPS SAUSE -X SIMS X SMITH STARKES STRAUCH TaNtftfAQUIO THOMPSON TIJANI WfcLIERS W#*ER WEBB WONG SINGER YAMAGITA YKE . W£ GROWLER RlETT ADVISE FORFURTHER ROUTING FROM: WgY R, OSWALD DATE: REVISED 05/97