2001

2001

Consumer

Confidence Report

I was built in 1945 by the Chicago Bridge and Iron Company for $119,700.00. I have stood through the evolution of social change. I have stood while twelve presidents entered the White House. I have endured Lawrence Welk, Elvis, the Beatles, and John Travolta. I watched as Marshalltown grew from farmsteads and cornfields to businesses along South Center Street. I have seen the growth of the malls that moved businesses from downtown. I have watched the county courthouse get a facelift to restore it to its previous grandeur, as well as watch the Tallcorn Towers go from a great downtown hotel that served as hosts for visits of presidents to today’s apartments. I’ve watched Fisher Controls and Lennox grow from local companies to internationally recognized leaders. I’ve watched the community come together to build a new community auditorium and save the Lennox plant and make it a state-of the art facility. I’ve watched Hoglan and Fisher Schools being built as well as a new high school.

I stand proud to announce to visitors that they are in Marshalltown and show off with pride the school colors of red and blue, but I never forget that I am here to provide good, safe drinking water and fire protection to my fellow Marshalltownians.

I love to reminisce but look with great expectation to the next fifty years. The future of Marshalltown lies in the hands of our young people. A great philosopher once said, “If you dwell on the past, you will miss the future.”

P.S. I still miss the glass tube in the J.C. Penny’s store that carried the brass container to the top of the store for change, the aroma of fresh-baked bread coming from Strand Bakery on Main Street, and the smell of popcorn being popped at the stand on the corner of Third Avenue and Main Street.

For over 100 years the Marshalltown Water Works has been committed to providing the safest, highest quality, and most reliable drinking water. This report gives you an overview of our treatment process from the source to your faucet.

You will see that the contaminants detected in your drinking water are very minute compared to the standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Guidelines for Drinking Water.

The source of your water is nine deep wells located on the north side of the Iowa River drawing water from the Mississippian Aquifer. The water is pumped to the treatment plant where it first goes through aeration to remove iron, radon, and hydrogen sulfide. It then travels to the softening basin for removal of the excess hardness and the remaining iron. The water then has the pH adjusted and flows to the filters where it passes through the sand filters to remove the remaining very small particles. Chlorine is added as a disinfectant as well as fluoride to prevent tooth decay before being stored in the underground clear well. The water is pumped from the clear well to the distribution system for public use.

The Marshalltown Laboratory and Production Staff collect samples hourly at the water plant and daily from the distribution system at various locations around the city to ensure the safety and purity of the water supplied to you.

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NEW WELL

This summer the Marshalltown Water Works will drill the first new well in the new wellfield located west of the water treatment plant and north of the Iowa River. This will be the first of six new wells anticipated to be constructed over the next fifteen years. This is part of the Water Works long range plans to develop an adequate supply of water to meet Marshalltown’s need both now and in the future. The well should produce 2.5 million gallons per day. The project, including piping, new electrical line and instrumentation should take about one year to complete.

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MARSHALLTOWN WATER WORKS 2000 DRINKING WATER QUALITY REPORT

SUBSTANCE	HIGHEST LEVEL ALLOWED (MCL)	MAXIMUM CONTAMINANT LEVEL GOAL	MARSHALLTOWN’S HIGHEST LEVEL DETECTED	SOURCES OF CONTAMINANT
		MICROBIOLOGICAL CONTAMINANTS
Total Coliform Bacteria	5% Positive	0 Positive	0 Positive	Naturally present in the environment

		COPPER Regulated at Customer Tap
Copper	1.3 mg/l*	1.3 mg/l*	0.032 mg/l	Corrosion of plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits; Leaching from wood preservatives
		INORGANIC CONTAMINANTS
Fluoride	4.0 mg/l	4.0 mg/l	1.2 mg/l	Water additive which promotes strong teeth; Erosion of natural deposits; Discharge from fertilizer & aluminum factories
Nitrate (as Nitrogen)	10.0 mg/l	10.0 mg/l	á1.0 mg/l	Runoff from fertilizer use; Leaching from septic tanks; Sewage; Erosion of natural deposits
Sodium	N/A	N/A	13.8 mg/l	Erosion of natural deposits; Added to water during treatment process
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM): Failed to monitor for contaminant 4/1/2000 to 6/30/2000

NOTE: The EPA requires monitoring of over 80 drinking water contaminants. Those listed above are the only contaminants detected in your drinking water. For a complete list, contact Marshalltown Water Works.

D E F I N I T I O N S:

Inorganic Chemicals– Chemical substances of mineral origin, such as lead and copper.

Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) – The highest level of a contaminant allowed in drinking water.
MCLs are set as close to the as feasible using the best available treatment technology.

Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG)– The level of contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or
expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety.

Microbiological Contaminants – Very small organisms, such as bacteria, algae, plankton, and fungi.

mg/l – milligrams per liter; parts of contaminant per million parts of water

N/A – Non-applicable

Action Level – The concentration of a contaminate which triggers treatment or other requirement which a water system
must meet.

IMPORTANT HEALTH INFORMATION

Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immuno-compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune systems 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.

In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations, which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. FDA regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water that must provide the same protection for public health. Any bottled water that is labeled “drinking water” has to meet EPA’s drinking water regulations. 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 Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Safe Drinking Water Hotline.

SAFE DRINKING

WATER HOTLINE

1-800-426-4791

www.epa.gov/OGWDW

MARSHALLTOWN WATER WORKS

BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETINGS

Third Monday of each month

205 East State Street

Marshalltown, IA 50158

For more detailed information on water analysis call

Water Production Plant

753-3997

Customer Service

753-7913