PAWS CCR REPORT

PAGOSA AREA WSD 2024 Drinking Water Quality Report

Covering Data For Calendar Year 2023
Public Water System ID: CO0104300

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We are pleased to present to you this year’s water quality report. Our constant goal is to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water. Please contact
JUSTIN RAMSEY at 970-731-7641 with any questions or for public participation opportunities that may affect water quality.

General Information

All 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 the water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection
Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791) or by visiting epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water.
Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immunocompromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing
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 of
infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. For more information about contaminants and potential health effects, or to
receive a copy of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of
infection by Cryptosporidium and microbiological contaminants call the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (1-800-426-4791).
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: viruses and bacteria that may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife.
 Inorganic contaminants: salts and metals, which can be naturally-occurring or result from urban storm water runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil
and gas production, mining, or farming.
 Pesticides and herbicides: may come from a variety of sources, such as agriculture, urban storm water runoff, and residential uses.
 Radioactive contaminants: can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.
 Organic chemical contaminants: including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are byproducts of industrial processes and petroleum production, and also
may come from gas stations, urban storm water runoff, and septic systems.
In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment prescribes regulations limiting the amount of certain contaminants
in water provided by public water systems. The Food and Drug Administration regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water that must provide the same
protection for public health.

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Lead in Drinking Water

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. We are responsible for providing high quality drinking water and removing lead pipes, but cannot control the variety of materials used in
plumbing components in your home. You share the responsibility for protecting yourself and your family from the lead in your home plumbing. You can take responsibility by
identifying and removing lead materials within your home plumbing and taking steps to reduce your family's risk. Before drinking tap water, flush your pipes for several minutes
by running your tap, taking a shower, doing laundry or a load of dishes. You can also use a filter certified by an American National Standards Institute accredited certifier to
reduce lead in drinking water. If you are concerned about lead in your water and wish to have your water tested, contact JUSTIN RAMSEY at 970-731-7641. Information on
lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available at epa.gov/safewater/lead.
Source Water Assessment and Protection (SWAP)

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment may have provided us with a Source Water Assessment Report for our water supply. For general information or to
obtain a copy of the report please visit wqcdcompliance.com/ccr. The report is located under “Guidance: Source Water Assessment Reports”. Search the table using system
name or ID, or by contacting JUSTIN RAMSEY at 970-731-7641. The Source Water Assessment Report provides a screening-level evaluation of potential contamination that
could occur. It does not mean that the contamination has or will occur. We can use this information to evaluate the need to improve our current water treatment capabilities and
prepare for future contamination threats. This can help us ensure that quality finished water is delivered to your homes. In addition, the source water assessment results provide a
starting point for developing a source water protection plan. Potential sources of contamination in our source water area are listed on the next page.
Please contact us to learn more about what you can do to help protect your drinking water sources, any questions about the Drinking Water Quality Report, to learn more about
our system, or to attend scheduled public meetings. We want you, our valued customers, to be informed about the services we provide and the quality water we deliver to you
every day.

Our Water Sources

Sources (Water Type - Source Type) Potential Source(s) of Contamination
LAKE FOREST (Surface Water-Intake)
SAN JUAN RIVER WEST FORK (Surface Water-Intake)
SNOWBALL RAW WATER POND (Surface Water-Reservoir)
SAN JUAN RIVER INTAKE POND (Surface Water-Reservoir)
HATCHER RESERVIOR (Surface Water-Intake)

Permitted Wastewater Discharge Sites, Aboveground, Underground and Leaking
Storage Tank Sites, Solid Waste Sites, Existing/Abandoned Mine Sites, Other Facilities,
Commercial/Industrial/Transportation, High Intensity Residential, Low Intensity
Residential, Urban Recreational Grasses, Row Crops, Pasture / Hay, Deciduous Forest,
Evergreen Forest, Mixed Forest, Septic Systems, Oil / Gas Wells, Road Miles

Terms and Abbreviations
 Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) − The highest level of a contaminant allowed in drinking water.
 Treatment Technique (TT) − A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.
 Health-Based − A violation of either a MCL or TT.
 Non-Health-Based − A violation that is not a MCL or TT.
 Action Level (AL) − The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment and other regulatory requirements.

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 Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level (MRDL) − The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a
disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants.
 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 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.
 Violation (No Abbreviation) − Failure to meet a Colorado Primary Drinking Water Regulation.
 Formal Enforcement Action (No Abbreviation) − Escalated action taken by the State (due to the risk to public health, or number or severity of violations) to bring a
non-compliant water system back into compliance.
 Variance and Exemptions (V/E) − Department permission not to meet a MCL or treatment technique under certain conditions.
 Gross Alpha (No Abbreviation) − Gross alpha particle activity compliance value. It includes radium-226, but excludes radon 222, and uranium.
 Picocuries per liter (pCi/L) − Measure of the radioactivity in water.
 Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU) − Measure of the clarity or cloudiness of water. Turbidity in excess of 5 NTU is just noticeable to the typical person.
 Compliance Value (No Abbreviation) – Single or calculated value used to determine if regulatory contaminant level (e.g. MCL) is met. Examples of calculated values
are the 90 th Percentile, Running Annual Average (RAA) and Locational Running Annual Average (LRAA).
 Average (x-bar) − Typical value.
 Range (R) − Lowest value to the highest value.
 Sample Size (n) − Number or count of values (i.e. number of water samples collected).
 Parts per million = Milligrams per liter (ppm = mg/L) − One part per million corresponds to one minute in two years or a single penny in $10,000.
 Parts per billion = Micrograms per liter (ppb = ug/L) − One part per billion corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years, or a single penny in $10,000,000.
 Not Applicable (N/A) – Does not apply or not available.
 Level 1 Assessment – A study of the water system to identify potential problems and determine (if possible) why total coliform bacteria have been found in our water system.
 Level 2 Assessment – A very detailed study of the water system to identify potential problems and determine (if possible) why an E. coli MCL violation has occurred and/or
why total coliform bacteria have been found in our water system on multiple occasions.

Detected Contaminants

PAGOSA AREA WSD routinely monitors for contaminants in your drinking water according to Federal and State laws. The following table(s) show all detections found in the
period of January 1 to December 31, 2023 unless otherwise noted. The State of Colorado requires us to monitor for certain contaminants less than once per year because the
concentrations of these contaminants are not expected to vary significantly from year to year, or the system is not considered vulnerable to this type of contamination. Therefore,
some of our data, though representative, may be more than one-year-old. Violations and Formal Enforcement Actions, if any, are reported in the next section of this report.
Note: Only detected contaminants sampled within the last 5 years appear in this report. If no tables appear in this section, then no contaminants were detected in the last round of
monitoring.

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Disinfectants Sampled in the Distribution System

TT Requirement: At least 95% of samples per period (month or quarter) must be at least 0.2 ppm OR

If sample size is less than 40 no more than 1 sample is below 0.2 ppm
Typical Sources: Water additive used to control microbes

Disinfectant
Name

Time Period Results Number of Samples Below Level Sample Size TT
Violation
MRDL

Chlorine December, 2023 Lowest period percentage of samples meeting
TT requirement: 100%

0 10 No 4.0 ppm

Lead and Copper Sampled in the Distribution System

Contaminant Name Time Period 90 th Percentile Sample
Size

Unit of
Measure

90 th
Percentile
AL
Sample
Sites
Above AL

90 th Percentile
AL
Exceedance

Typical Sources

Copper 06/07/2023 to
08/25/2023

0.19 34 ppm 1.3 0 No Corrosion of household
plumbing systems; Erosion
of natural deposits

Lead 06/07/2023 to
08/25/2023

2.4 34 ppb 15 0 No Corrosion of household
plumbing systems; Erosion
of natural deposits

Disinfection Byproducts Sampled in the Distribution System

Name Year Average Range
Low – High

Sample
Size
Unit of
Measure
MCL MCLG MCL Violation Typical Sources
Total Haloacetic Acids 2023 32.38 8.7 to 66.7 16 ppb 60 N/A No Byproduct of drinking water

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(HAA5) disinfection
Total Trihalomethanes
(TTHM)

2023 44.31 9.5 to 77.2 16 ppb 80 N/A No Byproduct of drinking water
disinfection
Chlorite 2023 0.18 0 to 0.35 12 ppb 1.0 .8 No Byproduct of drinking water
disinfection

Summary of Turbidity Sampled at the Entry Point to the Distribution System

Contaminant Name Sample Date Level Found TT Requirement TT
Violation

Typical
Sources

Turbidity Date/Month:
Jan

Highest single measurement:
1 NTU

Maximum 1 NTU for any single
measurement

No Soil Runoff

Turbidity Month:
May

Lowest monthly percentage of samples meeting TT
requirement for our technology: 95 %

In any month, at least 95% of
samples must be less than 0.3 NTU

No Soil Runoff

Radionuclides Sampled at the Entry Point to the Distribution System

Contaminant Name Year Average Range
Low – High

Sample
Size
Unit of
Measure

MCL MCLG MCL
Violation

Typical Sources
Gross Alpha 2023 1.3 0.5 to 2.3 3 pCi/L 15 0 No Erosion of natural deposits
Combined Radium 2023 0.37 0.2 to 0.5 3 pCi/L 5 0 No Erosion of natural deposits

Inorganic Contaminants Sampled at the Entry Point to the Distribution System

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Contaminant Name Year Average Range
Low – High

Sample
Size
Unit of
Measure

MCL MCLG MCL
Violation

Typical Sources

Barium 2023 0.02 0.01 to 0.03 5 ppm 2 2 No Discharge of drilling wastes; discharge from
metal refineries; erosion of natural deposits
Chromium 2023 0.6 0 to 2 5 ppb 100 100 No Discharge from steel and pulp mills; erosion of

natural deposits

Fluoride 2023 0.05 0 to 0.25 5 ppm 4 4 No Erosion of natural deposits; water additive which
promotes strong teeth; discharge from fertilizer
and aluminum factories
Nitrate 2023 0.02 0 to 0.1 5 ppm 10 10 No Runoff from fertilizer use; leaching from septic
tanks, sewage; erosion of natural deposits
Selenium 2023 0.4 0 to 2 5 ppb 50 50 No Discharge from petroleum and metal refineries;
erosion of natural deposits; discharge from

mines

Secondary Contaminants**

**Secondary standards are non-enforceable guidelines for contaminants that may cause cosmetic effects (such as skin, or tooth discoloration) or aesthetic effects (such as taste, odor, or

color) in drinking water.

Contaminant Name Year Average Range
Low – High

Sample Size Unit of Measure Secondary Standard
Sodium 2023 14.7 6.9 to 37.9 5 ppm N/A

Unregulated Contaminants***

EPA has implemented the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR) to collect data for contaminants that are suspected to be present in drinking water and do not have health-

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based standards set under the Safe Drinking Water Act. EPA uses the results of UCMR monitoring to learn about the occurrence of unregulated contaminants in drinking water and to
decide whether or not these contaminants will be regulated in the future. We performed monitoring and reported the analytical results of the monitoring to EPA in accordance with its
Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR). Once EPA reviews the submitted results, the results are made available in the EPA’s National Contaminant Occurrence Database
(NCOD) (epa.gov/dwucmr/national-contaminant-occurrence-database-ncod) Consumers can review UCMR results by accessing the NCOD. Contaminants that were detected during our
UCMR sampling and the corresponding analytical results are provided below.
Contaminant Name Year Average Range
Low – High

Sample Size Unit of Measure

***More information about the contaminants that were included in UCMR monitoring can be found at: drinktap.org/Water-Info/Whats-in-My-Water/Unregulated-Contaminant-
Monitoring-Rule-UCMR. Learn more about the EPA UCMR at: epa.gov/dwucmr/learn-about-unregulated-contaminant-monitoring-rule or contact the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at
(800) 426-4791 or epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water.

Violations, Significant Deficiencies, and Formal Enforcement Actions

No Violations or Formal Enforcement Actions

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