Public Notice Turbidity_1-combined

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER City of Sparta Did Not Meet Treatment Requirements Our water system recently violated a drinking water standard. Although this was not an emergency, as our customers, you have a right to know what happened, what you should do, and what we did to correct this situation. We routinely monitor your water for turbidity (cloudiness). This tells us whether we are effectively filtering the water supply. A Normal turbidity levels at our plant are 0.02 to 0.07 turbidity units. A water sample taken 09/28/2024 showed levels of 83.6 turbidity units. This was above the standard of 0.30 units. Because of these high levels of turbidity, there is an increased chance that the water may contain disease-causing organisms What should I do?  You do not need to boil your water or take other actions. We do not know of any contamination, and none of our testing has shown disease-causing organisms in the drinking water.  People with severely compromised immune systems, infants, and some elderly may be at increased risk. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from EPA=s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1 (800) 426-4791. What does this mean? Turbidity has no health effects. However, turbidity can interfere with disinfection and provide a medium for microbial growth. Turbidity may indicate the presence of disease-causing organisms. These organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites which can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches. These symptoms are not caused only by organisms in drinking water. If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical advice. What happened? What was done? A problem occurred with the treatment system at the water plant. Due to Huracan Halene the rain we received on 9/26 and 9/27 has caused excessive runoff into Lake Sinclair, affecting our treatment process. In addition, our facility experienced an equipment malfunction which prevented us from properly backwashing (cleaning) our filters. Technicians were called in to address the issue with our equipment. On 9/29 plant operations and turbidity were returned to compliance. For more information, please contact Sparta City Hall at 706-444-5753 or12912 Broad Street, Sparta GA 31087. Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail. This notice is being sent to you by City of Sparta. State Water System ID#: GA1410001 Date distributed: 11/4/2024 IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER City of Sparta Does/Did Not Meet Treatment Requirements Our water system recently violated a drinking water standard. Although this situation does not require that you take immediate action, as our customers, you have a right to know what happened, what you should do, and what we are doing to correct this situation. We routinely monitor for disinfectant residual in the distribution system. This measurement tells us whether we are effectively disinfecting the water supply. Disinfectant residual is the amount of chlorine or related disinfectant present in the pipes of the distribution system. If the amount of disinfectant is too low, organisms could grow in the pipes. What should I do?  You do not need to boil your water or take other corrective actions. However, if you have specific health concerns, consult your doctor.  People with severely compromised immune systems, infants, and some elderly may be at increased risk. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from EPAs Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1 (800) 426-4791. What does this mean? This situation does not require that you take immediate action. If it had been, you would have been notified immediately. Tests taken during this same time period did not indicate the presence of bacteria in the water. Inadequately treated water may contain disease-causing organisms. These organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites which can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches. These symptoms, however, are not caused only by organisms in drinking water, but also by other factors. If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical advice. What happened? What is being done? A problem occurred with the treatment system at the water plant. Due to Hurricane Helene the rain we received on 9/26 and 9/27 caused excessive runoff into Lake Sinclair, affecting our treatment process. In addition, our facility experienced an equipment malfunction which prevented us from properly backwashing (cleaning) our filters. Technicians were called in to address the issue with our equipment. On 9/28 chlorine residual were returned to compliance. Disinfectant residual levels so far this month have met all requirements. For more information, please contact Sparta City Hall at 706-444-5753 or12912 Broad Street, Sparta GA 31087 Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail. This notice is being sent to you by City of Sparta. State Water System ID# GA1410001. Date distributed:11/4/2024