2018 Consumer Confidence Report for

Public Water System HIGH GABRIEL WSC

High Gabriel WSC

TX2460027

This is your water quality report for January 1 to December 31, 2018.

This report is intended to provide you with important information about your drinking water and the efforts made by the water system to provide safe drinking water.

For more information regarding this report contact:

Name: Terry Tuttle, HGWSC
Phone: 512-259-3888 or 512-589-7031

HIGH GABRIEL WSC provides Ground Water (GW) from the Trinity Aquifer located in Williamson County, Texas.

Este reporte incluye información importante sobre el agua para tomar. Para asistencia en español, favor de llamar al telefono (512) 259-3888.

Definitions and Abbreviations:

The following tables contain scientific terms and measures, some of which may require explanation.

Action Level:

The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow.

Action Level Goal (ALG):

The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. ALGs allow for a margin of safety.

Avg:

Regulatory compliance with some MCLs are based on running annual average of monthly samples.

Level 1 Assessment:

A Level 1 Assessment is 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 Level 2 Assessment is 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.

Maximum Contaminant Level or 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 Contaminant Level Goal or 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 or 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 residual disinfectant level goal or 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.

MFL

million fibers per liter (a measure of asbestos)

mrem

millirems per year (a measure of radiation absorbed by the body)

na:

not applicable.

NTU

nephelometric turbidity units (a measure of turbidity)

pCi/L

picocuries per liter (a measure of radioactivity)

ppb:

micrograms per liter or parts per billion - or one ounce in 7,350,000 gallons of water.

ppm:

milligrams per liter or parts per million - or one ounce in 7,350 gallons of water.

ppq

parts per quadrillion, or picograms per liter (pg/L)

ppt

parts per trillion, or nanograms per liter (ng/L)

Treatment Technique or TT

A required process to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.

Information about your Drinking Water

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 pickup substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity.

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 EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791.

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 naturally-occurring or result from urban storm water runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming.

- Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban storm water runoff, and residential uses.

- Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban storm water runoff, and septic systems.

- 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 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, which must provide the same protection for public health.

Contaminants may be found in drinking water that may cause taste, color, or odor problems. These types of problems are not necessarily causes for health concerns. For more information on taste, odor, or color of drinking water, please contact the system's business office.

You may be more vulnerable than the general population to certain microbial contaminants, such as Cryptosporidium, in drinking water. Infants, some elderly, or immunocompromised persons such as those undergoing chemotherapy for cancer; persons who have undergone organ transplants; those who are undergoing treatment with steroids; and people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, can be particularly at risk from infections. You should seek advice about drinking water from your physician or health care providers. Additional guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).

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. We are responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but we 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 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 Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

Information about Source Water

TCEQ completed an assessment of your source water and results indicate that some of your sources are susceptible to certain contaminants. The sampling requirements for your water system are based on this susceptibility and previous sample data. Any detections of these contaminants may be found in this Consumer Confidence Report. For more information on source water assessments and protection efforts at our system, contact Terry Tuttle, System Manager, High Gabriel WSC, (512) 259-3888.

Coliform Bacteria

Maximum Contaminant Level Goal

Total Coliform Maximum Contaminant Level

Highest N. of Positive

Fecal Coliform or E. Coli Maximum Contaminant Level

Total No. of Positive E. Coli of Fecal Coliform Samples

Violation

Likely Source of Contamination

0

1 positive monthly sample.

1

0

N

Naturally present in the environment.

Lead and Copper

Date Sampled

MCLG

Action Level (AL)

90th Percentile

# Sites Over AL

Units

Violation

Likely Source of Contamination

Copper

08/17/2016

1.3

1.3

0.12

0

ppm

N

Erosion of natural deposits; Leaching from wood preservatives; Corrosion of household plumbing systems.

Lead

08/17/2016

0

15

1.7

0

ppb

N

Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits.

2018 Water Quality Test Results

Disinfection By-Products

Collection Date

Highest Level Detected

Range of Individual Samples

MCLG

MCL

Units

Violation

Likely Source of Contamination

Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM)

07/20/2016

3.3

3.3 - 3.3

No goal for the total

80

ppb

N

By-product of drinking water disinfection.

Inorganic Contaminants

Collection Date

Highest Level or Average Detected

Range of Invidual Samples

MCLG

MCL

Units

Violation

Likely Source of Contamination

Barium

10/18/2017

0.0773

0.0773 - 0.0773

2

2

ppm

N

Discharge of drilling wastes; Discharge from metal refineries; Erosion of natural deposits.

Fluoride

2018

0.75

0.75 - 0.75

4

4.0

ppm

N

Erosion of natural deposits; Water additive which promotes strong teeth; Discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories.

Selenium

10/18/2017

4.7

4.7 - 4.7

50

50

ppb

N

Discharge from petroleum and metal refineries; Erosion of natural deposits; Discharge from mines.

Radioactive Contaminants

Collection Date

Highest Level Detected

Range of Individual Samples

MCLG

MCL

Units

Violation

Likely Source of Contamination

Beta/photon emitters

2018

16.7

16.7 - 16.7

0

50

pCi/L*

N

Decay of natural and man-made deposits.

*EPA considers 50 pCi/L to be the level of concern for beta particles.

Combined Radium 226/228

2018

3.36

3.36 - 3.36

0

5

pCi/L

N

Erosion of natural deposits.

Gross alpha excluding radon and uranium

2018

14.2

14.2 - 14.2

0

15

pCi/L

N

Erosion of natural deposits.

Disinfectant Residuals

Disinfectant Residual

Year

Average Level

Range of Levels Detected

MRDL

MRDLG

Unit of Measure

Violation (Y/N)

Source in Drinking Water

Free Chlorine

1/1/18 - 3/31/18

0.88

0.57 - 1.39

4.0

4.0

ppm

N

Water additive used to control microbes.

Free Chlorine

4/1/18 - 6/30/18

0.94

0.57 - 1.26

4.0

4.0

ppm

N

Water additive used to control microbes.

Free Chlorine

7/1/18 - 9/30/18

0.98

0.36 - 2.20

4.0

4.0

ppm

N

Water additive used to control microbes.

Free Chlorine

10/1/18 - 12/31/18

0.78

0.25 - 1.71

4.0

4.0

ppm

N

Water additive used to control microbes.

Free Chlorine

2018 (average for all four quarters)

0.90

0.44 - 1.64

4.0

4.0

ppm

N

Water additive used to control microbes.

Violations

Consumer Confidence Rule

The Consumer Confidence Rule requires community water systems to prepare and provide to their customers annual consumer confidence reports on the quality of the water delivered by the systems.

Violation Type

Violation Begin

Violation End

Violation Explanation

CCR REPORT

07/01/2018

2018

We failed to provide to you, our drinking water customers, an annual report that informs you about the quality of our drinking water and characterizes the risks from exposure to contaminants detected in our drinking water.

E. Coli

Fecal coliforms and E. coli are bacteria whose presence indicates that the water may be contaminated with human or animal wastes. Microbes in these wastes can cause short-term effects, such as diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. They may pose a special health risk for infants, young children, and people with severely compromised immune systems.

Violation Type

Violation Begin

Violation End

Violation Explanation

MONITOR GWR TRIGGERED/ADDITIONAL, MAJOR

06/01/2018

06/30/2018

We failed to collect follow-up samples within 24 hours of learning of the total coliform-positive sample. These needed to be tested for fecal indicators from all sources that were being used at the time the positive sample was collected.

Public Notification Rule

The Public Notification Rule helps to ensure that consumers will always know if there is a problem with their drinking water. These notices immediately alert consumers if there is a serious problem with their drinking water (e.g., a boil water emergency).

Violation Type

Violation Begin

Violation End

Violation Explanation

PUBLIC NOTICE RULE LINKED TO VIOLATION

10/26/2018

2018

We failed to adequately notify you, our drinking water consumers, about a violation of the drinking water regulations.

Public Participation Opportunities

To learn about future public meetings (concerning your drinking water), or to request to schedule one, please call us at 512-259-3888. The next public meeting of the High Gabriel WSC Board of Directors is on July 8, 2019 at 7:00pm. Please call for the meeting location. Regular meetings are scheduled throughout the year, usually on the second Monday of each month. Please check the home page of our web site to confirm upcoming meeting dates (http://www.highgabrielwsc.com).