2025 DRINKING WATER QUALITY REPORT FOR CALENDAR YEAR 2024 (CCR)

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DOVE CREEK TOWN OF 2025 Drinking Water Quality Report 
Covering Data For Calendar Year 2024 
Public Water System ID: CO0117300
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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 LORRAINE HANCOCK at 970-677-2255 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).

Contaminant Information
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.

Lead in Drinking Water
Lead can cause serious health effects in people of all ages, especially pregnant people, infants (both formula-fed and breastfed), and young children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and parts used in service lines and in home plumbing. We are responsible for providing high quality drinking water and removing lead pipes but cannot control the variety of materials used in the plumbing in your home. Because lead levels may vary over time, lead exposure is possible even when your tap sampling results do not detect lead at one point in time. 

You can help protect yourself and your family by identifying and removing lead materials within your home plumbing and taking steps to reduce your family's risk. Using a filter, certified by an American National Standards Institute accredited certifier to reduce lead, is effective in reducing lead exposures. Follow the instructions provided with the filter to ensure the filter is used properly. 

Use only cold water for drinking, cooking, and making baby formula. Boiling water does not remove lead from water. Before using tap water for drinking, cooking, or making baby formula, flush your pipes for several minutes. You can do this by running your tap, taking a shower, doing laundry or a load of dishes. If you have a lead service line or galvanized requiring replacement service line, you may need to flush your pipes for a longer period. If you are concerned about lead in your water and wish to have your water tested, contact LORRAINE HANCOCK at 970-677-2255. Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available at epa.gov/safewater/lead

Service Line Inventory
New state and federal laws require us to inventory all water service lines in our service area to classify the material. A service line is the underground pipe that carries water from the water main, likely in the street, into your home or building. If you would like to view a copy of our service line inventory or have questions about the material of your service line, contact LORRAINE HANCOCK at 970-677-2255.

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 our system name or ID, or by contacting LORRAINE HANCOCK at 970-677-2255.  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 below. 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

DOVE CREEK CANAL (Surface Water-Intake)
WELL NO 2 (Groundwater UDI Surface Water-Well)
WELL NO 1 (Groundwater UDI Surface Water-Well)

 

Permitted Wastewater Discharge Sites, Aboveground, Underground and Leaking Storage Tank Sites, Solid Waste Sites, Existing/Abandoned Mine Sites, Other Facilities, Commercial/Industrial/Transportation, Low Intensity Residential, 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.
  • 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 90th 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

DOVE CREEK TOWN OF 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, 2024 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.
 


 

 

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, 2024

Lowest period percentage of samples meeting TT requirement: 100%

0

1

No

4.0 ppm

 

 

 

 

 

Lead and Copper Sampled in the Distribution System
Lead and Copper Individual Sample Results

Contaminant Name

Time Period

Tap Sample Range
Low – High

90th Percentile 

Sample Size

Unit of Measure

90th Percentile AL

Sample Sites Above AL

90th Percentile AL Exceedance

Typical Sources

Copper

08/27/2024 to 09/03/2024

0.0049 to 0.0711

0.03

10

ppm

1.3

0

No

Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits

Lead

08/27/2024 to 09/03/2024

0 to 6.6

0.6

10

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 (HAA5)

2024

28.1

13.8 to 40.8

4

ppb

60

N/A

No

Byproduct of drinking water disinfection

Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM)

2024

86.2

73.6 to 98.8

4

ppb

80

N/A

Yes

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:
Nov

 

Highest single measurement:
0.52 NTU

Maximum 1  NTU for any single measurement

No

Soil Runoff

Turbidity

Month:
Dec

Lowest monthly percentage of samples meeting TT requirement for our technology: 97  %

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

No

Soil Runoff

 

 

Inorganic Contaminants 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

Barium

2023

0.11

0.11 to 0.11

1

ppm

2

2

No

Discharge of drilling wastes; discharge from metal refineries; erosion of natural deposits

Chromium

2023

2

2 to 2

1

ppb

100

100

No

Discharge from steel and pulp mills; erosion of natural deposits

 

 

 

 

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

7

7 to 7

1

ppm

N/A

 

 


Violations, Significant Deficiencies, and Formal Enforcement Actions

Health-Based Violations
Maximum contaminant level (MCL) violations: Test results for this contaminant show that the level was too high for the time period shown. Please read the information shown below about potential health effects for vulnerable populations. This is likely the same violation that we told you about in a past notice. We are evaluating, or we already completed an evaluation, to find the best way to reduce or remove the contaminant. If the solution will take an extended period of time, we will keep you updated with quarterly notices.

Treatment technique (TT) violations: We failed to complete an action that could affect water quality. Please read the information shown below about potential health effects for vulnerable populations. This is likely the same violation that we told you about in a past notice. We were required to meet a minimum operation/treatment standard, we were required to make upgrades to our system, or we were required to evaluate our system for potential sanitary defects, and we failed to do so in the time period shown below. If the solution will take an extended period of time, we will keep you updated with quarterly notices.

Name

Description

Time Period

Health Effects

Compliance Value

TT Level or MCL

TOTAL TRIHALOMETHANES (TTHM)

EXCEEDED THE MAXIMUM CONTAMINANT LEVEL

10/01/2024 - 12/31/2024

Some people who drink water containing trihalomethanes in excess of the MCL over many years may experience problems with their liver, kidneys, or central nervous systems, and may have an increased risk of getting cancer.

86 UG/L

80 UG/L

TOTAL TRIHALOMETHANES (TTHM)

EXCEEDED THE MAXIMUM CONTAMINANT LEVEL

07/01/2024 - 09/30/2024

Some people who drink water containing trihalomethanes in excess of the MCL over many years may experience problems with their liver, kidneys, or central nervous systems, and may have an increased risk of getting cancer.

83 UG/L

80 UG/L

LEAD AND COPPER RULE REVISIONS

LSL INVENTORY-INITIAL

10/17/2024 - Open

 

 N/A

 N/A

Additional Violation Information

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.

Describe the steps taken to resolve the violation(s), and the anticipated resolution date:

  1. The Town is working with an engineering company to help determine the best approach to eliminating our Total Trihalomethane issues. We have also started a water flushing program to help alleviate stagnant water throughout town. This resulted in our best result in two years for the first quarter of 2025. We anticipate resolution of the issue by the end of 2025.
  2. The Town submitted the Lead Service Line Inventory to CDPHE on April 1, 2025. We continue to work on identifying locations with unknown service line materials. We anticipate completion of unknown location surveys be August 31, 2025.

Non-Health-Based Violations
These violations do not usually mean that there was a problem with the water quality. If there had been, we would have notified you immediately. We missed collecting a sample (water quality is unknown), we reported the sample result after the due date, or we did not complete a report/notice by the required date.

Name

Description

Time Period

TURBIDITY

FAILURE TO MONITOR AND/OR REPORT

12/01/2024 - 12/31/2024

TURBIDITY

FAILURE TO MONITOR AND/OR REPORT

10/01/2024 - 10/31/2024

LEAD AND COPPER RULE REVISIONS

LSL REPORTING-INITIAL

10/17/2024 - Open

CHLORINE/CHLORAMINE

FAILURE TO MONITOR AND/OR REPORT

10/01/2024 - 10/31/2024

Additional Violation Information

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.

Describe the steps taken to resolve the violation(s), and the anticipated resolution date:

  1. The October 2024 Turbidity and Chlorine Failure to Monitor and/or Report violation was due to a late submittal to CDPHE. The Monthly Operating Report is due to CDPHE by the 10th day of the following month or November 10th. The report was submitted on the 11th. The issue is resolved.
  2. The Lead Service Line Initial Report was due in October 2024. The report was submitted on April 1, 2025 and we continue to work on unknown locations. We anticipate completion of the report by August 31,2025.
  3. December 2024 Turbidity Failure to Monitor and/or Report was due to a failure of a new turbidimeter installed in December. The instrument continued to show a turbidity reading but did not send this information to the SCADA system. The instrument was replaced as soon as we found the problem. This issue is resolved.