2003 Water Quality Report, Water and Sewer, Department of Public Works, City of Ferndale, Michigan

Water is one of life's essential commodities. The City of Ferndale Water Department wants you to know that your tap water meets or surpasses all federal and state standards for quality and safety.

The City of Ferndale and the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) are proud of the fine drinking water they supply and are pleased to provide this informational report to you.

The 2003 Consumers Annual Report on Water Quality shows the sources of our water, lists the results of water quality tests, and contains important information about water and health. We will notify you immediately if there is ever any reason for concern about our water.

We are pleased to show you how we have surpassed water quality standards as mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the State of Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ).

Sources of Drinking Water

The sources of drinking water (both tap 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.

The Detroit Water and Sewer Department supplies drinking water to 126 communities in southeastern Michigan. It draws this water through intakes in Lake Huron, Lake St. Clair and/or the Detroit River as water demand requires.

About the System

The City of Ferndale purchases water from the City of Detroit. Our primary source of supply is Lake St. Clair, and the water is treated at Detroit’s Northeast and Springwells plants.

How Do We Know the Water Is Safe To Drink?

Detroit Water and Sewerage Department water treatment and transmission facilities operate twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

The treatment process begins with disinfecting the source water with chlorine to kill harmful microorganisms that can cause illness. Next, a chemical called Alum is mixed with the water to remove the fine particles that make the water cloudy or turbid. Alum causes the particles to clump together and settle. Fluoride is added to protect teeth from cavities and decay.

The water then flows through fine sand filters called beds. These filters remove even more particles and certain microorganisms that are resistant to chlorine. Finally, a small amount of phosphoric acid and chlorine is added to the treated water before it leaves the treatment plant. The phosphoric acid helps control the lead that may dissolve in water from household plumbing systems. The chlorine keeps the water disinfected as it travels through the distribution system to your home.

In addition to this carefully controlled and monitored treatment process, the water is tested for a variety of substances before treatment, during various stages of treatment, and throughout the distribution system.

The DWSD, the third largest water and sewer utility in the country, provides water that not only meets safety and health standards, but also ranks among the top ten in the country for quality and value.

Additional Information

The EPA (Environmental Protection Administration) prescribes regulations to ensure that tap water is safe to drink. These regulations limit the amount of certain contaminants in the water that a public system supplies. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) regulates bottled water.

Contaminates That May Be Present in Pre-Treated Source Water Include the Following

Microbial contaminates, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife.

Inorganic contaminates, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally occurring or result from urban storm runoff, and residential uses.

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

Organic chemical contaminates, including synthetic and volatile organics, which are by products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, storm runoff and septic systems.

Radioactive contaminates, which can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.

Northeast Water Treatment Plant
2003 Regulated Detected Contaminants Tables

Springwells Water Treatment Plant
2003 Regulated Detected Contaminants Tables

2003 City of Ferndale Lead and Copper Monitoring

Lead

Since 1992, the Cities of Detroit and Ferndale have been testing homes with plumbing systems that may contribute lead to the household water supply. Our latest round of testing shows that all designated sites were well below the action level.

If your home has a lead service line or piping that has lead soldered joints, you can take the following precautions to minimize your exposure.

Run your water for 30 to 60 seconds, or until it feels cold. This should be followed anytime your water has not been used for more than six hours.

Cryptosporidium

Cryptosporidium is a disease-causing parasite that lives in the intestinal tract of many animals, including dogs and cats. Symptoms of infection include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, headaches, nausea, and vomiting. The disease is typically spread through contact with feces of an infected animal or person, or by consuming contaminated food or water. Cryptosporidium can be introduced into bodies of water by way of surface water runoff containing animal waste and sewage discharge. It can be removed by filtration, but the most commonly used filtration methods cannot guarantee 100% removal.

Monitoring of source water and/or finished water can indicate the presence of cryptosporidium, but current test methods cannot determine if these organisms are dead or alive. The City of Detroit has been testing for cryptosporidium since 1994 and has not detected it in any of our source water supplies.

Message To People With Special Health Concerns

Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminates in drinking water than the general population. Immuno-compromised persons can be particularly at risk for infection: those that have AIDS/HIV or other immune system disorders, or have undergone organ transplants, or some elderly or infants. These people should seek advise 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.

Opportunities for Public Participation

The City of Detroit Board of Water Commissioners meets the third Wednesday of each month. Please call (313) 964-9571 for information.

The Ferndale City Council from time to time has issues before it which are water related. Individuals have a right to participate in these discussions. The Ferndale City Council meets at 7:30pm on the second and fourth Monday of each month at 300 East Nine Mile Road. The agenda for each meeting is posted in the City of Ferndale Library. Please call the City Clerk’s office at (248) 546-2384 for additional information.

We welcome your comments and opinions about this report and will be happy to answer any questions you may have. Please direct your comments or questions to the Water Department at (248) 546-2520.

Special Message for Spanish Speaking Individuals

"El informe contiene informacion importante sobre la calidad del agua en su comunidad. Traduzcalo o hable con alquien que lo entienda bien."

The delivery of safe drinking water is our primary concern. We would encourage you to report any concerns or problems to the Water Department immediately.

The following table will provide direction for addressing concerns that you may have with your water.

The City of Ferndale, Michigan
300 East Nine Mile Road
Ferndale, Michigan 48220
(248) 546-2525

Consumers Annual Report

City of Ferndale Water Department 2003 Consumers Annual Report on Water Quality