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Consumers Annual Report

Water/Sewer Overview   |  Pumping Station 
Consumers Annual Report  |  Water Meter Replacement Program

2008 Consumers' Annual Report on Water Quality

Attention:  This is an important report on water quality and safety.

This is an important report on water quality and safety. 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’s water/sewer rate will increase from $84.00 per MCF (thousand cubic feet) to $92.00 (for all bills rendered on or after July 1, 2009). This is to cover the following items:

• cover an increase in the purchase of water from the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (9.5 %)
• replace the water main on
  • E. Chesterfield
  • Fern St.

Other changes are as follows:

• adjust the quarterly meter-operations charge of $5.00 per quarter for meter-reading, testing, and service costs to $12.00.

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 2008 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).

Source Water

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.

The source of this water comes from the Detroit River, which is situated within the Lake St. Clair, Clinton River, Detroit River, Rouge River, Ecorse River (in the United States), and parts of the Thames River, Little River, Turkey Creek, and Sydenham water sheds (in Canada).

The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality performed a source water assessment to determine the susceptibility of this source to potential contamination. This was done in partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey, the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department, and the Michigan Department of Public Health.

The susceptibility rating is on a seven-tiered scale from very low to high based primarily on geological sensitivity, water chemistry, and contaminant sources. The susceptibility of our Detroit river source water intakes were determined to be highly susceptible to potential contamination. However, all four Detroit water treatment plants (Port Huron, Water Works II, Springwells and Northeast) that use source water from the Detroit River have historically provided satisfactory treatment of this source water to meet drinking water standards.

DWSD has initiated source-water protection activities that include chemical containment, spill response, and a mercury reduction program. DWSD participates in a National Pollutant Discharge elimination system permit discharge program and has an emergency response management plan.

If you would like to know more about this report or obtain a complete copy, you can access www.michigan.gov/deq.

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.

Contaminants That May Be Present In Drinking Water Include the Following:

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.

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.

Contaminants that may be present in source water include:

• 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, 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, 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.

In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the EPA prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provide by public water systems. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water, which must provide the same protection for public health.

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Northeast Water Treatment Plant 2008 Regulated Detected Contaminants Tables

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2008 City of Ferndale Lead and Copper Monitoring At Customer's Tap

*The 90th percentile value means 90 percent of the homes tested have lead and copper levels below the given 90th percentile value. If the 90th percentile value is above the AL, additional requirements must be met.

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Springwells Water Treatment Plant 2008 Regulated Detected Contaminants Tables

2008 City of Ferndale Lead and Copper Monitoring At Customer's Tap

*The 90th percentile value means 90 percent of the homes tested have lead and copper levels below the given 90th percentile value. If the 90th percentile value is above the AL, additional requirements must be met.

Information and tables provided by Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) ML Semegen.

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Lead and Copper

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.

The City of Ferndale is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components.

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.

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.

Cryptosporidium

Cryptosporidium is a microbial pathogen found in surface water throughout the U.S. Although filtration removes Cryptosporidium, the most commonly used filtration methods cannot guarantee 100 percent removal. Our monitoring indicates the presence of these organisms in our source water. Cryptospodridium was detected once, during a twelve-month period at our Detroit river intake plants. Current test methods do not allow us to determine if the organisms are dead or if they are capable of causing disease. Ingestion of Cryptosporidium may cause cryptosporidiosis, an abdominal infection. Symptoms of infection include nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. Most healthy individuals can overcome the disease within a few weeks. However, immuno- compromised people, infants and small children, and elderly are at greater risk of developing life-threatening illness. We encourage immuno-compromised individuals to consult their doctor regarding appropriate precautions to take to avoid infection. Cryptosporidium must be ingested to cause diseases, and it may be spread through means other than drinking water.

Unregulated Contaminants

Unregulated contaminants are those for which the EPS has not established drinking water standards. Monitoring helps EPS to determine where certain contaminants occur and whether it needs to regulate those contaminants. Beginning in July 2008, the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) began monitoring quarterly for unregulated contaminants under the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring rule 2 (UCMR2). All the UCMR2 contaminants monitored on List 1 and List 2 in 2008 were detected.

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.

Safe Drinking Water Hotline - 1-800-426-4791

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 7:30 PM 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.”

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.

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The City of Ferndale, Michigan
300 East Nine Mile Road
Ferndale, Michigan  48220
(248) 546-2525
City Hall Hours:
Monday - Thursday 8:00am - 5:30pm
Closed Fridays