Whiteman AFB Annual Water Quality Report/Consumer Confidence Report 2008

  • Published
  • 509th Medical Group
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. --  This annual report on the quality of water delivered by Whiteman AFB is intended to provide you with important information about your drinking water and the efforts made to provide safe drinking water. Users will not be mailed individual copies of this report. 

Under the Consumer Confidence Reporting Rule of the federal Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), community water systems are required to report this water quality information to the consuming public. Presented in this report is information on the source of our water, its constituents, and the health risks associated with any contaminants. 

The base drinking water is safe to drink although we had two positive results of coliforms in July 2008 and one in February, June, and September. Coliforms are bacteria which are naturally present in the environment and are used as an indicator that other potentially-harmful, bacteria may be present. Although two positive results in a month constitute a violation of drinking water regulations for our installation, further sampling indicated that coliforms and harmful bacteria were not present in accordance with state and Air Force regulations. Corrective actions were to restructure the monthly sample strategy to allow for improved sampling sites (ie. cold water only faucets directly attached to water main). We verified our sampling technique with state of Missouri to alleviate future invalid positive results. For a system which collects fewer than forty (40) samples per month, if no more than one (1) sample collected during a month is total coliform- positive, the system is in compliance with the state of Missouri for total coliforms. 

Whiteman's drinking water comes from the Whiteman AFB Water Treatment Plant operated by 509th Civil Engineering Squadron. The system has been assigned the identification number MO 1079501. The plant treats water from the Ozark Aquifer pumped from wells located on base. Your water is filtered and treated with chlorine to disinfect the water. These wells have been tested and the results are available from the 509th Medical Operations Squadron, Bioenvironmental Engineering Flight (687-4324). If you would like to observe the decision-making processes that affect your drinking water quality or if you have any questions, the water plant can be reached at 687-1984. 

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. 

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 Environmental Protection Agency's Safe Drinking Water Hotline (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 stormwater 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 stormwater 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 stormwater 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, EPA prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. Department of Health regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water, which must provide the same protection for public health. Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immuno-compromised 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 from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. EPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791). 

Please direct questions to Lt Kirk at the 509th Medical Operations Squadron, Bioenvironmental Engineering Flight (687-4324). 

Table of detected contaminants
Inorganic Units MCL MCLG Level Found Range of Detections Violation Sample Year
Barium ppm 2 2 0.0219 0.0219 No 2008
  Sources Discharge of drilling wastes; Discharge from metal refineries; Erosion of natural deposits
Fluoride ppm 4 4 0.5299 0.52 No 2008
  Sources Erosion of natural deposits; Water additive which promotes strong teeth; Discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories
Nitrate + Nitrate (As N) ppm 10 10 <0.05 <0.05 No 2008
Radionuclide Units MCL MCLG Level Found Range of Detections  Violation  Sample Year
Gross Alpha Particle Activity, Total pCi/L 0 15 1.3 1.3 No 2007
  Sources Erosion of natural deposits
Combine Radium level RA226 and RA228
Units Combined Radium detected MCL MCLG
pCi/L 0.6 5 0
Copper                
Collection period Units Action Level 90th percentile Sites exceeding AL
2008-2010 ppb AL=1.3 0.0891 0
  Sources Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits; Leaching from wood preservatives
Lead                
Collection period Units Action level 90th percentile Sites exceeding AL
2008-2010 ppb AL=15 0 0
  Sources Corrossion of household plumbing; Erosion of natural deposits
Total Coliform, (TCR)
The MCL for total coliform is determined by the number of samples taken per month. Systems that collect less thatn 40 samples per month are in violation if more than on sample tests positive. Systems that collect more tha 40 samples per month are in violation if 5 percent or more of the samples test positive.
# of positive samples Month Violation Sources
2 July Yes, MCL violation Naturally present in the environment
Health effects Coliforms are bacteria that are naturally present in the environment and are usesd as an indicator that other, potentially-harmful, bacteria may be present. Coliforms were found in more samples than allowed and this was a warning of potential problems.
Fecal Coliform
The MCL is exceeded if a routine sample and repeat sample are total coliform positive, and one is also fecal coliform or E. coli positive
# Positive samples for year Violation Sources
0 No Naturally present in environment.


Optional Contaminants

Inorganic Units Level found Range of detections Sample year Violation
Alkalinity, CACO3 stability mg/L 147.0000 147 2008 No
Aluminum mg/L 0.1130 0.113 2008 No
Calcium mg/L 19.5000 19.5 2008 No
Chloride mg/L 29.8000 29.8 2008 No
Hardness, Total (As CACO3) mg/L 117.0000 117 2008 No
Iron mg/L < 5 < 5 2008 No
Magnesium mg/L 16.5000 16.5 2008 No
PH   8.3000 8.3 2008 No
Potassium mg/L 3.9000 3.9 2008 No
Sodium mg/L 23.1000 32.1 2008 No
Solids, Total dissolved (TDS) mg/L 222.0000 222 2008 No
Sulfate mg/L 42.1000 42.1 2008 No
Volatile Organic Units Level found Range of detections Sample year Violation
Bromodichloromethane µg/L < 0.5 < 0.5 2008 No
Bromoform µg/L 0.85 0.85 2008 No
Dibromochloromethane µg/L 0.58 0.58 2008 No


Definitions:
MCLG: Maximum Contaminant Level Goal, or 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, 
MCL: Maximum Contaminant Level, or 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, 
AL: Action Level, or the concentration of a contaminant which, when exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow, 
TT: Treatment Technique, or a required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water, 
90th percentile: For lead and copper testing. 10% of test results are above this level and 90% are below this level, 
Level Found: is the average of all test results for a particular contaminant, Range of Detections: Shows the lowest and highest levels found during a testing period, if only one sample was taken, then this number equals the Level Found
Abbreviations:
PPB: parts per billion or micrograms per liter, 
PPM: parts per million or milligrams per liter, n/a: not applicable, 
MFL: million fibers per liter, used to measure asbestos concentration, nd: not detectable at testing limits