2023 City of Craig Water Quality Report AK2120193

Is my water safe?

We are pleased to present this year's Annual Water Quality Report (Consumer Confidence Report) as required by the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). This report is designed to provide details about where your water comes from, what it contains, and how it compares to standards set by regulatory agencies. This report is a snapshot of last year's water quality. We are committed to providing you with information because informed customers are our best allies.

Do I need to take special precautions?

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/Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Water Drinking Hotline (800-426-4791).

Where does my water come from?
The City of Craig gets its drinking water through a surface water intake located in the North Fork Lake at N 55*27'49", W 132*54'24".

Source water assessment and its availability

A source water assessment for the City of Craig surface water intake was completed in 2003 and the results of the assessment are:
The Wellhead/Surface Intake Susceptibility is Very High.
The Aquifer Susceptibility is Not Applicable.
The overall vulnerability to potential contaminants is:
Bacteria and Viruses is Very High;
Nitrates/Nitrites is Very High;
Volatile Organic Chemicals is Medium;
Inorganics/Heavy Metals is Medium;
Synthetic Organic Chemicals is Medium;
Other Organic Chemicals is Medium.

The Drinking Water Source Protection (DWSP) group is no longer completing Source Water Assessment reports for public water system (PWS) sources. However, DWSP continues to delineate drinking water source protection areas for all PWS sources and furthers awareness of these protection areas through outreach efforts. DWSP encourages active protection efforts by promoting the development and implementation of DWSP plans by PWS and communities, as well as by providing passive protection efforts through reviewing and commenting on proposed permitted activities near PWS sources and ensuring agency loans and grants prioritize water quality improvement projects near PWS sources.

For assistance, please contact the DWSP coordinator at 907-269-7549, or toll free in Alaska at 1-866-956-7656.You can go to the DWSP website for more information at: https://dec.alaska.gov/eh/dw/dwp.

Why are there contaminants in my drinking water?

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 (EPA) Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791). 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: microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, that 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; and 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 that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health.

How can I get involved?

Persons interested in the City of Craig water system can use the contact information in this report to contact us.

Sanitary Survey Corrective Actions
We received three Treatment Technique violations for Sanitary Survey Corrective Actions, all dated 10/10/23. We achieved State compliance on 2/16/24.

CORRECTIVE ACTION 10/10/2023 - Hose used to fill sand filter after a backwash was submerged in the filter while filling. This must be shortened or fitted with a backflow prevention device to resolve the deficiency. The hose has been removed and secured above the flood rim and a hose bib vacuum breaker was installed in April 2024.

CORRECTIVE ACTION 10/10/2023 - The Turbidimeter waste lines go into the sewer collection point. These must be shortened to have an appropriate air gap. The waste lines were raised and secured in April of 2024.

CORRECTIVE ACTION 10/10/2023 - THIS IS FOR TWO DEFICIENCIES
Petro Marine dock and north and south harbors need backflow preventers. The City of Craig is seeking funding in 2024 for engineering of backflow valve installation in these two locations.

The bunkhouse connection point was disconnected and open to the air. This line must be capped when not in use. The line has been capped in April 2024.

Waivers
ADEC granted us a monitoring waiver for Synthetic Organic Compounds (SOC) for the 2020-2022 monitoring period. We are not required to monitor during the waivered compliance period. We will apply for a waiver renewal before 9/30/24 for the 2023-2025 compliance period.

Additional Information for Lead

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. City of Craig is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but 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.

Water Quality Data Table

In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations which limit the amount of contaminants in water provided by public water systems. The table below lists all of the drinking water contaminants that we detected during the calendar year of this report. Although many more contaminants were tested, only those substances listed below were found in your water. All sources of drinking water contain some naturally occurring contaminants. At low levels, these substances are generally not harmful in our drinking water. Removing all contaminants would be extremely expensive, and in most cases, would not provide increased protection of public health. A few naturally occurring minerals may actually improve the taste of drinking water and have nutritional value at low levels. Unless otherwise noted, the data presented in this table is from testing done in the calendar year of the report. The EPA or the State requires us to monitor for certain contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants do not vary significantly from year to year, or the system is not considered vulnerable to this type of contamination. As such, some of our data, though representative, may be more than one year old. In this table you will find terms and abbreviations that might not be familiar to you. To help you better understand these terms, we have provided the definitions below the table.

Contact Name: Oliver Lewis
Address: PO Box 725
Craig, AK 99921
Phone: 907-826-3405