A Note from Toccoa's Utilities Director
This is the fourteenth edition of our water quality report and, even though the City is federally required to provide this information to our customers, we are extremely proud to do so. One report is a "snapshot" of how the system is operating; two or three may reveal a "trend," but over a dozen reports demonstrate a consistent, ongoing effort to improve the system. This system, operated by some thirty dedicated individuals, consintues to provide a quality, safe product for Toccoa, Stephens County, and beyond. Please review our report carefully, and feel free to contact us if you need any additional information. This is your system, and we are here to serve you. Thank you!
Sincerely,
Harry Scott, Toccoa's Utilities Director
Find out more about Toccoa water
To assure you about our water quality, we are pleased to present this water report, as required by the Federal Environmental Protection Agency.
We appreciate the comments and input we received from our customers on our previous reports, and look forward to receiving more.
This report is designed to inform you about the water quality and services we provide to you every day. Our constant goal is to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of water. We want you to understand the efforts we make to continually improve the water treatment process and protect our valuable water resources. We are committed to ensuring the quality of your water.
You can download a pdf version of this report (page 1), and page 2, or you can read the information below.
If you have any questions about this report or concerning our water utility, contact the Toccoa Water Department at 706.282.3257.
For changes in water services contact Customer Service Manager, Peggy Estes, at 706.282.3222 or pestes@cityoftoccoa.com.
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The source of Toccoa’s water
Our main source of water is Lake Toccoa, located on Highway 17 Alternate approximately 2.5 miles north of the City. The lake is supplemented by pumping water from Davidson Creek and Lake Yonah. As you will see, the report shows that our drinking water is safe and actually meets or exceeds all federal and state requirements.
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Toccoa’s water is monitored for safety
The City of Toccoa Water Treatment Facility, located at 2611 Falls Road, routinely monitors for various constituents in your drinking water according to Federal and State laws. Our laboratory performed 45,310 chemical analyses and 1,291 microbiological tests during the past year. This report shows the results of our monitoring for the period of January to December of 2011.
Drinking water, including bottled drinking 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 (1.800.426.4791).
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Toccoa water meets Federal Standards
All water sources, including reservoirs such as ours, travel over the surface of land or through the ground and dissolve naturally occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from human activity and the presence of animals.
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 systems 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. EPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from:
Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).
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Lead safety precautions
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 Toccoa Water Department 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://epa.gov/safewater/lead.
City of Toccoa Water Department Mission Statement
To provide safe, potable water and services to the citizens of Toccoa and Stephens County.
To preserve the public health by the protection of quality and quantity of water available through state and federal laws, sound management practices and operating procedures.
To keep the public well informed and to maintain the development and training of employees.
Find out more about Toccoa water
In an effort to keep our valued customers informed about our water utility, tours are held throughout the year and can be arranged by calling John Estes at 706.282.3264. The City of Toccoa Commission meets on the second Monday of every month at 5 p.m. and the fourth Monday of the month at 9 a.m. See the Calendar section or our City Clerk's webpage for more information. Meetings are held at City Hall. Your participation is welcome.
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ppm - parts per million or milligrams per liter - one part per million corresponds to one minute in two years, or a single penny in $10,000
ppb - parts per billion or micrograms per liter - one part per billion corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years or a single penny in $10 million
NTU - nephelometric turbidity units - a measure of the clarity of the water. Turbidity in excess of 5 NTU is just noticeable to the average person
MCL - maximum contaminant level - the highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCL’s are set as close to the MCLG’s as feasible using the best available technology
MCLG - maximum contaminant level goal - the highest level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLG’s allow a margin of safety
TT - treatment technique - a required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water
N/A - Not Applicable
Turbidity is the measure of the cloudiness of water. We monitor turbidity because it is a good indicator of the effectiveness of our filtration system.
A Source Water Assessment was completed by the University of Georgia in October, 2003. The report is available for review at City Hall - Water/Wastewater Utility Department.
Water treated in 2011: 1.19 billion gallons.
The City of Toccoa Water Laboratory is certified to perform bacteriological analysis. Samples are taken from various sites approved by EPD and analyzed for coliform bacteria. Samples taken from all new water lines are also analyzed and must meet EPD requirements before the lines are put in service and taps can be made.
Lead and Copper are under reduced sampling. The current results are from Sept., 2010.
Action Level for Copper and Lead (Note: Sites exceed Action Level = 0)
If you have any questions about this report or concerning our water utility, please contact the Toccoa Water Department at 706.282.3257.
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PWS ID# GA 2570001
