We are pleased to present to you this year's Annual Quality Water Report. In accordance with the Safe Drinking Water Act, this report is designed to inform you about the quality water and services we deliver to you every day. Our constant goal is to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water. We are committed to ensuring the quality of your water, and want you to understand the efforts we make to continually improve the water treatment process and protect our water resources.

The City of Bandon uses water from two sources, Ferry Creek and Geiger Creek. During 2008 we treated 218 million gallons of water.

Water treatment is the process of cleaning the water. The City of Bandon’s Water Treatment Plant uses a four-step process to treat the water. In the first step alum (aluminum sulfate) is added to the untreated water to make particles like dirt, sediment and other substances in the water coagulate, or stick together. These particles clump together into larger particles called “floc” In the second step, the water enters the settling tank, or sedimentation basin. The floc particles are heavier than water so they settle to the bottom of the tank. During the third step, the water flows through the sand and charcoal filters. In the final step, chlorine is added to the water to kill any germs and to keep it safe in the distribution system as it travels to your tap. With the new plant on line the City has installed a chlorine generator which produces our own chlorine on site and it is not classified as a hazardous material.

The City of Bandon routinely monitors for components in your drinking water according to Federal and State laws. The following table in this report shows the results of our monitoring for the period of January 1 to December 31, 2008. All drinking water, including bottled drinking water, may be reasonably expected to contain at least small amounts of some components. It's important to remember that the presence of these components does not necessarily pose a health risk.

In the table, you will find many terms and abbreviations you might not be familiar with. To help you better understand those terms we are providing the following definitions:

Non-Detects (ND) - laboratory analysis indicates that the component is not present.

Parts per million (ppm) or Milligrams per liter (mg/l) - one part per million corresponds to one minute in two years or a single penny in $10,000.

Parts per billion (ppb) or Micrograms per liter - one part per billion corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years, or a single penny in $10,000,000.

Parts per trillion (ppt) or Nanograms per liter (nanograms/l) - one part per trillion corresponds to one minute in 2,000,000 years, or a single penny in $10,000,000,000.

Parts per quadrillion (ppq) or Picograms per liter (picograms/l) - one part per quadrillion corresponds to one minute in 2,000,000,000 years or one penny in $10,000,000,000,000.

Picocuries per liter (pCi/L) - picocuries per liter is a measure of the radioactivity in water.

Millirems per year (mrem/yr) - measure of radiation absorbed by the body.

Million Fibers per Liter (MFL) - million fibers per liter is a measure of the presence of asbestos fibers that are longer than 10 micrometers.

Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU) - nephelometric turbidity unit is a measure of the clarity of water. Turbidity in excess of 5 NTU, will appear as just enough cloudiness to be noticeable to the average person.

Action Level - the concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow.

Treatment Technique (TT) - A treatment technique is a required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.

Maximum Contaminant Level - The “Maximum Allowed” (MCL) is 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.

Maximum Contaminant Level Goal - The “Goal”(MCLG) is 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’s are set at stringent levels. To understand the possible health effects described for many regulated components, a person would have to drink 2 liters of water every day at the MCL level for a lifetime to have a one-in-a-million chance of having the described health effect.

The City of Bandon tests its water for a total of 91 compounds. No contaminants were found, except insignificant amounts of a few items, as shown in the table below. As you can see, our system had no violations. We’re proud that your drinking water meets or exceeds all Federal and State requirements. We have learned through our monitoring and testing that some components have been detected. The EPA has determined that your water IS SAFE at these levels. ▬ All sources of drinking water are subject to potential contamination by substances that are naturally occurring or man made. These substances can be microbes, inorganic or organic chemicals and radioactive substances. All 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 the 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 at (1-800-426-4791). ▬ 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 cryptosporidium and other microbiological contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).

¹ - Turbidity. Turbidity has no health effects. However, turbidity can interfere with disinfection and provide a medium for microbial growth. Turbidity may indicate the presence of disease-causing organisms. These organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites that can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches.

² - Radioactive Contaminants: Alpha emitters. Certain minerals are radioactive and may emit a form of radiation known as alpha radiation. Some people who drink water containing alpha emitters in excess of the MCL over many years may have an increased risk of getting cancer.

³ - Copper. Copper is an essential nutrient, but some people who drink water containing copper in excess of the action level, over a relatively short amount of time, could experience gastrointestinal distress. Some people who drink water containing copper in excess of the action level, over many years, could suffer liver or kidney damage. People with Wilson's Disease should consult their personal doctor.

⁴ - 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. It is possible that lead levels at your home may be higher than at other homes in the community as a result of materials used in your home’s plumbing. The City of Bandon is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but cannot control the variety of 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 two 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 (1-800-426-4791) or at www.epa.gov/safewater/lead. Lead in drinking water is rarely the sole cause of lead poisoning, but it can add to a person's total lead exposure. ▬ Infants and young children are typically more vulnerable to lead in drinking water than the general population. Infants and children who drink water containing lead in excess of the action level could experience delays in their physical or mental development. Children could show slight deficits in attention span and learning abilities. Adults who drink this water over many years could develop kidney problems or high blood pressure. ▬ All potential sources of lead in the household should be identified and removed, replaced or reduced.

⁵ - The 90^th percentile is the highest result found in 90% of the samples when they are listed in order from the lowest to the highest results. EPA requires testing for lead and copper at customers’ taps most likely to contain these substances based on when the house was built. The EPA determines that if the sample results exceeded the Action Level (AL), the City must take action in reducing the risk of leaching of lead and or copper. As you can see by the table above, your water was well below the action level on our last round of testing in 1998. Our next testing is scheduled for this year.

⁶ - Total Organic Carbon (TOC) has no health effects, however, TOC provides a medium for the formation of disinfection byproducts (DBPs). These byproducts include trihalomethanes ⁷ (TTHMs) and haloacetic ⁸ (HAAs). Drinking water containing these byproducts in excess of the MCL may lead to adverse health affects; liver, kidney or central nervous system problems, and may have an increased risk of cancer.

A source water assessment has been completed by the Department of Environmental Quality and is available at City Hall. ▬ The primary intent of this source water assessment is to provide the background information for the community to use in developing a local Drinking Water Protection Plan. ▬ The susceptibility of the public drinking water system depends on both the natural conditions as well as the land use and facilities operating in the watershed. ▬ If you have any questions about this report, or concerning your water utility, please contact Gene Davidson, Water Treatment Plant Operator, at 347-3007 or Matt Winkel, City Manager, at 347-2437ex. 229 (e-mail -- citymanager@ci.bandon.or.us). We want our valued customers to be informed about their water utility. ▬ If you want to learn more, please attend any of our regularly scheduled City Council meetings. They are held on the first Monday of every month at 7:00 PM in the City Council Chambers at City Hall.

Contaminant	Violation Y/N	Level Detected	MCLG	MCL	LIKELY SOURCE OF CONTAMINATION
Turbidity ¹ (continuous testing)	N	.159 NTU	0	Must be .3 or below 95% of plant run time	Soil runoff
Radioactive Contaminants ² Tests Results are from September 2002. They are required every 6 years.
Contaminant	Violation Y/N	Level Detected	MCLG	MCL	LIKELY SOURCE OF CONTAMINATION
Alpha emitters	N	.75	0	15	Erosion of natural deposits
Radium, Combined (226,228)	N	.215	0	5	Erosion of natural deposits
Uranium, Combined	N	.008	0		Erosion of natural deposits

Lead and Copper Testing - Test are from 2003. They are Required every 3 years.
Substance	Units	Goal	Action Level (AL)	90^th Percentile ⁵	Homes Exceeding Action Level	Complies	Source of Contamination
Copper ³	ppm	1.3	1.3	.0042	0	Yes	Corrosion of Household Plumbing
Lead ⁴	ppb	0	15	.0696	0	Yes	Corrosion of Household Plumbing

DISINFECTION BYPRODUCTS
Contaminant	Violation Y/N	Level Detected	MC LG	MCL	Likely Source of Contamination
Total Organic Carbon⁶ (TOC)	N	Raw 1.88 ppm Final .765 ppm	TT	None	Naturally present in the environment
Total Trihalomethanes⁷ (TTHMs)	N	.0493 ppm	100/80 ppb	None	By products of drinking water disinfection
Haloacetic Acids⁸	N	.0114 ppm	60 ppb	None	By products of drinking water disinfection