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2023 Consumer Confidence Report
Is My Drinking Water Safe?
YES, our water meets all of EPA’s Health Standards. In 2022, we conducted 10,005 analyses for contaminants that may be found in drinking water. We were in compliance with all federal and state standards for 2022. For Quality Control purposes the Water Treatment Plant is manned around the clock.
Drinking Water Source
Your water, which is surface water, comes from the Center Hill Lake (Mine Lick Creek). The sources of drinking water (both tap and bottled) 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:
- 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 storm water 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 storm water runoff, and septic systems
- 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, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation prescribe regulations which limits the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. FDA regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health.
Our goal is to protect our water from contaminates and we are working with the State to determine the vulnerability of our water source to potential contamination. The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) have prepared a Source Water Assessment Program (SWAP) Report for the untreated water sources to potential contamination. To ensure safe drinking water, all public water systems treat and routinely test their water. Water sources have been rated as reasonably susceptible (high), moderately susceptible (moderate) or slightly susceptible (low) based on geologic factors and human activities in the vicinity of the water source. The Cookeville Water Department system sources rated as moderately susceptible to potential contamination. An explanation of Tennessee’s Source Water Assessment summaries, susceptibility scoring and the overall TDEC report to EPA can be viewed online at TDEC Source Water Assessment or you may contact the City of Cookeville Water Department to obtain copies of specific assessments.
The City of Cookeville Water Treatment Plant is designed to treat 15 million gallons per day (MGD). In 2022 the average daily flow pumped to customers was 12.367 MGD. The 2022 average Hardness was 74.5 ppm or 4.35 grams/gallon with a PH of 8.1.
Think Before You Flush
Flushing unused or expired medications can be harmful to your drinking water. Properly Disposing of unused or expired medication helps protect you and the environment. Keep medications out of Tennessee’s waterways by disposing in one of our permanent pharmaceutical take back bins. There are over 340 take back bins located across the state in all 95 counties, to find a convenient location please visit: http://tdeconline.tn.gov/rxtakeback/
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 Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).
How Can I Get Involved
If you have any questions or concerns please call or come by our offices at 1860 S Jefferson, Cookeville, TN. The City Council meets on the first and third Thursday of each month. If you have any items that you wish to address, please call the City Hall at 931-526-9591 to be placed on the council agenda.
Is Our Water System Meeting Other Rules That Govern Our Operations
The State and EPA require us to test and report our water on a regular basis to ensure its safety. We have always met all of these requirements. We want you to know that we pay special attention to all of the rules.
Taste & Odor
For the most part taste and odor problems are the result of iron, algae and manganese. We use additives such as hydrogen peroxide and activated carbon in an effort to eliminate these problems.
Do I Need to Take Special Precautions
Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants 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 their personal sanitation, food preparation, handling infants and pets, and 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 800-426-4791.
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 Cookeville 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 800-426-4791 or on the EPA website.
Water Quality Chart
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What Does This Chart Mean
· 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.
* Most of the data presented in this table is from testing done between Jan 1-Dec 31, 2022. We monitor for some contaminants less than once per year, and for those contaminants, the date of the last sample is shown in the table
** We meet the TT requirement for Total Organic Carbon. We were required to remove 28% and average removal was 67.3% based on 43 samples.
*** Turbidity does not present any risk to your health. We monitor turbidity, which is a measure of the cloudiness of water, because it is a good indicator of the effectiveness of our filtration system. Turbidity samples taken in 2022 numbered 2190 individual samples. 100% of all monthly samples were less than or equal to 0.30 NTU. Turbidity is monitored continuously. Our average turbidity for 2022 was 0.05817 NTU.
Abbreviations For Chart Above
Abbreviations · ppb or micrograms/L: parts per billion or micrograms per liter explained in terms of money as one penny in $10,000,000 · ppm or mg/l: parts per million or milligrams per liter explained in terms of money as one penny in $10,000 · N/A: not applicable· BDL: Below Detection Limits· NTU: Nephelometric Turbidity Units-Turbidity is a measure of the clarity of the water. Turbidity in excess of 5 NTUs is just noticeable to the average person · pCi/l picocuries per liter (a measure of radioactivity) · 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. · MRDL or Maximum Residual Disinfectant Goal: The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for the control of microbial contaminants · MRDLG or Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal: The level of a drinking water disinfectant below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contaminants. · RTCR Revised Total Coliform Rule. This rule went into effect on April 1, 2016 and replaces the MCL for total coliform with a Treatment Technique Trigger for a system assessment. · Level 1 Assessment is a study of the water system to identify potential problems and determine (if possible) why total coliform bacteria have been found in our water system · CCR: Consumer Confidence Report
Synthetic Organic Contaminants Including Pesticides & Herbicides
The City of Cookeville is wavered on these except Atrazine, 2, 4d, Picloram and it was below the Detection Limit.
Footnotes for Table Above
- Only 3 of the 1,153 samples tested positive for total coliform, however 0 tested positive for E. Coli. We met the treatment technique requirement for Total Coliform.
- Coliforms are bacteria that are naturally present in the environment and are used as an indicator that other, potentially harmful, waterborne pathogens may be present or that a potential pathway exists through which contamination may enter the drinking water distribution system. We found coliforms indication the need to look for potential problems in water treatment or distribution. When this occurs, we are required to conduct assessments(s) to identify problems and to correct any problems that were found during these assessments.
- During the past year we were required to conduct (one) Level 1 assessment. (One) Level 1 Assessment was completed. In addition, we were required to take NO corrective actions.
2. Lead and copper values are reported in 90th percentile values. During the most recent round of lead and copper testing, none of the 30 households tested contained concentrations of lead or copper exceeding the action level.
3. Some people who drink water containing trihalomethanes in excess of the MCL over many years may experience problems with their liver, kidneys, or central nervous systems, and may have an increased risk of getting cancer.
4. The locational running annual average for all locations was 35.13 ppb for THM and 26.00 for THAA. This is not an immediate risk. For more information on potential health effects, you can call the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800-426-4791)
Additional Information
For more information about your drinking water, please call Rodger Phillips at the Cookeville Water Treatment Plant at 931-858-2646 or Matthew Phillips at the Department of Water Quality Control Business Office at 931-520-5362 or come by our offices between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.