The watershed (the region draining into a river, river system,
or other body of water) of the North Canadian River includes farm and cattle land.
Nutrients from fertilizers and organisms from cattle waste require a special
treatment design. The nutrients provide food for algae growth in the lake,
which causes taste and odor. Water treatment at the Hefner plant was designed to address these issues through the use of ozonation and special carbon filters.
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Water from the Draper Water Treatment Plant comes from Lake Atoka
and McGee Creek reservoirs in southeastern Oklahoma. This water travels more than 100
miles through a 60-inch diameter pipeline that was constructed nearly 50 years ago.
The Atoka area is not industrialized, and the water pumped into Lake Stanley Draper is
of excellent quality. It is, however, less clear than other sources due to the natural
red dirt. Thus, the Draper plant was designed to focus on clarification.
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All Drinking Water May Contain Contaminants
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The sources of drinking water nationwide 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 can be polluted by animals or human activity. Thus, we may
reasonably expect our drinking water (including bottled water) to contain at
least small amounts of some substances. The presence of these substances does
not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk. Remember, the
City of Oklahoma City treats and filters all the water from reservoirs
according to Federal and State standards to remove any possible harmful contaminants.
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Contaminants You Might Find in RAW (untreated) Water:
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Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria;
inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals;
pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a
variety of sources such as agriculture, storm water
runoff and residential uses; organic chemicals from
industrial or petroleum use; and radioactive materials,
which can be naturally occurring.
EPA prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants
in water provided by public water systems to ensure that tap water is safe to drink. The Food and Drug Administration regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water, which must provide the same protection for public health.
Contaminants may be found in drinking water that may cause taste, color, or odor problems. These types of problems are not necessarily causes for health concerns.
More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791. Information is also available on the EPA web site on Drinking Water and Ground Water at http://www.epa.gov/safewater
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Source Water Assessment
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The Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1996 require states to
develop and implement Source Water Assessment and Protection Programs to
analyze existing and potential threats to the quality of public drinking water. Copies of these reports for Lakes Draper, Hefner and Overholser are available to the public.
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| MRDL | Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbiazl contaminants. Compliance with the MRDL is calculated as a Running Annual Average (RAA).
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| MRDLG |
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 contamination.
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RAA |
Running Annual Average Average of last 12 months or last 4 quarters that facility is in operation.
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AL |
Action Level
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TT |
Treatment Technique A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.
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NTU |
Nephelometric Turbidity Units (a measure of clarity)
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pCi/L |
picocuries per liter
(a measure of radioactivity)
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ppm |
parts per million or milligrams per liter (mg/L)
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ppb |
part per billion or micrograms per liter (ul/L)
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CFU |
Colony Forming Units
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< |
less than
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> |
greater than
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Denotations
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*Nitrite-Nitrate Note: Measured as the sum of Nitrate-N and Nitrite-N
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**Total Organic Carbon Note:
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Total organic carbon (TOC) has no health effects; however, total organic carbon provides a medium for the formation of disinfection byproducts. These byproducts include trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs). Drinking water containing these byproducts in excess of the MCL (Maximum Contaminant Level)
may lead to adverse health effects. TOC compliance is based on the percent TOC removed, not the total amount present. The starting TOC at the Draper Treatment facility is low, therefore, the potential for formation of THMs and HAAs is low. The THM and HAA values for the Draper Treatment facility are below the MCL, which is currently considered a safe level for these disinfection byproducts.
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Monitoring Frequency Note: The State allows us to monitor for some contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations do not change frequently. Some of our data, though representative, are more than one year old.
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No Fecal Coliforms or E.Coli detected in 2,770 tests in 2006.
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Questions?
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| By industry and EPA standards, this report is good news. Nevertheless, if you read something that is confusing or unclear, please call |
Todd Brewer, Ph.D., P.E.
(405) 749-3070
todd.brewer@okc.gov
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The Oklahoma City Water Utilities Trust
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The Oklahoma City Water Utilities Trust (OCWUT) was established in 1960 and, today, works to ensure utility customers receive high quality water and wastewater services.
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Trustees
Mick Cornett, Mayor
Pete White, City Councilman
Patrick J. Ryan, P.E., City Councilman
James D. Couch, P.E., City Manager
James Thompson, P.E., Assistant City Manager
Carl E. Edwards, Jr., Citizen Trustee
Cody Graves, Citizen Trustee
Marsha Slaughter, P.E., General Manager
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Meetings and Numbers
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OCWUT meets at 2 p.m., the first and third Tuesday of every month, and City Council meets every Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. Both meet in City Council chambers, 3rd floor, 200 N. Walker Avenue, Oklahoma City.
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