# 1 in Quality!

understanding the data...

The tables below show the actual results of your drinking water after the treatment process and compare them with contaminant level limits and goals set by the EPA to ensure your tap water is safe. The test results are for the calendar year of 2000. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations establish those limits in bottled water to provide the same protection for public health.

All contaminants are tested by Little Rock Municipal Water Works except: Coliform; Lead; Copper.

Definitions

Maximum Contaminant Level Goal(MCLG)-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.

Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) - 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.

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

Parts per million (ppm) - Equivalent to adding one pound of a contaminant to 999,999 pounds of water (about 120,000 gallons).

Parts per billion (ppb) - Equivalent to adding one pound of a contaminant to 999,999,999 pounds of water (about 120,000,000 gallons).

None Detected (ND) - Laboratory analysis indicates that the contaminant is not present.

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

Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU) - The measure of the clarity of water; turbidity in excess of five NTU is just barely noticeable to the average person.

Picocuries per liter (pCi/L) - The measure of radioactivity in water.

RAA - Running Annual Average

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

message

from your Commission Chair

In 1996, Congress passed amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act requiring water systems to provide customers with an annual detailed report on the quality of their drinking water. The North Little Rock Water Commission supports this new legislation and we look forward to sharing this information with you.

The North Little Rock Water Department's receipt of the EPA Environmental Excellence Award twice over the past six years, along with its vision and the commitment of its dedicated employees, help assure the delivery of safe drinking water to each of your homes and businesses.

 

Francille Turbyfill

Commission Chair

why did I

receive this report?

The purpose of this report is to provide information to our customers about the quality of our drinking water and the potential health risks, if any, associated with any detected contaminants.

In this report, we attempt to provide you with information we hope you will find useful and educational. It contains comprehensive definitions of terms, specific language requirements, tables of water quality data and other pertinent information to enable water users to better understand the quality of the product they consume. Please read this information carefully. If you have any questions regarding this report or this water utility, please contact Danny Rye, our Customer Service Manager, at (501) 834-8900. We also encourage you to attend our Board of Water Commissioners' meeting held on the last Thursday of each month at 1:00 p.m. at our Administration Building located at 1500 West Maryland Avenue here in North Little Rock.

It is important to understand that the treatment process our water undergoes makes it far safer than most water supplies in the world. 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 EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791.

Sources of drinking water (including 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 in a water source may include:

•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 residential uses.

• Organic chemicals, which are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production or gas stations, urban storm water runoff and septic systems.

• Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally-occurring or the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.

where does my

water come from?

The North Little Rock Water Department purchases its drinking water from the Little Rock Municipal Water Works which uses surface water from Lake Maumelle, Lake Winona and Jackson Reservoir. Lake Maumelle is located on Arkansas Highway 10, approximately 10 miles west of Little Rock city limits inside Pulaski County. Lake Winona is located approximately five miles west of the City of Paron on Lake Winona Road, inside Saline County. Jackson Reservoir is located on Cantrell Road between Reservoir Park and Reservoir Road within the city limits of Little Rock. Water from all the sources is used throughout the North Little Rock Water Department’s distribution system.

 

is my drinking

water safe?

YES! In every area, your drinking water falls within guidelines set by both the Arkansas Department of Health and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The water we provide is safe for the mass majority of consumers.

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 and some elderly and infants can be particularly at risk for infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. USEPA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791.

 

for more

information

Fred Glover, General Manager
North Little Rock Water Dept.
1500 West Maryland Avenue
North Little Rock, AR 72120

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