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TREATED, TESTED, SAFE The City of Peoria Utilities Department is committed to providing a safe, healthy, assured water supply to the community at a reasonable cost. City of Peoria drinking water is “treated, tested, and safe.” This is a phrase commonly used, but what does it mean to you as a consumer?
Tested – Over 200 tests are performed by plant operators each day, and several parameters are monitored continuously using state-of-the-art equipment, which notifies staff members of any deviances from acceptable conditions. Once the water leaves the water supply well or water treatment plant, samples are taken within the distribution system to ensure drinking water standards are maintained. The City of Peoria analyzed nearly 11,500 samples at 150 locations in 2004. Safe – Water safety is the primary concern of the Utilities Department. Safety is achieved by coordinating technology and qualified staff members to monitor production systems, sample the distribution system, and evaluate opportunities to continually enhance the program while minimizing cost to our customers. Water is treated and tested at groundwater wells and treatment plants and then monitored to ensure it remains safe on the way to your tap. Numerous chemical and biological analyses are conducted daily. A wide variety of compounds are monitored and tested for in your drinking water, in accordance with federal and state laws and local water quality guidelines.ARSENIC Arsenic is an element found naturally in rocks, water, plants, and animals. It is also used by industries as a wood preservative and in the manufacturing process of paints, drugs, dyes, soaps, metals, and semi-conductors. The current federal and state maximum contaminant level (MCL) for arsenic in drinking water is 50 parts per billion (ppb). Effective January 2006, the EPA will lower the MCL from 50 ppb to 10 ppb. In 2003, the Utilities Department determined that 7 of the City’s 25 groundwater wells had arsenic concentrations above the future MCL of 10 ppb. Various options to meet the new MCL by January 2006 are being investigated. ARSENIC MITIGATIONArsenic treatment technologies are rapidly changing. Compliance options for arsenic mitigation include blending, on-site treatment, and modification to current operations. Capital investment costs for on-site treatment may exceed one million dollars per site. In an attempt to reduce costly investments, the Utilities Department is evaluating how the water system is operated. The goal is to apply effective technology while minimizing the impact on customers. This approach will allow the Utilities Department to make a well-informed decision about arsenic mitigation.
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Treated – Since the City’s drinking water originates from
both groundwater and surface
water, two different treatment
methods are used. Water from
wells is chlorinated prior to
delivery. Surface water undergoes extensive treatment at either the Pyramid Peak or Greenway Water Treatment Plants (see map on page 10) to meet drinking water standards. These facilities use conventional and chemical treatment including chlorine dioxide or ozone to mitigate taste and odor and minimize disinfectant by-products.