2001 Drinking Water Quality Report
GREEN TREE RANGER STATION
We're pleased to present to you this Annual Water Quality Report. This report is designed to
inform you about the quality water delivered to you every day. We want you to understand the
quality of your drinking water and what we do to ensure that you receive good water. At the
Green Tree Ranger Station, Monty Maintenance is in charge of the day-to-day provision of
your water.
Your drinking water comes from ground water. The well on the Green Tree compound that
supplies your water is behind the Cedar Flats dorm. It is around 300 feet deep and can
produce around forty gallons of water a minute. Water is drawn from the well, chlorinated in
the control room inside the Cedar Flats dorm, and pumped to a 60,000 gallon storage tank on
the hill above the Station. It then flows by gravity to the homes and offices at the Ranger
Station as needed.
The State of Idaho is performing an assessment of our source water, including a map of
where it comes from underground (delineation), a map of nearby possible pollution sources
(sources of contamination), and a review of the chance for contamination (susceptibility).
This should be completed by July 1, 2003. If you would like to assist in this effort, let your
Ranger or the Forest Facilities Engineer know.
We're pleased to report that your drinking water is safe and meets federal and state
requirements.
If you have any questions about this report or concerning your water, please contact:
Charlie Civil, Forest Facilities Engineer
Blue River National Forest Supervisor's Office
(208) 999-1000
Route 2 Box 345
ccivil@fs.fed.us
Townville, ID 83000
Since your water is provided to you by the Forest Service, there is no water board, nor are
there water board meetings such as there would be if your water were provided by a
municipality or business. However, you are always welcome at any water manager's meeting
that may occur during the year. If you would like to attend, just tell Charlie and he will let you
know the next time a meeting is scheduled.
During recent years, we have sampled the water at Green Tree Ranger Station for over 80
different chemicals and have found very little contamination. Contamination is anything other
than pure water. We sample total coliform bacteria monthly as an indicator of
microorganisms that should not be present. We detected no coliform bacteria at all during
2000. The table below lists all the drinking water contaminants that we detected during the
2000 calendar year. We are not required to sample for every contaminant every year.
Where the testing year is other than 2000, it is shown in the table. 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 a health risk.
More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling
the Forest Facilities Engineer at the number above or the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency's Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).
In the table below, you may find some terms and abbreviations with which you are not
familiar. To help you better understand these terms we've provided the following definitions.
Other definitions are at the bottom of the table.
MCLG, or Maximum Contaminant Level Goal 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, or Maximum Contaminant Level 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.
is the concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment
or other requirements which a water system must follow.
AL or Action Level
TEST RESULTS
Violation
Regulated
Y/N
Level
Detected
Unit
Measurement
MCLG
MCL
Alpha emitters
Fluoride
no
no
0.4
0.86
(1998)
pCi/l
ppm
0
4
15
4
Lead
no
4
ppb
0
AL=15
Sodium
no
27.5
(1998)
ppm
no
standard
no
standard
Likely Source of Contamination
Erosion of natural deposits
Erosion of natural deposits; water
additive which promotes strong teeth;
discharge from fertilizer and aluminum
factories
Corrosion of household plumbing
systems, erosion of natural deposits
Natural deposits
ND or No Detect - laboratory analysis indicates that the constituent is not present.
ppm or milligrams per liter - one part per million corresponds to one minute in two years
or a
single penny in $10,000.
- one part per billion corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years, or a
single penny in $10,000,000.
pCi/L - picocuries per liter is a measure of the radioactivity in water.
ppb or micrograms per liter
As you can see by the table, the Green Tree Ranger Station water system had no violations.
Your drinking water meets or exceeds all Federal and State requirements, though some
constituents have been detected. The EPA has determined that your water IS SAFE at
these levels.
Sources of drinking water, both tap water and bottled water, originate as surface water
from rivers and lakes or as ground water from 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. Water picks up wastes from both human and animal
activities. Surface water must be carefully filtered to remove bacteria, viruses, and protozoa.
Ground water is usually filtered naturally.
Contaminants that may be present include:
Microbial contaminants such as bacteria, viruses, and protozoa are very small living
creatures that may be natural and harmless, or harmful if originating from septic systems,
agricultural livestock operations, or wildlife.
Inorganic contaminants such as heavy metals can be naturally occurring or result from urban
storm water runoff or industrial or domestic wastewater discharges.
Pesticides and herbicides may come from agricultural or residential uses.
Radioactive contaminants are naturally occurring.
Organic chemicals are usually man-made (synthetic) and vaporize easily (volatile).
Petroleum products and degreasers are examples of gas station and dry cleaner waste
transported by storm water or sewers.
Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general
population. Immuno-compromised persons such as people with cancer undergoing
chemotherapy, people who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or
other immune system disorders, some elderly people, 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 (800-426-4791).
The Environmental Protection Agency ensures that tap water is safe to drink by writing
regulations that limit both natural and man-made contaminants. Your water has been treated
according to both Idaho and EPA regulations. Interstate bottled water is regulated by the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
If you want to further protect yourself, remember that bacteria can grow on the end of your
faucet and lead can dissolve from your home plumbing. Flush your system by running your
water for about ten seconds or until cold before drinking.
Remember that you are encouraged to call the Forest Facilities Engineer with any questions
you may have about this report or concerning your water. Monte takes pride in providing top
quality water to every home and office on the Green Tree Ranger Station.