CITY OF CASCADE
CONSUMER CONFIDENCE REPORT – 2008
The City of Cascade provides its customers and the public with an annual water quality report in compliance with the
Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments; and to explain where Cascade’s water comes from, what it contains, and how it
compares to standards set by regulatory agencies. Any questions about this report or the water quality can be directed to
the City of Cascade at 563-852-3114.
The City’s water comes one or more groundwater aquifers. Well #5, located at Delong Avenue SE & Fox Street, is
950-feet depth and draws from the Jordan sandstone aquifer. Well #4, located at 7th Avenue SW & McKinley Street, is
240-feet in depth and draws from the Silurian limestone aquifer. Every aquifer has a degree of susceptibility to
contamination because of the characteristics of the aquifer, overlying maters, and human activity. Susceptibility to
contamination generally increases with shallower aquifers, increasing permeability of the aquifer and overlying
material, nearby development or agricultural activity, and abandoned or poorly maintained wells. The Silurian aquifer
is highly susceptible and the Jordan aquifer is not. Detailed evaluation of your source water was completed by the
Iowa Department of Natural Resources, and is available from this water supply. Water from both sources is treated
with gas chlorine for disinfection and hydrofluorosilicic acid for dental hygiene before it is pumped into the water
system.
The City of Cascade monitors the city drinking water for over 70 microbiological, radioactive, inorganic, synthetic
organic, and volatile-organic contaminates in according to Federal and State laws. Last year the City of Cascade
conducted more than 60 tests of the City’s drinking water. The table below shows detected contaminants and the
maximum contaminant level (MCL) allowed. This report is a snapshot of the quality of water the City of Cascade
provided last year January 1st to December 31st, 2008.
All drinking water, including bottled drinking water, may be reasonably expected to contain at least small amounts of
some contaminates. It is important to remember that the presence of these contaminates does not necessarily pose a
health risk. Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants than the general public. Immune-compromised
persons, such as chemotherapy patients, organ transplant recipients, HIV/AIDS persons, some elderly, and infants can
be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care
providers. EPA/CDC guideline’s on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other
microbial contaminates are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline 800-426-4791.
Sources of drinking water include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, and wells. As water travel over the surface
of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive mineral and
can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animal or from human activity.
There are several contaminates that may be present in source water before treatment. Microbial contaminants, such as
viruses and bacteria, may come from agricultural livestock operations, wildlife, sewage treatment plants, and septic
systems. Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, 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 may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture and residential uses. Radioactivity contaminates are
naturally occurring. Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile chemicals, are by-products of
industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas station, urban storm water runoff, and
septic systems.
If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant and young children. Lead
in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines in home plumbing. The
City of Cascade 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 at 1800-426-4791or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.
MONITORING VIOLATION OF THE WATER TESTING SCHEDULE
The City had a drinking water monitoring violation this past year. Even though it was not an emergency, as our
customers, you have a right to know what happened and what the City did to correct the situation. The Cascade
Municipal Water Supply is required to sample and test for Radionuclides-Gross Alpha once every 9 years. This
sampling was to occur the 3rd Quarter 2008, but no sample was collected and no test was completed. There is nothing
you need to do at this time. The City’s contracted laboratory testing facility did not send sample bottles; and by time
the city staff realized it, the sampling period had expired. A calendar of advanced sampling dates has been established
to ensure sample bottles are received from the laboratory testing facility in a timely manner. For more inform, please
contact Randy Lansing, City Administrator, at 563-852-3114.
SOURCE WATER PROTECTION
In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain
contaminates in water provided by public water systems. The City of Cascade treats its water according to EPA and
IDNR regulations. Food and Drug Administration regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water that
must provide the same protection for public health.
The City of Cascade obtains a portion of its water from the Cambrian-Ordovician aquifer - Well #4. The CambrianOrdovician aquifer was determined to be not susceptible to contamination because the characteristics of the aquifer and
overlying materials prevent easy access of contaminations to the aquifer. The Cascade Cambrian-Ordovician well will
not be susceptible to most contaminant sources, except those through pathways to the aquifer such as abandoned or
poorly maintained wells. A detailed evaluation of Cascade’s source water was completed by the Iowa Department of
Natural Resources, and is available from the Cascade Publicworks Superintendent, Paul McDermott at 563-852-3114.
WATER QUALITY DATA
The table below lists drinking water contaminates the City has detected. The presence of contaminants does not
necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk. Some of the data, though representative of the water quality, is
more than one year old. The State of Iowa allows the City to monitor for certain contaminants less than once per year
because the concentrations of contaminants do not vary significantly from year to year.
Nitrate in drinking water at levels above 10 ppm is a health risk for infants under six months of age. High nitrate levels
can cause blue baby syndrome. Nitrate levels may rise quickly for short periods because of rainfall or agricultural
activity. If you are caring for an infant, ask advice from your health care provider.
The City’s water quality testing and monitoring has detected some contaminants. However, none of the contaminants
exceeds the Federal and State maximum contaminant level thresholds. The City had no violations, and is proud that its
drinking water meets or exceeds all requirements. The EPA has determined Cascade’s water is safe at these levels.
Terms & abbreviations used below:
 Maximum Contaminant Level Goal - The “Goal” (MCLG) 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.
 Maximum Contaminant Level - The “Maximum Allowed” (MCL) 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.
 Action Level - the concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements
which a water system must foll0ow.
 N/A - not applicable. N/D - not detected limit.
 Parts per million (ppm) or Milligrams per liter (mg/l) - one part per million corresponds to one minute in two years
or a single penny in $10,000.
 Picocuries per liter (pCi/L) - picocuries per liter is a measure of the radioactivity in water.
 Parts per billion (ppb) or Micrograms per liter - one part per billion corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years, or a
single penny in $10,000,000.
TEST RESULTS
Contaminant
Sample
Date(s)
Violation
Y/N
Level
Detected
MCLG
MCL
Likely Source of Contamination
Barium (ppm)
4-11-05
No
.014
2
2
Naturally present in environment.
Combined Radium
(pCi/L)
Coliform Bacteria
4-15-08
No
2.3
0
5
Erosion of natural deposits.
1-1-08 to
12-31-08
No
Absent
0
1-1-07 to
12-31-08
6-1-04 to
9-30-06
1-1-08 to
12-31-08
No
4
No
.35 lowest
1.8 highest
.366
1.3
No
Absent
0
Fluoride (ppm)
4-11-05
No
.8
4
Lead (ppb) (90th percent)
6-1-04 to
9-30-06
6-1-04 to
9-30-06
1-1-08 to
12-31-08
No
5
0
No
9
0
No
9.2
10
No
1.0
N/A
Chlorine (ppm)
Copper (ppm)
Fecal Coliform & E.coli
Lead (ppb) 95th percent)
Nitrate (as N) (ppm)
Well #4
Radium-226
Presence of
Naturally present in the
bacteria in 5% of environment.
monthly samples
4
Water additive used to control
microbes.
1.3
Corrosion of household plumbing,
erosion of natural deposits.
Sample & repeat Human and animal fecal waste.
sample are total
coliform, & one
is fecal coliform
or E.coli.
4
Erosion of natural deposits; water
additive for strong teeth; discharge
from fertilizers & aluminum mfg.
15
Corrosion of household plumbing,
erosion of natural deposits.
15
Corrosion of household plumbing,
erosion of natural deposits.
10
Runoff from fertilizer use; leaching
from septic tanks, sewage; erosion of
natural deposits.
N/A
Erosion of natural deposits.
Sodium (ppm) Well #4
1-7-08
No
9.9
N/A
N/A
Erosion of natural deposits.
Sodium (ppm) Well #5
4-15-08
No
67.9
N/A
N/A
Erosion of natural deposit.
2,4-D (ppb)
4-1-07 to
3-31-08
No
1.0
79
70
Runoff from herbicide used on row
crops.