ANNUAL CONSUMER CONFIDENCE REPORT (CCR)
PERIOD: JANUARY 1, 2014 TO DECEMBER 31, 2014
TOWN OF HEMINGWAY WATER SYSTEM
SYSTEM ID. # 4510004
We are pleased to present to you this year’s annual CCR. This report is designed to inform you about
the quality of water and services we deliver to you every day. Our constant goal is to provide you with
a safe and dependable supply of drinking water. We want you to understand the efforts we make to
continually improve the water treatment process and protect our water resources. We are committed
to ensuring the quality of your water. Our water source is two groundwater wells, both of which are
tapped into the Middendorf Aquifer. The number 1 well located in the Industrial Park was drilled in
1968 and is 912 feet deep and produces approximately 650 gallons per minute. Our number two well
is located off of state highway #160 across from the Tupperware plant. This well was drilled in 1985
and is 890 feet deep and produces approximately 725 gallons per minute. The town also has a third
well located north of town off of highway 41/51 in the new Hemingway Commerce Center. This well
is 917 feet deep and produces water at a capacity of 750 gallons per minute.
This report shows our water quality and what it means. If you have any questions about this report or
your water utility, please contact the Hemingway Town Hall at 843-558-2824 Monday – Friday 8:00
a.m. – 5:00 p.m. The persons to contact are Mayor Grady Richardson, Town Administrator Joe
Lee or Public Works Director Ken Laster. We want you, our valued customer, to be informed
about our water utility. If you want to learn more please attend our regular council meetings, which
are held the second Thursday of each month at 6:00 p.m. in council chambers at the Hemingway Town
Hall.
The Town of Hemingway routinely monitors for contaminants in your drinking water according to
federal and state laws. As water travels over the land or underground, it can pick up substances or
contaminants such as microbes, inorganic and organic chemicals, and radioactive substances. All
drinking water, including bottled water, may be reasonably expected to contain at least small amounts
of some contaminants. It is important to remember that the presence of these contaminants does not
necessarily pose a health risk. I am pleased to report that our drinking water is safe and meets federal
and state requirements.
In this table you will find many terms and abbreviations you might not be familiar with. To help you
better understand these terms we've provided the following definitions:
Non-Detects (ND) - laboratory analysis indicates that the constituent is not present.
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.
Variances & Exemptions (V&E) - State or EPA permission not to meet an MCL or a treatment
technique under certain conditions.
Action Level - the concentration of a contaminant that, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other
requirements that a water system must follow.
Highest Level Detected (HDL)- maximum amount found in any one sample
Treatment Technique (TT) - (mandatory language) A treatment technique is a required process
intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.
Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) - (mandatory language) 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.
Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) - (mandatory language) 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 Residual Disinfectant Level (MRDL) – (mandatory language) The highest level of a
disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is
necessary for control of microbial contaminants.
Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal (MRDLG) – (mandatory language) 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 contaminants.
All sources of drinking water are subject to potential contamination by substances that
are naturally occurring or man made. These substances can be microbes, inorganic or
organic chemicals and radioactive substances. All 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 the water
poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can
be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water
Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.
MCL’s are set at very stringent levels. To understand the possible health effects
described for many regulated constituents, a person would have to drink 2 liters of water
every day at the MCL level for a lifetime to have a one-in-a-million chance of having the
described health effect.
If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for
pregnant women and young children. Lead in drinking water primarily from materials
and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. The Town of
Hemingway 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 drinking water, you may wish to have your water tested.
Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps to minimize exposure is
available from Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.
In our continuing efforts to maintain a safe and dependable water supply, it may be necessary to
make improvements in our water system. The costs of these improvements may be reflected in
the rate structure. Rate adjustments may be necessary in order to address these improvements.
A copy of the Town of Hemingway’s Source Water Assessment Plan may obtained from
the SCDHEC web site at
http://www.scdhec.gov/HomeAndEnvironment/Water/SourceWaterProtection/
ID#4510004 or a copy is available at the Town Hall.
Thank you for allowing us to continue providing your family with clean, quality water
this year. In order to maintain a safe and dependable water supply we sometimes need to
make improvements that will benefit all of our customers. These improvements are
sometimes reflected as rate structure adjustments. Thank you for understanding.
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, 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 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).
Please call our office if you have questions.
Regulated Contaminants
Disinfectants
and
Disinfection
By-Products
Chlorine
Haloacetic
Acids
(HAA5)
Collection
Date
Highest
Level
Detected
Range of
Levels
Detected
MCL
G
MCL
Units
Violation
Likely Source
of
Contamination
2014
1
0-1
MRD
L=4
ppm
N
2014
8
10.522.62
MRD
LG =
4
No
goal
for
the
total
60
ppb
N
Water additive
used to control
microbes.
By-Product of
drinking water
disinfection
Not all sample results may have been used for calculating the Highest Level Detected
because some results may be part of an evaluation to determine where compliance
sampling should occur in the future.
Haloacetic
Acids
(HAA5)*
2014
8
10.522.62
No goal
for the
total
60
ppb
N
By-product
of drinking
water
disinfection.
Not all sample results may have been used for calculating the Highest Level Detected
because some results may be part of an evaluation to determine where compliance
sampling should occur in the future
Total
Trihalomethanes (TThm)
2014
48
63.21122.2
No
goal
for the
total
80
ppb
N
By-Product of
drinking
water
disinfection.
Not all sample results may have been used for calculating the Highest Level Detected
because some results may be part of an evaluation to determine where compliance
sampling should occur in the future.
Total
Trihalomethanes
(TTHM)
2014
48
63.21122.2
No goal
for the
total
80
ppb
N
By-Product
of drinking
water
disinfection.
Not all sample results may have been used for calculating the Highest Level Detected
because some results may be part of an evaluation to determine where compliance
sampling should occur in the future.
Inorganic
Contaminants
Collection
Date
Fluoride
Nitrate
[measured as
Nitrogen]
Range of
Levels
Detected
1.7 – 1.8
MCL
G
MCL
Units
Violations
9/13/2012
Highest
Level
Detected
1.8
4
4.0
ppm
N
2014
0.34
0 – 0.34
10
10
ppm
N
Likely Source
of
Contamination
Erosion of
natural
deposits;
Water additive
which
promotes
strong teeth;
Discharge
from fertilizer
and aluminum
factories.
Runoff from
fertilizer use/
Leaching from
septic tanks,
sewage;
Erosion of
natural
deposits.
Lead and Copper
Definitions:
Action Level Goal (ALG): The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which
there is no known or expected risk to health. ALGs allow for a margin of safety.
Action Level: The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment
or other requirements which a water system must follow.
Lead
and
Copper
Date
Sampled
MCLG
Action
Level
(AL)
90th
Percentile
# Sites
Over
AL
Units
Violation
Likely Source
of
Contamination
Copper
9/14/2012
1.3
1.3
0.23
0
ppm
N
Erosion of
natural
deposits;
Corrosion of
household
plumbing
systems.
Water Quality Test Results
Maximum Contaminant Level Goal or 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 or 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.
Maximum residual disinfectant level goal or MRDLG: The highest level of a disinfectant
allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a
disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants.
Maximum residual disinfectant lever or MRDL: The highest level or a disinfectant
allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a
disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants.
Avg: Regulatory compliance with some MCLs are based on running annual average of
monthly samples.
ppm: Milligrams per liter or parts per million – or one ounce in 7,350 gallons of water.
ppb: Micrograms per liter or parts per billion – or one ounce in 7,350,000 gallons of
water.
na: not applicable.
Definitions: The following tables contain scientific terms and measures, some of which
may require explanation.