Bear River Regional Joint Powers Board (BRRJBP)
2012 Annual Water Quality Report
BRRJPB is a consecutive water system to the City of Evanston
Is my water safe?
We are pleased to present to you this year’s Annual Water Quality Report (Consumer Confidence Report) as
required by the Safe Drinking Water Act (SWDA). This report is on the quality of last year’s water. This
report is designed to inform you, the consumer, about your water. Where it comes from, what it contains,
and how it compares to the water standards set forth by regulatory agencies. The more knowledge our
customers have the more help they are to the BRRJPB.
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
Water These
Conservation
infants can be particularly at risk from infections.
people shouldTips
seek advice about drinking water
from their
health
care
providers.
EPA/Centers
for
Disease
Control
(CDC)
appropriate means to
The average water consumption for a US household is 50-70 gallons perguidelines
person per on
day.
lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe
Let’s all do
our part(800-426-4791).
to save water!!
Water Drinking
Hotline
 Switch
to an
ultra come
low-flow
showerhead. This could save you as much as 2.5 gallons every minute you shower.
Where
does my
water
from?
Ourwater
source
consists
of surface
water
drawn
from the Bear River. Occasionally the water is
Take
shorter
showers—try
to keep
it under
5 minutes.
supplemented by drawing water from Sulphur Creek Reservoir. More detailed monitoring information can be
 Install
ultra-low-flush
place a plastic
bottle
filled with water or sand in your toilet tank to reduce the
accessed
by contacting
the toilets
City oforEvanston
at (307)
789-2906
amount
of
water
used
in
each
flush.
Why are there contaminants in my drinking water?
Drinking
including
bottled
water,
may
reasonably
be expected
to contain
at least
amounts
 Putwater,
dye tablets
or food
coloring
in your
toilet
tank and wait
to see if the
color appears
in small
the bowl
(withoutof
some contaminants.
The presence
contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health
flushing). If it does,
you have of
a leak!
risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the
 Check toProtection
assure thatAgency's
your toilet's
flapper
valve
doesn’t Water
stay open
after flushing.
Environmental
(EPA)
Safe
Drinking
Hotline
(800-426-4791).
 When taking a bath, start filling the tub with the drain already plugged instead of waiting first for the water to
Additional
Information for Lead
get warm. Adjust the temperature as the tubs begins to fill.
If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and
young
Lead in
primarily
fromand
materials
and
components
associated with service
 children.
Turn the faucet
off drinking
while youwater
shave,isbrush
your teeth
lather up
your
hands.
lines and home plumbing. City of Evanston is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but
 Don’t use the toilet as a garbage can. Place a trash can next to the toilet and use it instead.
cannot
control the variety of materials used in plumbing components. When your water has been sitting for
several
hours,
canrazor
minimize
thesink
potential
for lead
by flushing
your of
taprinsing
for 30inseconds
to 2
 Buy
an you
electric
or fill the
with a little
waterexposure
to rinse your
razor, instead
running water.
minutes before using water for drinking or cooking. If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may
shortwater
shower
instead
of a bath. While
a five
minute shower
a 12methods,
to 25 gallons,
full tub
requires
wish to Take
have ayour
tested.
Information
on lead
in drinking
water,uses
testing
and asteps
you
can
about
70
gallons.
take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.
 If you wash dishes by hand, fill one half of the sink with soapy water and the other with clean water instead of
letting the water run.

Place a pitcher of water in the refrigerator instead of letting the tap run to get a cool drink.

Water your houseplants with water saved from washing your fruits and vegetables, waiting for the water to
warm up, or even when you clean your fish tank!

Select one glass to use for drinking each day. If you do this, your dishwasher will take longer to fill up and it will
Water Quality Data Table
The table below lists all of the drinking water contaminants that we detected during the calendar year of
this report. Many more contaminants were tested for, but only the ones found are on the data table. The
presence of contaminants in the water does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk. All
sources of drinking water contain some naturally occurring contaminants. At low levels, these substances
are generally not harmful. Unless otherwise noted, the data presented in this table is from testing done in
the calendar year of the report. The EPA or the State requires us to monitor for certain contaminants less
than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants do not change frequently.
Contaminants
MCLG
or
MRDLG
MCL,
TT, or
MRDL
Your
Water
Range
Low High
Sample
Date
Violation
Typical Source
Disinfectants & Disinfection By-Products
(There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants.)
Haloacetic Acids
(HAA5) (ppb)
Total Organic Carbon
(% Removal)
TTHMs [Total
Trihalomethanes] (ppb)
Inorganic Contaminants
Barium (ppm)
NA
60
19.8
17.8
NA
TT
55.26
NA
NA
80
26.8
14.9
2
2
0.2
MPL
3.2
Sodium (optional)
(ppm)
Microbiological Contaminants
49.65
2012
No
2012
No
2012
No
NA
2012
No
NA
2012
No
43.9
By-product of drinking water
chlorination
Naturally present in the
environment
By-product of drinking water
disinfection
Discharge of drilling wastes;
Discharge from metal
refineries; Erosion of natural
deposits
Erosion of natural deposits;
Leaching
Turbidity (NTU)
NA
0.3
100
NA
2012
No
Soil runoff
100% of the samples were below the TT value of 0.3. A value less than 95%
A value
less single
than 95%
constituteswas
a TT
violation.
The
highest
measurement
0.29.
Any measurement in excess of 1 is a violation unless otherwise approved by the state.
MCLG
AL
Your
Water
Sample
Date
# Samples
Exceeding AL
Exceeds
AL
1.3
1.3
0.105
2012
0
No
0
15
.00085
2012
0
No
Contaminants
Typical Source
Inorganic Contaminants
Copper - action level at
consumer taps (ppm)
Lead - action level at
consumer taps (ppb)
Corrosion of household
plumbing systems; Erosion of
natural deposits
Corrosion of household
plumbing systems; Erosion of
natural deposits
As you can see by the table, our system had no Maximum Contaminant Level violations. We’re proud that your drinking water
meets or exceeds all Federal and State requirements.
Unit Descriptions
Term
Ppm
Ppb
NTU
positive samples/month
NA
ND
NR
Definition
ppm: parts per million, or milligrams per liter (mg/L)
ppb: parts per billion, or micrograms per liter (µg/L)
NTU: Nephelometric Turbidity Units. Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness of the water.
We monitor it because it is a good indicator of the effectiveness of our filtration system.
positive samples/month: Number of samples taken monthly that were found to be positive
NA: not applicable
ND: Not detected
NR: Monitoring not required, but recommended.
Important Drinking Water Definitions
Term
Definition
MCLG
MCLG: Maximum Contaminant Level Goal: 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
TT
AL
Variances and Exemptions
MRDLG
MRDL
MNR
MPL
MCL: Maximum Contaminant Level: 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.
TT: Treatment Technique: A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in
drinking water.
AL: Action Level: The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or
other requirements which a water system must follow.
Variances and Exemptions: State or EPA permission not to meet an MCL or a treatment
technique under certain conditions.
MRDLG: Maximum residual disinfection level goal. 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.
MRDL: Maximum residual disinfectant level. 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.
MNR: Monitored Not Regulated
MPL: State Assigned Maximum Permissible Level
How do you get involved?
If you would like to learn more about the water system that serves you, Please feel free to come to a scheduled monthly Board
meeting. They are held the first Thursday of every month at 5:30 PM at Bear River Town Hall. (81 Elk Dr., Bear River)
For more information please contact:
Dave Dasher
81 Elk Dr.
Bear River, WY 82930
(307) 789-2800
ddasher@nglconnection.net
Water Conservation Tips
The average water consumption for a US household is 50-70 gallons per person per day.
Let’s all do our part to save water!!

Switch to an ultra low-flow showerhead. This could save you as much as 2.5 gallons every minute you shower.

Take shorter showers—try to keep it under 5 minutes.

Install ultra-low-flush toilets or place a plastic bottle filled with water or sand in your toilet tank to reduce the amount of water used in each
flush.

Put dye tablets or food coloring in your toilet tank and wait to see if the color appears in the bowl (without flushing). If it does, you have a
leak!

Check to assure that your toilet's flapper valve doesn’t stay open after flushing.

When taking a bath, start filling the tub with the drain already plugged instead of waiting first for the water to get warm. Adjust the
temperature as the tubs begins to fill.

Turn the faucet off while you shave, brush your teeth and lather up your hands.

Don’t use the toilet as a garbage can. Place a trash can next to the toilet and use it instead.

Buy an electric razor or fill the sink with a little water to rinse your razor, instead of rinsing in running water.

Take a short shower instead of a bath. While a five minute shower uses a 12 to 25 gallons, a full tub requires about 70 gallons.

If you wash dishes by hand, fill one half of the sink with soapy water and the other with clean water instead of letting the water run.

Place a pitcher of water in the refrigerator instead of letting the tap run to get a cool drink.

Water your houseplants with water saved from washing your fruits and vegetables, waiting for the water to warm up, or even when you
clean your fish tank!

Select one glass to use for drinking each day. If you do this, your dishwasher will take longer to fill up and it will not need to be run as
frequently.

Thaw foods in the refrigerator or in a bowl of hot water instead of using running water.

Let your pots and pans soak instead of letting the water run while you clean them.

Purchase an instant water heater for your kitchen sink so you don’t waste water while it heats up.

Scrape the food on your dishes into the garbage instead of using water to rinse it down the disposal.

Perform an annual maintenance check on your evaporative (swamp) cooler. Check for and fix any leaks you find.

Wash only full loads in your washing machine, or adjust the water level to reflect the size of the load.

Pay attention to your water bill and become familiar with your water meter—use them to track your water use and detect leaks.

Purchase appliances that offer water- and energy-efficient cycle options.

Fix leaky plumbing fixtures, faucets and appliances in the house.

Show children how to turn off the faucets completely after each use.

Locate your master water shut-off valve so that water can be saved if a pipe bursts.

Install aerators on every faucet. This could save you as much as 1 gallon every minute you use them.

Be aware! Listen for drips and leaks around the house.