7214 Washington Pike Corryton, TN  37721 

(865)687-5345

Serving Northeast Knox Residents

 since 1959

ANNUAL DRINKING WATER QUALITY REPORT

2008

 Safe and Dependable Water

Northeast Knox Utility District is pleased to present to its customers this years Water Quality Report. This report is designed to inform the customer about the quality water and services Northeast Knox Utility District delivers to the customer everyday, and is prepared in cooperation with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Division of Water Supply.  Northeast Knox Utility District's goal is to provide the customer a safe and dependable supply of drinking water.  The utility is again proud of the fact that it has met state and federal drinking water standards. 

Northeast Knox Utility District will be making improvements to the distribution system in the near future to better serve you. 

 Northeast Knox Utility District is committed to ensuring the quality of its customers water and would like its customers to be informed about their water quality. We Ask our customers to please make sure a cut-off valve is installed on your line.  We also ask that you use care not to damage the automated meter and equipment. 

If you have any questions concerning this report please call Gregg Morgan at 687-5345 or Jamie Smith at 525-0782.  Northeast Knox Utility District's Board of Commissioners meetings are held at its office at 7214 Washington Pike on the 4th Monday of each month, starting at 8:30AM.  Please feel free to participate in these meetings.

 Vacancies on the Board of Commissioners of the Northeast Knox Utility District are filled by the certification of a list of three nominees to fill the vacancy with the Knox County Mayor. The Knox County Mayor appoints one of these three nominees to fill the vacancy. If the Knox County Mayor does not appoint one of the nominees from the Board's list of three nominees, the Knox County Mayor enters an order rejecting the three nominees. The Board of Commissioners continues to certify additional lists of three nominees to the Knox County Mayor until an appointment is made from such additional lists. Decisions by the Board of Commissioners on customer complaints brought before the Board of Commissioners under the District's customer complaint policy may be reviewed by the Utility Management Review Board of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservations pursuant to Section 7-82-707(7) of Tennessee Code Annotated.

                                                                                              Richard C. Phillips

                                                                                              General Manager

The following Water Quality Data table shows the results of Northeast Knox Utility District's monitoring for the period of January 1, thru December 31, 2008.  In the table the customer will find many terms and abbreviations.  To help better understand these terms Northeast Knox Utility District has provided the following definitions.

Turbidity - Turbidity does not present any risk to your health.  We monitor turbidity, which is a measure of the cloudiness of water, because it is a good indicator that our filtration system is functioning properly.

(nd) - non-detects - laboratory analysis indicates that the constituent is not present.

(ppm) - parts per million or (mg/1) milligrams per liter - one part per million corresponds to one minute in 2 years or a single penny in $10,000.

(ppb) - parts per billion or micrograms per liter - 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 -  A measure of radioactivity in water.

(mrem/yr) - millirems per year - a measure of radiation absorbed by the body.

(MFL) - million fibers per liter - A measure of the presence of asbestos fibers that are no longer than 10 micrometers.

(NTU) - Nephelometric Turbidity Unit - A measure of the clarity of water.  Turbidity of 5NTU is just noticeable to the average person.

(AL) - Action Level - The concentration which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which water systems must follow.

(TT) - Treatment Technique - A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.

(MCL) - Maximum Contaminant Level – or the highest level of contaminant that is allowed in drinking water.  MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology.

(MCLG) - Maximum Contaminant Level Goal - The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health.  MCLG's allow for a margin of safety.

(MRDLG) - Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal, or 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, or the level of disinfectant allowed in drinking water.  There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for the control of microbial contaminants.   

(BDL) - Below Detectable Limit

(P/A) - Presence or Absence of a Contaminant

Unless otherwise noted the data presented in this table is from sampling performed during the 2008 calendar year

 About the data:  Northeast Knox Utility District monitors for some contaminants less than once per year, and for those contaminants, the date of the last sample is shown in the table.

245 bacteria samples were taken in the Northeast Knox Utility District distribution system.  One Sample was reported positive for Total Coliform, a bacteria that is naturally present in the environment and is used as an indicator that other, potentially harmful bacteria may be present.

Northeast Knox Utility District monitored regulated and unregulated volatile organic chemicals four separate quarters throughout the calendar year 2008. All results are within compliance level or below detectable levels.

Northeast Knox Utility District has been granted waivers for all synthetic organic monitoring by the state except atrazine, which was sampled in 2008 and found to be <0.1 ppb with the MCL set at 3.0 ppb.

18 Inorganics sampled in 2008 were below detectable limits.

 All sample records, including regulated, unregulated, special unregulated chemical monitoring, special chemical monitoring, and any other water quality reports, are available for viewing during normal business hours with an appointment.

What is the source of my water?

Your water, which is surface water, comes from the Holston River.  Our goal is to protect the water from contaminants and we are working with the State to determine the vulnerability of our water source to potential contamination.  The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) has prepared a Source Water Assessment Program (SWAP) Report  for the untreated water source serving this water system.  The SWAP Report assesses the susceptibility of untreated water sources to potential contamination.  To ensure safe drinking water, all public water systems treat and routinely test their water.  Water sources have been rated as reasonably susceptible, moderately susceptible or slightly susceptible based on geologic factors and human activities in the vicinity of the water source.  The Northeast Knox Utility District Water System source is rated as reasonably susceptible to potential contamination.

 An explanation of Tennessee's Source Water Assessment Program, the Source Water Assessment summaries, susceptibility scorings and the overall TDEC report to EPA can be viewed online at www.state.tn.us/environment/dws/dwassess.php or you can call TDEC EAC at 1-888-891-8332 or you may contact the Water System to obtain copies of specific assessments.

Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants.  Community water systems are required to disclose the detection of contaminants; however, bottled water companies are not required to comply with this regulation.  The presence of contaminates does not necessarily indicate that 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 (800-426-4791).

The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, 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, can be picked up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity.  Contaminants that may be present in source water:

·  Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife. 

·  Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally-occurring of result from urban stormwater runoff, industrial, or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming.

·  Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and residential uses.

·  Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals which are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff, and septic systems.

·  Radioactive contaminants , which can be naturally-occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.

In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA and Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation prescribe regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by the public water systems.  FDA regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health.

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 under-gone 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 not only their drinking water, but food preparation, personal hygiene, and precautions in handling infants and pets 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 State and EPA require Northeast Knox Utility District to test and report on its water on a regular basis to ensure safety.  Northeast Knox Utility District has met all of these requirements and would like the customer to know we observe all the rules and regulations set forth by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and the EPA.  Northeast Knox Utility District scored a 100 on its most recent sanitary survey by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation..

Northeast Knox Utility District works around the clock to provide top quality water to every tap.  The utility asks that all its customers help to protect the water sources, which are the heart of the community, the way of life, and the children's future.