City of Willcox
Annual Drinking Water Quality Report
2002

Introduction

    We’re pleased to provide you with this year’s Annual Drinking Water Quality Report. The City of Willcox wants to keep you informed about the excellent water and services we have delivered to you over the past year. Our goal is and always has been, to provide to you a safe and dependable supply of drinking water. We have a source water protection plan available from our office that provides more information such as potential sources of contamination.
    The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) and The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires the City of Willcox to regularly monitor and test the drinking water for contaminants. We take water samples in various locations for testing. We analyze the samples for such contaminants as coliform, nitrate/nitrite, and E. Coli. The City’s water is tested rigorously to assure all state and federal drinking water requirements are met.
    We want our valued customers to be informed about their water utility. If you want to learn more, please contact Lupe Perez, Utility Crew Leader at (520)384-4271.

The City of Willcox has one drinking water source, an aquifer located deep underground at the base of the Circle I Hills. With two wells tapping into this aquifer, the City’s demand for water is met. This aquifer is supplied by natural run-off from the surrounding mountains. After being pumped from the aquifer, the water is then stored in a 1.5 million gallon tank located on “W” Mountain.

All the ground water is disinfected with chlorine prior to being introduced to the City’s water system.

Willcox has an extensive Backflow Prevention Program which ensures the correct installation and maintenance of backflow devices at new connections to the water system. These backflow devices ensure that untreated water is not able to enter the City’s water distribution system.

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. Surface traveling water can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity.

Contaminants that may be present in source water include: 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, 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, urban storm water runoff, and residential uses; Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are by products of industrial processes and petroleum production, can also come from gas stations, urban storm water runoff, and septic systems; Radioactive contaminants can be naturally-occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.

All drinking water, including bottled drinking water, may be reasonably expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. It’s important to remember that the presence of these contaminants does not necessarily pose a health risk. More information can be obtained by calling the US EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800)426-4791.

The City of Willcox tests the drinking water for arsenic. While your drinking water meets EPA’s standard for arsenic, it does contain low levels of arsenic. EPA’s standard balances the current understanding of arsenic’s possible health effects against the costs of removing arsenic from drinking water. EPA continues to research the health effects of low levels of arsenic, which is a mineral known to cause cancer in humans at high concentrations and is linked to other health effects such as skin damage and circulatory problems.

In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. Food and Drug Administration 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 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 cryptospoidium and other microbiological contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800)426-4791.

Back to Top

Definitions: 

Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) - the “goal” is 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. 

Maximum Contaminant Level - The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCL’s are set as close to the MCLG feasible using the best available treatment technology. The Maximum Contaminant Level or MCL’s are set at very stringent levels. To understand the possible health effect described for many regulated contaminants, 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. 

mg/L - Milligrams per Liter 

pCi/L - Picocuries per liter is a measure of the radioactivity in water.

Coliforms - Bacteria that are naturally present in the environment and are used as an indicator that other potentially-harmful, bacteria may be present.

Fecal coliforms and E. coli - Bacteria whose presence indicates that the water may be contaminated with human or animal wastes. Microbes in these wastes can cause short-term effects, such as diarrea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. They may pose a special health risk for infants, young children, and people with severely-compromised immune systems

Nitrate plus Nitrite - Infants below the age of six months who drink water containing nitrate in excess of the MCL could become seriously ill and, if untreated, may die. Symptoms include shortness of breath and blue baby syndrome.

Nitrogen as Nitrate - Infants below the age of six months who drink water containing nitrate in excess of the MCL could become seriously ill and, if untreated, may die. Symptoms include shortness of breath and blue baby syndrome.

Arsenic - Some people who drink water containing arsenic in excess of the MCL over many years could experience skin damage or problems with their circulatory system, and may have an increased risk of getting cancer.