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2020 LONGMONT
DRINKING WATER
QUALITY REPORT
YOUR WATER!
The City of Longmont is pleased to
present the 2020 Drinking Water
Quality Report. Inside you will find
information about Longmont’s
drinking water and results of the most
recent tests that were done on the
drinking water.
The City of Longmont is proud to report we did not have any drinking water violations last year.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
If you prefer to receive this report in printed format, please call 303-651-8416.
WHERE LONGMONT
LONGMONT
BEFORE TREATMENT?
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 materials, and can
pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity.
LONGMONT’S WATER?
Longmont is fortunate to have high quality water occur. The assessment results are provided as a starting
sources that originate in mountain watersheds. The point for public water systems to evaluate potential
North St. Vrain Creek watershed is mainly wilderness contaminant risks.
and is affected only by naturally occurring elements.
The City collects and tests samples of water throughout
Water from the South St. Vrain Creek may be impacted
the watershed as part of its watershed monitoring
by runoff from abandoned mines. The watersheds that
program. Monitoring locations include reservoirs,
feed the C-BT project may contain contaminants related
St. Vrain Creek and major tributaries. The watershed
to recreation, wastewater treatment plant effluents
monitoring program provides important information
and runoff from pastures. St. Vrain Creek below Lyons
on Longmont’s drinking water sources and assesses the
is transferred to the treatment plants by irrigation
quality of water throughout the watershed. Information
ditches and can be affected by agricultural and livestock
on the water sources and upper watershed can be used
activities.
to help with the operation of the City’s water treatment
In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the plants to maintain our high quality drinking water.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prescribes Longmont is also participating in watershed monitoring
regulations which limit the amount of certain that is being coordinated by the Northern Colorado
contaminants in water provided by Longmont and Water Conservancy District (NCWCD) to evaluate test
other public water systems. The City’s treatment plants methods and levels of emerging contaminants such
reduce any contaminants in the source waters to levels as pharmaceuticals, pesticides, hormones, etc. in
that meet, and usually surpass, all Federal and State our drinking water sources. More information on the
requirements. NCWCD study can be obtained from NCWCD at
http://www.northernwater.org.
A Source Water Assessment Report for the City
of Longmont has been prepared by the Colorado
Department of Public Health and Environment
(CDPHE). A copy of the report can be obtained by
calling 303-651-8416 or by accessing the SWAP
website at https://www.colorado.gov/cdphe/
source-water-assessment-and-protection-swap.
The Source Water Assessment Report is a screening-
level evaluation of the likelihood that a potential
contamination problem could occur, not an indication
that potential contamination has occurred or will
Probable Source of
Contaminant Range of Levels MCL MCLG
Contaminant
Inorganic and Physical
Discharge of drilling wastes; Discharge from
Barium1 0.01 ppm 2 ppm 2 ppm
metal refineries; Erosion of natural deposits
Added during treatment to promote strong
Fluoride1 0.64 ppm 4 ppm 4 ppm
teeth
0.017 to 0.084 NTU 1.0 NTU and more than Not
Turbidity2 Soil runoff
100% of samples <0.3 NTU 95% of samples <0.3 NTU Applicable
Runoff from fertilizer use; Leaching from septic
Nitrate (NO3) <0.10 ppm 10 ppm 10 ppm
tanks, sewage; Erosion of natural deposits
Bacteria and Microorganisms
Treatment technique used to
Present in 0 samples out of 1,311 Not
Total Coliform Bacteria trigger follow-up assessments Naturally present in the environment
Applicable
of the water system.
E. coli Bacteria Not Detected 0% Present Human and animal waste
Disinfection and Disinfection Byproducts
0.29 to 1.31 ppm 4 ppm
Chlorine3 4 ppm (MRDL) Added during treatment for disinfection
Max Monthly Average= 0.85 ppm (MRDLG)
13.5 to 23.8 ppb
Total Haloacetic Acids 60 ppb 0 ppb Byproduct of drinking water chlorination
Max LRAA= 20.3 ppb
21.2 to 42.6 ppb
Total Trihalomethanes 80 ppb 0 ppb Byproduct of drinking water chlorination
Max LRAA= 35.8 ppb
Radioactivity
Alpha Emitters1 0.6 pCi/L 15 pCi/L 0 pCi/L Erosion of natural deposits
Combined Radium
0.2 pCi/L 5 pCi/L 0 pCi/L Erosion of natural deposits
(226+228)1
Total Organic Carbon
Source Water: 2.29 to 4.65 ppm
Average= 3.28 ppm
TOC is a measure of the effectiveness of a treatment
Total Organic Carbon Treated Water: 1.17 to 1.92 ppm
technique used by the water treatment plant to Naturally present in the environment
(TOC) Average= 1.46 ppm
remove organic material.4
Removal: 33.6% to 67.1%
Average= 54.5%
Contaminant Range of Levels Action Level (AL) MCLG Probable Source of Contaminant
90th percentile= 1.4 ppb Lead and copper in drinking water mainly comes
Lead 90th percentile: 15 ppb 0 ppb
Max= 3.7 ppb from corrosion of plumbing and fixtures.
90th percentile= 0.048 ppm Lead and copper in drinking water mainly comes
Copper 90th percentile: 1.3 ppm 1.3 ppm
Max= 0.081 ppm from corrosion of plumbing and fixtures.
7.6 to 8.5 SU For Longmont, the CDPHE established allowable
pH
Average= 8.2 SU range for pH of 7.2 to 9.5 SU.
24.9 to 36.2 ppm For Longmont, the CDPHE established allowable
Alkalinity
Average= 30.9 ppm range for alkalinity of 7 to 77 ppm.
Organic Chemicals
Chloroform 19.4 to 40 ppb Byproduct of drinking water chlorination
Average= 29.7 ppb
Dichloroacetic acid 5.3 to 11 ppb Byproduct of drinking water chlorination
Average= 7.8 ppb
Bromodichloromethane 1.6 to 3.0 ppb Byproduct of drinking water chlorination
Average= 2.3 ppb
Trichloroacetic acid 6.8 to 13. 1 ppb Byproduct of drinking water chlorination
Average= 9.5 ppb
Definitions of terms
90th percentile: 90% of the samples were below MRDL — Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level: The ppb — parts per billion: A measure of concentration
this level. highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking of a contaminant. Comparable to one penny in
AL — Action Level: The concentration of a water. There is convincing evidence that addition of $10,000,000.
contaminant which, if exceeded triggers treatment a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial ppm — parts per million: A measure of
or other requirements which a water system must contaminants. concentration of a contaminant. Comparable to one
follow. MRDLG — Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level penny in $10,000.
LRAA — Locational Running Annual Average: The Goal: The level of a drinking water disinfectant below ppt – parts per trillion: A measure of concentration
average of analytical results for samples taken at a which there is no known or expected risk to health. of a contaminant. Comparable to one penny in
particular monitoring location during the previous MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of $10,000,000,000.
four calendar quarters. disinfectants to control microbial contaminants.
SU — Standard Units: The unit of measure for pH. A
MCL — Maximum Contaminant Level: The highest NFWTP: Nelson Flanders Water Treatment Plant pH of 7 SU is considered neutral. A pH less than 7 is
level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking NTU — Nephelometric Turbidity Unit: Used to acidic and a pH greater than 7 is basic.
water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible describe the cloudiness of water. Treatment Technique: A required process intended
using the best available treatment technology. pCi/L — PicoCuries per Liter: As a measure of to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking
MCLG — Maximum Contaminant Level Goal: The radioactivity. water.
level of a contaminant in drinking water below which pH — The measure of how acidic or basic the water WGWTP: Wade Gaddis Water Treatment Plant
there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs is, reported in Standard Units (SU). See SU definition
allow for a margin of safety. for more information.
1
Per State monitoring requirements, Inorganic and Physical Metals last tested in 2020, and Radioactivity last tested in 2012.
2
Turbidity is a measure of water clarity and is used to monitor treatment plant performance and interference with the disinfection process.
3
Chlorine. More than 95% of the samples taken in the City’s distribution system in any month must have a residual chlorine level at or above 0.2 mg/L.
4
The required TOC removal is based on alkalinity of the water. For Longmont, the required level of TOC removal ranges between 35% and 45%.
31.1 million
gallons were treated
on the peak day.
By following these tips, you are Know what to do with Never flush
helping create a more sustainable
Longmont. Learn more at
unwanted medications! unwanted medications.
Take your expired medications to the They can cause adverse effects to aquatic
bit.ly/sustainability-longmont Pharmaceutical Take Back events held twice a year life and when the water is eventually
at Longmont United Hospital. reused, they can also cause unintentional
human exposure to harmful chemicals.
bit.ly/takeback-rx