2020 Drinking Water Quality Report

The Birch Bay Water and Sewer District (BBWSD) is pleased to provide our customers with its annual “Consumer Confidence Report” for the calendar year 2020.
This report explains the quality of drinking water provided by BBWSD.  The report includes results from required water quality tests, as well as an explanation of where our water comes from and tips on how to interpret the data.

Overview

The Birch Bay Water and Sewer District (BBWSD) purchases water from the City of Blaine. The water comes from several deep wells within the City of Blaine’s well field. The City of Blaine protects, provides and treats the water supply with a small amount of chlorine. Sampling occurs at specific frequencies (continuously, daily, monthly, quarterly or annually) and at different locations (prior to treatment, as it enters the distribution system, and throughout the distribution system) in accordance with federal and state regulations. City testing includes inorganic compounds (IOC), synthetic organic compounds (SOC), volatile organic compounds (VOC), microbial substances and chlorine disinfection by-products.

BBWSD coordinates and cooperates with the City of Blaine to provide water, test for new sources, and protect water rights. The District designs, operates, repairs and maintains your water storage and distribution system in the Birch Bay area. BBWSD also checks chlorine levels, monitors and inspects new construction, and follows coliform bacteria, lead & copper, chlorine byproduct and other sampling, testing, and monitoring plans as required. Samples are taken at several locations throughout the system to ensure that the entire system is tested and monitored. All samples and sample results for Blaine and Birch Bay (and other public systems) can be viewed at https://fortress.wa.gov/doh/eh/portal/odw/si/Intro.aspx.Specific District water quality questions can be directed to the District’s Operations Manager, Mike Sowers, at (360) 371-7100.

Your drinking water meets or exceeds all water quality parameters established by State and Federal Law.

Lead and Copper

Lead and copper monitoring is required .The District has taken hundreds of lead and copper samples in residences since 1998, with results all below EPA limits. Samples are taken every three years and are drawn at times during which lead and copper is expected to be at their highest levels. The latest set included 22 samples taken in June and July of  2019: Over half  of the samples were “non-detectable” for lead and the overall average for ALL samples was only 0.96 parts per billion (ppb), which is about 1/15^th of allowable lead levels.

The District has been using LEAD FREE fittings & materials since 2014. Low-lead fittings (Less than 5% lead) were used prior to 2014. This included items such as pipe saddles, connectors, and water meter setters, all of which are only a fraction of the total distribution and piping system. Water main piping does not have any lead content. Residential service lines are typically copper or poly (polyethylene) pipe, which presents a very low health risk.  The District has never installed lead taps or lead service lines, which were significant sources of lead in other areas such as Flint, MI.  If lead is detected within a residence in our service area, it is likely due to residential piping and/or plumbing fixtures as some faucets and fixtures have a combination of brass, copper, zinc and trace amounts of lead

If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children.  If water has been sitting for several hours (such as overnight), 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.

2020 Water Quality Monitoring Results

In accordance with State and Federal standards, we continually monitor and test our drinking water.  BBWSD took 112 coliform samples throughout the system in 2020. The City of Blaine took over 50 additional samples, including Nitrates and DBPs.  The following table lists the compounds that were detected or specifically tested in 2020 along with some sample results from prior years which may be of interest.  If the compound is not listed on the table, it was not found in any samples.  None of the detected compounds were above EPA allowable limits.

1. Disinfection By Products (DBPs) can form in water when disinfectants (such as chlorine) used to control microbial pathogens combine with naturally occurring minerals. Some studies have shown that high levels of DBPs are associated with an increased risk of some cancers.

Iron and Manganese can fluctuate throughout the year and may be noticeable as reddish, rusty deposits or surface film. They are aesthetic (visual, appearance) concerns only, not health hazards.

HARDNESS –   The water hardness is typically in the range of 50-95 mg/L which is considered moderately hard. Hardness can vary seasonally; past samples indicate hardness may peak as high as 120 mg/l. Hardness is not a health hazard, but if the water is too hard, deposits and scaling can occur and a water softener may be needed.

pH – Your water varies between a pH of 7.8 and 8.2, with an average of about 8.0. This higher pH helps to minimize corrosion and the leaching of metal Ions (iron, copper, lead, etc…) from plumbing fixtures into the system

CHLORINE (CL2) – A free CL2 residual, typically 0.02-0.10 mg/l, is maintained in the distribution system to ensure that it remains free of pathogens and provides biological protection. A minimal chlorine residual helps to minimize the formation of Disinfection Byproducts. (MCL for chlorine is 4.0 mg/l)