DDW-2024-009580

2023 Tooele City Water Quality Report
ATENCION! Este informe contiene informacion muy importante sobre
la calidad de su agua beber. Traduscalo o hable con alguien que lo
entienda bien.
Is My Water Safe?
Last year, as in years past, your drinking water met all U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and State
drinking water health standards. Tooele City safeguards its water supplies and we are proud to report that our system
has not violated a Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) or any other water quality standard. This report is a
summary of last year’s drinking water quality test data. Included are details about where your water comes from,
what it contains, and how it compares to EPA and State standards.
Where Does My Water Come From?
Your drinking water during the reporting year 2023 came from twelve (12) wells and two (2) springs. The City
controls the land around these wells and springs to restrict any activity that could contaminate them. The City also
relies upon accepted Drinking Water Source Protection zones which have been approved and accepted by the State
and which are protected by both City and County Land Use Ordinance. The water that comes out of these wells and
springs is disinfected to protect you against contaminants.
Why Are There Contaminants in My Drinking Water?
All sources of drinking water are subject to potential contamination by constituents that are naturally occurring or
manmade. Those constituents can be microbes, organic or inorganic chemicals, or radioactive materials. All
drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some
contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that the 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 at 1-800-426-4791, or at the following link:
https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/safe-drinking-water-information
Locally, sources of drinking water include 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, radionuclides. Water can also pick
up substances resulting from the presence of animals or human activity.
Contaminants that may be present in water include:
x Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment
plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife.
x Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, can occur naturally or result from urban storm
water runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, and/or
farming.
x Pesticides and herbicides come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban storm water
runoff, and residential uses.
x Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, are byproducts
of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban storm
water runoff, and septic systems.
x Radionuclides can be naturally occurring or the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.
x Disinfection byproducts derived as a result of chlorination and disinfection of the water.
In order to ensure that water is safe to drink, the State and the EPA establish regulations which limit the amount of
certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems.
Tooele City Water Quality Data
The EPA requires monitoring of more than 90 drinking water contaminants according to a sampling schedule
established by the State Division of Drinking Water. The table below lists all of the required drinking water
contaminants that were detected during the calendar year of this report, as well as the most recent water quality data
of other contaminants detected within the past 5 years. The presence of contaminants in the water does not
necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk. The EPA and/or the State do not require us to monitor for
certain contaminants every year because the concentrations of these contaminants do not change frequently and
have been demonstrated over time as meeting drinking water standards. The values shown in the table below reflect
the highest reported level for the contaminants identified, and are often much lower.
Terms and Abbreviations Used
AL (Action Level): The level of a contaminant which, if exceeded, requires treatment or additional
monitoring.
DL (Detection Limit): The minimum contaminant limit which the testing laboratory is able to detect.
MCL (Maximum Contaminant Level): The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking
water.
MCLG (Maximum Contaminant Level Goal): The maximum level of a contaminant in drinking water at
which no known or anticipated adverse effect on the health of persons would occur, allowing an
adequate margin of safety.
MRL (Minimum Reporting Level): The contaminant level which is required to report to the State.
NA (Not Applicable): No contamination level established
ND (Non Detected): Laboratory analysis indicates that the constituent is not present.
NTU (Nephelometric Turbidity Unit ): NTU is a measure of the clarify of water.
mg/l milligrams per liter, or parts per million.
ug/l micrograms per liter, or parts per billion.
Coliform and E. Coli
Contaminant Year
Sampled
Positive
Sample
Count
MCLG MCL Violation Typical Source
Coliform Bacteria 2023 3* 0 5 No Naturally Present in the
Environment
E. Coli 2023 0 NA None No Human and Animal
Fecal Waste
*The samples were retested and showed negative results on repeat tests
Lead and Copper
Contaminant Year
Sampled
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MCLG MCL Units Violation Typical Sources
Lead 2023 ND 2.8* 0 15 ppb No Corrosion of household plumbing
systems; Erosion of natural deposits
Copper 2023 0.0095 0.182* 1.3 1.3 ppm No
Erosion of natural deposits;
Leaching from wood preservatives;
Corrosion of household plumbing
systems
x The values shown represent the 90% percentile value, as required by Rule for Lead and Copper
Disinfection Byproducts
Contaminant Year
Sampled
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MCLG MCL Units Violation Typical Sources
Total
Trihalo-
methanes
2023 1.4 3.8 0 80 ppb No By-Product of drinking water
disinfection.
Inorganic Contaminants
Contaminant Year
Sampled
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MCLG MCL Units Violation Typical Sources
Arsenic 2022 0.5 1.3 0 10 ppb No
Erosion of natural deposits; Runoff
from orchards; Runoff from glass
and electronics
production wastes.
Barium 2022 0.042 0.112 2 2 ppm No
22Discharge of drilling wastes;
Discharge from metal refineries;
Erosion of natural deposits.
Cyanide 2022 ND 2.0 200 200 ppb No
Discharge from plastic and fertilizer
factories; Discharge from
steel/metal factories.
Fluoride 2022 ND 0.3 4 4 ppm No
Erosion of natural deposits; Water
additive which promotes strong
teeth; Discharge from
fertilizer and aluminum factories.
rfil
Contaminant Year
Sampled
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MCLG MCL Units Violation Typical Sources
Nitrate 2023 0.14 4.17 10 10 ppm No
Runoff from fertilizer use;
Leaching from septic tanks,
sewage; Erosion of natural
deposits.
Selenium 2022 1.1 2.5 50 50 ppb No
Discharge from petroleum and
metal refineries; Erosion of
natural deposits; Discharge from
mines.
Sodium 2019 10.93 95.28 500 None1 ppm No
Discharge from petroleum and
metal refineries; Erosion of
natural deposits; Discharge from
mines.
Sulfate 2022 21.06 69.7 500 1,000 ppm No
Erosion of natural deposits;
discharge from refineries and
factories; runoff from landfills,
runoff from cropland
Total
Dissolved
Solids (TDS)
2023 464 464 1,000 2,000 ppm No Erosion of natural deposits
1. The State of Utah requires monitoring for Sodium even though no MCL has been established
Radioactive Contaminants
Contaminant Year
Sampled
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MCLG MCL Units Violation Typical Sources
Alpha
Emitters 2022 0.69 3.7 0 15 pCi/L No Erosion of natural deposits.
Combined
Radium
226/228
2022 0.79 0.93 0 5 pCi/L No Erosion of natural deposits.
Radium 226 2019 0.28 0.28 0 5 pCi/L No Erosion of natural deposits.
Radium 228 2019 0.14 1.3 0 5 pCi/L No Erosion of natural deposits.
Volatile Organic Contaminants
Contaminant Units MCL DL Your
Water
Sample
Date Violation Typical Source
Xylenes, Total ppm 10 0.5 1.9 5/21/19 No Discharge from petroleum or
chemical product
Turbidity
Contaminant Year
Sampled
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MCGL MCL Units Violation Typical Sources
Turbidity 2022 0.02 1.4 0 5 NTU No Soil Runoff
The above tables reports all of the required drinking water contaminants that were detected during the calendar year
of this report, as well as the most recent water quality data of other contaminants within the past 5 years. All water
utilized for culinary purposes within Tooele City was tested by methods in accordance with State and Federal
Standards, and meets State and Federal requirements.
How Can I Get Involved?
The best way to get involved in helping protect your water from contamination is pollution prevention. Your water
sources can be affected by chemicals and pollutants that are not handled properly. Some of the most common
sources of contamination include: dry cleaning chemicals, fertilizers and pesticides, oil and gasoline, paints,
solvents, and garbage. Fertilizers and pesticides should be applied in accordance with manufacturers’ label
instructions. It is also very important to store and dispose of these materials and any other potential contaminant in a
proper and safe manner. Just one gallon of gasoline can pollute 600,000 gallons of water. Once a water source is
polluted, it could take decades and millions of dollars to be able to use it again.
Another way you can get involved is by participating in City Council and Planning Commission meetings. City
Council meetings are generally held the first and third Wednesdays of each month. Planning Commission meetings
are generally held on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month. Further information regarding these public
meetings is available on the Tooele City web page (https://tooelecity.gov/). Get involved by doing your part to
protect our water resources.
Monitoring and Reporting Violations
No monitoring and reporting violations were found.
Important Health Information
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 Cryptosporidium and other microbial
contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.
I I I I I I I I I
Septic Tanks /. Holding Tanks:
Septic systems can contaminate ground water if they are misused, improperly maintained, or improperly constructed.
The major contaminant discharged from septic systems is disease-causing germs. These germs (bacteria and viruses)
-can cause many human diseases. Another contaminant discharged from septic systems is nitrogen in the form of
nitrate. If the nitrate level of drinking water is too high, infants, up to the age of six months old, can develop a fatal
disease called blue baby syndrome (methemoglobenemia). Additionally, if toxic chemicals are disposed in a septic
system, they can percolate through the drainfield and into the ground water. Additional information regarding best
management practices for septic tanks / holding tanks is available at the following link:
https://documents.deq.utah.gov/drinking-water/rules-implementation/DDW-2019-008508.pdf
Lead
If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young
children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home
plumbing. Tooele City is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but cannot control the variety of
materials used in plumbing components. When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize the
potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to two minutes before using water for drinking or
cooking. If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water tested. Information on lead
in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking
Water Hotline at the following link: https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/basic-information-
about-lead-drinking-water
For more information contact the Tooele City Public Works Director at [phone], or by email to his
administrative assistant at [e-mail].
Tooele City Public Works
90 North Main
Tooele, UT 84074
Phone: [phone]