DDW-2024-009595

1 | P a g e

Annual Drinking Water Quality Report
The Water We Drink 2023

Maeser Water is pleased to present this year's Annual Water Quality Report (Consumer
Confidence Report) as required by the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). This report is
designed to provide details about where your water comes from, what it contains, and how it
compares to standards set by regulatory agencies. This report is a snapshot of last year's water
quality. We are committed to providing you with information because informed customers are
our best allies.

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:
Safe Drinking Water Hotline: [phone]

The District has three sources of water. The two main sources are the Ashley Valley Water
Treatment Plant (AVWTP) operated by the Central Utah Water Conservancy District and the
Ashley Springs Water Treatment Plant operated by Ashley Valley Water and Sewer
Improvement District (AVWSID). The AVWTP plant processes water from Red Fleet Reservoir
as well as Ashley Springs. The AVWSID plant treats water from Ashley Springs. Ashley Springs
receives its water from Dry Fork Creek, which sinks into a limestone formation and resurfaces in
the Ashley Springs. The third source is the Painted Hills Well. The water for this well comes
from an underground aquifer that is over 1500 feet deep. This source is used as a backup source
in the event that part of the system is cut off from Ashley Springs or Red Fleet and is very
limited in capacity. The Painted Hills Well was not used in 2023.

There are source protection plans for each of the District’s sources. The Ashley Springs and
Painted Hills Well source protection plans can be viewed at the District office during regular
business hours. The Red Fleet source protection plan was created by the Central Utah Water
Conservancy District. The Maeser Water Improvement District conducts Source Water
Assessments to monitor the potential for contamination in the protection area.

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
water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can
be obtained by calling the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline: [phone].

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, and
2 | P a g e

can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity:
• microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, that 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 or
result from urban storm water 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 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, and can also come
from gas stations, urban storm water 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 prescribes regulations that limit the amount
of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must
provide the same protection for public health.

Customers and the public can get involved by doing their part to conserve water and comply with
all cross-connection regulations. They can also help educate others.

Your water is treated in a "treatment train" (a series of processes applied in a sequence) that
includes coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, filtration, and disinfection. Coagulation
removes dirt and other particles suspended in the source water by adding chemicals (coagulants)
to form tiny sticky particles called "floc," which attract the dirt particles. Flocculation (the
formation of larger flocs from smaller flocs) is achieved using gentle, constant mixing. The
heavy particles settle naturally out of the water in a sedimentation basin. The clear water then
moves to the filtration process where the water passes through sand, gravel, charcoal or other
filters that remove even smaller particles. A small amount of chlorine or other disinfection
method is used to kill bacteria and other microorganisms (viruses, cysts, etc.) that may be in the
water. The treated water is then stored and distributed to homes and businesses in the
community.

Water Conservation Tips
Did you know that the average U.S. household uses approximately 400 gallons of water per day
or 100 gallons per person per day? Luckily, there are many low-cost and no-cost ways to
conserve water. Small changes can make a big difference – try one today and soon it will become
second nature.

• Take short showers - a 5 minute shower uses 4 to 5 gallons of water compared to up to 50
gallons for a bath.
• Shut off water while brushing your teeth, washing your hair and shaving and save up to
500 gallons a month.
• Use a water-efficient showerhead. They're inexpensive, easy to install, and can save you
up to 750 gallons a month.
3 | P a g e

• Run your clothes washer and dishwasher only when they are full. You can save up to
1,000 gallons a month.
• Water plants only when necessary.
• Fix leaky toilets and faucets. Faucet washers are inexpensive and take only a few minutes
to replace. To check your toilet for a leak, place a few drops of food coloring in the tank
and wait. If it seeps into the toilet bowl without flushing, you have a leak. Fixing it or
replacing it with a new, more efficient model can save up to 1,000 gallons a month.
• Adjust sprinklers so only your lawn is watered. Apply water only as fast as the soil can
absorb it and during the cooler parts of the day to reduce evaporation.
• Teach your kids about water conservation to ensure a future generation that uses water
wisely. Make it a family effort to reduce next month's water bill!
• Visit www.epa.gov/watersense for more information.

Cross Connection Control Survey
The purpose of this survey is to determine whether a cross-connection may exist at your home or
business. A cross connection is an unprotected or improper connection to a public water
distribution system that may cause contamination or pollution to enter the system. We are
responsible for enforcing cross-connection control regulations and insuring that no contaminants
can, under any flow conditions, enter the distribution system. If you have any of the devices
listed below please contact us so that we can discuss the issue, and if needed, survey your
connection and assist you in isolating it if that is necessary.

• Boiler / Radiant heater (water heaters not included)
• Underground lawn sprinkler system
• Pool or hot tub (whirlpool tubs not included)
• Additional source(s) of water on the property
• Decorative pond
• Watering trough

Source Water Protection Tips
Protection of drinking water is everyone’s responsibility. You can help protect your
community’s drinking water source in several ways:

• Eliminate excess use of lawn and garden fertilizers and pesticides – they contain
hazardous chemicals that can reach your drinking water source.
• Pick up after your pets.
• If you have your own septic system, properly maintain your system to reduce leaching to
water sources or consider connecting to a public sanitary sewer system.
• Dispose of chemicals properly; take used motor oil to a recycling center.
• Volunteer in your community. Find a watershed or wellhead protection organization in
your community and volunteer to help. If there are no active groups, consider starting
one. Use EPA’s Adopt Your Watershed to locate groups in your community, or visit the
Watershed Information Network’s How to Start a Watershed Team.
• Organize a storm drain stenciling project with your local government or water supplier.
Stencil a message next to the street drain reminding people “Dump No Waste - Drains to
4 | P a g e

River” or “Protect Your Water.” Produce and distribute a flyer for households to remind
residents that storm drains dump directly into your local water body.

Additional Information for Nitrate
Nitrate in drinking water at levels above 10 ppm is a health risk for infants of less than six
months of age. High nitrate levels in drinking water can cause blue baby syndrome. Nitrate
levels may rise quickly for short periods of time because of rainfall or agricultural activity. If you
are caring for an infant, you should ask for advice from your health care provider

Additional Information for 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. Maeser Water Improvement District 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 2 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 or at
www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

Water Quality Data Table
In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations which limit the
amount of contaminants in water provided by public water systems. EPA requires monitoring of
over 80 drinking water contaminants. Those contaminants listed in the table below are the only
contaminants detected in your drinking water.

All sources of drinking water contain some naturally occurring contaminants. At low levels,
these substances are generally not harmful in our drinking water. Removing all contaminants
would be extremely expensive, and in most cases, would not provide increased protection of
public health. A few naturally occurring minerals may actually improve the taste of drinking
water and have nutritional value at low levels.

Unless otherwise noted, the data presented in this table is from testing done in the calendar year
of the report. The EPA or the State requires us to monitor for certain contaminants less than once
per year because the concentrations of these contaminants do not vary significantly from year to
year, or the system is not considered vulnerable to this type of contamination. As such, some of
our data, though representative, may be more than one year old. In this table you will find terms
and abbreviations that might not be familiar to you. To help you better understand these terms,
we have provided the definitions below the table.

5 | P a g e

TEST RESULTS
Contaminant Violation
Y/N
Level
Detected
ND/Low
High
Unit
Measurement MCLG MCL Date
Sampled
Likely Source
of
Contamination
MICROBIOLOGIAL CONTAMINANTS
Total Coliform Bacteria No 0 CFU 0
Presence
of
Coliform
bacteria in
5% of
monthly
samples
2023
Naturally present
in the
environment
Escherichia coli (E. Coli) No 0 0 TT TT 2023
Fecal coliforms
and E. Coli only
come from
human and
animal fecal
waste
Turbidity for Surface Water No 0.002 Min
0.19 Max NTU N/A
0.3 in at
least 95%
of the
samples
and must
never
exceed 1.0
2023
Soil Runoff
(highest single
measurement &
the Lowest
Monthly
percentage of
samples meeting
the turbidity
limits)

RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINANTS
Alpha Emitters No 0.8 pCi/L 0 15 2020 Erosion of natural
deposits
Beta Emitters No 0.2 pCi/L 0 50 2020
Decay of natural
and man-made
deposits
Radium 228 No 0.35 pCi/L 0 5 2020 Erosion of natural
deposits

INORGANIC CONTAMINANTS
Barium No 102 ppb 2000 2000 2022
Discharge of
drilling wastes;
discharge from
metal refineries;
erosion of natural
deposits
Copper
90th percentile / # of sites that
exceed the AL
No 0.267 ppb 1300 AL=1300 2023
Corrosion of
household
plumbing
systems, erosion
of natural
deposits, leaching
from wood
preservatives
6 | P a g e

Lead
90th percentile / # of sites that
exceed the AL
No 0/0.0071 ppb 0 15 2023
Corrosion of
household
plumbing
systems, erosion
of natural
deposits
Sodium No 1.1 ppm 2000 2000 2019 Erosion of natural
deposits
Nitrate
(as Nitrogen) No 0.11 ppm 10 10 2023
Runoff from
fertilizer use;
leaching for
septic tank,
sewage: erosion
of natural
deposits
Sulfate No 4 mg/L 250 250 2023
Erosion of natural
deposits;
discharge from
refineries and
factories; runoff
from landfills, run
off from cropland
Selenium No 0.5 ppb 50 50 2023 Erosion of natural
deposits
pH No 7.97 ND 6.5-8.5 2023 Naturally
Occurring

VOLATILE ORGANIC CONTAMINANTS
TTHM
(Total trihalomethanes) No
15.96
Qrtly
Average
ppb 0 80 2023
By-product of
drinking water
chlorination
Haloacetic Acid (HAA5) No
13.13
Qrtly
Average
ppb 0 60 2023
By-product of
drinking water
chlorination
Total Organic Carbon No
1.625 Raw
Average

1.408 Fin.
Average
ppm 0 N / A 2023
Naturally
occurring plant
matter
Bromodichlormethane No 2.1 ppb 0 NE 2023
Byproduct of
drinking water
disinfection
Chloroform No 19.2 ppb 70 NE 2023
Byproduct of
drinking water
disinfection
Dibromochloromethane No 0.2 ppb 60 NE 2022
Byproduct of
drinking water
disinfection
7 | P a g e

UNREGULATED PARAMETERS
Alkalinity No 83 ppm ND UR 2023 Naturally
Occurring
Conductivity No 219 µmhos/cm ND UR 2023 Naturally
Occurring
Total Hardness
No 87 ppm ND UR 2023 Naturally
Occurring
No 5.1 grains/gallon ND UR 2023 Naturally
Occurring

Unit Descriptions
Term Definition
ppm parts per million, or milligrams per liter (mg/L)
ppb parts per billion, or micrograms per liter (µg/L)
pCi/L picocuries per liter (a measure of radioactivity)
positive samples/month Number of samples taken monthly that were found to be positive
positive samples/year The number of positive samples taken that year
NA Not applicable
ND Not detected
ND, Low
High
For water systems that have multiple sources of water, the Utah Division of
Drinking Water has given water systems the option of listing the test results of the
constituents in one table, instead of multiple tables. To accomplish this, the lowest
and highest values detected in the multiple sources are recorded in the same space
in the report table.
UR Unregulated

8 | P a g e

Important Drinking Water Definitions
Term Definition
MCLG
Maximum Contaminant Level Goal: The level of a contaminant in drinking water
below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a
margin of safety.
MCL
Maximum Contaminant Level: The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed
in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the
best available treatment technology.
TT Treatment Technique: A required process intended to reduce the level of a
contaminant in drinking water.
AL Action Level: The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers
treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow.
Variances and Exemptions State or EPA permission not to meet an MCL or a treatment technique under
certain conditions.
MRDLG
Maximum residual disinfection level goal. 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. The highest level of a disinfectant allowed
in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant
is necessary for control of microbial contaminants.
MNR Monitored Not Regulated
MPL State Assigned Maximum Permissible Level
The following constituents are regulated more closely, Arsenic, Lead, Nitrate, Radon and
Cryptosporidium. Notice of any detection is required.

EPA requires monitoring of over 80 drinking water contaminants. Those contaminants
listed in the table above are the only contaminants detected in your drinking water.

In 2023 our system had no violations. We’re proud that your drinking water meets or exceeds all
Federal and State requirements.

For more information please contact:

Contact Name: Dustin McCormick
Address:
P.O. Box 90
Vernal, UT 84078
Phone: [phone]