2005 Water Quality Report - Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, GA

The water plant at SUBASE Kings Bay provides treated (finished) water to the entire base. The finished water is treated to remove contaminants, filtered, softened, and fluoridated. All of the plant operators and lab technicians are certified by the state of Georgia. The water is tested daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, annually and on a three year rotating schedule, depending on the test and the parameter tested.

Your water at SUBASE Kings Bay comes solely from three 900 feet deep wells that draw groundwater from the Floridan Aquifer. These wells are located on SUBASE Kings Bay property and are inside locked buildings to protect them from sources of pollution that could potentially contaminate the water supply (aquifer). SUBASE Kings Bay's Source Water Assessment Plan (SWAP), completed in May 2003, shows that our wells are at low risk to possible contamination. This plan also explains the procedures in-place here to protect our water supply. In general, for the U.S., there are a variety of sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) which 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 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, [none were detected] such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife.

Inorganic contaminants, [only low levels of a few naturally-occurring ones de-tected here except for one test of all those run exceeded an action limit as outlined in table 4] such as salts and metals, which can be naturally-occurring or result from urban stormwater runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining or farming.

Pesticides and herbicides, [none detected here] which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and residential uses.

Organic chemical contaminants, [only by-products of water disinfection were detected here] including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff and septic systems.

Radioactive contaminants, [none detected here] which can be naturally occurring or be the results 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. The Food and Drug Administration regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water, which must provide the same protection for public health. 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 Environmental Protection Agency's Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800) 426-4791 or on-line at www.epa.gov/safewater.

Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immuno-compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemo-therapy, 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 microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800) 426-4791 or on-line at www.epa.gov/safewater.

Terms and Abbreviations:

A Action Level (AL): The concentration of a contaminant that, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow. A Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL): The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as a close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology. A Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG): 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. A Maxi-mum Residual Disinfectant Level (MRDL): The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbiological contaminants. A Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal (MRDLG): 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. A N/A: Not Applicable. A ppb: parts per billion or micrograms per liter (ug/l) (Note that one part per billion is equivalent to one minute in 2000 years or one penny in $10 million.) A ppm: parts per million or milligram per liter (mg/l) (Note that one part per million is equivalent to one minute in two years or one penny in $10,000.) SUBASE Kings Bay is committed to providing you, our customer, with clean, safe, and reliable water.

For additional copies of this report, the Source Water Assessment Plan (SWAP) or for more information, contact Ed Buczek, Kings Bay's Public Affairs Officer, at (912) 573-4714.