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NEWSLETTER
- SUMMER
June 28, 2006 |
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"To provide water service
that is depend-
able, economical,
and meets
or exceeds
health standards for all co-operative members”
I. President’s Corner
II. Water
System Improvements
III. Water
Allocation
IV. Annual
Water Quality Report
V. Financial
LOCATION: 5901
Hillside Rd
MAIL: P.O.
Box 164
HOURS: 7:30
am – 4:00 pm
PHONE
410-586-8710 (ph)
410-586-1963
(fax)
WEB: http://beacheswater.com
EMAIL: apc@chesapeake.net
EMERGENCY: 410-231-1156
DROP BOX: Outside
Gate
Gary Clarke -
President
Bill Bozman – Vice
President
Sandy Anderson –
Secretary- Treasurer
Dan Crain - Director
Chris Pappas - Director
Fritz Riedel - Director
Dennis
DiBello - Business
Manager /
Superintendent
Jackie
Jacob – Bookkeeper
Linda
Speciale – Receptionist
Kenny
Grover – Operations
Tech.
Ray
Foster - Maintenance
Tech.
Wayne
Gladhill-Helper
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I.
President’s Corner
We have had a somewhat mixed year
at Beaches Water
Cooperative. One of
our technicians
suffered an injury, and that has delayed many capital repairs that we
normally
accomplish in the spring each year.
As
a result, we have not spent much of our capital budget, but the work
remains. We are
gradually catching up
now. We cannot
afford contractors,
unless we need to depend on them to do something we cannot, or they
have
specialized equipment we cannot justify purchasing.
We are still chasing system leaks
in some areas of the system,
but we identify frequency and replace lines where necessary to avoid
future
problems.
The shocking thing this year is
utilities (read:
electricity). Costs
are running more
than 20% over budget with a month to go in the fiscal year. With increase projections
running up to 75%,
we have no choice but to increase water rates this year. We struggled with this
necessity, but we
cannot take a chance on insolvency.
Our
operator, Dennis DiBello, is one of the most frugal people I have ever
met, and
he does not spend a penny of the Cooperative’s budget that is
not absolutely
necessary.
We can all help to keep costs down
through
conservation. We
all water our plants
to keep them alive, but we all also have neighbors who water the street
and
driveway while they water their lawns, or who set up a sprinkler and
leave it
there, to wash nutrients from the soil and waste a precious resource at
the
same time. Please
be aware that water
is just that, and use it responsibly.
Please try to attend the annual
meeting in
September.
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Do
we add fluoride to the drinking water? - No we do not.
Although in some
areas of the country water systems add fluoride to the water, Beaches
Water
Co-op is only licensed by the State of Maryland to treat the drinking
water
for bacteriological concerns. Trace
amounts of fluoride naturally occur in the aquifers, but those amounts
are not
significant to aid in children’s dental growth and
development. Many
doctors/dentist prescribe fluoride
supplements or children’s vitamins with fluoride.
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..
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II.
Water System Improvements
In this past year, we
have focused on
maintaining and rebuilding our infrastructure.
With some parts of our system
dating back to the 1930’s and the system
evolving as needed over the years, we have many non-standard
configurations. We
continue our
systematic process of replacing in-ground pipe to eliminate the
“old” mains
while increasing system control and reliability. This
year we abandoned an old 2” line on Flag Harbor Boulevard
and
tied into an 8”
main. We are
currently upgrading the
water line on Avenue C. Completion
of
this project will eliminate many potential leaks in this area. Our
“piece meal”
approach allows us to work within a yearly budget without a major cost
expenditure. The
most needy sections (as
determined by past leaks or lack of isolation) get replaced first. We are also factoring in
considerations to
get pipe out from under the roadway to eliminate tearing up roads when
we have
to do work.
III. Water Allocation
.
The
Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) permits water allocation
to each
and every user of water from the underground aquifers.
BWC’s permits have
expired. Our water
system, developed in the 1930’s,
predates MDE’s permitting of water allocation.
When water allocation was put in
place, our allocation was based on the
number of existing homes in the community and not the number of homes
that
would be built as is done with new subdivisions today.
Back then the number used to
calculate our
allocation may have been a little less than 400 homes.
We now are close to 800 homes and
near the
end of our potential build out.
Community water allocation is
calculated on a per household basis.
MDE does not have any aquifer
performance
data for our area and therefore would like us to do engineering and
hydro
geological tests to demonstrate aquifer draw down and replenishment. Unfortunately, this can
cost over $10,000 to
prove that the aquifers can meet our daily needs, which they already do. No matter the outcome of
this situation, in
the coming months, we will be hosting public hearings to discuss
renewing our
water allocation permits. We
have been
extremely conservative in our water management and that has allowed the
number
of homes to double under the existing allocation.
In these public hearings, we will
present our needs and request
the allocation that should have been originally established for us. We look forward to your
support in this
matter.
What are contaminants in my
drinking water?
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 (EPA) Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791). 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.
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Arsenic Informational Statement
While
your drinking water meets EPA’s standard for
arsenic, it does contain low levels of arsenic. EPA’s
standard balances the
current understanding of arsenic’s possible heath effects
against the cost of
removing arsenic from drinking water.
EPA continues to research
the health effect of low levels of arsenic.
Arsenic is a mineral known to, at high concentrations, cause cancer in
humans, and is linked to other health effects such as skin damage and
circulatory
problems
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Some Terms Defined:
| Action Level (AL)
- The concentration of a contaminant, which, if exceeded, triggers
treatment
or other requirements, which a water system must follow.
Non-Detects (ND)
- Laboratory analysis indicates that the constituent is not present.
Parts per million
(ppm) or Milligrams per liter (mg/l) -One part per million
corresponds
to one minute in two years or a single penny in $10,000.
Parts per billion
(ppb) or Micrograms per liter - One part per billion
corresponds
to one minute in 2,000 years, or a single penny in $10,000,000.
Treatment Technique
(TT) - A treatment technique is a required process intended
to
reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.
Maximum Contaminant
Level - The “Maximum Allowed” (MCL) is 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.
Maximum Contaminant
Level Goal - The “Goal”(MCLG) is the level of a contaminant
in
the drinking water table (shown below), which there is no known or
expected
risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety.
Maximum
Residual Disinfectant
Level
-
(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
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IV. Annual Water
Quality & Consumer Confidence Report
.
Our
drinking water is safe and meets all federal and state requirements for
community drinking water. In
2005,
there were no water quality violations. Our water
quality results are based on the monitoring cycle for the contaminant
up
to December 31st, 2005. Terminology used in this
report
is what is generally accepted as a means of measurement of the degree
of
contaminates in the water. Contaminates
include natural occurring items in the water such as minerals and
foreign
matter which may or may not be acceptable based on the level detected. The amount of containments in our
drinking
water is well below levels set by the Environmental Protection Agency
in all
categories. We
routinely monitor for
constituents in your drinking water according to Federal and State laws. All drinking water,
including bottled
drinking water, may be reasonably expected to contain at least small
amounts of
some contaminates.
It's important to
remember that the presence of these contaminates does not necessarily
pose a
health risk. If you
have any questions
about the Annual Water Quality Report or concerning your water service,
please
contact us at 410-586-8710.-
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Microbial Results
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MCLG
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MCL
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Level
Detected
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Violation
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Likely Source of Contamination
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Total
Coliform Bacteria
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0
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> 5%
samples
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0
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NO
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Naturally present in
the environment
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Di (2-ethylhexyl)
phthalate (ppb)
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0
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6.0
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1.1
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NO
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Discharge from rubber
and chemical factories
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Arsenic
(ppb)
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1.0
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10
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10*
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NO
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Natural
deposits
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Copper (mg/l)
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1.3
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0.12
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NO
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Natural
deposits; corrosion of household piping
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Iron - (mg/l)
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--
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--
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0.14
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NO
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Natural
deposits
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Fluoride
- (mg/l)
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4.0
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4.0
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0.31
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NO
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Erosion
of natural deposits; Leaching
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Sodium
- (mg/l)
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--
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--
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16.1
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NO
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Erosion
of natural deposits; Leaching
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Total
Trihalomethanes (mg/l)
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n/a
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0.80
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0.002
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NO
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By-product
of drinking water disinfection
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Gross
Alpha (pCi/l)
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0
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15
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1.0
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NO
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Erosion
of natural deposits
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Gross
Beta (pCi/l)
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0
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50
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17
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NO
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Erosion
of natural deposits
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* The well pumps at the
Slater Pumping Station have been re-wired to sequence the three wells supplying
the highest water quality by blending the water outflow.
Maryland
Department of the Environment (MDE) has completed a Source Water
Assessment of
the Beaches Water Company wells in the Nanjamoy and Aquia aquifers. This report is available
in the office for
public review.
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Application/Transfer
Fee . $40.00
Quarterly
Service ............
$85.00
New
Service ...............
$3,000.00
Pool
(annual)
................. $85.00
Shut-off
...................... $85.00
($40.00
Customer’s
Request)
Reconnect
...................
$40.00
Extended
Shut-off ...........
$340.00
Return
Check .............
$25.00
Late
Penalty One
time 10% app- lied 15
days after end of quarter. |
| Quarterly
Billing |
| January
1 |
April
1 |
| July
1 |
October
1 |
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A 10% finance charge
is
assessed
10 days after
the
quarter for unpaid bills. |
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Service
Advisory
-- We will be flushing
community fire hydrants the
week of August 7-11 starting at 9:00 a.m. This may cause the water
to be discolored
water due to disturbing the sediment and deposits in
the pipes. This
sediment is naturally
occurring minerals in the water. Discolored
water poses no health hazard. It is free from harmful
bacteria and safe for all household uses, such as showering, cooking,
flushing
of toilets, etc. You can drink the discolored water, but it may taste
different. However, you should NOT wash
clothes in your washing
machine if the water is dis- colored as clothing may stain. Flush you water
lines though an outside
hose bib to clear up the discoloration.
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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/Centers
for Disease Control
(CDC)
guidelines on appropriate
means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other
microbiological
contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline
(800-426-4791).
V.
Financial
The
following chart is a breakdown of the budget for the fiscal year 2007, 7/1/06 –
6/30/07.
BWC FY 2007
BUDGET
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INCOME
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Water service
|
268,940
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Pool water
service
|
3,570
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Space Rental
|
1,200
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Advertising-Quarterly
|
3,600
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Application
& Transfer Fees
|
2,560
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Hook ups
|
12,000
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Total Income
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$291,870
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BWC FY 2007 BUDGET
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EXPENSES
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Auditing
|
4,900
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Bad Debt
|
221
|
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Bank Service
Charges
|
221
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Contributions
|
221
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Depreciation
Expense
|
51,010
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Professional
Memberships
|
441
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Engineering
|
551
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Insurance
|
11,025
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Loan Interest
|
300
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Mortgage
Interest - GMAC
|
1,340
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Mortgage Pay
Down - GMAC
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16,690
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Mortgage
Interest - MDE
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1,890
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Legal
|
386
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Licenses and
Permits
|
221
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Office - Other
|
4,366
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Operating
Supplies
|
9,371
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Repairs
& Maintenance
|
15,997
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Routine
Service
|
134,846
|
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Solid Waste Fee
|
143
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Utilities
|
29,400
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Water Testing
|
3,080
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|
5,250
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Total Expense
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$291,870
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Please submit all questions and comments
to
beacheswater5901@gmail.com
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