I. President’s Corner

The Beaches Water Cooperative (BWC) has matured since 1983. This is when the community first started discussing ways to acquire the water supply for Long Beach and part of Calvert Beach. In the early days water billing was done quarterly and everyone was charged the same regardless of water usage. Cash-flow problems ensued since we had to go three months between billings, plus another month to pay at the end of the quarter. It was a struggle to pay our bills and though we never defaulted it was hard to get by. We now have about 800 members who receive metered water from our system and we have a water use rate schedule that rewards reduced water usage. The first full year after the meters were installed our members used almost 10 million gallons less water - the hoped-for result. This is a water savings and subsequently less wear and tear on the system and reduced utility costs. It's a fairer billing system that facilitates a much smoother cash flow.

As a true co-op, each member owns a piece of the company. Anything that increases our costs increases each member's obligation. Recently, we have had severe damage to several water meter antennas and meter lids. In one instance a meter lid bolt (a non-standard bolt) was damaged beyond use. All of these issues require costly repairs which in some instances may be charged to the homeowner. Additionally, damaged meter lids and antennas can make it impossible to obtain a correct meter reading. Meter pits contain sensitive electronic equipment, and by state regulation, are to be accessed only by a Beaches Water Company employee. Water shut-offs and reconnections must only be done by BWC personnel.

We have all been hit hard from the corona virus pandemic and I'm sure everyone will be relieved and happy as we enter the various reentry phases. Pandemic restrictions imposed by Governor Hogan prevent utilities from cutting off water due to non-payment. While this may be reasonable under the circumstances, as a cooperative, we must all be aware that there is no bailout for our type of company. Wide-scale non-payment will put us in severe financial difficulty. If you are behind on your water bill payment, please do whatever possible to catch up as best you can. Past due bills cannot be forgiven. If you are behind on your bill, please contact the cooperative's office and arrange for a payment plan. Cheryl and Debbie are very knowledgeable and can help when you call.

Assuming public gatherings will be allowed, there will be an annual meeting of the Beaches Water Company on September 13. Please attend if you can or at least mail in your proxy vote to be eligible for a $100 credit toward your water bill. Thank you!

Thank you!

II. Water System Operations, Maintenance & Improvements

The operation and maintenance of the Beaches Water Company is dependent highly on the infrastructure of the system. The infrastructure consists of the wells, treatment, storage, distribution piping, valves, hydrants, meters, backflow prevention and controls. Another important feature, not owned by BWC, is the water service lines to each home. Those lines are each home owner's responsibility. For many years now you hear in the news that our infrastructure in United States is in disrepair and in need of infusion of capital money. National engineering organizations survey infrastructure annually for items like roads, bridges, power-lines and water and sewer lines. We as consumers expect this infrastructure to be there when we need it, such as when you turn on the light switch you expect the lights to come on or you turn on the faucet you expect the water to flow. Unreliability is not acceptable. Reliability is crucial for proper infrastructure. Maintenance strategies for these infrastructure items are very dependent on operational needs and in many cases the items cannot be taken out of service without interruption of the service. For BWC this is also true. Over the years we have adopted a policy of whatever we work on, we take the opportunity to improve it for the future instead of just patching it for now. This strategy has paid off well because we have achieved a very highly reliable system. Understand that I say that within the context of who we are. We certainly are not a large metropolitan area with large water mains. We are a small community system with the business structure of a cooperative much like SMECO, our electric utility. We are member owned and operated and do not operate for a profit. Our annual budget consists of operational and maintenance funds with a small portion set aside for capital improvements to replace and improve our infrastructure. As we noted in our last newsletter, USDA Rural Development recognized our community system for doing what is needed to have a successful water system. The award that we got as shown by the lighthouse is that we are a beacon for others to follow. For example, we are one of the few rural water systems that have a fire hydrant system. That hydrant system was totally sponsored by the community. Success does not come without cost however and we have just made that a small cost each year as we improve what we do for maintenance and repair in the system. A recent success story, which was a major inconvenience to the residences on Dogwood Street, was to actually replace the 70 year old water line. This rolled steel pipe was undersized for today’s standards at an inch and a half. The steel was in good shape but the seamed joint was failing. We had a major leak and after containing the leak, the Board of Directors decided that it would be prudent to replace the entire main on the street and get ahead of any future failures. This recent work was completed with much satisfaction and we should not have to go back to that street for quite possibly another 70 years. Improvement strategies for maintaining the infrastructure will continue when possible to ensure a 99% delivery for reliability. If you have any questions about the Operation or Maintenance of the system please give us a call.

V/R,

Dennis DiBello, Business Manager and Superintendent

III. Financials & Water Rates

There will be no increase in water rates for the fiscal year 2020-2021 as the new budget is 6% lower than the prior year.

2019 Annual Water Quality & Consumer Confidence Report

Our drinking water is safe and meets all federal and state requirements for community drinking water. In 2019, there were no water quality violations.

Annual Water Quality Report for the period of January 1 to December 31, 2019

This report is intended to provide you with important information about your drinking water and the efforts made by the water system to provide safe drinking water.

The source of drinking water used by BEACHES WATER CO-OPERATIVE is Ground Water: Nanjemoy and Aquia confined aquifers.

Este informe contiene información muy importante sobre el agua que usted bebe. Tradúzcalo ó hable con alguien que lo entienda bien.

Lead and Copper	Date Sampled	MCLG	Action Level (AL)	90th Percentile	# Sites Over	Units	Violation	Likely Source of Contamination
Copper	2019	1.3	1.3	0.2	0	ppm	N	Erosion of natural deposits; Leaching from wood preservatives; Corrosion of household plumbing systems
Lead	2019	0	15	2.9	0	ppb	N	Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits.

Water Quality Test Results

Avg: Regulatory compliance with some MCLs are based on running annual average of monthly samples.

Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL): 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.

Level 1 Assessment: A Level 1 assessment is a study of the water system to identify potential problems and determine (if possible) why total coliform bacteria have been found in our water system.

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.

Level 2 Assessment: A Level 2 assessment is a very detailed study of the water system to identify potential problems and determine (if possible) why an E. coli MCL violation has occurred and/or why total coliform bacteria have been found in our water system on multiple occasions.

Maximum 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 microbial contaminants.

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.

na: not applicable.

mrem: millirems per year (a measure of radiation absorbed by the body)

ppb: micrograms per liter or parts per billion - or one ounce in 7,350,000 gallons of water.

ppm: milligrams per liter or parts per million - or one ounce in 7,350 gallons of water.

Treatment Technique or TT: A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.

Disinfectants and Disinfection By-Products	Collection Date	Highest Level Detected	Range of Levels Detected	MCLG	MCL	Units	Violation	Likely Source of Contamination
Chlorine	2019	0.8	0.6-0.8	MRDLG = 4	MRDL = 4	ppm	N	Water additive used to control microbes.
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM)	2019	2	1.93 - 1.93	No goal for the total	80	ppb	N	By-product of drinking water disinfection

 

Inorganic Contaminants	Collection Date	Highest Level Detected	Range of Levels Detected	MCLG	MCL	Units	Violation	Likely Source of Contamination
Arsenic - While your drinking water meets EPA standards for arsenic, it does contain low levels of arsenic. EPAs standard balances the current understanding of arsenics possible health effects against the costs of removing arsenic from drinking water. EPA continues to research the health effects of low levels of arsenic, which is a mineral known to cause cancer in humans at high concentrations and is linked to other health effects such as skin damage and circulatory problems.	2019	7	5.7 - 7	0	10	ppb	N	Erosion of natural deposits; Runoff from orchards; Runoff from glass and electronics production wastes.
Fluoride	2019	0.27	0.27 - 0.27	4	4.0	ppm	N	Erosion of natural deposits; Water additive which promotes strong teeth; Discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories.

Terminology used in this report is what is generally accepted as a means of measurement of the degree of contaminants in the water.

Contaminants include naturally occurring items in the water such as minerals and foreign matter that may or may not be acceptable based on the level detected.

Lead Statement: 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. Beaches Water Co-op 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 drinking 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 EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791 or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

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 microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Water Drinking Hotline (800-426-4791).

  VISA and Mastercard:
We are now accepting VISA and Mastercard payments.   You may come by
 the office to make payment, pay over the phone, via www.beacheswater.com
 or include credit card billing information on your billing statement.