INTRODUCTION

The City of Glendora is committed to keeping you informed about the quality of your drinking water.  This report is provided to you annually.  It includes information describing where your drinking water comes from, the constituents found in your drinking water and how the water quality compares with the regulatory standards.  We are proud to report that during 2021, the drinking water provided by the City of Glendora met or surpassed all Federal and State drinking water standards.  We remain dedicated to providing you with a reliable supply of high-quality drinking water.

Regularly scheduled meetings of the City of Glendora City Council are held on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 7:00 PM at 116 E. Foothill Blvd., Glendora, California 91741. These meetings provide an opportunity for public participation in decisions that may affect the quality and reliability of your water.

WHERE DOES MY DRINKING WATER COME FROM?

The City of Glendora provides water to customers from three sources: 1) groundwater from the Main San Gabriel Basin, 2) filtered surface water from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD), and 3) filtered surface water from the Covina Irrigating Company (CIC). The water is disinfected with chlorine (CIC and groundwater) or chloramines (MWD) before it is delivered to your home. MWD imported water sources are a blend of State Water Project water from northern California and water from the Colorado River Aqueduct. CIC source water originates from the San Gabriel Mountains.

WHAT ARE WATER QUALITY STANDARDS?

In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) prescribe regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. CDPH regulations also establish limits for contaminants in bottled water that provide the same protection for public health.

Drinking water standards established by USEPA and CDPH set limits for substances that may affect consumer health or aesthetic qualities of drinking water. The chart in this report shows the following types of water quality standards:
Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL): The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water.  Primary MCLs are set as close to the PHGs (or MCLGs) as is economically and technologically feasible. Secondary MCLs are set to protect the odor, taste, and appearance of drinking water.

• 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.
• Primary Drinking Water Standard: MCLs for contaminants that affect health along with their monitoring and reporting requirements and water treatment requirements.
• Regulatory Action Level (AL): The concentration of a contaminant, which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements that a water system must follow.
• Notification Level (NL): An advisory level which, if exceeded, requires the drinking water system to notify the governing body of the local agency in which users of the drinking water reside (i.e. city council, county board of supervisors).

In addition to mandatory water quality standards, USEPA and CDPH have set voluntary water quality goals for some contaminants.  Water quality goals are often set at such low levels that they are not achievable in practice and are not directly measurable. Nevertheless, these goals provide useful guideposts and direction for water management practices.

The chart in this report includes three types of water quality goals:

• 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 are set by USEPA.
• 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.
• Public Health Goal (PHG):  The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health.  PHGs are set by the California Environmental Protection Agency.

WHAT CONTAMINANTS MAY BE PRESENT IN SOURCES OF DRINKING WATER?

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 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, 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, that 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 that may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and residential uses.
• Radioactive contaminants that can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.
• Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, that are byproducts of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff, agricultural application and septic systems.

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 USEPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).

WHAT IS IN MY DRINKING WATER?

Your drinking water is tested by certified professional water system operators and certified laboratories to ensure its safety.  The City of Glendora routinely tests drinking water from its wells and distribution system pipes for bacterial and chemical contaminants while MWD and CIC are responsible for testing their treated surface water purchased by the City. The chart in this report shows the average and range of concentrations of the constituents tested in your drinking water during year 2016 or from the most recent tests. The State allows the City to monitor for some contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants do not change frequently. Some of our data, although representative, are more than one year old. The chart lists all the contaminants detected in your drinking water that have federal and state drinking water standards. Detected unregulated contaminants of interest are also included.

ARE THERE ANY PRECAUTIONS THE PUBLIC SHOULD CONSIDER?

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.  USEPA/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 Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).

ABOUT NITRATE

Although nitrate in your drinking water never exceeds the MCL of 45 milligrams per liter (mg/l), nitrate levels may rise quickly for short periods of time because of rainfall or agricultural activity.  Nitrate in drinking water at levels above 45 mg/l is a health risk for infants of less than six months of age.  Such nitrate levels in drinking water can interfere with the capacity of the infant’s blood to carry oxygen, resulting in a serious illness; symptoms include shortness of breath and blueness of the skin.  Nitrate levels above 45 mg/l may also affect the ability of the blood to carry oxygen in other individuals, such as pregnant women and those with certain specific enzyme deficiencies.  If you are caring for an infant, or you are pregnant, you should ask for advice from your health care provider.

DRINKING WATER SOURCE ASSESSMENT

In accordance with the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, an assessment of the drinking water sources for the City of Glendora was completed in December 2001.  The purpose of the drinking water source assessment is to promote source water protection by identifying types of activities in the proximity of the drinking water sources which could pose a threat to the water quality.  The assessment concluded that City of Glendora’s groundwater wells are considered most vulnerable to the following activities or facilities associated with contaminants detected in the water supply: crops irrigation, fertilizer, pesticide/herbicide application, and known contaminant plumes.   In addition, the groundwater wells are considered most vulnerable to the following facilities not associated with contaminants detected in the water supply: utility stations maintenance areas, above ground storage tanks and high density of housing.  A copy of the complete assessment is available at the City of Glendora at 116 E. Foothill Blvd., Glendora, CA 91741. You may request a summary of the assessment to be sent to you by contacting Mr. Steve Patton at (626) 914-8249.

In addition, the City of Glendora purchased surface water from MWD and CIC.  Every five years, MWD is required by the CDPH to examine possible sources of drinking water contamination in its State Water Project and Colorado River source waters. MWD has submitted to CDPH its 2010 updates to the Watershed Sanitary Surveys for the Colorado River and State Water Project, which include suggestions for how to better protect these source waters. Both source waters are exposed to stormwater runoff, recreational activities, wastewater discharges, wildlife, fires, and other watershed-related factors that could affect water quality. USEPA also requires MWD to complete one Source Water Assessment (SWA) that utilizes information collected in the watershed sanitary surveys. MWD completed its SWA in December 2002. The SWA is used to evaluate the vulnerability of water sources to contamination and helps determine whether more protective measures are needed. A copy of the most recent summary of either Watershed Sanitary Survey or the SWA can be obtained by calling MWD at (213) 217-6850.

In 2010, CIC completed its update to the San Gabriel River Watershed Sanitary Survey. The watershed sanitary survey concluded that CIC’s surface water source is vulnerable to debris removal and recreational activities.  You may request a summary of the survey to be sent to you by contacting Mr. Steve Patton at (626) 914-8249.

DRINKING WATER FLUORIDATION

“Community water fluoridation continues to be the most cost-effective, practical and safe means for reducing and controlling the occurrence of tooth decay in a community.” U.S. Surgeon General

Fluoride has been added to U.S. drinking water supplies since 1945. Of the 50 largest cities in the U.S., 43 fluoridate their drinking water.  In December 2007, MWD joined a majority of the nation’s public water suppliers in adding fluoride to drinking water in order to prevent tooth decay.  In line with recommendations from the CDPH, as well as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, MWD adjusted the natural fluoride level in imported treated water from the Colorado River and State Project water to the optimal range for dental health of 0.7 to 1.3 parts per million.  Our local water is not supplemented with fluoride.  Fluoride levels in drinking water are limited under California state regulations at a maximum dosage of 2 parts per million. 

For more information about the MWD’s fluoridation program, please contact Edgar G. Dymally at (213) 217-5709 or at edymally@mwdh2o.com.

LEAD IN TAP WATER

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.  The City of Glendora 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 http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

QUESTIONS?

 For more information or questions regarding this report, please contact Mr. Steve Patton at (626) 852-4838.

Este informe contiene información muy importante sobre su agua potable. Para mas información ó traducción, favor de contactar a Mr. Steve Patton.  Telefono: (626) 852-4838.

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