City of Tybee Island - Water & Sewer

FAQs

How do I report a water problem, like a leak, sewer backup or drinking water quality issue?
Call the Water Department, at (912) 786-4573 x122, if you discover this problem during normal business hours. If the problem occurs outside working hours, call the City of Tybee Island's Police Department Dispatch Desk on their non-emergency number at (912) 786-5600. They will contact the Water Department's on-call staff to begin repairs.

How do I get information about water quality?
Water quality standards for safe drinking water are set by the USEPA, GEPD, and GDNR. The water we serve you meets or exceeds all of these requirements. See our Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) that provides the results of our water testing for the past year .
If you have questions about your water quality, please call our Dept. at (912) 786-4573, ext. 122 or 124. Billing questions must be directed to ext. 110.

Why is there chlorine in the water?
City of Tybee Island adds chlorine to the water to ensure the water is free from harmful bacteria. The department has installed several chlorine pump stations throughout our service area. On average there are about 0.6 parts per million of chlorine in our water.

How do I decrease the amount of chlorine in my water (for fish tanks, plant watering, etc.)?
Fill a clean container. Leaving it slightly uncovered, allow it to stand overnight. The chlorine will evaporate. To speed up the process, warm the water. Be sure to store the dechlorinated water in the refrigerator.

Is there is lead in my water?
City of Tybee Island follows EPA regulations and guidelines for water system lead testing. Our tests indicate that, system-wide, the lead levels in City of Tybee Island water are below the EPA limits.

However, lead and/or copper from your home's plumbing can leach into your water. Lead /copper pipes are easily scratched with a house key, leaving a shiny streak. A private laboratory can test a sample of your water to test for lead and/ or copper.

For more information, see:

EPA’s website

Is there mercury in my water?

City of Tybee Island follows EPA regulations and guidelines for water system mercury testing. Our tests indicate that, system-wide; the mercury levels in City of Tybee Island water are non-detectable at parts per billion range of detection.

Why is there fluoride in the water?
Fluoride prevents tooth decay and is essential for proper development of bones and teeth. On average there is 0.83 parts per million of fluoride in our drinking water. City of Tybee Island does not add fluoride to its water, what exists is naturally occurring and well within EPA regulation and guidelines.

What is the pH level of City of Tybee Island’s water?
The pH of our water remains in the neutral range averaging 7.23.

If my water has an odor, what should I do?
Often odors that appear to be coming from running water are coming from the drain. If it seems that your water has a “rotten egg” odor, fill a glass with water and take it to another room. If the water has no odor in the other room, then the odor is probably coming from the drain. Cleaning the drain will usually correct the problem.

Chlorine odors occur when the residual chlorine disinfectant gases (CL2) combine with gases given off by common household items. New carpets, paint, flowers, pine wreaths, upholstery, scented soaps and other household products produce gases called VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds). When the chlorine gas and VOCs combine, you may get a smell that does not smell like either chlorine or the source of the VOC. Some of the most common descriptions of the odors are cat urine, fuel oil or chemicals.

To reduce these odors, try putting a fan in your window to air out your home to reduce the level of VOCs or use a carbon filter to reduce the level of CL2.

One interesting contributing factor is that your hot water heater builds up contaminants that cause odors when the hot water is used. Hot water heaters need to be flushed periodically to prevent these build ups. Flushing once a year is usually sufficient and amazingly effective.

Why is my water sometimes rusty?
Rusty, yellow water comes from mineral deposits stirred up during hydrant flushing, fire-fighting, line breaks or maintenance. The local fire department lists scheduled hydrant flushing in the newspaper. Try not to use water during these times to avoid pulling deposits into your home's plumbing.

Rusty water will generally clear up within 2-3 hours after the line is repaired or hydrant closed. You will need to run your cold water for several minutes to flush the rusty water from the lines in your house. Try not to run the hot water because that can deposit rust in your hot water tank.

If your laundry gets stained by rusty water, keep it moist. Buy a rust remover and follow the directions on the package.

Why does my water look cloudy?
Cloudy or milky-looking water is usually caused by dissolved air bubbles in the water. Air bubbles are harmless and are caused by pressure changes, temperature changes, water that is too hot (above 140° F) and faucet aerators. To check for air bubbles, fill a glass container with water: if the cloudiness is caused by air bubbles, it will clear from the bottom of the container toward the top.

Why are there particles floating in my water?
Black, brown or rusty particles can be caused by minerals breaking loose during hydrant flushing, line breaks or line maintenance. Flush your lines by running the cold water for several minutes. If the water does not clear, the particles could be coming from breakthroughs in your hot water heater or filter system. Call a licensed plumber to investigate the problem.

If white or tan particles are floating on the surface of the water, the problem may be coming from your hot water heater. The plastic dip tubes in water heaters often disintegrate with pieces going through the plumbing or being trapped in faucet aerators. Call a licensed plumber to investigate the problem.

Why is there a pink or black ring in my toilet?
Bacteria, fungus and mold spores normally found in the air can cause rings in your toilet bowl. Wet surfaces provide ideal conditions, and the organisms reproduce rapidly, growing together to form a ring. The color of the ring depends on the species of bacteria, mold or fungus.

You can easily remove the rings with a toilet bowl brush and household cleaners. Close the toilet lid to reduce the number of spores and reduce the light needed for growth.

What causes pinhole leaks?
Scientists have not yet discovered why pinhole leaks occur. National experts currently think that pitting in pipes can start from many factors, including:

substandard pipe manufacturing
improper installation
improper electrical grounding
excess plumbing flux

Tap Water	Bottled Water
Regulated by EPA	Regulated by FDA
Cannot have confirmed E. coli or fecal coliform bacteria	A certain amount of any bacteria is allowed
Filtered and/or disinfected	No federal disinfection requirements
Violation of drinking water standards is grounds for enforcement	Water in violation of standards can still be bottled and sold
Must be tested by certified labs	Testing by certified labs not required
Utilities must report test results to state and/or federal agencies	Bottlers have no reporting requirements
Water system operators must be certified	Bottled water plant operators do not have to be cert-ified
Water suppliers must issue an annual Consumer Confidence Report	Bottlers have no public right-to-know require-ments
Costs pennies a day—about $.0004 per gallon	Costs $.80 - $4.00 per gallon
Contains essential nutrients such as calcium and iron	Some bottlers filter out nutrient minerals
Residual chlorine prevents bacterial growth	No disinfectant to prevent bacterial growth as water ages

Is bottled water safer than tap water?

Not necessarily. Check the bottled water label or contact the bottled water supplier for test results on their product. Under special circumstances, such as an emergency, bottled water is a good choice.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulates public water systems. As shown in our Consumer Confidence Report (CCR), City of Tybee Island’s water supply meets all federal and state EPA drinking water standards. Bottled water must comply with Food and Drug Administration regulations, which must be equal to EPA standards for drinking water. Most required monitoring under the FDA regulations is not as frequent as the monitoring done on City of Tybee Island’s water.

Depending on the source of the water and the treatment process, some bottled waters may contain more or less amounts of substances than tap water. Some studies have shown that microbial growth may occur in bottled water during storage due to the lack of residual disinfectant. City of Tybee Island adds chlorine to its system to control microbial growth.

People with compromised immune systems should check the water quality test results for City of Tybee Island and the bottled water supplier, and consult their doctor before deciding which source is best for them.

Where can I find more information?
EPA publications contain more information about drinking water and your health
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/dwh/index.html

Annual Consumer Confidence Report for 2006

Annual Drinking Water Quality Report

The City of Tybee Island

2006

We're pleased to present to you this year's Annual Drinking Water Quality Report. This report is designed to inform you about the quality water and services we deliver to you every day. Our constant goal is to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water. We want you to understand the efforts we make to continually improve the water treatment process and protect our water resources. We are committed to ensuring the quality of your water. Our wells draw groundwater from the Upper Floridan Aquifer.

We’re pleased to report that our drinking water is safe and meets federal and state requirements.

If you have any questions about this report or concerning your water utility, please contact George Reese at (912) 786-4573 . We want our valued customers to be informed about their water utility. If you want to learn more, please attend any of our regularly scheduled Town Council meetings. They are held on the second and fourth Thursday of each month at 7:30 P.M. at the Tybee Island City Hall. This report will not be mailed to consumers but copies may be obtained from City Hall.

The Tybee Island Water Department routinely monitors for constituents in your drinking water according to Federal and State laws. The Test Results table shows the monitoring results for the period of January 1^st to December 31^st, 2006 or as shown in the table. The sources of drinking water (both tap 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 the following:

t Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria that may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife.

t Inorganic contaminants such as salts and metals, which can be naturally-occurring or result from urban storm runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming.

t Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and residential uses.

t 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 stormwater runoff, and septic systems.

t 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 regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health.

The Test Results table lists the contaminants which were detected and the level at which the detection occurred. For brevity, we have only listed the contaminants which were detected within the past year’s tests or the latest test for the contaminant. In this table you will find many terms and abbreviations you might not be familiar with. To help you better understand these terms we've provided the following definitions:

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 (µg/l) - one part per billion corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years, or a single penny in $10,000,000.

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.

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.”

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 microbiological 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.”

Action Level (AL) - the concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow.

MNR - Monitoring not required, but recommended.

As you can see by the table, our system had no violations. We’re proud that your drinking water meets or exceeds all Federal and State requirements. We have learned through our monitoring and testing that some constituents have been detected. The EPA has determined that your water IS SAFE at these levels. 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 (1-800-426-4791).

MCL’s are set at very stringent levels. To understand the possible health effects described for many regulated constituents, a person would have to drink 2 liters of water every day at the MCL level for a lifetime to have a one-in-a-million chance of having the described health effect.

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

Please call our office if you have questions.

We at the Tybee Island Water Department work around the clock to provide top quality water to every tap. We ask that all our customers help us protect our water sources, which are the heart of our community, our way of life and our children’s future.

Georgia Source Water Assessment Program is currently pending of this area. This report will be made available to the public once completed by the GA Environmental Protection Division (EPD).

EPD has determined that the concentration of certain water quality monitoring parameters does not change frequently within our system therefore, some of the data represented in this report are greater than one year old.

Trihalomethane is less than 80 ppb and in compliance with reporting standards.

Test Results

Parameter

MCL

MCLG

Tybee Island Water System

Range of Detections

Sample Date

Violation

Typical Source of Contamination

Inorganic Contaminants

Fluoride (ppm)