To help you understand the water supply and quality issues vital to our area and in accordance with the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, we compiled this information. On this page will find answers to commonly asked questions about water quality. Specific data about the water quality in your area is found in the data section.
- How does the Truckee Meadows Water Authority purify the water?
- What are we doing to keep the tap water safe?
- How do we rate for water quality?
- How does TMWA protect your water quality?
- Where can I get water quality data?
The Truckee Meadows Water Authority employs conventional water treatment that meets the federally mandated method of purification. We supply surface water via the Chalk Bluff Water Treatment Plant (located in northwest Reno) and Glendale Water Treatment Plant (located in Sparks).
The Truckee Meadows Water Authority's purification process works like this:
- Start with unpurified water for the Truckee River.
- Screens remove leaves, sticks and large foreign material.
- Prechlorination reduces disease organisms, bad taste, and odors.
- Presettling settles out large dirt particles.
- Chemicals are added then rapidly flash mixed to cause fine dirt particles to clump together.
- Coagulation/Flocculation is a process in which flash mixed particles are gathered and made
even larger to enhance settling.
- Sedimentation is a process in which gravity settles out the large particles formed in
coagulation/flocculation.
- Filtration removes remaining particles to supply water that is 99.5% particle-free at this point.
- Final chlorination destroys any remaining disease organisms and adds necessary chorine to
prevent microbe regrowth in the distribution system.
- Corrosion control is a step in which chemicals are added to neutralize the corrosive effects of
our very "soft" water.
- After the water is purified, it is distributed to customers through 1,500 miles of pipeline,
32 water storage tanks and 90 booster pumps. The system is monitored by one of the most
sophisticated water distribution computer systems in America.
- Finally, pumps send purified water to your house.
What are we doing to keep the tap water safe?
Truckee Meadows Water Authority has upgraded and maintained our
water treatment facilities to meet the mandates of the federal
Safe Drinking Water Act. These improvements include the Chalk Bluff Water Treatment
Plant, which can treat over 70 million gallons of water per day, upgrades to
the Glendale Water Treatment Plant, and completion of the Hunter Creek and Highland
water storage facilities.
The value of these improvements was put to the test during the New Year's Flood of 1997. We continued to deliver a safe drinking water supply even during a time of crisis.
Truckee Meadows Water Authority's water quality monitoring and testing programs are aimed at assuring your water is safe and provided at a reasonable cost.
Truckee Meadows Water Authority's professional staff of scientists and engineers monitors our water quality. More than 1,500 laboratory tests are performed each month on samples taken from more than 150 locations in Reno/Sparks area. Truckee Meadows Water Authority's dedicated team is working to develop technologies that will guarantee compliance with all current and future federal Safe Drinking Water Act regulations.
How do we rate for water quality?
Our tap water is safe to drink. Our water quality meets, and in
most cases, significantly exceeds all Environmental Protection Agency and Nevada State Health
standards.
Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immunocompromised people such as people with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, people 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 microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).
We test for Cryptosporidium weekly in both our source water and treated water. Cryptosporidium is rarely in the Truckee River, and has not been found in the treated water that goes to your tap. Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants goes 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).
Our sources of drinking water include lakes, river, 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, which may come from sewage treatment
plants, septic systems,agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife.
- Inorganic contaminants, 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, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture,
urban stormwater runoff, and residential uses.
- Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are
byproducts of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas
stations, urban stormwater runoff, and septic systems.
- 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 that must provide the same protection for public health.
Truckee Meadows Water Authority is in full compliance with the Federal Lead and Copper Rule as indicated by recent testing. The most recent results at the customer's tap for both Lead and Copper show the highest Lead value of 7.6 mg/L detected (Action Limit 15 mg/L) and the highest Copper value of 0.53 mg/L detected (Action Limit 1.30 mg/L). Over 90 percent of the samples analyzed for lead were below the minimum detection limit of 3 mg/L, and over 90 percent of the samples analyzed for Copper were below the minimum detection level of 0.05 mg/L.
Action limits shown in parentheses next to the results are those values at which the water would not be in compliance. Truckee Meadows Water Authority obtained approval from the State of Nevada, Health Division and Bureau of Health Protection Services to implement an Optimum Corrosion Control Treatment Program using Sodium Carbonate. This program will minimize corrosion in customer pipes.
Truckee Meadows Water Authority also possesses a variance to operate both the Chalk Bluff Water Treatment Facility and the Glendale Water Treatment Facility at an accelerated filtered loading rate of 7.5 gpm/ft^2. This high rate filtration variance saved water customers millions of dollars in rates by increasing production capacity without the need for additional facility expansion.
How does TMWA protect your water quality?
Precautions are necessary to prevent contaminated water from entering your
irrigation system. Bacteria and other microbiological contaminants may enter your
system through malfunctioning valves or broken sprinkler heads and subsurface pipes. Water may
also become chemically contaminated if you are applying or injecting fertilizers into
your drip system.
Potential contamination from your irrigation systems becomes a serious issue should backflow occur. Backflow is a flow reversal that may occur from a broken water main or from a flowing fire hydrant. In order to protect your home from backflow, an appropriate "backflow prevention assembly" must be incorporated into your irrigation system.
Properly installed and maintained backflow prevention assemblies will prevent contamination and are required by state and local laws. To learn more, and to determine the proper backflow device for you application, call us at 834-8011,12,13.
Where can I get water quality data?
All water quality data is available free of charge upon customer request.
Truckee Meadows Water Authority sends this data to local and state health
departments in a monthly report that is also available to customers upon request.
Truckee Meadows Water Authority has an open door policy on all
water quality issues, and customers are encouraged to view any aspect of
our water purification system.
