Mandatory Public Reporting of TCEQ Violation regarding Drinking Water Q2 2020

TO: Water Customers                                                                                                                               July 31, 2020

       City of San Augustine

The Texas Commission on environmental Quality (TCEQ) has notified CITY OF SAN AUGUSTINE TX2030001 that the drinking water being supplied to customers has exceeded the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for total Trihalomethanes. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) has established the MCL for total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) to be 0.080 milligrams per liter (mg/l) based on locational running annual average (LRAA), and has determined that it is a health concern at levels above the MCL ,Analysis of drinking water in your community for total Trihalomethanes indicates a compliance value in quarter two (Q2) 2020 of 0.086mg/L for DBP2-01 and 0.082mg/L for DBP2-02.

TRIHALOMETHANES (TTHM) are a group of volatile organic compounds that are formed when chlorine, added to the water during the treatment process for disinfection, reacts with naturally-occurring organic matter in the water.

Some people that drink water-containing TRIHALOMETHANES in excess of the MCL over many years may experience problems with their liver, kidney, or central nervous system, and may have an increased risk of getting cancer.

YOU DO NOT NEED TO USE AN ALTERNATIVE WATER SUPPLY. However, if you have health concerns, you may want to talk to your doctor to get more information about how this can affect you.

We are taking the following actions to address the issue:

Subsequent to the last posting just like this we had just finished the repairs to the system, and the test samples for the next quarter (this one Q2) were pulled the next day. There was not enough time to see results. In addition to the repairs, we have changed daily production operations to reduce the time water is stored which reduces Chlorine contact time which is the culprit for TTHM production. We still believe we have already corrected this problem. However, we realize some of our customers may have concerns or questions, and so this will be on the Council Agenda for August 18, 2020 (5pm). Come to that meeting to hear about it from the Superintendent.

Please share this information with all the other people who drink the water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools and business). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.

If you have any questions concerning this notice, you may contact Chris Anding at 936-275-2121, At San Augustine City Hall.

City of San Augustine