The City of Youngstown has prepared the following report to provide information to you, the consumer, on the quality of our drinking water. This report is required as part of the Safe Drinking Water Act Re-authorization of 1996.

The City of Youngstown obtains its drinking water from the Meander Reservoir. The Meander Reservoir is operated by the Mahoning Valley Sanitary District and is considered a surface water source which requires treatment prior to use as drinking water. The City of Youngstown purchases a finished product from the M.V.S.D. and operates a water distribution system only.

What are sources of contamination to 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: (A) Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations and wildlife; (B) Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally occurring or result from urban storm water runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining or farming; (C) Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban storm water runoff, and residential uses; (D) 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 storm water runoff, and septic systems; (E) 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, the EPA prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. FDA regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health.

Who needs to take special precautions?

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 infection. 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).

Definitions of some terms contained within this report

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 Contaminant level (MCL): the highest level of contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology.

Parts per Million (ppm) or Milligrams per Liter (mg/L) are units of measure for concentration of a contaminant. A part per million corresponds to one second in a little over 11.5 days.

Parts per Billion (ppb) or Micrograms per Liter (ug/L) are units of measure for concentration of a contaminant. A part per billion corresponds to one second in 31.7 years.

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

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

The "<" symbol: A symbol which means less than. A result of <5 means that the lowest level that could be detected was 5 and the contaminate in that sample was not detected.

Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU): Nephelometric Turbidity Unit is a measure of the clarity of water. Turbidity in excess of 5 NTU is just noticeable by the average person.

N/A - not applicable, does not apply

How is Your Drinking Water Treated?

The Mahoning Valley Sanitary District treats approximately 26 million gallons per day of raw water from Meander Creek Reservoir and pumps it to Youngstown, Niles and McDonald. These communities distribute the water to residents and surrounding areas. Treatment includes chemical addition for softening, disinfection, fluoridation, taste and odor control, mixing, settling, filtration and pumping. Youngstown distributes approximately 18 million gallons per day through 750 miles of pipelines to residents of Youngstown, Austintown, Boardman, Canfield Twp. and Liberty; and sells bulk to Mineral Ridge, Mahoning County (Jackson Twp.), and the Cities of Girard and Canfield.

*Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level (SMCLs) are maximum levels for contaminants involving taste, color, odor, or appearance of water, and do NOT generally pose a health risk.

**Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness of water and is an indication of the effectiveness of the filtration system. The turbidity limit set by the EPA is .3 NTU in 95% of the daily samples and shall not exceed 1 NTU at any time.

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 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY'S SAFE DRINKING WATER HOTLINE AT 1-800-426-4791.

How do I participate in decisions concerning my drinking water?

Public participation and comments regarding water are encouraged at regular City Council meetings scheduled on the first and third Wednesday of every month at 5:30 P.M. on the sixth floor of Youngstown City Hall at 26 S. Phelps St. To request permission to address City Council please contact City Council Chambers at (330) 742-8708. For technical water quality information contact the Mahoning Valley Sanitary District (MVSD) at (330) 799-6315. For information regarding water distribution, pressure, discolored water, or lead and copper sampling contact the Chief Engineer's Office at (330) 743-5338. This information is also available at our website www.youngstownwater.com.

The Mahoning Valley Sanitary District public water system uses surface water drawn from the Meander Creek Reservoir. For the purposes of source water assessments, all surface waters in Ohio are considered to be susceptible to contamination. By their nature, surface waters are readily accessible and can be contaminated by chemicals and pathogens which may rapidly arrive at the public drinking water intake with little warning or time to prepare.

The Mahoning Valley Sanitary District's drinking water source protection area is susceptible to runoff from row crop agriculture and animal feedlot operations, oil and gas wells, failing home and commercial septic systems, road/rail crossings, and new housing and commercial development that could increase runoff from roads and parking lots.

The Mahoning Valley Sanitary District treats the water to meet drinking water quality standards, but no single treatment technique can address all potential contaminants. The potential for water quality impacts can further be decreased by implementing measures to protect Meander Creek Reservoir and its watershed. More detailed information is provided in the Mahoning Valley Sanitary District's Drinking Water Source Assessment report, which can be obtained by calling Edward McCormick at 330-799-6315.

Notice of Tier 3 Violation

Between September 1 and September 5, 2006, for approximately 36, the Mahoning Valley Sanitary District did not monitor and report results for the presence of turbidity in four of the thirty-two filters at the water treatment facility. The finished, combined filter water turbidity delivered to consumers continued to be monitored and remained within the Ohio EPA standards for turbidity. This notice is a reporting requirement and did not necessitate a boil advisory or other corrective action by the consumer.

Map of the Mahoning Valley Sanitary District