2022 Annual Water Quality Report

(Testing Performed January through December 2021)

PHIL CAMPBELL WATER WORKS & SEWER BOARD

POST OFFICE BOX 519
PHIL CAMPBELL, ALABAMA 35581
PHONE: (205)993-5464
FAX: (205)993-5571

We are pleased to present to you this year’s Annual Water Quality Report. This report is designed to inform you about the
quality of 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. The Phil Campbell Water Works & Sewer Board along with the Upper Bear Creek Water, Sewer
and Fire Protection District routinely monitor for constituents in your drinking water according to Federal and State laws.
This report contains results from the most recent monitoring, which was performed in accordance with the regulatory
schedule.

Water Source: Bear Creek Reservoir

Storage Capacity of Reservoir: 1,000,000 gallons at the water plant
Treatment Techniques: Chlorine dioxide, coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, rapid sand filtration
and chlorine
Board Members: Sammy Taylor, Chairman
Gary Dolan, Vice Chairman
Denny Hagood, Secretary
Mike McQuary, Member
Darryl Whitehead, Member

Source Water Assessment

In compliance with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM), Upper Bear Creek Water, Sewer
and Fire Protection District has developed a Source Water Assessment plan that will assist in protecting our water sources.
This plan provides additional information such as potential sources of contamination. It includes a susceptibility analysis,
which classifies potential contaminants as high, moderate, or non-susceptible to contaminating the water source. All of the
potential contaminants sited in our study area were rated as low risk to our water supply. The assessment has been
performed, public notification has been completed, and the plan has been approved by ADEM. A copy of the report is
available in the Upper Bear Creek Water, Sewer and Fire Protection Districts office for review during normal business
hours, or you may purchase a copy upon request for a normal reproduction fee. Please help us make this effort worthwhile
by protecting our source water. Carefully follow instructions on pesticides and herbicides you use for your lawn and garden
and properly dispose of household chemicals, paints and waste oil.

Monitoring Schedule
Upper Bear Creek Water Authority and Phil Campbell Water Works routinely monitors for constituents in your drinking
water according to Federal and State laws. This report contains results from the most recent monitoring which was
performed in accordance with the regulatory schedule.

Constituents Monitored Date Monitored

Inorganic Contaminants 2021
Lead / Copper—PC Water 2020
Microbiological Contaminants Current
Nitrates 2021
Radioactive Contaminants 2021
Synthetic Organic Contaminants (including herbicides and pesticides) 2021 partials
Volatile Organic Contaminants 2020
Disinfection By-products 2021
Cryptosporidium 2017
PFAS Contaminants 2020

General Information
All drinking water, including bottled water, may be reasonably expected to contain at least small amounts of some
contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. MCL’s, defined
in a List of Definitions in this report, 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.

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
radioactive material and it 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 storm
water run-off, 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, storm water run-off and
residential uses.
• 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 run-off
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 the tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain
contaminants in water provided by public water systems. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations establish limits
for contaminants in bottled water.

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. People at risk should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers.

This water system also tests our source water for pathogens, such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia. These pathogens can enter
the water from animal or human waste. All test results were within state and federal standards. For people who may be
immuno-compromised, a guidance document developed jointly by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Center
for Disease Control is available online at www.epa.gov/safewater/crypto.html or from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at
800-426-4791. This language does not indicate the presence of cryptosporidium in our drinking water. Based on a study
conducted by ADEM with the approval of the EPA a statewide waiver for the monitoring of asbestos and dioxin was
issued. Thus, monitoring for the contaminants was not required.

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. Your
water system 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
www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

Information about Lead

Lead in drinking water is rarely found in source water but is primarily from materials and components associated with
service lines and home plumbing. Your water system is responsible for providing high quality drinking water but cannot
control the variety of materials used in plumbing components.

If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children.
Use only water from the cold-water tap for drinking, cooking, and especially for making baby formula. Hot water is more
likely to cause leaching of lead from plumbing materials. When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can
minimized the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using water for drinking
or cooking. These recommended actions are very important to the health of your family.

Lead levels in your drinking water are likely to be higher if:

• Your home or water system has lead pipes, or
• Your home has faucets or fittings made of brass which contains some lead
• Your home has copper pipes with lead solder and you have naturally soft water, and
• Water often sits in the pipes for several hours.
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 a
www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

We have learned through our monitoring and testing that some constituents have been detected. We are pleased to report
that our drinking water meets federal and state requirements. This report shows our water quality and what it means.

TABLE OF DETECTED DRINKING WATER CONTAMINATS

Violation Level Unit Likely Source of
Contaminants Y/N Detected Measurement MCLG MCL Contamination
Chlorine No 1.00-2.4 Ppm MRDLG MRDL Water additive used to control microbes
=4 =4
Chlorite No 0.04-0.98 Ppm 0.80 1.00 Water additive used to control microbes

Turbidity No Highest 0.22 NTU n/a TT Soil Runoff

100% < 0.5
Total Organic Carbon No 1.3-2.1 Ppm n/a TT Soil Runoff
Barium No 0.02 Ppm 2 2 Drilling waste; refinery discharge; erosion
Combined radium No 0.3±0.5 PCi/l 0 5 Erosion of natural deposits

Copper No 0.130** Ppm 1.3 AL=1.3 Corrosion of household plumbing systems:

erosion of natural deposits; leaching from
wood preservatives

Nitrate (as Nitrogen) No 0.29 Ppm 10 10 Runoff from fertilizer use; leaching from
septic tanks and sewage; erosion of natural
deposits
TTHM No LRAA 21.0 Ppb 0 80 By-product of drinking water chlorination
(Total trihalomethanes)
HAA5 No LRAA 25.0 Ppb 0 60 By-product of drinking water chlorination
(Total haloacetic acids)
2, 4-D No ND-0.17 Ppb 70 70 Runoff from herbicide used on row crops

UNREGULATED CONTAMINANTS
Chloroform No 12.8 Ppb n/a n/a Naturally occurring in the environment or as
a result of industrial discharge or agricultural
runoff
Bromodichlormethane No 1.60 Ppb n/a n/a Naturally occurring in the environment or as
a result of industrial discharge or agricultural
runoff
Metolachlor No 0.10 Ppb n/a n/a Runoff from herbicide used on row crops

SECONDARY CONTAMINANTS
Aluminum No 0.02 Ppm n/a 0.2 Erosion of natural deposits or as a result of
treatment with water additives
Chloride No 10.4 Ppm n/a 250 Naturally occurring in the environment or as
a result of industrial discharge or agricultural
runoff
Hardness No 28.0 Ppm n/a n/a Naturally occurring in the environment or as
a result of treatment with water additives
pH No 6.7 S.U. n/a n/a Naturally occurring in the environment or as
a result of treatment with water additives

Sulfate No 8.1 Ppm n/a 500 Naturally occurring in the environment or as

a result of industrial discharge or agricultural
runoff
Total Dissolved Solids No 59.0 Ppm n/a 500 Naturally occurring; runoff
Zinc No 0.35 Ppm n/a 5 Erosion of natural deposits; discharge from
refineries and factories; runoff from land fills
*Figure shown is 90th percentile and # of sites above Action Level (AL) = 0

PFAS Contaminants

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of man-made chemicals that were used in manufacturing and in other industrial
and consumer applications. The EPA has not established primary drinking water regulations for PFAS substances. The lifetime health
advisory level for PFOA and PFOS is a combined 70 parts per trillion (ppt), or 0.07 parts per billion (ppb). Below is a list of PFAS
contaminants for which our system monitored in 2020 as required and the results of that monitoring. For more information on PFAS
contaminants, please consult https://www.epa.gov/pfas/pfas-fact-sheets-and-infographics
Contaminant Unit Level Contaminant Unit Level
Msmt Detected Msmt Detected
11CI-PF3OUdS (11-chloroeicosafluoro-3- Ppb ND Perfluoroheptanoic acid Ppb ND
oxaundecane-1-sulfonic acid)
9CI-PF3ONS (9-chlorohexadecafluoro- Ppb ND Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid Ppb ND
3oxanone-1-sulfonic acid
ADONA (4,8-dioxa-3H-perfluorononanoic acid) Ppb ND Perfluorononanoic acid Ppb ND
HFPO-DA (Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer Ppb ND Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid Ppb ND_0.005
acidA)
NEtFOSAA (N- Ppb ND Perfluoroctanoic acid Ppb ND
ethylperfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid)
NMeFOSAA (N- Ppb ND Perfluorotetradecanoic acid Ppd ND
methylperfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid0
Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid Ppb ND Perfluorotridecanoic acid Ppd ND
Perfluorodecanoic acid Ppb ND Perfluoroundecanoic acid Ppd ND
Perfluorohexanoic acid Ppb ND Total PFAS Ppd ND_0.005
Perfluorododecanoic acid Ppb ND

Questions ?
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 meetings. They are held on the first Monday of each month at the Phil Campbell Water Works &
Sewer Board office building at 5:00 p.m. The office is located at 215 McClung Street, Phil Campbell, Alabama. If you have
any questions about this report or anything concerning your water utility, please contact Darren Steward, Superintendent at
(205)993-5464. More information about contaminants to drinking water and potential health effects can be obtained by
called the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.

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. We are pleased to report that our drinking water is safe and meets federal and state
requirements. This report shows our water quality and what it means.

DEFINITIONS
In this report you may find terms and abbreviations with which you might not be familiar. To help you better understand
these terms we have provided the following definitions:
*Non Applicable (n/a): Not applicable to water system because not required to perform the referenced monitoring.
*Non-Detects (ND): laboratory analysis indicates that the constituent is not present
*Not Required (NR): laboratory analysis not required due to waiver granted by the Environmental Protection Agency for
the State of Alabama
*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 $10,000.00
*Parts per billion (Ppb) or Micrograms per liter: one part per billion corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years or a single
penny in $10,000,000.00
*Parts per trillion (Ppt) or Nanograms per liter (nanograms/l): one part per trillion corresponds to one minute in 2,000,000
years or a single penny in $10,000,000,000,000.00
*Parts per quadrillion (ppq) or Picograms per liter (pictograms/l): one part per quadrillion corresponds to one minute in
2,000,000,000 years, or a single penny in $10,000,000,000,000.00
*Picocuries per liter (pCi/L): picocuries per liter are a measure of the radioactivity in water
*Millirems per year (mrem/yr): measure of radiation absorbed by the body
*Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU): a measure of the clarity of water. Turbidity in excess of 5 NTU is just noticeable
to the average person
*Variances & Exemptions (V&E): state or EPA permission not to meet an MCL or a treatment technique under certain
conditions
*Action Level: the concentration of a contaminant that, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water
system must follow
*Treatment Technique (TT): (mandatory language) a treatment technique is a required process intended to reduce the level
of a contaminant in drinking water
*Maximum Contaminant Level: (mandatory language) the Maximum Allowed (MCL) is the highest level of a contaminant
that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs allow for a margin of safety.
*Maximum Contaminant Goal: (mandatory language) the Goal (MCGL) is the level of a contaminant in drinking water
below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCGLs allow for a margin of safety.
*Coliform Absent (ca): laboratory analysis that the contaminant is not present
*Disinfection byproducts: are formed when disinfectants used in water treatment plants react with bromide and/or natural
organic matter (i.e., decaying vegetation) present in the source water. Different disinfectants produce different types or
amounts of disinfection byproducts. Disinfection byproducts for which regulations have been established include
trihalomethanes (TTHM), haloacedic acids (HAA5), bromate and chlorite.
*Initial Distribution System Evaluation (IDSE): a one-time study conducted by water systems to identify distribution
systems with high concentrations of trihalomethanes (TTHM) and haloacetic acids (HAA5). Water systems will use results
from the IDSE, in conjunction with their Stage 1 DBPR compliance monitoring data, to select compliance monitoring
locations for Stage 2 DBPR.
*Threshold Odor Number (TON): the greatest dilution of a sample with odor-free water that yields a barely detectable
odor

At the end of this report is a list of Primary Drinking Water Contaminants and a list of Unregulated Contaminants for
which our water system routinely monitors. These contaminants were not detected in your drinking water
unless they are listed in the Table of Detected Drinking Water Contaminants.

STANDARD LIST OF PRIMARY DRINKING WATER CONTAMINANTS

Contaminant MCL Unit of Msmt Contaminant MCL Unit of
Msmt
Bacteriological Trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene 100 ppb
Contaminants
Total Coliform Bacteria <5% present or absent Dichloromethane 5 ppb
Fecal Coliform and E. coli 0 present or absent 1,2-Dichloropropane 5 ppb
Turbidity TT NTU Di (2-ethylhexyl)adipate 400 ppb
Cryptosporidium TT Calculated Di (2-ethylhexyl)phthalate 6 ppb
organisms/liter
Radiological Dinoseb 7 ppb
Contaminants
Beta/photon emitters 4 mrem/yr Dioxin [2,3,7,8-TCDD] 30 ppq
Alpha emitters 15 pCi/l Diquat 20 ppb
Combined radium 5 pCi/l Endothall 100 ppb
Uranium 30 pCi/l Endrin 2 ppb
Inorganic Chemicals Epichlorohydrin TT TT
Antimony 6 ppb Ethylbenzene 700 ppb
Arsenic 10 ppb Ethylene dibromide 50 ppt
Asbestos 7 MFL Glyphosate 700 ppb
Barium 2 ppm Heptachlor 400 ppt
Beryllium 4 ppb Heptachlor epoxide 200 ppt
Cadmium 5 ppb Hexachlorobenzene 1 ppb
Chromium 100 ppb Hexachlorocyclopentadiene 50 ppb
Copper AL=1.3 ppm Lindane 200 ppt
Cyanide 200 ppb Methoxychlor 40 ppb
Fluoride 4 ppm Oxamyl [Vydate] 200 ppb
Lead AL=15 ppb Polychlorinated biphenyls 0.5 ppb
(PCBs)
Mercury 2 ppb Pentachlorophenol 1 ppb
Nitrate 10 ppm Picloram 500 ppb
Nitrite 1 ppm Simazine 4 ppb
Selenium .05 ppm Styrene 100 ppb
Thallium .002 ppm Tetrachloroethylene 5 ppb
Organic Contaminants Toluene 1 ppm
2,4-D 70 ppb Toxaphene 3 ppb
Acrylamide TT TT 2,4,5-TP(Silvex) 50 ppb
Alachlor 2 ppb 1,2,4- Trichlorobenzene .07 ppm
Benzene 5 ppb 1,1,1- Trichloroethane 200 ppb
Benzo(a)pyrene [PAHs] 200 ppt 1,1,2- Trichloroethane 5 ppb
Carbofuran 40 ppb Trichloroethylene 5 ppb
Carbon tetrachloride 5 ppb Vinyl Chloride 2 ppb
Chlordane 2 ppb Xylenes 10 ppm
Chlorobenzene 100 ppb Disinfectants & Disinfection Byproducts
Dalapon 200 ppb Chlorine 4 ppm
Dibromochloropropane 200 ppt Chlorine Dioxide 800 ppb
1,2-Dichlorobenzene 1000 ppb Chloramines 4 ppm
1,4-Dichlorobenzene 75 ppb Bromate 10 ppb
o-Dichlorobenzene 600 ppb Chlorite 1 ppm
1,2-Dichloroethane 5 ppb HAA5 [Total haloacetic acids] 60 ppb
1,1-Dichloroethylene 7 ppb TTHM [Total trihalomethanes] 80 ppb
cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene 70 ppb
LIST OF SECONDARY CONTAMINANTS
Alkalinity, Total (as CA, Co3) Chloride Foaming agents(MBAS) Manganese Silver Total Dissolved
Solids
Aluminum Color Hardness Odor Sodium Zinc
Calcium, as Ca Copper Iron Nickel Specific Conductance
Carbon Dioxide Corrosivity Magnesium pH Sulfate
UNREGULATED CONTAMINANTS
1,1- Dichloropropene Aldicarb Dibromochloromethane 1-Naphthol
1,1,1,2- Tetrachloroethane Aldicarb Sulfone Dibromomethane Paraquat
1,1,2,2- Tetrachloroethane Aldicarb Sulfoxide Dicamba N – Butylbenzene
1,1- Dichloroethane Aldrin Dichlorodifluoromethane Propachlor
1,2,3- Trichlorobenzene Bromoacetic Acid Dieldrin N-Propylbenzene
1,2,3- Trichloropropane Bromobenzene Hexachlorobutadiene O-Chlorotoluene
1,2,4- Trimethylbenzene Bromochloromethane Isoprpylbenzene P-Chlorotoluene
1,3 – Dichloropropane Bromodichloromethane M-Dichlorobenzene P-Isopropyltoluene
1,3 – Dichloropropene Bromoform Methomyl Tetrachloroethene
1,3,5 – Trimethylbenzene Bromomethane Methylene chloride Trichloroacetic Acid
2,2 – Dichloropropane Butachlor Methyl tert-butyl ehter Trichloroethene
3-Hydroxycarbofuran Carbaryl Metolachlor Trichlorfluoromethane
Sec – Butylbenzene Chloroethane Metribuzin
Tert – Butylbenzene Chloroform MTBE
Chloromethane Naphthalene