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PUBLIC HEARING TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION ACCEPTING THE 2022 REPORT ON WATER QUALITY PUBLIC HEALTH GOALS
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RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council conduct a Public Hearing to accept and respond to public comment on the 2022 Report on Water Quality Public Health Goals. At the conclusion of the Public Hearing, it is recommended that the City Council adopt a resolution to accept the 2022 Report on Water Quality Public Health Goals (Exhibit 1 to the Resolution).
If is also recommended that the City Manager be authorized to take the necessary and appropriate actions to carry out the purpose and intent of this resolution.
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Summary
The City of Stockton Municipal Utilities Department (MUD) is legally required to prepare a Report on Water Quality Public Health Goals every three years. The Department’s water treatment and distribution works consists of the Delta Water Treatment Plant (DWTP), a number of groundwater wells located throughout the City and pipelines that deliver treated water to customers. The DWTP is an advanced water treatment plant that incorporates the state-of-the-art treatment processes including ozonation, plate-settling basins, ultra-filtration, and disinfection.
This report provides information on the MUD’s drinking water quality delivered within the City’s service area and compares it to State Public Health Goals (PHGs) and Federal Maximum Contaminant Level Goals (MCLGs). However, PHGs and MCLGs are not enforceable water quality standards. The 2022 Report lists constituents found in the City’s water system that were detected above the PHGs and/or MCLGs during calendar years 2019, 2020 and 2021. Those constituents included Arsenic, Bromate, Gross Alpha, Radium-228, Uranium, and Total Coliforms.
The 2022 Report concludes that drinking water quality meets all State of California, Environmental Protection Agency, and United States Environmental Protection Agency drinking water standards set to protect public health. Therefore, no actions are proposed at this time.
DISCUSSION
Background
Provisions of the California Health and Safety Code Section 116470(b) specify that public water systems with more than 10,000 service connections are required to prepare a special report, which provides information on the detection of any contaminants in drinking water measured above the established PHGs published by the State Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), and MCLGs set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA).
The 2022 Report on Water Quality Public Health Goals (2022 Report) discusses and compares the concentrations of water quality constituents to State PHGs and Federal MCLGs in drinking water supplied within the City’s service area between calendar years 2019 to 2021. The 2022 Report is also required to discuss available treatment technologies and estimated costs to the customers to reduce constituent levels below the PHGs or MCLGs, which are often set near zero.
Exceedance Reports and Notification Requirements are legally required to be prepared if one or more chemical contaminants exceed a PGH or a MCLG. However, PHGs and MCLGs are not enforceable. Adopted MCLs for water quality criteria are the enforceable standard for compliance in all water systems. The USEPA and the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) Division of Drinking Water (DDW) establish MCLs at very conservative levels to provide protection to consumers with very low to negligible risk.
The Report on Water Quality Public Health Goals is unique to California and required in addition to the extensive public reporting of water quality information that California water utilities provide, including the annual Consumer Confidence Reports. The 2022 Report is required to be accepted by the City Council at a Public Hearing scheduled after July 1 and made available to the public for review.
Present Situation
The Department’s water treatment and distribution works consists of the Delta Water Treatment Plant (DWTP), a number of groundwater wells located throughout the City and pipelines that deliver treated water to customers. The DWTP is an advanced treatment plant that incorporates the state-of-the-art water treatment processes including ozonation, plate-settling basins, ultra-filtration, and disinfection.
The 2022 Report lists constituents found in the City’s water system detected above PHGs and/or MCLGs during calendar years 2019, 2020 and 2021. Those constituents included Arsenic, Bromate, Gross Alpha, Radium-228, Uranium, and Total Coliforms. All the aforementioned constituents were below the established MCLs; and therefore, the City’s water system remains in compliance with the regulatory MCL standards.
Costs to construct and maintain treatment facilities to lower constituent levels to below PHGs and MCLGS range from $156 to $1,351 per service connection per year. The effectiveness of the treatment technologies to provide any significant reductions in constituent levels at these already low MCL values is uncertain. The health protection benefits of these further reductions are not at all clear and may not be quantifiable.
The 2022 Report concludes that the City’s drinking water quality meets all State of California, Environmental Protection Agency, and United States Environmental Protection Agency drinking water standards set to protect public health. Therefore, no action is proposed at this time.
The 2022 Report is required to be accepted by City Council at a Public Hearing scheduled after July 1 and made available to the public for review. The 2022 Report was posted on the City website. The Public Hearing was noticed in The Record on September 12. 2022. In addition, the report was reviewed and recommended for acceptance by the Water Advisory Group on September 7, 2022.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
The FY 2022-23 Annual Budget includes appropriation to cover the costs for a Public Hearing notice in The Record and for printing hard copies of the 2022 Report on Water Quality Public Health Goals in the Water Fund, Administration Division.
There is no impact to the General Fund or any other unrestricted fund, from this action.