2015 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report

Is my water safe?

The Bioenvironmental Engineering Flight of the 23d Medical Group is pleased to report that the Moody AFB community drinking water is safe for consumption.  Your drinking water met safety and quality standards set by the State of Georgia and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) during calendar year 2015.  This annual Consumer Confidence Report provides Moody AFB members with a detailed account of all monitoring and testing results gathered from water quality testing from 1 January through 31 December 2015.  You can contact the Bioenvironmental Engineering Flight at (229) 257-4747 if you have any questions regarding this report

In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the EPA prescribes regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems.  The 23d Medical Group is committed to ensuring the Moody AFB community is continually provided safe, dependable drinking water.

Where does my water come from?        

The drinking water being delivered to you is pumped from the Floridan Aquifer, a groundwater source, and then processed through a nano-filtration treatment system.  It then travels through a network of underground pipes known as a distribution system.

Description of Water Treatment Process

Your water is treated by filtration and disinfection. Filtration removes particles suspended in the source water.  Particles typically include clays and silts, natural organic matter, iron and manganese, and microorganisms.  Your water is then treated by disinfection.  Disinfection involves the addition of chlorine or other disinfectants to kill bacteria and other microorganisms (viruses, cysts, etc.) that may be in the water.

Why might contaminants be in my drinking water?

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 EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).

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 materials, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity.  Contaminants that may be present in source water BEFORE it is treated include:

   (A)  Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment facilities, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife.

   (B)  Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can occur naturally 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, 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.

Do I need 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 for infections.  These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers.  EPA/Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Water Drinking Hotline (800-426-4791).

How can I get involved?

This Consumer Confidence Report includes all of the required elements under the CCR Guidance and Preparation Manual and is legally sufficient.  If you would like more information on how the drinking water testing process is conducted or information on any potential meetings in regards to the community drinking water, please contact the Bioenvironmental Engineering Flight at (229) 257-4747.

Additional Information for Lead

If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and children.  Lead in drinking water comes primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing.  The Moody AFB Water Plant 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 request 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 (1-800-426-4791) or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

The table below lists all of the drinking water contaminants that were sampled for and analyzed during the calendar year of this report.  The presence of contaminants in the water does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk.  Unless otherwise noted, the data presented in this table is from testing done in the calendar year of the report.  The EPA or the State requires us to monitor for certain contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants do not vary significantly from year to year.