Navigation

The source of your drinking water is the Savannah River (with the exception of Bluffton residents—see highlighted box). We are fortu-nate that the river is a high quality and plentiful water source capable of providing enough water to Beaufort and Jasper Counties for many years of growth and economic vitality.
The Savannah River water travels 18 miles via an earthen canal to BJWSA's water treatment plant located in Chelsea. There it goes through a closely monitored, reliable, state-of-the-art treatment process before being delivered to you through our distribution system. The plant is operated 24 hours-a-day, 365 days a year, by highly trained operators licensed by the State of South Carolina. The Chelsea Water Treat-ment Plant produced an average of 8.2 million gallons of water a day in 1998. We are expand-ing and upgrading the plant to ensure that BJWSA has the best process and equipment available to treat and deliver high quality drinking water to our customers.

Water quality is monitored frequently at the Savannah River, at the treatment plant, and at each well in Bluffton. BJWSA conducts frequent water quality tests for alka-linity, hardness, color, turbidity, and pH. In addition to the sampling and testing done at the river and Bluffton wells, BJWSA and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SC DHEC) regularly collect and test samples of the water after it has been treated by BJWSA. Samples are taken from the wells, the treatment plant, the distribution system and at water taps in homes scattered across the service area to ensure that you are receiving safe, high quality water.
The quality of the water we produced during 1998 surpassed all the water quality standards established by South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control and the Environmental Protection Agency. The following information shows the results of BJWSA's water quality testing during 1998 and explains the sources and impacts of pollutants found in drinking water.

This report meets the Environmental Protection Agency and South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control rules for issu-ing a Consumer Confidence Report. More infor-mation about drinking water, contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by call-ing the Environmental Protection Agency's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791 or visiting their website at www.epa.gov/safewater.
We'll be happy to answer any questions about BJWSA and our water quality. Call our Customer Service Department at 843/987-9200 or Jerrie Parham, Office of Public Affairs, at 843-987-9213. Learn more about the Beaufort-Jasper Water and Sewer Authority water system at www.bjwsa.org.
We encourage public comment on decisions affecting drinking water. BJWSA Board meet-ings are held the fourth Thursday of each month at our Chelsea administration offices beginning at 8:00 a.m. The public is welcome.

The source of your drinking water in 1998 was groundwater drawn by wells from the Upper Floridan Aquifer. Before being sent through our distribution system, chlorine was added to disinfect the water to ensure its safety.
Starting in June,1999, BJWSA began supplying its Bluffton area customers with treated surface water from the Savannah River. This water source changeover was necessary due to an increasing amount of seawater moving into the Floridan Aquifer. Because of this threat to the safety and supply of your drinking water, the State of South Carolina has limited the amount of water that can be withdrawn from the Aquifer. With rapid growth in the Bluffton area, changing the water source ensures an abundant and safe source of water for Bluffton residents now and into to future.

As we learned in school, pure water is made up of hydrogen and oxygen. However, water in our streams, lakes, rivers, and wells never contain only hydrogen and oxygen. All sources of drinking water are subject to potential contamination by a wide variety of substances that are naturally occurring or man-made.
When we hear the word "contaminated," we often think that this signals danger or disease. But the official federal definition of contaminant in the Safe Drinking Water Act is "any physical, chemical, biological, or radiological substance or matter in water." All drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. Not all taminants or levels of particular contaminants pose a health risk. The safety of water depends on the substances that are in the water, the quantity, and how each of them affects human health. A contaminant can actually provide a health benefit, such as fluoride in the water helping to prevent tooth decay.

The EPA requires BJWSA to test for 124 contaminants in drinking water, including inorganic chemicals, organic chemicals, and microorganisms. Although we ran all 124 tests, only a few contaminants were detected and all were well below the EPA's established maximum contaminant level (MCL).
The level of these detected contaminants and EPA's MCL is shown on the charts below. These results are based upon tests conducted by or for Beaufort-Jasper Water and Sewer Authority. The samples taken for testing came from various points in BJWSA's water distribution system.

Tritium is a man-made radioactive substance that has been released over the years into the river from the Department of Energy's Savannah River Site (SRS) near Aiken, South Carolina. However, the last SRS reactor was shut down in 1988 and tritium is no longer being produced at the site. Although an aggressive environmental clean-up is being done at the SRS, there is still a small amount of tritium seeping into the river from contaminated groundwater on the site and being released from planned cleanup activities. The amount has steadily declined since the reactors shut down and will continue to decline.
While the tritium in the Savannah River cannot be removed by the treatment process, the trace amount in your drinking water is well under the safe drinking water standard. The EPA has set a maximum contaminant level for tritium's occur-to rence in water of 20,000 pci/l. The average level of tritium in the Savannah River for 1998 was 789 pci/l. According to scientific findings, this level poses no threat to human health.
The water quality of the river is regularly sampled and tested by BJWSA, the City of Savannah, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The City of Savannah tests tritium levels every day. The water at the City of Savannah test site would take 65 hours to reach BJWSA's river intake, giving ample time to react and use reserve water supplies. We will continue to monitor tritium levels closely.

Trihalomethanes(THMs) are formed at the treatment plant as a by-product of the disinfection process used kill harmful bacteria. THMs are suspected to be possible cancer causing agents if consumed at very high levels over many years. The EPA regulated the allowable level of THMs in drinking water at 100 parts per billion. As measured by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, the current annual average of THMs found in BJWSA water is 46 parts per billion. This is well BELOW the EPA limit. THMs are not found in the Bluffton wells. Fluoride is added to drinking water to help prevent tooth decay. There is no naturally occurring fluoride in the Savannah River; therefore we add a small amount to meet the recommended levels of the EPA, the can Medical Association, and the American Dental Association. Ameri-We do not add fluoride to the Bluffton wells.

Nitrates are substances that are formed when nitrogen-oxygen chemical units combine with various organic and inorganic compounds. Organic nitrates are present in human sewage and livestock manure. Inorganic nitrates, such as potassium nitrate and ammonium nitrate, are widely used in fertilizers. The primary source of nitrates in the Savannah River is from soil ero-The sion. BJWSA’s testing detected only 0.06 parts per million, well below the EPA's Maximum Contaminant Level of 10 parts per million.

Fluoride is added to drinking water to help prevent tooth decay. There is no naturally occurring fluoride in the Savannah River; therefore we add a small amount to meet the recommended levels of the EPA, the can Medical Association, and the American Dental Association. Ameri-We do not add fluoride to the Bluffton wells. Any detected level is from naturally occurring fluoride deposits found in the Floridan Aquifer.

Turbidity is a measurement of the clarity of the water. The water's clarity, or level of turbidity is dependent on how much suspended matter the water contains. Organic and inorganic materials, salt, algae or other tiny organisms can contribute to the turbidity level of the water. BJWSA measures the water's turbidity on a continuous basis 24 hours-a-day, and has consistently produced water well below the EPA limit. The bar graph shows the maximum detected level as .21. However, the average turbidity measure for 1998 was .09.

General Radioactive Contaminants
Certain minerals are radioactive and may emit forms of radiation known as photons, alpha and beta radiation. Some people who drink water containing alpha and/or beta/photon emitters in excess of the MCL over many years may have an increased risk of getting cancer.

Another Important Test
BJWSA also tests for microscopic organisms known as Giardia and Cryptosporidium. When ingested, these organisms can cause diarrhea, fever and other gastrointestinal symptoms. They occur naturally in the environment from human and animal waste and can be found in lakes, rivers, and streams. BJWSA has not detected any Cryptosporidium or Giardia in the Savannah River or in your treated water.

Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general public. 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. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. Guidelines from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provide ways to lessen the risk of infection by cryptosporidium and other microbiological contaminants. These guidelines are able from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).

Maximum Contaminant Level:
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 as feasible using the best available treatment technology.

Maximum Contaminant Level Goal:
The “Goal” (MCLG) is the level of a contami-specific nant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety.

Parts per million (ppm) or Milligrams per liter (mg/l):
One part per million is the equivalent of one teaspoon in 1,300 gallons of water.

Parts per billion (ppb) or Micrograms per liter (mg/l):
One part per billion is the equivalent of one teaspoon in 1,300,000 gallons of water.

Picocuries per liter (pCi/L):
Picocuries per liter is a measure of the radioactivity in water.

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