This Annual Drinking Water Quality Report for calendar year 2009 is designed to inform you about your drinking water quality. Our goal is to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water, and we want you to understand the efforts we make to protect your water supply. The quality of your drinking water must meet state and federal requirements administered by the Virginia Department of Health, (VDH).

If you have any questions about this report, or want to know how to participate in decisions that may affect the quality of your drinking water, please contact:

The sources of drinking water (both bottled and tap) include lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs and wells. As water travels over the surface of land or through the ground, it dissolves natural 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:

In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the E.P.A. prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. Food and Drug Administration regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health.

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. Lake Gaston Americamps 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 15 to 30 seconds or until it becomes cold or reaches a steady temperature 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 http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

2009 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report Lake Gaston Americamps PWSID No. 5117097

All 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 can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency’s "Safe Drinking Water Hotline" at (800)-426-4791.

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.

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 microbiological contaminants are available from the "Safe Drinking Water Hotline" at (800)-426-4791

The combined discharged is disinfected by hypo-chlorination. One well is treated to sequester iron and manganese.

A source water assessment of our system was conducted in 2001 and in 2006 by the Virginia Department of Health. The wells are determined to be of high susceptibility to contamination using the criteria developed by it’s approved Source Water Assessment Program.

The assessment report consists of maps showing the source water assessment area, an inventory of known land activities of concern, and documentation of any known contamination within the last 5 years. The report is available by contacting Shelli Ross at the phone number given elsewhere in this report.

Contaminants in your drinking water are routinely monitored according to Federal and State regulations. The table below shows the results of this monitoring for the period of January 1, thru December 31, 2007.

In the table and elsewhere in this report you will find many terms and abbreviations that you might not be familiar with. The following definitions are provided to help you to better understand these terms.

Non-detects (ND): lab analysis indicates that the contaminate is not detectable, based on the limits of the analytical equipment used.

Parts per million (ppm) or milligrams per liter (mg/l): one part per million corresponds to one minute in two years or one penny in $10,000.

Parts per billion (ppb) or Micrograms per liter (ug/l): one part per billion corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years, or one penny in $10,000,000.

Picouries per liter (pci/l): picocuries is a measure of the radioactivity in water.

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

2009 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report Lake Gaston Americamps PWSID No. 5117097

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

Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG): the level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCGL’s allow for a margin of safety.

Minimum 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.

Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level or (MRDL): the highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants.

Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal or (MRDLG): the level of a drinking water disinfectant below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contaminants.

N/A: Not Applicable.

MCLs are set at very stringent levels by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In developing standards, EPA assumes that the average adult drinks 2 liters of water each day throughout a 70 year lifespan. EPA generally sets MCLs at levels that will result in no adverse health effects for some or a one-in-a-million chance of having the described health effect for other contaminants.

Did any MCL or TT violations occur during the year? ( ) Yes (X) No

Did any monitoring, reporting, or other violations occur during the year? ( ) Yes (X) No

This Drinking Water Quality Report is presented by:

Shelli Ross, Manager

Lake Gaston Americamps

9 Lakeside Lane

Bracey, VA 23919

434-636-2668