In The News

The Metropolitan Utilities District monitors radioactivity at the Florence Water Treatment Plant on the source water (Missouri River) and finished water on a daily basis as well as rain/snow water after precipitation events.

The amount of radiation following the most recent rainfall was 4.2 pCi/L, which is about normal.

During the past 10 years, it has ranged from 1 pCi/L to 21 pCi/L.

Their detection limit is 0.1 pCi/L.

Both source and finished water samples appear to be unaffected by fallout from the events following the Japanese earthquake.

Drinking Water Quality

You expect drinking water to be safe. However, contaminants such as gases, minerals, bacteria, metals, and other chemicals suspended or dissolved in the water can affect your health and influence the quality of your water. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established limits, or standards, on the concentration of certain drinking water contaminants allowed in public water supplies. These limits are set to protect your health and ensure that your public water supply is of good quality.

The EPA standards for drinking water fall into different categories including:

Primary Standards:

• Based on health considerations.
• Protects against pathogens, radioactive elements, and toxic chemicals.
• Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) is the highest allowable concentration of a contaminant allowed in public drinking water.
• MCL is enforced.

Secondary Standards:

• Based on offensive taste, color, odor, corrosivity, foaming and staining properties.
• Manages aesthetics.
• Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level (SMCL) is the guideline for public water treatment plant operators attempting to provide the best quality water possible.
• SMCL is not enforced.                                   

Action Level:

• Based on health considerations.
• The concentration of a contaminant in water, which if exceeded in a specified percentage of water samples tested, triggers actions that a public water system must follow. Required actions may include: additional monitoring, treatment, public notification, and other actions.
• Enforced.

Health Advisories:

• Based on health considerations.
• Estimates of acceptable levels for a chemical substance in drinking water over a given period of time based on currently available information on its health effects.
• Not enforceable.

The EPA National Drinking Water Regulations, includes a list of regulated contaminants and their MCLs. 

Information presented within the drinking water section of this Water Web site has been reviewed by University of Nebraska - Lincoln Drinking Water Team members Bruce Dvorak, Sharon Skipton, Wayne Woldt, David Shelton, Rachael Herpel, and Jan Hygnstrom.