Annual Water Quality Reports

2024 Annual Quality Report for the 2023 CY Testing Period

Click here for a downloadable .PDF file of this report.

From The General Manager’s Desk

To Our Valued Customers:

Hartselle Utilities is proud to provide to you this year’s Annual Water Quality Report. This report is designed to inform you about the source and quality of the water provided to you by Hartselle Utilities. As you read through this report, you will see that we continue to supply water that meets or surpasses all state and federal water quality standards. It is a privilege for Hartselle Utilities to be your local water service provider.

In addition, we continue to provide high-quality water service at a fraction of a penny per gallon. We believe this is an exceptional value when you consider the facilities and technology needed to draw water from the source, treat it and distribute it through miles of underground pipeline to bring quality water to your tap. Because water is essential for public health, fire protection, economic development, and overall quality of life, Hartselle Utilities employees are dedicated and committed to ensuring that quality drinking water is always available to our customers.

Please take the time to review this report. It provides details about the source and quality of your drinking water using EPA required data from water quality testing conducted on our water system between January 2023 and December 2023.

Bob Sittason
General Manager


Other Hartselle Utilities Info

We want our valued customers to be informed about their water utility.  To that end, we welcome you to attend our regularly scheduled Board meetings.  The Board normally meets once a month at 6:00 p.m. in the Board Room at the Main Office located at 1010 Sparkman Street NW.  If you have questions concerning meeting dates or times, please contact Carol Kirby at ckirby@hartselleutilities.org.

Board Members:

Chairman: Mike Gunter

Vice Chairman: Barry Hampton

Secretary/Treasurer: Jimmy Moore

Members: Johnnie Howell & Ben Peck

Contact Information:

(256) 773-3340

P.O. Box 488, Hartselle, Alabama 35640

Where Hartselle’s water comes from…

Our water comes from Decatur Utilities which uses the Tennessee River as its source.  The Tennessee River is a surface water source.  Raw water is pumped from the river into Decatur Utilities’ treatment plant where chemicals are added to create the settling of particles.  The water is then sent through sand filters to remove any unsettled particles.  Disinfection is then achieved with the addition of chlorine.  Fluoride is also added for the protection of children’s teeth.  After the treatment process is complete, the resulting potable water is then pumped into the distribution system.  Hartselle Utilities receives water from Decatur Utilities through a metered connection at the Hartselle Utilities’ Water Booster Station. Hartselle Utilities adds additional chlorine to meet minimum standards.  From there the water is pumped into Hartselle’s distribution system and storage tanks.

Health Risk Information

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 sources 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.

TOTAL COLIFORM:  The Total Coliform Rule requires water systems to meet a strict limit for coliform bacteria.  Coliform bacteria are usually harmless, but their presence in water can be an indication of disease-causing bacteria.  When coliform bacteria are found, special follow-up tests are conducted to determine if harmful bacteria are present in the water supply.  If this limit is exceeded, the water supplier must notify the public by newspaper, television or radio.

LEAD: 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. Hartselle Utilities 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 lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to two minutes 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 at (800) 426-4791 or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

DIOXIN and ASBESTOS: Based on a study conducted by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management with the approval of USEPA a statewide waiver for the monitoring of asbestos and dioxin was issued.  Thus, monitoring for any of these contaminants was not required.


The following tables list the substances that were tested for during the January 1st to December 31st testing period in 2022. All drinking water, including bottled water, may be reasonably expected to contain at least some tested substances. The presence of these substances does not necessarily pose a health risk.  Click here to download an electronic copy.  Additional copies of this report can be obtained at the Hartselle Utilities Main Office at 1010 Sparkman Street NW, Hartselle, Alabama. 

Many other substances are tested for as part of the initial water treatment process at the Decatur Utilities Water Treatment Plant and are all listed in the DU Annual Water Quality Report. Sampling data from the DU Annual Water Quality Report can be seen at the end of this report. Also, complete copies of the Decatur Utilities 2023 Annual Water Quality Report can be obtained by calling their Customer Service department at (256) 552-1440 or visit them online at www.decaturutilities.comDU Water Quality Report

How to read the tables

Hartselle Utilities conducts extensive monitoring to ensure that your water meets all water quality standards.  The results of our monitoring are included in the tables below.  For help interpreting the tables, see the “Definitions” section below.  For help interpreting the tables, see the “Definitions” section below.  Starting with Substance, read across.  Compliance Achieved means that the ADEM and EPA requirements were met.  Level Detected represents the measured amount (less is better).  Range tells the highest and lowest amounts measured.  MCL shows the highest level of a substance (contaminant) that’s allowed.  MCLG is the goal level for that substance (sometimes set lower than the MCL allowable level).  Typical Source tells where the substance usually originates.

 

Results For Compliance Testing
Substance (units) Compliance Achieved Level Detected Range MCL MCLG Typical  Source of Contamination
Inorganic Contaminants (Tested from distribution piping)
Copper (ppm)Tested in 2016 YES 0.0534 0.0029 – 0.144 1.3 1.3 Corrosion of household plumbing, erosion of natural deposits, leaching from wood preservatives
Lead (ppm)Tested in 2016 YES 0.002 0.002 – 0.0075 0.015 0 Corrosion of household plumbing, erosion of natural deposits
Volatile Organic Contaminants
DISINFECTANTS & DISINFECTION BYPRODUCTS – On February 15, 2006, EPA instituted a new rule for water systems called the Stage 2 Disinfectant and Disinfection Byproducts Rule that deals with trihalomethanes (TTHM) and haloacetic acids (HAA5). The rule changed some existing sample sites and added some additional sites, as well as, changing the ways the averages will be calculated. HU has been actively sampling the distribution system to verify that we are 100% in compliance with the new rules that were implemented on January1, 2012.
Chlorine (ppm) YES 1.91 .92 – 1.91 4 N/A Added during the treatment process as a disinfectant
TTHM (ppm)(Total trihalomethanes) YES

0.0384
(HRAA)

0.0151 – 0.0664

0.08 N/A By-product of drinking water chlorination
HAA5 (ppm)(5 Haloacetic acids) YES 0.0286
(HRAA)

0.0117 – 0.0437

0.06 N/A By-product of drinking water chlorination
Bacteriological Contaminants
Total Coliform Bacteria YES ND N/A <5% N/A Naturally present in the environment
Fecal Coliform & E.coli YES ND N/A 0 N/A Human and animal fecal waste

Coliforms are bacteria that are naturally present in the environment and are used as an indicator that other, potentially harmful, waterborne pathogens may be present or that a potential pathway exists through which contamination may enter the drinking water distribution system.

Definitions:
MCL

(Maximum Contaminant Level)

The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water ppm

(Parts per million)

One part per million corresponds to one minute in two years or a single penny in $10,000
MCLG

(Maximum Contaminant Level Goal)

The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health ppb

(Parts per billion)

One part per billion corresponds to one minute in 2,000 years or a single penny in $10,000,000
RAA

(Running Annual Average)

 

Based on the most recent four quarters of testing

 

Level 1 Assessment

A study of the water system to identify potential

problems and determine why total coliform bacteria have been found in our water system.

HRAA

(Highest Running Annual Average)

The highest running annual average during a calendar year based on seven quarters of testing  

ND (Non-detects)

 

Lab analysis indicated no constituent present

TT (Treatment Technique) A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminate in drinking water. AL (Action Level) The concentration of a contaminate, which if exceeded, triggers treatment or requirements.
The definitions above can be used to interpret tables within this report.

 

Results For Testing of Unregulated Contaminants

UNREGULATED CONTAMINANTS –EPA uses the Unregulated Contaminants Monitoring (UCM) to collect data for contaminants suspected to be present in drinking water, but that do not have health-based standards set under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). The following are the results of testing in 2018.

Contaminant Amount Detected (ug/L) Range (ug/L)
Manganese 2.3 1.2 – 2.3
Bromochloroacetic Acid 5.0 2.8 – 5.0
Bromodichloroacetic Acid 5.1 3.0 – 5.1
Chlorodibromoacetic Acid 1.1 0.55 – 1.1
Monochloroacetic Acid 4.0 3.3 – 4.0
Dibromoacetic Acid 0.76 0.47 – 0.76
Dichloroacetic Acid 20.8 7.5 – 20.8
Trichloroacetic Acid 18.9 8.9 – 18.9

 MCL’s (Maximum Contaminant Levels) are set at very stringent levels by the USEPA.  To understand the possible health effects described for many regulated constituents, a person would have to drink two liters of water every day at the MCL level for a lifetime to have a one-in-a-million chance of having a particular health effect.

As you can see in the table, our system had no violations.  We are proud that your drinking water meets or exceeds all Federal and State requirements.  We have learned through our monitoring and testing that some constituents have been detected.  The EPA has determined that your drinking water is safe at these levels.

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

  1. Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations and wildlife.
  2. Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals which can be naturally occurring or result from urban storm water runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining or farming.
  3. Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban storm water runoff and residential uses.
  4. Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban storm water runoff and septic systems.
  5. Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or may be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities

Click here for Decatur Utilities’ current Water Quality Report

Prior year’s Water Quality Reports are also available:

Older reports can be made available by request.  Please contact Customer Service at (256) 773-3340 for more information.