06 May Water Quality Report Card launched for Drinking Water Week
OWASA is proud to join communities across the country in celebration of Drinking Water Week, May 6 to 11. On this occasion, we are pleased to launch our Water Quality Report Card for 2018 and share that OWASA met or surpassed all Federal and State standards for drinking water quality.
Water is vital for everything: wellness, business, community services and more. The Report Card is a snapshot of OWASA’s water quality in 2018 and provides information about local water sources, what OWASA’s water contains, and how it compares to regulatory standards. OWASA routinely monitors for over 150 contaminants, or substances, in the community’s drinking water, in accordance with Federal and State laws. The Report Card will be mailed this month to all OWASA account holders. It is available for viewing now. Community members can also request a printed copy by contacting 919-968-4421 or info@owasa.org.
Main elements of the Report Card include:
• An overview of Chapel Hill-Carrboro’s community water system
• Information about OWASA’s water treatment process
• Ways to conserve, protect, and sustain this vital resource
• Information about the substances that we monitor and detection levels
• Drinking water definitions and ways to learn more
• Link to an end-of-report survey to win a Free Save Water Kit
Would you dip your cup into the lake and drink it? Probably not! Tranquil University Lake at the edge of Carrboro is one of OWASA’s primary water sources; the other is Cane Creek Reservoir. Before water gets to your tap, it goes through a comprehensive treatment process to ensure it’s safe to drink.
On the lake, in the field, at the lab and in the office, OWASA’s diverse team manages the community’s water system. Every day, we treat about 7 million gallons of water and pump it through 400 miles of pipes – from local water sources to OWASA’s treatment plant – to local homes, schools, and businesses. In 2018, OWASA treated 2.5 billion gallons of water serving 83,300 people in Carrboro and Chapel Hill.
Investing in water and wastewater infrastructure is investing in the community. Each year, OWASA invests about $20 million in capital improvement projects – upgrading pipes, pumps, equipment, and more – to increase system resiliency. Nearly 50% of customer rates fund these critical projects.
OWASA is Carrboro-Chapel Hill’s not-for-profit public service agency delivering high quality water, reclaimed water, and wastewater services.