HEREFORD'S WATER SOURCES

Where does the City of Hereford get our drinking water? Our drinking water is obtained entirely from groundwater sources. The City of Hereford operates 44 wells in and around the city. Of these wells, 37 pump from the Ogallala aquifer and 7 pump from the Santa Rosa aquifer. These wells have a maximum pumping capacity of 13 million gallons per day. These 44 wells pump into four pump stations in town that have 5.25 million gallons of storage capacity. During 2006 the City supplied 1.105 billion gallons of water to the residents and businesses of Hereford. This calculates to an average of 3.03 million gallons per day. The TCEQ has completed an assessment of our source water and the results indicate that some of our sources are susceptible to certain contaminants. The sampling requirements for our water system are based on this susceptibility and previous sample data. For more information on source water assessments and protection efforts at our system, please contact us.

WATER SOURCES

The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs and wells. As water travels over the surface of the 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 before treatment includes: microbes, inorganic contaminants, pesticides, herbicides, radioactive contaminants, and organic chemical contaminants.

SECONDARY CONSTITUENTS

Many constituents (such as calcium, sodium, or iron), which are often found in drinking water, can cause taste, color, and odor problems. The taste and odor constituents are called secondary constituents and are regulated by the State of Texas, not the EPA. These constituents are not causes for health concerns. Therefore, secondaries are not required to be reported in this document but they may greatly affect the taste and appearance of your water.

ALL DRINKING WATER MAY CONTAIN CONTAMINANTS

When drinking water meets federal standards there may not be any health-based benefits to purchasing bottled water or point of use devices. Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of these contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).

SPECIAL NOTICE

For the elderly, infants, cancer patients and people with HIV/AIDS or other immune problems

Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than 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/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).

En Espanol

Este informe incluye informacion importante sobre el agua potable. Si tiene preguntas o’ discusiones sobre este reporte en espanol, favor de llamar al telefono (806) 363-7101 par hablar con una persona bilingue en espanol.

HOW CAN YOU GET INVOLVED?

You can get involved by attending and voicing any questions or concerns you may have at the following meeting:   

DATE:            June 27, 2007                                                        

LOCATION:        Commission Chamber at City Hall

TIME:             5:00 PM

                             224 North Lee

                             Hereford, Texas

You may also contact the City of Hereford Water Department at (806) 363-7101.

ABOUT THE FOLLOWING PAGES

The pages that follow list all of the federally regulated or monitored constituents, which have been found in your drinking water. The U.S. EPA requires water systems to test up to 97 constituents.