Kingbrookruralwater Product 1

Our Commitment * Our Profession

Introduction

The purpose of this report is to inform you of the quality of the drinking water that we provide. We are required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to test our water frequently for the presence and concentrations of over 80 different substances. The South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) reviews all of our testing data to ensure that 1) we are providing safe drinking water to our customers, and 2) we are complying with EPA regulations. Our constant goal is to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water.

We want you to fully understand the information contained in this report. If you have any questions, please contact:

Jolene King, Office Supervisor

Kingbrook Rural Water System

P.O. Box 299 , Arlington , SD 57212 Phone: (800) 605-5279

We Welcome Your Input

Kingbrook Rural Water System employees work around the clock to provide top quality water to every tap. We ask that all our customers help us protect our water sources, which are the heart of our community, our way of life and our children’s future.

If you want to learn more, please attend any of our regularly scheduled Board meetings held at 8:00 P.M. on the third Monday of every month at our office in Arlington . (Please call the office for any scheduling changes.)

Please call our office if you have questions at 800-605-5279.

Annual Drinking Water

Quality Report

Kingbrook Rural Water System, Inc.

January 1, 2005 – December 31, 2005

Where does our water come from?

Our water system is separated into three geographic areas, each of which has its own treatment plant and water source from groundwater drawn from wells. Phase I, located north of Bruce, and Phase III, located near Chester , both draw from the Big Sioux Aquifer; and Phase II, located north of DeSmet, draws from the East Fork of the Vermillion Aquifer.

Wellhead protection areas have been defined for each of our wellfields. DENR has performed an assessment of our source water and they have determined that the relative susceptibility rating for Kingbrook Phase I, Kingbrook Phase II and Kingbrook Phase III is medium. For more information about your water, please call our office at 605-983-5074.

We are pleased to report that your drinking water is safe and meets or exceeds all Federal and State requirements.

Why do we test our drinking water?

The water we pump from our wells is from an underground aquifer, supplied by water that originally comes from the surface, and very slowly seeps down into the aquifer. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally-occurring minerals, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity. Too much of any of these substances, either naturally-occurring or resulting from human activities, can be considered a contaminant.

Contaminants that may be present in source water include:

Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife.

Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally-occurring or result from urban stormwater runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, or runoff from mining or farming activities.

Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and residential uses.

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 stormwater runoff, and septic systems.

Radioactive contaminants, which occur naturally in some of the rocks in this region.

Unregulated contaminants are those for which EPA has not established drinking water standards. The purpose of unregulated contaminant monitoring is to assist EPA in determining the occurrence of unregulated contaminants in drinking water and whether future regulation is warranted.

Information provided by the EPA

In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. FDA regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water that must provide the same protection for public health.

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 about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (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 (800-426-4791).

What treatment does our water receive?

After we pump the water from our wells, we filter the water to remove iron and manganese. Although the iron and manganese in our water does not pose a health concern, these two naturally-occurring substances can cause the water to appear brown or rust-colored, and can stain clothes and plumbing fixtures. We therefore treat our water to remove these substances.