The City of Hoonah provides the Utility Services of Water, Sewer, and Garbage. 

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Is my water safe?

 

We are pleased to present this year's Annual Water Quality Report (Consumer Confidence Report) as required by the Safe Drinking Water Act (SOWA). This report is designed to provide details about where your water comes from, what it contains, and how it compares to standards set by regulatory agencies. This report is a snapshot of last year's water quality. We are committed to providing you with information because informed customers are our best allies. Last year (2022), we conducted tests for 80 contaminants. We only detected 6 of those contaminants and found only 1 at a level higher than the EPA allows. As we informed you at the time, our water temporarily exceeded drinking water standards. (For more information, see the section labeled Violations at the end of the report.)

 

Do I need to take special precautions?

 

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/Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines on

appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Water Drinking Hotline (800-426-4791 ).

 

Where does my water come from?

 

Hoonah's water source is a surface water run off, it's collected at a dam at the bottom of Ear Mountain. It then is gravity fed to the water plant then it is filtered then gravity fed to the water storage tanks then gravity fed to the homes in Hoonah.

 

Source water assessment and its availability

 

Hoonah operates a class A water system. The watershed is restricted from public use and the overall protection is about 1.5 square miles. Potential and existing source-following contaminants were elevated for the source assessment. These contaminants being bacteria, viruses, nitrates, heavy metals and other organic compounds. 

 

Why are there contaminants in my drinking water?

 

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 (EPA) Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800- 426-4791). 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: microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, that 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 storm water runoff, industrial, or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming; pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban storm water 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 storm water runoff, and septic systems; and radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities. 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. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health.

 

How can I get involved?

 

If you would like to get involved with an emergency response team contact us at pud@cityofhoonah.org or call Ron Roberts at 907-957-2387

 

Description of Water Treatment Process

 

Hoonah's water supply is treated by filtration and disinfection. Filtration removes particles suspended in the source water; these particles typically include clays and silts, natural organic matter, iron and manganese, and microorganisms. While disinfection utilizes the addition of chlorine or other chemical disinfectants to kill bacteria and other microorganisms (viruses, cysts, etc.) that may be present in the water after filtration. Disinfection is considered to be one of the most major public health advances of the 20th century. 

 

Additional Information for Lead

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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. City of Hoonah 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 potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 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 or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

 

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Water Quality Data Table

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In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations which limit the amount of contaminants in water provided by public water systems. The table below lists all of the drinking water contaminants that we detected during the calendar year of this report. Although many more contaminants were tested for, only the substances listed below were found in your water. All sources of drinking water contain some naturally occurring contaminants. At low levels, these substances are generally not harmful in our drinking water. Removing all contaminants would be extremely expensive, and in most cases, would not provide increased protection of public health. A few naturally occurring minerals may actually improve the taste of drinking water and have nutritional value at low levels. Unless otherwise noted, the data presented in this table is from testing done in the calendar year of the report. The EPA or the State requires us to monitor for certain contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants do not vary significantly from year to year, or the system is not considered vulnerable to this type of contamination. As such, some of our data, though representative, may be more than one year old. In this table you will find terms and abbreviations that might not be familiar to you. To help you better understand these terms, we have provided the definitions below the following table