A GUIDE TO YOUR WATER QUALITY! DEFINITIONS & ABBREVIATIONS

AL: Action level; The concentration of a contaminant, which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements that a water system must follow per EPA and TCEQ mandates.

AVG: Average; Regulatory compliance with some maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) are based on running annual average of monthly samples.

LEVEL 1 ASSESSMENT: A Level 1 assessment is a study of the water system to identify potential problems and determine (if possible) why total coliform bacteria were found.

LEVEL 2 ASSESSMENT: A Level 2 assessment is a very detailed study of the water system to identify potential problems and determine (if possible) why an Escherichia coli (E. coli) maximum contaminant level (MCL) violation has occurred and/or why total coliform bacteria were found on multiple occasi ons.

MCL: Maximum Contaminant Level; The highest level of a contaminant allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology.

MCLG: Maximum Contaminant Level Goal; The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected health risks. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety.

MFL: Million fibers per liter; A measure of asbestos.

MRDL: Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level; The highest level of disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants.

MRDLG: Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal; The level of a drinking water disinfectant below which there are no known or expected health risks. MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contaminants.

mrem: Millirems per year; A measure of radiation absorbed by the body.

A GUIDE TO YOUR WATER QUALITY! DEFINITIONS & ABBREVIATIONS

MRL: Minimum Reporting Level; The lowest concentration of a constituent or a contaminant that can be measured by a laboratory.

N/A: Data field not applicable to the particular constituent we are reporting information about.

NTU: Nephelometric Turbidity Units; A measure of water turbidity or clarity.

pCi/L: Picocuries per liter; A measure of radioactivity.

ppb : Parts per billion, or micrograms per liter (µg/L).

ppm : Parts per million, or milligrams per liter (mg/L).

ppq : Parts per quadrillion, or picograms per liter (pg/L).

ppt : Parts per trillion, or nanograms per liter (ng/L).

TT: Treatment Technique; A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.

HOW TO READ YOUR WATER QUALITY REPORT?

This Consumer Confidence Report is a summary of the constituents that are in your drinking water and how these constituents may affect your health, if found in excess of safe drinking water quality standards. This quick reference may help you to better understand the information provided in the rest of this report.

(See next page)

Parts per million is equal to one teaspoon in 1,302 gallons.

The amount, from lowest to highest, of this contaminant detected in our drinking water last year.

The highest amount of a contaminant EPA allows in drinking water. Below this level, a contaminant has no known or expected health risks.

Parts per billion is equal to one teaspoon in 1,302,000 gallons.

The average amount of this contaminant detected in our drinking water last year.

VIEW REPORT HERE:

This describes some of the ways contaminants enter drinking water; wording is provided by EPA and may or may not apply to the City of Southlake.