Keeping Your Water Safe, Clean, and Protected
By Warren Tenney
The AMWUA cities are vigilant about protecting the quality of their water supply. That is why the cities' staffs rigorously test, analyze, and monitor water quality every single day, to ensure that the water provided to all of our families, friends, and neighbors is clean and safe.
Municipal water providers are among the most regulated industries in the country and are held to the highest standard. This means much money, time, and effort are focused on water quality.
Every year, Valley water utilities collectively perform millions of tests and measurements to ensure water treatment and distribution systems are safe. Each of the AMWUA cities has an aggressive water quality program with a dedicated team of chemists, technicians, and specialists who head out daily to the various water service areas to test for hundreds of substances using state of the art equipment and laboratories to make sure your water consistently meets the safe drinking water standards.
When you consider the multiple sources of water utilized by the AMWUA cities, including the Colorado River, Salt River Project (SRP), and groundwater, we must realize that each of those requires different levels of treatment due to varying makeup of the water. Diverse water sources cannot be treated equally. To better address those treatment challenges, the cities have invested in vast infrastructure and advanced treatment facilities so that there is always enough safe and regulated water while striving to keep it affordable for households throughout the Valley.
The water which enters water treatment plants contains lots of particles, many of which are natural, organic particles suspended in the water. This is what makes the water appear cloudy and is often referred to as turbidity, which is a measurement of how clear the water is. The goal of the water treatment process is to decrease turbidity, making the water clear and removing any particles that may be harmful. After the multi-phased process, the addition of a chemical such as chlorine is added as the final stage of treatment to remove and prevent potentially harmful microorganisms from growing. A small amount of disinfectant is required to be in the drinking water system and maintained until the water is delivered to homes and businesses, schools, and healthcare facilities throughout the Valley.
In addition to the treatment process, continual monitoring, and frequent testing of water samples, each municipality must provide regular reports on their water quality detailing each sample. Annually, a report with all of that data is compiled and submitted to ADEQ for final approval. This process ensures water quality is at a high level and brings accountability while eliminating the danger of a major water contaminant crisis. Also, please note that you will be notified if water quality is ever an issue in your city.
The AMWUA cities consistently meet all of the safe drinking water standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) and the Maricopa County Environmental Services Department. These requirements fall under the Safe Water Drinking Act, bringing accountability and safeguarding high water quality standards.
You are always able to get complete information about the quality of the water delivered to your home from your local water provider. To read the latest water quality report for your municipality, please visit the appropriate links found below.
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For over 50 years, the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association has worked to protect our member cities' ability to provide assured, safe, and sustainable water supplies to their communities. For more water information, visit www.amwua.org.
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