Sunrise Water Authority - Water Quality

The quality of the water delivered to Sunrise Water Authority customers is excellent. The Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Act establishes water quality requirements for drinking water that all agencies must meet. All drinking water agencies are required to produce an annual water quality report, called Consumer Confidence Reports, and distribute it to all customers. This report is a comprehensive summary of the tests administered and the results obtained on water delivered to customers. Sunrise customers can have confidence in the quality of their drinking water. For further information please take a look at the Consumer Confidence Water Quality Reports that have been submitted by Sunrise Water Authority. The 2010 Consumer Confidence Report was published in June 2011.

SWA’s Consumer Confidence Water Quality Report 2011

SWA’s Consumer Confidence Water Quality Report 2010

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Sampling

Sunrise Water Authority has a comprehensive sampling program in place with approximately 480 samples taken per year and tested for coliforms. It is important to note that the term contaminant as it refers to drinking water includes anything in the water other than water, whether it is a harmful chemical, naturally occurring mineral, or unacceptable levels of silt.

Total Maximum Daily Loads

There are 13 water bodies in the Clackamas watershed that are on Oregon’s 303(d) list of “water quality limited” streams for high water temperatures in the summer season and E.Coli bacteria. Please visit Oregon’s DEQ website for additional information on their water quality program ( http://www.deq.state.or.us/wq/). DEQ released the latest Willamette Basin TMDL report in September 2006. ( http://www.deq.state.or.us/WQ/TMDLs/WillametteBasin.htm#W). Chapter 6 is the Clackamas Sub-basin TMDL Section.

Reducing Lead Exposure

The water supplied by Sunrise Water Authority has been tested for lead content and found to be in compliance with regulations. In the Sunrise area, 62 homes were tested and only five exceeded the action level. In the Carver area, 5 homes were tested and none exceeded the action level.

Most lead contained in tap water is caused by leaching from household pipes and fixtures that were connected using solder that contained lead. Infants and young children are typically more vulnerable to lead in drinking water than the general population. It is possible that lead levels in your home may be higher than at other homes in the community as a result of materials used in your home’s plumbing. If you are concerned about elevated lead levels in your home’s water, you may wish to have your water tested by an independent laboratory. Additional information on lead in your drinking water is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791.

Homes that are at higher risk of lead leaching from the plumbing systems and fixtures are those built between 1970 and 1985, but if you are concerned about your exposure to lead, you can reduce your risk by taking the following actions:

Run water a minimum of 30 seconds prior to use if water has been unused for more than six hours.

Use only cold water for cooking, drinking, and making baby formula. Hot water may leach more metals from your plumbing system.

Use only lead-free solder when making plumbing repairs.

Use NSF certified faucets and plumbing fixtures. Contact NSF International for more information about certified faucets and plumbing fixtures, by phone at (877) 867-3435, on the web at www.nsf.org, or by email at info@nsf.org.

Backflow Prevention
Backflow occurs when water pressure in the water system suddenly drops, for instance if a fire hydrant is opened, and water and other substances are pulled back out of your home plumbing system and introduced to the water system. In some cases this can introduce dangerous contaminants, such as lawn chemicals, into our drinking water. For this reason, the State of Oregon has established regulations requiring that premises with certain backflow risks install a backflow prevention assembly and that it be tested annually. Sunrise sends customers that meet the risk factors a letter annually reminding them of their responsibility. To read the Complete Sunrise Backflow and Cross Connection Prevention program, click here.