May 7, 2008

Charlotte -- Charlotte-Mecklenburg residents will open mailboxes this week to find the Water Quality Report, which summarizes the quality of our community's tap water in calendar year 2007. Our drinking water once again meets and exceeds all drinking water standards and had no water quality violations in 2007.

"Despite the challenges brought on by our region's historic drought, our employees successfully treated and consistently delivered high quality drinking water to our customers," said Utilities Director Doug Bean. "Most of us don't think about what's involved when we turn the tap, so this report is a useful tool for customers who want to learn about the safety of their water."

• Charlotte-Mecklenburg drinking water had no water quality violations in 2007.
• The impurities detected were all either naturally occurring or an expected result of the water treatment process.
• The levels of impurities found in the water were much lower than Environmental Protection Agency limits and posed no health threat.
• Utilities tests for more than 150 different substances and conducted more than 150,000 tests on drinking water in 2007.

The EPA requires large water systems to produce and mail this report directly to customers. In addition to the results of water quality tests, readers also will find details about our water sources, the treatment process and some commonly asked questions.

"We want customers to have a good understanding of their tap water so they feel confident in what's delivered to them," said Environmental Outreach Coordinator Erin Culbert. "This guide makes that connection between how our community uses our water resources and the water we drink."

The report will be mailed this week and coincides with Drinking Water Week, a national celebration and education campaign about the value of clean drinking water.