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Water Quality

Show All Answers

1. How much water is used in the City of Chino Hills daily?

City of Chino Hills customers use an average of 14.5 million gallons of water daily. The average American uses nearly 50 gallons per day.

2. What are the major components of the water distribution system?

The City of Chino Hills water production division currently has 9 active wells. The City currently has 17 water reservoirs ranging in size from 5 million gallons to .25 million gallons. Current storage capacity for the City is about 35 million gallons of potable water and 3 million gallons of recycled water. The City also operates 8 booster stations to increase water pressures to the higher elevations.

3. Does the City utilize recycled water?

Yes. Nearly 950 acre-feet of recycled water is currently being used for water golf courses and green belts.

4. What makes ice cloudy?

Commercially made ice is stirred as it is being frozen; household ice is not. Without mixing, many more ice crystals form, and air is trapped in the ice. Light rays are distorted by these crystals and air, giving the ice a cloudy appearance. Dissolved minerals being forced to middle and frozen can also cause it

5. Is my water safe to drink?

A definitive answer for countries as large as the United States is impossible, but for the most part, yes. Nearly all water suppliers in the United States meet all US Environmental Protection Agency’s standards for safe drinking water. However some small water systems have more troubles meeting these standards.

6. Is my drinking water completely free of microbes?

No, but don’t be alarmed; most microbes are harmless. For example, if you licked your finger you would get microbes in your mouth, but you would not get sick. Drinking water contains harmless microbes. It should however be, and probably is free from germs.

7. Are all chemicals in my drinking water bad for me?

No, some chemicals, fluoride for example, are good for you, and some minerals are accepted to be beneficial in drinking water. Chemicals are not bad just because they are chemicals. Water itself is a chemical

8. Why does my water have nitrates, and where do nitrates come from?

Nitrates are chemicals made of oxygen, and nitrogen, ammonia and other elements. When chemicals containing nitrogen, mix with water, nitrates are usually formed. The primary sources of nitrate pollution are human waste and manure, especially from dairy farms.

9. How much lead and copper does my water have?

Chino Hills water is naturally free of lead and copper. If you have detected lead or copper in your water, you may be experiencing leaching from corrosive water on household plumbing fixtures. These levels can be reduced, usually by replacing old faucets and fixtures

10. Is fluoride in my drinking water safe?

Yes. When added or naturally present in the correct amount, fluoride in water has greatly improved the dental health of American consumers.

11. Is water with chlorine safe to drink?

Yes. Many tests have shown the amount of chlorine found in treated drinking water is safe to drink, although some people object to its taste. Almost all household water filters can reduce or remove chorine in drinking water.

12. How much chlorine do I have in my water?

The City is required by the State and Federal government to add disinfection to our drinking water supply to kill or prevent bacteria growth. We use small levels of chlorine as a disinfectant. The levels range between .20 parts per million 1.10 parts per million.

13. Why does my drinking water often look cloudy when it first comes from the faucet and then clears up?

The cloudy water is caused by tiny air bubbles in the water similar to gas bubbles in carbonated soft drinks. After awhile, the bubbles rise to the top and are gone. These bubbles are caused by over production of City operated wells and aerators at the tap. These bubbles are harmless.

14. Should I buy bottled water?

Remember that US bottled water is less regulated than municipal drinking water. You do not need to buy water for health reasons. Chino Hills water meets and exceeds all drinking water standards.

15. How can I find out what is in my water?

Every year the City of Chino Hills publishes and mails to all customers an annual Consumer Confidence Report. The free report gives the results of the tests it does in order to make sure your water meets federal and state drinking water regulations. It also explains where your water comes from and includes other useful information. To request a hard copy, please call (909) 364-2806.

16. Who is making sure that my water is safe and healthy to drink?

California has very strict regulations for the quality of tap water. There are also laws and additional state and federal agencies that help keep harmful things out of drinking water sources. Your utility must make sure that your water meets these requirements. Southern California utilities have an excellent record for delivering water that is as good or better than required. If for some reason your water did not meet the health and safety regulations, you would be notified immediately. Each of us also has a responsibility to take care of the drinking water on our property. For example, if you use a water filter, make sure you change the filter often so bacteria does not grow inside and spoil the water. Clean out your older plumbing or drains properly so that your water doesn't collect odd smells, tastes or colors. While a funny color, taste or smell usually doesn’t mean your water is unsafe, you still may want to correct the problem.

17. What is done to purify the water before it comes out of the tap?

Water that comes from rivers, lakes and streams goes through many steps of treatment and checkpoints before it is ready to drink. The water is screened to remove larger materials, run through very fine filters and then disinfected to kill germs. The water is checked throughout the system to make sure that it meets all regulations.

18. Why does my water sometimes look dirty, cloudy or have a funny color?

From the time your drinking water is purified at a treatment plant until it pours from your tap, there are a lot of chances for it to pick up things that can change the way it looks. Sometimes this happens as close as your home’s own plumbing. Water is cloudy when air gets in and makes tiny bubbles. The bubbles are harmless and will disappear if you let the water sit in a glass for a few minutes.
Usually when water looks dirty or has a funny color, it’s because of changes in the way that the water delivery system is being operated. When the direction that water flows in the pipe is changed—for maintenance work on a water main, when a fire hydrant is broken in a car accident, or there is a break in a water main— materials at the bottom of the pipes get stirred up. Often, the water only looks dirty for a short time. You should not drink it until it looks clear. One way to speed the dirty water out of your own pipes is to run all of your faucets for a few minutes. If the water is still not clear, then do the same thing again every half hour or so. The problem should go away within two to four hours. If it does not, call the Water Quality Technician at (909) 364-2806.

19. Why does my water sometimes taste or smell funny and is it safe to drink?

Many people think that if their water tastes or smells funny, it will make them sick if they drink it. In fact, the things that most commonly cause tap water to taste or smell strange aren’t harmful to drink. When your water tastes or smells funny, the problem might be in the water or it may not. You see, odors may actually be coming from your sink drain where bacteria grow on hair, soap, food and other things that get trapped. Gases in the drain that smell get stirred up when water pours into the pipe. Odor can also come from bacteria growing in water heaters—usually ones that have been turned off for a while or have the thermostat set too low. The list below describes where many odd tastes and smells come from.
CHLORINE
Chlorine is added to tap water to make sure that any harmful germs in the water are killed. When you can taste or smell a bit of chlorine, your water has been properly treated. There are regulations that limit the amount of chlorine added to tap water so that it keeps the water safe to drink. An easy way to get rid of the chlorine taste and smell is to let water sit in a glass for a few minutes. Then, put the water in a covered container and chill it in the refrigerator. Cold water tastes and smells better than water at room temperature.

EARTHY OR MUSTY
Algae, which are plants that live in rivers, lakes, reservoirs and other bodies of water get into open-air reservoirs that store large amounts of our drinking water. Sometimes algae are not controlled by the usual treatment and naturally make substances that can give your water an earthy or musty smell, but is not harmful in the small amounts found in water. This happens most often in the warmer months when the sun heats up the water and grows food for the algae.
ROTTEN EGGS OR SULFUR
This smell can occur when the source of the water is underground. The smell is from a chemical made by a bacteria and is not harmful in the small amounts found in water. The same smell can also be made by bacteria that grow on hair, soap and food in your drain.
TIPS FOR GETTING RID OF FUNNY SMELLS
Since some smells in tap water may be due to problems with your sink drain or water heater, there may be things you can do. To find out if the smell is coming from your sink drain or water heater, rather than the water itself, answer the following questions.
* Does the smell come from only some of your faucets?
* Does the smell go away after running the water for a few minutes?
If the answer is no — the smell comes from all the faucets and it does not go away in a few minutes, then the problem is likely in the water. To be sure, take a clean glass and go to the hose bib at the front of your property. Make sure to disconnect any hoses before running the water. Open it to its fullest, and run it for a few minutes. After that, fill the glass straight from the tap and smell it. If the water is better at the front faucet than at the faucets inside your property, you should flush your plumbing system by running all the faucets for a few minutes. If the odor is really strong and does not go away, contact the Water Quality Technician at (909) 364-2806.

20. Why does my water leave spots on my glasses, coffeepot and showerhead?

There are minerals in water that are white and settle when water is heated, cooled, or evaporates. The spots contain nothing harmful. Filling your coffeepot with vinegar and letting it sit overnight usually removes the spots. Make sure to rinse well before using. You can also clean your showerhead by soaking it in a vinegar-filled bowl. There are some store products you can use to avoid spotting when glasses are washed and allowed to air dry.

21. Do I need to purchase a home treatment device to make my tap water safe?

Most people do not need to purchase a home treatment device (e.g., a water filter) to make water safe. That’s because your tap water already meets very strict government regulations for quality.

If, however, you are considering buying a home treatment device because of health concerns (e.g., you have a severely compromised immune system), make sure that the device is certified by the California Department of Health Services (DHS). DHS certifies more than 350 home treatment devices that claim to reduce toxic chemicals or provide better health protection. All devices that make such claims must be state certified to be legally sold.

This includes carbon filters, distillation, reverse-osmosis, ion-exchange and ceramic filters. You can call DHS at (916) 327-1139 for more information about their certification program or log onto their Web site.

If you want to improve the look, taste or smell of your tap water, a home treatment device can be the answer. Performance of these types of devices is certified by the independent National Sanitation Foundation. For more information call (800) 673-8010 or log onto their Web site.

If you do decide to purchase a home treatment device, remember the following:
* Don’t be fooled by a sales demonstration that shows funny looking "stuff" settling to the bottom of a glass of tap water. The "stuff" you see is usually nothing more than the minerals that naturally occur in water.
* Home treatment devices have to be properly serviced to work well. If they aren’t maintained according to manufacturer’s instructions, water from the device may be less safe than water straight from the tap.
· Water that is treated by a home treatment device is usually much more expensive than water straight from the tap, when you take into account the cost of maintaining the device.
· Make sure the device removes the things you are concerned about. Not all home treatment devices remove the same things. If you have a severely weakened immune system, talk to your doctor about the type of home treatment device to use.

22. Should I boil my water?

On very rare occasions, the local health department or the City may issue a notice to boil your water. This may happen when there is an earthquake or other emergency. Otherwise, unless you have a severely weakened immune system or your doctor advises you, you do not need to boil your tap water. It already meets strict state and federal regulations for quality.

23. Do I need a water softener?

No one needs a water softener to make tap water safer. A softener removes the dissolved minerals that make water hard but are not harmful. The hardness of water is different throughout Southern California and depends on the water source.

Before purchasing a water softener, make sure it has a salt efficiency rating of no less than 4,000 grains of hardness removed per pound of salt used in regeneration. Softer water has both good and bad features. Some of the good things include a softer feel to hair and skin, the need to use less dish soap and laundry detergent (because soap lathers more quickly in soft water), and less mineral deposits in pipes and on pots and pans, glasses and cars. However, water softeners add sodium to the water which may be a concern for people on sodium-restricted diets, and salt discharge can have an adverse impact to our water supplies.

24. Can pregnant women drink tap water?

If you are pregnant and have any questions about drinking water straight from the tap, you should speak with your doctor.

25. Can people with HIV/AIDS or weakened immune systems drink tap water?

Water utilities must meet over 90 different drinking water requirements for tap water to keep people healthy. People with severely weakened immune systems are not always protected by these standards because they are based on reducing risks for people in good health. For example, for people with weakened immune systems, a microscopic parasite called Cryptosporidium can be a serious concern because it can cause a life-threatening illness. The chance of finding Cryptosporidium in water served by Southern California utilities is quite small. When it is, it is at low levels. People with severely weakened immune systems should talk to their doctor about possible alternatives to tap water.

26. How do I treat water during an emergency?

Sometimes you may need to treat your water during an emergency (e.g. an earthquake) when the water’s safety may be in doubt. You can treat your tap water by either boiling it, or disinfecting with unscented household liquid bleach or commercial disinfection tablets. For the best taste, chill the water before drinking.

Option One: Bring water to a rolling boil and then boil rapidly for at least one minute. Allow the water to cool before drinking. This is the preferred method.

Option Two: Add unscented household liquid bleach to tap water. Add 8 drops per gallon (16 cups) of water. Stir, cover and let sit for 30 minutes before using. If the water is very dirty, double the number of bleach drops to 16. The disinfected water should have a slight chlorine smell. If it doesn’t, add another dosage of bleach and let sit for 15 minutes more before using. Do not use scented, powdered or swimming pool bleach since these products may contain dangerous chemicals.

Option Three: Use commercial disinfection tablets, often found in sporting good stores, and follow package directions.

If you are without water for some time, here are some other sources of water in the house: melted ice cubes, your water heater, canned vegetables, water taken from the toilet tank (not the bowl) and then disinfected as described before.

27. Who should I call if I have a problem with my tap water?

Contact the City of Chino Hills Water Quality Technician at (909) 364-2806.