A pamphlet being mailed with monthly water bills answers questions about the source and quality of Lawrence's drinking water.
When Lawrence residents get their monthly water bill this month, there will be something extra in the envelope.
The city water department is including a color pamphlet assuring people that Lawrence water is safe to drink, and that it meets or exceeds all state and federal standards.
The pamphlet, titled "The Water We Drink," is required by federal law, city officials said.
It explains where the city gets its water and how it is treated and tested. It also provides a chart showing various levels of contamination that have been found in the city's drinking water supplies over the last year.
For instance, Lawrence tests its water for atrazine, a commonly used agricultural herbicide that controls weeds in corn and sorghum fields.
The federal limit on atrazine is a running average of 3 micrograms per liter -- often expressed as "parts per billion" (ppb). The highest levels detected in Lawrence's raw water supply over the last year were 0.3 ppb at the Clinton Reservoir treatment plant and 0.4 ppb at the Kansas River treatment plant.
The city also tests for nitrates, which are compounds usually associated with fertilizers or human and animal waste. The federal standard for nitrates is 10 parts per million (ppm), but in Lawrence the highest levels recorded during the last year were 0.38 ppm at the Clinton plant and 1.11 ppm at the Kansas River plant.
"The bottom line is, our water is safe to drink," Roger Coffey, the city utilities director, said.
The pamphlet also includes other interesting facts about the city's water.
For example, it explains that water "hardness" is caused by calcium and magnesium salts, which reduce the amount of lather that soaps can make.
Lawrence has "moderately hard" water, the pamphlet explains. The city "softens" the water at the treatment plants to improve the taste and reduce the amount of soap and detergents customers must use.
Changes made in 1996 to the federal Safe Drinking Water Act require public water systems to deliver annual water quality reports to their customers.
"Supplying water is a complex business, so some of the information may appear technical," said Shari Stamer, the city's water quality manager.
Stamer said that anyone who has questions about the report, or about the quality of Lawrence's water in general, can call her at 832-7817.
-- Peter Hancock's phone message number is 832-7144. His e-mail address is phancock@ljworld.com.
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