Water Quality
The mission of Greeley Water is to protect both the quality and quantity of your water supply. Greeley's water starts as pure Rocky Mountain snowmelt and the Water Department uses the latest technologies and most effective practices to further improve the quality of drinking water. If you are ever unsure about the quality of your drinking water or have a question about Greeley 's water call the Water & Sewer Department at 970-350-9811. Greeley citizens may be justly proud of the best drinking water in the United States.
The Colorado Source Water Assessment and Protection Program is designed to provide information about the drinking water as well as to provide individuals a way to become involved in water quality protection. The SWAP program encourages community-based protection and preventive management strategies. SWAP completed its assessment of Colorado’s 1,700-plus public waters in 2004. To learn more visit the program site on the web.
Drinking Water Quality
Backflow and Cross Connections
Wastewater
Drinking Water Quality Report
The Safe Drinking Water Act establishes drinking water standards for most water systems in the country, including Greeley’s. The Annual Water Quality Report, also referred to as the Consumer Confidence Report, is a requirement of the Safe Drinking Water Act. The purpose of the report is to provide customers annual information on the quality of the water they drink. The report must be available to every person in the community.
The latest version reports on the water quality tested in 2008. The report appears below and will be delivered to Greeley Water Customers in the June 2009 water bills. Each year we publish this water brochure in hopes that we can better inform the citizens of Greeley on water usage, rates, expansion plans, status of ongoing projects and many other helpful things.
Reporting Year 2008
Reporting Year 2007
Reporting Year 2006
Reporting Year 2005
Reporting Year 2004
Reporting Year 2003
Reporting Year 2002
Reporting Year 2001
Reporting Year 2000
Drinking Water Quality
The office of Regulatory Compliance ensures that the Water and Sewer Department meets federal, state and regional regulations regarding the environment and related issues. The coordinator stays current with regulations applicable to water and wastewater and leads the development of compliance prorgrams.The Water and Sewer Department publishes an annual report on the quality of drinking water. The report is mailed to every home in Greeley and is available on the web.
The Environmental Protection Agency's Safe Drinking Water Act protects the quality of drinking water. In Colorado, the Department of Public Health and Environment has primary authority to implement and enforce the standards set forth in the Safe Drinking Water Act.
The Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Water Act protects the quality of rivers, lakes, and streams. The City of Greeley Water Pollution Control Facility discharges treated wastewater to the Cache la Poudre River. Before the wastewater is discharged, the WPCF must treat it to a quality consistent with standards set forth by the Clean Water Act. Like the Safe Drinking Water Act, authority for implementation and enforcement of the Clean Water Act rests with the Colorado.
The Water and Sewer Department also must comply with the Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Air Act in order to prevent the accidental release of certain chemicals. This regulation is designed to detect any accidental releases and to minimize the consequences should a release occur. In Greeley, this applies to chlorine gas, which is used to disinfect your drinking water. Read our report to find out more information on this particular regulation.
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Backflow
Backflow is the undesirable reversal of flow of water from its intended direction in any pipeline or plumbing system. Backflow is dangerous because it can allow drinking water in plumbing systems to become contaminated and unusable, possibly even deadly.
Backflow preventers are mechanical plumbing devices installed in a plumbing system to prevent water from flowing backward in the system. A properly installed, tested and maintained backflow preventer at the service entrance to a building or property can reliably prevent the backflow of water of an unknown quality from flowing back into the community water system. The backflow preventer is installed to protect the public water supply against possible hazards in the customer's plumbing system. The actual or potential cross connection belongs to the property owner and not to regulatory officials or the water utility.
Water pressure in a building or home plumbing system can drop suddenly for any number of reasons, potentially causing a cross-connection. Heavy water use on a supply line from such incidents as firefighting, a water main break, or simply excessive demand, can cause sever pressure loss, resulting in contaminated water being siphoned back into the potable water system in your home.
A backflow prevention assembly is necessary for all irrigation systems. An assembly is a mechanical plumbing device that prevents water from flowing back into the water system. Only properly installed, tested and maintained backflow assemblies can reliably protect the water system. A copy of a certified backflow tester’s report is required to obtain final approval for a sprinkler system permit.
Requirements for Irrigation Systems
- A double check assembly is Not permitted for the protection of a lawn irrigation system, ONLY Atmospheric Vacuum Breakers, Pressure Vacuum Breakers, or Reduced Pressure Backflow Assemblies may be used.
- All NEW backflow assemblies shall be tested upon installation, and annually thereafter. All testing and repairs shall be done by a Certified Backflow Prevention Device Tester.
- All installations of, and changes of lawn irrigation systems, must conform with ALL State, Local, and applicable Water District Codes.
- Irrigation systems which use compressed air to purge the system, shall have an air injection port installed downstream of the backflow assembly. Injection of compressed air into the backflow assembly is NOT permitted. This contaminates and damages the assembly and other water using systems. Proper winterization procedures of your assembly can be obtained through its' manufacturer.
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Cross-Connections
The City of Greeley Water Department considers it their job to insure their customers are delivered safe, high quality water. The city has adopted a state-required and state-approved Cross Connection Control Program. Businesses and industry throughout our service area are inspected to identify and eliminate any potential cross connection problems. Backflow prevention devices are required by law to be tested at least annually. This testing helps to insure the customer is protected from possible water contamination and to protect the city's potable water system from contamination.
A cross-connection is a physical connection between a drinking water supply and a source of contamination. This can be any pipe, valve, fixture, etc., in a drinking water system that may allow the drinking water within the system to become contaminated or questionable in quality. This connection can be created when plumbing is installed, when using certain appliances, or even simply by attaching a hose to a faucet. Cross-connections are not always easy to detect, but pose a serious threat to water quality. Unprotected cross-connections are prohibited by state regulations, plumbing codes and local codes. A cross-connection can be found anywhere the public water supply connects with residential or commercial plumbing systems.
To insure the quality of the tap water in your home:
- Never allow hoses to be submerged in sinks, pools, chemical mixing tanks, etc..
- Be sure your toilet flush valves have an anti-siphon device.
- Install approved backflow prevention devices where appropriate and have them tested annually by a certified tester.
- Make sure any plumbing work done in your home, is done by a licensed plumber, certified in cross connection control.
Here are common examples of what can happen when cross-connections are found in homes:
- Water from a toilet tank can be drawn back into the house water supply if the flush valve does not have an anti-siphon device.
- A garden hose submerged in the water, while filling a swimming pool or hot tub, can allow water to be sucked back into the house water supply, if a supply line pressure loss were to occur.
- When an insecticide or herbicide dispenser is attached to a garden hose, a pressure drop in the supply line can cause chemical-laden water can be pulled up the hose and into the house water supply.
- A sprinkler system that lacks a proper backflow prevention device can allow dirty water from the lawn to be siphoned back into the sprinkler head, and flow back into the house water supply.
Other places in the home where cross connection can occur include:
- Dishwashers garbage disposals, hand-held showerheads, fountains, boilers, in-home water treatment systems, solar heating systems, soaking tubs in laundry areas, or filling or draining water beds with a hose.
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