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The City of South Lebanon

Public Water System

10 North High Street

South Lebanon, Ohio 45065
(513) 494-2296
www.southlebanonohio.org
Updated May, 2024
The City of South Lebanon
Drinking Water Consumer Confidence Report
For 2023

The City of South Lebanon has prepared the following report to provide information to you, the consumer, on the quality of our drinking water.  Included within this report is general health information, water quality test results, how to participate in decisions concerning your drinking water and water system contacts.

In 2023 The City of South Lebanon had an unconditioned license to operate our water system.

The City of South Lebanon receives 100% of our drinking water from Greater Cincinnati Water Works. In addition to the water testing done by the City of South Lebanon, Greater Cincinnati Water Works also tests the water. We have also included their source water assessment  report.

Copies of the source water assessment report prepared for Greater Cincinnati Water Works are available online at: https://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/water/water-quality-and-treatment/water-quality-reports/2023-water-quality-report-updated-march-2024/ .  Paper copies are available upon request by calling 513-591-7700.

Sources of Your Drinking Water 

The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells.  As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity. As with all surface waters, the Ohio Environmental Protection Administration (OEPA) has classified the Ohio River as highly susceptible to potential contamination. OEPA has also classified our portion of the Great Miami Buried Valley Aquifer as highly susceptible to contamination due to lack of an overlaying protective clay layer, the presence of low levels of nitrate in the groundwater, and the presence of nearby potential contaminant sources.

Contaminants that may be present in source water include:

– Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations and wildlife;

– Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally-occurring or result from urban storm water runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming;

– Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban storm water runoff, and residential uses;

– Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban storm water runoff, and septic systems;

– Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally-occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.

In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, United States EPA prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems.  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health.

Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants.  The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk.  More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the Federal Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).

 Who needs to take special precautions?

Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population.  Immuno-compromised persons, such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk from infection.  These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers.  EPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).

About your drinking water.

OEPA requires regular sampling to ensure drinking water safety.  The Village of South Lebanon conducted sampling for Total Coliform, Trihalomethanes, Haloacetic Acids, Lead, Copper and Chlorine during 2023.  Samples were collected for a total of 6 different contaminants most of which were not detected in the City of South Lebanon water supply.  OEPA requires us to monitor for some contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants do not change frequently.  Some of our data, though accurate, are more than one year old.

Monitoring & Reporting Violations & Enforcement Actions

CCR Content Violations

• 2017 – In the 2017 CCR, we triggered a Level 1 Assessment in September after several total coliform and e. Coli results and did not include the required information. We failed to provide the mandatory language for turbidity and did not explain that the source water report was available. In the Table of Detected Contaminants, we provided the incorrect 90^th percentile values for copper and did not provide any data from the wholesale water provider.
• 2018 – In the 2018 CCR, we failed to provide information about South Lebanon’s participation in in UCMR sampling and in the Table of Detected Contaminants, the columns and column headers were inadequate and we did not provide any data from our wholesale water provider as required.
• 2019 – In the 2019 CCR, South Lebanon failed to include adequate information regarding the 4^th quarter 2019 disinfection byproduct monitoring violation and the November 2019 total coliform monitoring violation. Additionally, the required information for turbidity was not included and in the Table of Detected Contaminants: we failed to provide data from our wholesaler, included contaminants that were not detected in the water, failed to report data for TTHM or HAA5, gave incorrect data for MCLG for DBPs, and provided the incorrect 90^th percentile values for lead and copper.
• 2022 – Several sanitary yard hydrants were found to be in violation of EPA standards. This was resolved by removing these hydrants.
• 2022 – South Lebanon did not have an updated Asset Management Plan. This was resolved by updating the Asset Management Plan.

Monitoring Violation and Public Notification

We are required to monitor your drinking water for specific contaminants on a regular basis. Results of regular monitoring are an indicator of whether or not our drinking water meets certain health standards. We failed to monitor during the below time periods for the listed contaminants.

1. Disinfection by products (DBP) were not sampled in 4^th quarter 2019. Sampling conducted in 2023 showed DBP levels within acceptable levels.
2. Total coliform bacteria was not sampled in November 2019 or October 2020. Test results in 2023 did not show a presence of total coliform bacteria.

What Should I Do? This notice is only to inform you that we did not monitor and report results for as required by the Ohio EPA, and therefore cannot be sure of the quality of water at that time. What is Being Done? Upon being notified of this violation, the water supply was required to have the drinking water analyzed; we will take steps to ensure that adequate monitoring is conducted in the future. Questions? Please contact us at _513-494-2296 if you have any questions. Please share this information with others that may not receive the notice directly (ex. People in apartments, nursing homes, schools and businesses.

Greater Cincinnati Water Works Water Table of Detected and Unregulated Contaminants are listed in the table below:

Substances subject to a Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL), Action Level (AL), or Treatment Technique (TT).  These standards protect drinking water by limiting the amount of certain substances that adversely affect public health and are known or anticipated to occur in public water systems.

The City of South Lebanon also participated in the testing of Unregulated Contaminates in 2023. These results were all under the minimum reporting levels. These results are available by contacting the City of South Lebanon Utility Office at 513-494-2296.

The City of South Lebanon also has an Emergency connection with the Warren County Water and Sewer Department.  During 2023, we used zero (0) gallons from this connection over 365 days.  On average, this connection is used for approximately zero (0) days each year.  This report does not contain information on the water quality received from the Warren County Water and Sewer Department. A copy of their consumer confidence report can be obtained by clicking the following link: https://www.co.warren.oh.us/Water/Water_Quality_Reports/2024/2023_Water_Quality_Report.pdf or by contacting Warren County Water and Sewer Department at 513-695-1377.

Turbidity

Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness of water and is an indication of the effectiveness of our filtration system.  The turbidity limit set by the EPA is 0.3 NTU in 95% of the samples analyzed each month and shall not exceed 1 NTU at any time.  As reported above, the Greater Cincinnati Water Works highest recorded turbidity result for 2023 was 0.09 NTU and lowest monthly percentage of samples meeting the turbidity limits was 100%.

Lead Educational Information

If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children.  Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing.  The City of South Lebanon is responsible for providing high quality drinking water but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components.  When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking.  If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water tested.  Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791 or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

Infants and young children are typically more vulnerable to lead in drinking water than the general population.  It is possible that lead levels at 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 and flush your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using tap water.  Additional information is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).

How do I participate in decisions concerning my drinking water?

Public participation and comment are encouraged at regular meetings of The City of South Lebanon which meets every 1^st and 3^rd Thursday of each month.  For more information on your drinking water contact Don Justison at 513-494-2296.

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses).  You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.

Definitions of some terms contained within this report.

• Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG): The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health.  MCLGs allow for a margin of safety.
• Maximum Contaminant level (MCL): The highest level of contaminant that is allowed in drinking water.  MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology.
• Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level (MRDL): The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water.  There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants.
• Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal (MRDLG): The level of drinking water disinfectant below which there is no known or expected risk to health.  MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contaminants.
• Action Level (AL): The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow.
• Treatment Technique (TT): A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.
• Contact Time (CT) means the mathematical product of a “residual disinfectant concentration” (C), which is determined before or at the first customer, and the corresponding “disinfectant contact time” (T).
• Microcystins: Liver toxins produced by a number of cyanobacteria. Total microcystins are the sum of all the variants/congeners (forms) of the cyanotoxin microcystin.
• Cyanobacteria: Photosynthesizing bacteria, also called blue-green algae, which naturally occur in marine and freshwater ecosystems, and may produce cyanotoxins, which at sufficiently high concentrations can pose a risk to public health.
• Cyanotoxin: Toxin produced by cyanobacteria. These toxins include liver toxins, nerve toxins, and skin toxins.  Also sometimes referred to as “algal toxin”.
• Level 1 Assessment is a study of the water system to identify the potential problems and determine (if possible) why total coliform bacteria have been found in our water system.
• Level 2 Assessment is a very detailed study of the water system to identify potential problems and determine (if possible) why an E. coli MCL violation has occurred and/or why total coliform bacteria have been found in our water system on multiple occasions.
• PFAS: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of man-made chemicals applied to many industrial, commercial and consumer products to make them waterproof, stain resistant, or nonstick. PFAS are also used in products like cosmetics, fast food packaging, and a type of firefighting foam called aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) which are used mainly on large spills of flammable liquids, such as jet fuel. PFAS are classified as contaminants of emerging concern, meaning that research into the harm they may cause to human health is still ongoing.
• Parts per Million (ppm) or Milligrams per Liter (mg/L) are units of measure for concentration of a contaminant. A part per million corresponds to one second in a little over 11.5 days.
• Parts per Billion (ppb) or Micrograms per Liter (μg/L) are units of measure for concentration of a contaminant. A part per billion corresponds to one second in 31.7 years.
• The “<” symbol: A symbol which means less than. A result of <5 means that the lowest level that could be detected was 5 and the contaminant in that sample was not detected.
• Picocuries per liter (pCi/L): A common measure of radioactivity.