QUOTE FOR THE DAY

Whoever gossips to you will gossip about you.

- Spanish Proverb -

You are what you think. You are what you go for. You are what you do!

--Bob Richards-

WATER

WINSTON-SALEM WATER

THE WINSTON-SALEM/FORSYTH COUNTY WATER SYSTEM SERVES MORE THAN 225,000 PEOPLE.

THE AVERAGE DAILY DEMAND IS 44.3 MILLION GALLONS.

30% COMES FROM SALEM LAKE.

70% COMES FROM THE YADKIN RIVER.

Neilson Water Treatment Plant Capacity - 48 mgpd

Northwest Water Treatment Plant Capacity - 25 mgpd

Thomas Water Treatment Plant Capacity - 24 mgpd

WATER 1976 2007

Total No. Customers

54,985 117,484

Miles of Water Lines

1,046 2,035

Water Treated

29 mgd 41 mgd

No. Employees

126 152

YOU PAY APPROXIMATELY $0.25 PER 100 GALLONS OF WATER USED.

THAT’S A REAL BARGIN.

DRINKING WATER STANDARDS

EPA SETS DRINKING WATER STANDARDS.

EPA REQUIRES COMMUNITY WATER SYSTEMS TO TEST FOR OVER 80 CONTAMINANTS.

THE HIGHEST LEVELS ALLOWABLE ARE CALLED MAXIMUM CONTAMINANT LEVELS (MCL’S).

FOR CONTAMINANTS THAT COULD CAUSE CANCER, EPA SETS THE STANDARDS SO THAT THERE WOULD BE NO MORE THAT 1 IN 10,000 TO 1 IN 1,000,000 OVER A LIFETIME.

FOR NON-CANCER CONTAMINANTS, EPA SETS THE MCL’ S SO THAT THERE WILL BE NO RISK.

DRINKING WATER COMES FROM SURFACE WATER AND GROUND WATER.

LARGER CITIES TEND TO USE SURFACE WATER.

SURFACE WATER WOULD INCLUDE LAKES AND RIVERS.

. Ground water is pumped from wells that are drilled into aquifers.

Aquifers are geologic formations that contain water.

We use tap water for various purposes. A typical family of four on a public water supply uses about 350 gallons per day at home (each person about 350 liters per day).

A typical family of four that gets water from a private well uses about 200 gallons per day at home.

People in the U.S. use a lot more water that people in other countries.

Water Use In Different Countries Percentage of Total Water Use by Category

Country

Annual Water Use per Capita (Gallons) Residential Industry/Agriculture*

United States 525,000 10 90

Canada 310,000 13 87

Belgium 221,000 6 94

India 132,000 3 97

China 122,000 6 94

Poland 112,000 14 86

Nicaragua 72,000 18 82

Malta 16,000 100 0

*Includes water used for electrical power and for cooling.

HOW COULD YOU REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF WATER USED AT YOUR HOUSE?

HOW COULD YOU REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF WATER USED AT YOUR HOUSE?

1. TAKE SHORTER SHOWERS.

2. DON’T FILL THE BATH TUB SO FULL.

3. DON’T LEAVE THE WATER RUNNING WHEN YOU BRUSH YOUR TEETH.

4. INSTALL WATER SAVING SHOWER HEADS.

5. DON’T WASH CLOTHES UNLESS YOU HAVE A FULL LOAD.

6. DON’T RUN THE DISHWASHER UNLESS YOU HAVE A FULL LOAD.

7. DON’T LEAVE WATER RUNNING WHEN YOU WASH DISHES BY HAND.

DRINKING WATER TREATMENT

1.COARSE FILTRATION – REMOVES STICKS, ROCKS, LEAVES, FISH, BODIES, ETC.

2.COAGULATION – USUALLY THROUGH THE ADDITION OF ALUM

3.SEDIMENTATION – ALLOWS THE COAGULATED SOLIDS TO SETTLE OUT

4.FILTRATION –REMOVES REMAINING BACTERIA AND FINE SOLIDS

5.DISINFECTION – USUALLY THROUGH CHLORINATION

6.AREATION

7.DISTRIBUTION

DISTRIBUTION

USE/REUSE

WASTEWATER TREATMENT

1. COARSE FILTRATION – BAR SCREEN FILTER

2. GRIT CHAMBER

3. SEDIMENTATION – SEDIMENT GOES TO DIGESTER AND PART IS CONVERTED TO METHANE GAS. THE REMAINDER IS USED AS SOIL CONDITIONER

4. AERATION TANK – BACTERIA EAT SOLUBLE ORGANICS

5. CLARIFIER

6. DISINFECTION

7. DISCHARGE

WINSTON-SALEM WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS PUT WATER BACK INTO THE YADKIN RIVER CLEANER THAN IT WAS TAKEN OUT FOR USE AS HOUSEHOLD/INDUSTRIAL WATER.

WATER IS NOT CREATED OR DESTROYED. IT IS SIMPLY REUSED (RECYCLED).