Here's How Clean Vienna's Drinking Water Was In 2018

Fairfax Water, the utility provider of drinking water for the Town of Vienna, has released a report on how clean the water was in 2018.

The Environmental Protection Agency requires all water utilities to release a water quality report every year. Vienna's water comes from the Potomac River and Occoquan Reservoir and is treated at the James J. Corbalis Jr. and Frederick P. Griffith plants. The report overall found water provided to Vienna homes and businesses met or surpassed state and federal drinking water standards.

The report breaks down contaminants in the water. Data is collected from 2018 unless otherwise noted.

Fairfax Water Results

Alpha Emitters

• Comes from decay of natural and manmade deposits
• Corbalis water plant average: 2.02 pCi/L (picocuries per liter) (2014)
• Maximum amount allowed is 15 pCi/L

Beta/photon emitters

• Comes from decay of natural and manmade deposits
• Corbalis water plant average: 1.92 pCi/L
• Griffith water plant average: 3.71 pCi/L
• EPA considers 50 pCi/L to be the level of concern

Barium

• Comes from discharge of drilling wastes; discharge from metal refineries; erosion from natural deposits
• Corbalis water plant average: 0.038 ppm (parts per million)
• Griffith water plant average: 0.018 ppm
• Maximum amount allowed is 2 ppm

Fluoride

• Water additive that promotes strong teeth; can also come from erosion of natural deposits and discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories
• Corbalis water plant average: 0.7 ppm
• Griffith water plant average: 0.7 ppm
• Maximum amount allowed is 4 ppm

Nitrate

• Comes from runoff from fertilizer use; leaching from septic tanks, sewage; erosion of natural deposits
• Corbalis water plant average: 1.26 ppm
• Griffith water plant average: 1.01 ppm
• Maximum amount allowed is 10 ppm

Nitrite

• Comes from runoff from fertilizer use; leaching from septic tanks, sewage; erosion of natural deposits
• Griffith water plant average: 0.0013 ppm
• Maximum amount allowed is 1 ppm

Radium 226

• Comes from decay of natural and manmade deposit
• Corbalis water plant average: 0.182 pCi/L
• Griffith water plant average: 0.691 pCi/L
• Maximum amount allowed: 5 pCi/L

Total organic carbon

• Naturally present in the environment
• Removal ratio achieved: 1.24 based on quarterly running annual averages
• quarterly running annual averages over one are in compliance

Turbidity

• Cloudiness of water; comes from soil runoff
• Corbalis water plant: 0.10 NTU (Nephelometric Turbidity Unit) highest single hourly measurement
• Griffith water plant: 0.07 NTU highest single hourly measurement

Town of Vienna results

Coliform Bacteria

• Naturally present in the environment
• Highest Monthly Total Coliform Positive: 3.3 percent
• Highest amount allowed: 5 percent

Fecal Coliform or E.coli Bacteria

• Comes from human and animal fecal waste
• Number of Positive E.coli samples this period: 0

Lead

• Comes from corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits
• Results of Samples from 90th Percentile Value: 0.56 ppb (parts per billion)
• Action level: 15 ppb

Copper

• Comes from corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits
• Results of Samples from 90th Percentile Value: 0.17 ppm
• Action level: 1.3 ppm

Chlorine

• Water additive used to control microbes
• Highest Quarterly Average: 2.8 ppm
• Maximum amount allowed: 4 ppm

Trihalomethanes

• Byproduct of drinking water disinfection
• Highest Locational Running Annual Average: 38.3 ppb
• Maximum amount allowed: 80 ppb

Haloacetic Acids 5

• Byproduct of drinking water disinfection
• Highest Locational Running Annual Average: 30.8 ppb
• Maximum amount allowed: 60 ppb

See the full water quality report for Vienna here.