Protecting Our Water Supplies

Bremerton is fortunate to have high quality water supplies. Surface water from the Union River headwaters and groundwater from wells located in the Bremerton area provide Bremerton’s water supply. Bremerton owns and protects the 3,000-acre watershed surrounding the Union River supply – this allows Bremerton’s surface water system to remain one of only a few systems not required to filter. This is a great value to our rate payers as water filtration plants cost 15-20 million dollars to construct and close to a million dollars a year to operate and maintain. To continue to ensure the source can remain unfiltered, access to the Union River Watershed is secured, patrolled, and limited to water supply and forestry management activities. 

Groundwater wells are also safeguarded through the City’s Wellhead Protection Program to protect critical areas around the wellheads. All sources are managed according to state and federal regulations and best management practices for water supply systems. The Washington State Department of Health regularly inspects Bremerton’s water system, including the surface supply. Bremerton was selected for an “Exemplary Source Water Protection” Award in 2017 by the American Water Works Association.

Source Water Assessment Program

Washington State Department of Health Office of Drinking Water has compiled source water assessment data for all public water systems in Washington. This assessment shows wellhead protection zones and inventories potential contaminants as part of a coordinated effort to protect drinking water sources in Washington.

Washington DOH’s Source Water Assessment Program is online.

Outside Sources

Bremerton’s Water System receives water from Port Orchard’s McCormick Woods Water System, through a shared reservoir in the area between Gorst and Port Orchard.

Bremerton's Water Needs Minimal Treatment

Bremerton's water system is operated and maintained by experienced personnel certified by the State. Bremerton's Union River water source is such good quality that the city is not required to install a filtration facility as long as all water quality, operational, and watershed protection requirements are met. Bremerton consistently meets these high standards. Treatment of Bremerton’s water currently consists of disinfection (chlorine and ultraviolet light) and corrosion control. Corrosion treatment increases the pH of water to about 8 and is required to prevent Bremerton’s water from leaching lead from customer’s household plumbing. Sampling results confirm this treatment is successful in achieving corrosion control.

Water Quality Summary

To ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the Department of Health and EPA prescribe regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. Your drinking water is regularly tested according to federal and state regulations in both the water sources and the distribution system. Last year the City of Bremerton conducted over 1,400 water quality compliance tests for the parameters listed in the water quality summary below. Only those detected are listed in the water quality summary.

Listed below are the few substances detected in Bremerton's water last year. All results meet protective standards set by federal and state agencies. Not listed are the substances that were tested but not detected. The amounts allowed in drinking water are so small, they are measured in parts per million or parts per billion. We have tried to make this report easy to understand; however, drinking water quality issues can be technical. For additional water quality information, please call 360-473-5920. Some of the data, though representative of the water quality, are more than a year old as the results reflect the most recent required sampling period.

Regulated at the Surface Water Source

Regulated at the Groundwater Sources

Regulated in the Distribution System

Regulated at the Customer Tap

Definitions

• Action Level is the concentration of contaminant that, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements a water system must follow. Ninety percent (90%) of all samples must be below this amount.
• MCL (Maximum Contaminant Level) is the highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology.
• MCLG (Maximum Contaminant Level Goal) is the level of a contaminant in drinking water below which no known or expected risk to health exists. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety. MRDL (Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level) is the highest level of a disinfectant allowed in water.
• MRDLG (Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal) is the level of a drinking water disinfectant below which no known or expected risk to health exists.
• pCi/L stands for picocuries per liter. This is in parts per trillion.
• ppb is parts per billion and is the same as a microgram per liter (ug/L) (equivalent to one penny in $10,000,000).
• ppm is parts per million and is the same as a milligram per liter (mg/L) (equivalent to one penny in $10,000).
• N/A means not applicable.
• ND means the laboratory did not detect this substance.
• NTU (Nephelometric Turbidity Unit) is the measurement of water clarity. Monitoring turbidity is a good indicator of water quality.
• Treatment Technique is a required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant. Bremerton's surface supply is shut off when turbidity increases above set points.

Waiver Information

The Washington State Department of Health reduced monitoring requirements for the Bremerton system for various contaminants because sources were determined not to be at risk of contamination. Inorganic compounds, including arsenic and sodium, are among the list of contaminants with a waiver; the year of the most recent sampling event is listed in the table, and results met all applicable standards.

Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring

Unregulated contaminants are those for which the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has not established drinking water standards. The purpose of unregulated contaminant monitoring is to help EPA determine their occurrence in drinking water and potential need for future regulation. These contaminants may be naturally occurring, or are, in some cases, byproducts of disinfection. Those found by the City of Bremerton in the 2018 round of UCMR sampling are listed in the following table. No cyanotoxins were detected in the 2018 sampling event. The next round of UCMR sampling will be conducted in 2025 and will include PFAS and Lithium (see PFAS information below).

PFAS Monitoring

PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a large family of long-lasting, human-made chemicals (also called “forever chemicals”) in use since the 1950s to make stain-resistant, water-resistant, and non-stick consumer products (including clothing, food packaging, and kitchenware). In Washington State, PFAS have been used in some types of firefighting foams used by the U.S. military, local fire departments, and airports. Some of the most common PFAS have been removed from most products because of health and environmental concerns. Some of these chemicals accumulate in the human body over time.

Current research has shown that people can be exposed to PFAS by: 

• Working in occupations such as firefighting or chemical manufacturing/processing
• Drinking water contaminated with PFAS
• Eating certain foods (including fish) that may contain PFAS
• Swallowing contaminated soil or dust, or breathing air containing PFAS
• Using products made with PFAS or that are packaged in materials containing PFAS (for example, using frying pans with non-stick coating or eating from a microwave popcorn bag)

Concurrent with EPA’s decision to include PFAS in the next round of UCMR sampling, the WA State Board of Health adopted the PFAS Rule which sets State Action Levels (SALs) for PFAS and requires Group A public drinking water systems to monitor for PFAS chemicals in drinking water supplies (https://doh.wa.gov/community-and-environment/contaminants/pfas). Though the first round of PFAS Rule monitoring was not required until this year (2023), the City chose to participate in early, EPA-funded monitoring and tested for PFAS in its sources in 2022. Only one of the 25 PFAS chemicals measured was detected, and only in one well (see table of results below). The concentration was extremely low (<1% of the SAL), so no further action is required. The next round of sampling is scheduled for 2025.

*Results are less than 1% of the SAL; no further action required

Information from EPA

Sources of both tap and bottled drinking water include rivers, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally-occurring substances such as minerals and radioactive materials. It also dissolves substances resulting from animal or human activity. Contaminants that may be present in source water are microbes; pesticides; herbicides; and radioactive, organic and inorganic chemicals. To ensure tap water is safe to drink, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Washington State Board of Health regulate the amount of certain contaminants in public drinking water.

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 EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791.

Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immuno-compromised persons, such as those 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 infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. EPA guidelines on appropriate means to lessen risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791. Bremerton's ultraviolet treatment inactivates Cryptosporidium.

In Washington State, lead in drinking water comes primarily from materials and components used in household plumbing. The more time water has been sitting in pipes, the more dissolved metals, such as lead, it may contain. Elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially in pregnant women and young children. To help reduce potential exposure to lead: for any drinking water tap that has not been used for 6 hours or more, flush water through the tap until the water is noticeably colder before using for drinking or cooking. You can use the flushed water for watering plants, washing dishes, or general cleaning. Only use water from the cold-water tap for drinking, cooking, and especially for making baby formula. Hot water is likely to contain higher levels of lead. If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water tested. If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water tested by a state-certified laboratory: https://apps.ecology.wa.gov/laboratorysearch/Default.aspx 

Information on lead in drinking water is available from EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791 or online at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead. 

Be Prepared for Emergencies

Normally your water is safe to drink, but should a disaster happen, you will need to treat it or have an emergency supply on hand if the city’s water supply is interrupted.  To prepare for a drinking water emergency, the American Red Cross recommends storing one gallon of water per person per day—consider storing about a two-week supply at home, or at least 3 days for evacuation— for drinking, food preparation, and sanitation. For more information on preparing for emergencies we recommend the following resources:

“Treating Drinking Water for Emergency Use”, Washington Department of Health 
PDF

“Preparedness”, Kitsap County Department of Emergency Management 
Website

Professional Water Organization

The City of Bremerton is proud to be members of the following professional water organizations:

• American Water Works Association
• Alliance for Water Efficiency
• EPA WaterSense
• WaterPAK