2008 Consumer Confidence Report & Annual Water Supply Statement

Important information about your water supply

May 2009 — The Onondaga County Water Authority is pleased to provide its customers and consumers with the Authority’s 2008 Annual Water Supply Statement and Consumer Confidence Report. Throughout this report readers will be able to find useful information specifically related to OCWA as well as information related to water in general. In addition to mailing the report to all customers of record, the Authority continues its practice of providing copies of the report to local libraries and posting the text on this website.

2008 was another busy year for the Authority and its staff. In June OCWA awarded bids for the expansion and improvement of the Authority’s water treatment plant in Marcellus. When completed in late 2009 the treatment plant will be able to more readily comply with both the new and future requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act. Also in June, the Metropolitan Water Board (MWB) and OCWA signed an agreement whereby the Authority will replace the County’s Eastern and Western open reservoirs with covered storage facilities. It is worth noting that the original cost estimate of $55 million for the first two tanks has been dramatically reduced to $33 million. Construction of the two tanks began in March of 2009 and will carry into 2010. The Southern Onondaga water project neared completion by the end of 2008 and in turn OCWA is now serving its first customers in the Town of Otisco and Spafford. Finally, in July of 2008 OCWA assumed operation and maintenance of the East Syracuse water system, adding 1,350 customers to the system.

As for 2009, in addition to the aforementioned projects being under construction, OCWA assumed operation and maintenance responsibility for MWB’s Southern Branch facilities, which includes large transmission mains, two large pump stations and three storage tanks. The Southern Branch system is used to supply both the City of Syracuse and OCWA’s customers in the Town of Onondaga. Other major activities planned for 2009 include the replacement of water main on East Taft Road, in conjunction with an Onondaga County Department of Transportation road reconstruction project and a main replacement project in the Village of Canastota, also being coordinated with a road-rebuilding project.

One final noteworthy item relates to the 2008 Associated Press three-piece story on pharmaceuticals in drinking water sources. While the Onondaga County Water Authority was not one of the systems covered by the story, the article did stir interest of OCWA’s Board and Management. To that end, in April of 2008 the Authority made arrangements, through an independent laboratory, to test for some common pharmaceuticals and personal care products in the raw and treated waters of both Otisco Lake and Lake Ontario. A summary of the test results can be found on page 11 of this report, and the full test results can be found on the Authority’s web site.

To learn more about the OCWA water system and water supply, you are urged to read the information included in this report and to explore this website.