By Jennifer Nations, Water Resource Coordinator
More than a billion people worldwide can’t access safe drinking water. But for more than 300 million Americans, it’s as easy as turning on the tap.
College Station is blessed to have clean, safe drinking water rated as “Superior” by the State of Texas. The Environmental Protection Agency has recognized us for operating an outstanding groundwater production and transmission system that produces up to 29.5 million gallons of fresh water daily.
Fortunately, College Station’s source water – the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer – is clean enough that only chlorine disinfection is needed to treat it to Safe Drinking Water Act standards.
In May, the American Water Works Association partnered with Morning Consult for its annual survey about Public Perceptions of Tap Water. The survey covered topics such as water safety and trust, testing, utility bills, and the importance of communication. With August being Water Quality Month, it’s an ideal time to review the survey results.
A new question this year asked respondents to rate how much they trust different sources of information about their water supply. Respondents trusted information from their water utility the most, with 70% reporting at least some trust, followed by scientists at 68%. Local governments, environmental groups, and state governments rounded out the top five most trusted groups.
Over half of the adults surveyed knew that their utilities frequently test the water, and 72% categorized their tap water as very or somewhat safe. Respondents who recalled receiving recent communication from their utility – other than the bill – were three times more likely to say the safety of their water had improved in recent years.
Obviously, customers want information about their drinking water, and they want it from their utility.
Industry experts agree that annual drinking water quality reports – also called Consumer Confidence Reports – are the most effective way to educate customers about water testing and drinking water sources while demonstrating safety. Released by July 1 each year, the reports provide water consumers with accurate and reliable information about the source water, how it’s made safe to drink, water quality test results, and violations.
Until recently, costly direct mail was the only allowed method of distributing the water quality report, but thanks to the digital age, College Station’s latest report is available online. Welcome Bags for new residents include a postcard with a QR code for downloading the report.
In recent months, we’ve developed a series of video shorts promoting the Waterful Wednesdays radio segment on KAMU-FM. The first two offer an overview of how we keep your water safe and help you read your water meter.
When you turn on your tap, you can be confident that we work diligently to ensure the safety of College Station’s water supply for you and your family.
About the Blogger
Jennifer Nations has been the City of College Station’s water resource coordinator since 1999 after two years as BVSWMA’s environmental compliance officer. She’s also chair of the Water Conservation and Reuse Division for the Texas Section of the American Water Works Association. A native of Fremont, Calif., Jennifer earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental & resource science from UC-Davis in 1995 and a master’s degree in water management & hydrologic science from Texas A&M in 2016.
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