# 2020 Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) > Briefs, arguments, decisions, and more. URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/tribal%3Apawnee_oklahoma%3A0ab67cdbdf3e01f7 ## Record - **Collection:** Tribal code - **Document type:** Tribal code ## Text 2020 Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) PAWNEE TRIBAL COMPLEX PWS ID# 064026001 Released: June 2021 Is my water safe? We are pleased to present this year's Annual Water Quality Report (Consumer Confidence Report) as required by the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). This report is designed to provide details about where your water comes from, what it contains, and how it compares to standards set by regulatory agencies. This report is a snapshot of last year's water quality. We are committed to providing you with information because informed customers are our best allies. Last year, we conducted tests for over 80 contaminants. We only detected 11 of those contaminants and found only 1 at a level higher than the EPA allows. As we informed you at the time, our water temporarily exceeded drinking water standards. (For more information see the section labeled Violations at the end of the report.) Do I need to take special precautions? Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immuno-compromised persons such as persons with cancer 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/Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Water Drinking Hotline (800-426-4791). Where does my water come from? Groundwater is located beneath the ground surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. A unit of rock or an unconsolidated deposit is called an aquifer when it can yield a usable quantity of water. The depth at which soil pore spaces or fractures and voids in the rock become completely saturated with water is called the water table. Groundwater is recharged from, and eventually flows to the surface naturally. Natural discharge often occurs at springs to form oases or wetlands. Groundwater is also withdrawn for agricultural, municipal, and industrial use by constructing and operating wells. Source water assessment and its availability The Source Water Assessment for Pawnee Nation Water Supply Wells was conducted in September 2010 and received a low susceptibility for contamination rating. A copy of this assessment can be obtained or reviewed at the Division of Tribal Operations, 361 Clinic Road, Pawnee, Oklahoma, on the Pawnee Nation Tribal Reserve. Why are there contaminants in my 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 Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791). The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity: Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, that may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife; Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally occurring or result from urban stormwater runoff, industrial, or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming; Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and residential uses; Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are byproducts of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff, and septic systems; and Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities. In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health. How can I get involved? Information about meetings of the Pawnee Nation Utility Authority will be posted on the website at www.pawneenation.org and posted in the main administrative building at 881 Little Dee Drive, Pawnee, OK 74058, and at the Division of Tribal Operations, 361 Clinic Road, Pawnee, OK; on the Pawnee Nation Tribal Reserve. Water Conservation Tips Did you know that the average U.S. household uses approximately 400 gallons of water per day or 100 gallons per person per day? Luckily, there are many low-cost and no-cost ways to conserve water. Small changes can make a big difference - try one today and soon it will become second nature. • • • • • • • • • Take short showers - a 5-minute shower uses 4 to 5 gallons of water compared to up to 50 gallons for a bath. Shut off water while brushing your teeth, washing your hair and shaving and save up to 500 gallons a month. Use a water-efficient showerhead. They're inexpensive, easy to install, and can save you up to 750 gallons a month. Run your clothes washer and dishwasher only when they are full. You can save up to 1,000 gallons a month. Water plants only when necessary. Fix leaky toilets and faucets. Faucet washers are inexpensive and take only a few minutes to replace. To check your toilet for a leak, place a few drops of food coloring in the tank and wait. If it seeps into the toilet bowl without flushing, you have a leak. Fixing it or replacing it with a new, more efficient model can save up to 1,000 gallons a month. Adjust sprinklers so only your lawn is watered. Apply water only as fast as the soil can absorb it and during the cooler parts of the day to reduce evaporation. Teach your kids about water conservation to ensure a future generation that uses water wisely. Make it a family effort to reduce next month's water bill! Visit www.epa.gov/watersense for more information. Additional Information for Lead If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. Pawnee Tribal Complex is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components. When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking. If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water tested. Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead. Additional Information for Arsenic While your drinking water meets EPA's standard for arsenic, it does contain low levels of arsenic. EPA's standard balances the current understanding of arsenic's possible health effects against the costs of removing arsenic from drinking water. EPA continues to research the health effects of low levels of arsenic which is a mineral known to cause cancer in humans at high concentrations and is linked to other health effects such as skin damage and circulatory problems. Water Quality Data Tables In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations which limit the amount of contaminants in water provided by public water systems. The table below lists all of the drinking water contaminants that we detected during the calendar year of this report. Although many more contaminants were tested, only those substances listed below were found in your water. All sources of drinking water contain some naturally occurring contaminants. At low levels, these substances are generally not harmful in our drinking water. Removing all contaminants would be extremely expensive, and in most cases, would not provide increased protection of public health. A few naturally occurring minerals may actually improve the taste of drinking water and have nutritional value at low levels. Unless otherwise noted, the data presented in this table is from testing done in the calendar year of the report. The EPA or the State requires us to monitor for certain contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants do not vary significantly from year to year, or the system is not considered vulnerable to this type of contamination. As such, some of our data, though representative, may be more than one year old. In this table you will find terms and abbreviations that might not be familiar to you. To help you better understand these terms, we have provided the definitions below the table. Detected Regulated Contaminants Contaminants MCLG MCL, or TT, or MRDLG MRDL Detected Range In Your Sample Water Low High Date Violation Typical Source Disinfectants & Disinfection By-Products (There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants) Chlorine (as Cl2) (ppm) 4 4 2.9 Avg 0.2 4.7 2020 Yes Water additive used to control microbes Inorganic Contaminants Arsenic (ppb) 0 10 6.3 NA NA 2018 No Erosion of natural deposits; Runoff from orchards; Runoff from glass and electronics production wastes Barium (ppm) 2 2 0.12 NA NA 2018 No Discharge of drilling wastes; Discharge from metal refineries; Erosion of natural deposits Fluoride (ppm) 4 4 0.19 NA NA 2018 No Erosion of natural deposits; Water additive which promotes strong teeth; Discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories Nitrate [measured as Nitrogen] (ppm) 10 10 2.45 NA NA 2020 No Runoff from fertilizer use; Leaching from septic tanks, sewage; Erosion of natural deposits Selenium (ppb) 50 50 5.2 NA NA 2018 No Discharge from petroleum and metal refineries; Erosion of natural deposits; Discharge from mines 15 7.43 NA NA 2020 No Erosion of natural deposits Radioactive Contaminants Alpha emitters (pCi/L) 0 MCLG MCL, or TT, or MRDLG MRDL Contaminants Detected Range In Your Sample Water Low High Date Violation Typical Source Beta/photon emitters (pCi/L) 0 50 5.59 NA NA 2020 No Decay of natural and man-made deposits. Radium (combined 226/228) (pCi/L) 0 5 0.62 NA NA 2020 No Erosion of natural deposits Exceeds AL Typical Source 90th Percentile # Samples in Your Sample Exceeding Contaminants ALG AL Water Date AL Inorganic Contaminants (Lead and Copper) Copper (ppm) 1.3 1.3 0.054 2020 0 No Lead (ppm) 0 0.0045 2020 0 No 15 Corrosion of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits Unit Descriptions Term Definition ppm ppm: parts per million, or milligrams per liter (mg/L) ppb ppb: parts per billion, or micrograms per liter (µg/L) pCi/L pCi/L: picocuries per liter (a measure of radioactivity) NA NA: not applicable ND ND: Not detected NR NR: Monitoring not required, but recommended. Important Drinking Water Definitions Term Definition MCLG Maximum Contaminant Level Goal: The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety. MCL Maximum Contaminant Level: 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. TT Treatment Technique: A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water. AL Action Level: The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow. ALG Action Level Goal: The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. ALGs allow for a margin of safety. 90th Percentile A value at which 90% of all samples collected tested at or below this value Variances and Exemptions State or EPA permission not to meet an MCL or a treatment technique under certain conditions. MRDLG MRDLG: Maximum residual disinfection level goal. The level of a drinking water disinfectant below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contaminants. Important Drinking Water Definitions MRDL MRDL: Maximum residual disinfectant level. The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants. MNR MNR: Monitored Not Regulated MPL MPL: State Assigned Maximum Permissible Level 2020 Violations SDWA Rule RTCR – Major Monitoring and Reporting Violation Begin 3/1/2020 End 3/31/2020 Violation Explanation We failed to test our drinking water for the contaminant and period indicated. Because of this failure, we cannot be sure of the quality of our drinking water during the period indicated. We sampled and resolved the violation on the Violation End date. Uncorrected Significant Deficiencies at Pawnee Tribal Complex PWS Significant Deficiency Date identified Due Date The open electrical conduit 3/24/2021 in the well house must be repaired to maintain a sanitary seal. The Standpipe was last 3/24/2021 inspected 5 years ago. Tanks need to be inspected every five years and cleaned based on the tank inspection report. Lines in the distribution 3/24/2021 system are not properly disinfected and flushed when installing new lines or repairing existing lines. 7/22/2021 For more information please contact: Contact Name: Jimmy Jestes Address: Po Box 470 Pawnee, ok 74058 Phone: 918-762-3621 Anticipated What is being done? Correction Date For tribe to For tribe to fill out. fill out. 7/22/2021 For tribe to For tribe to fill out. fill out. 7/22/2021 For tribe to For tribe to fill out. fill out. --- Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/tribal%3Apawnee_oklahoma%3A0ab67cdbdf3e01f7. Public record. Not legal advice.