To the Cornell Community:

The Cornell University water system is required (by recent amendment of Section 1150 of the New York State Public Health Law) to provide all of our water customers with an annual report including basic information about our water treatment plant operation as well as information about monitoring possible contaminants. Following is a narrative report on our Water Filter Plant operations for 1996 and a complete list of tests and results for Cornell University's system. This information is also available on the World Wide Web at http://www.ehs.cornell.edu/wfp1996_analytical_results.htm.

Cornell's plant runs 24 hours a day and the staff is highly trained in water treatment plant operation. We at the Water Filter Plant make every effort to provide a pleasing and safe potable water for the campus community. As this report shows, the Cornell Water Filter Plant remains well within the limits of Public Health compliance.

If you have any questions, please contact Ann Christofferson at 255-3381 by telephone or e-mail at adc3@cornell.edu.

Yours truly,

Ann D. Christofferson
Manager, Filtration Plant

1996 Annual Report for the Cornell University Water System

• Population served: 25,000

• Source water: Fall Creek

• Safe yield: 3.6 million gallons of water per day.

• Quality of source water is good to fair.

• No violations were reported in 1996.

• An average of 1.84 million gallons per day of raw water was drawn from Fall Creek and treated at the Cornell Water Filter Plant and a daily average of 1.81 million gallons of treated water was delivered to the Cornell University water system with an approximate daily loss of 250 thousand gallons from the system.

These are the treatment stages:

1. Rapid mix" basin where water is held for approximately five minutes and injected with chlorine, and aluminum sulfate and a cationic polymer, added to cause particles to clump and drop.

2. Flocculation (clumping together of particles) and Sedimentation - eight to ten hours.

3. The clarified water is decanted off the top of the sedimentation basins and run through sand filters.

4. After filtering, the water is treated a second time with chlorine and a corrosion inhibitor (to reduce leaching of metals from water pipes). From there the finished, potable water is pumped to campus and also to storage reservoirs.

• There were no major modifications made to the plant or distribution system in 1996. In 1997, the gaseous chlorination system in the plant will be changed over to a sodium hypochlorite (household bleach) system that will incorporate the use of large liquid tanks instead of one-ton gas cylinders.

• Cornell University delivered water in 1996 at an approximate cost of $2.11 per one thousand gallons.

• While we do have adequate water sources in this area, it is still important to conserve water for future generations. Being conscientious with water usage also saves money and energy. There are many ways that individual consumers can conserve water. Some ideas are: retrofitting plumbing fixtures, altering irrigation timing, using irrigation sensors and using appliances properly. It is also important to be vigilant about detecting water leaks and improperly functioning fixtures and appliances.

New York State Law requires water suppliers to notify their customers about the risks of cryptosporidiosis and giardiasis. Cryptosporidiosis and giardiasis are intestinal illnesses caused by waterborne microscopic parasites. Cryptosporidiosis can become a very serious health hazard for people with weakened immune systems, such as chemotherapy, dialysis, and organ transplant patients. People with Crohn's disease or HIV infection are also highly susceptible. People whose immunity is suppressed or compromised should discuss with their health care providers the need to take extra precautions with their drinking water.

Boiling tap water for one minute with a rolling boil will kill Cryptosporidium and Giardia. Unless bottled water is distilled or pasteurized, it may not be any safer than tap water.

Very low levels of Cryptosporidium have been found in some drinking waters from surface water sources (streams, lakes, reservoirs), but no waterborne outbreaks have yet been reported in New York State.

The symptoms of cryptosporidiosis usually appear from 1 to 12 days after infection, with an average of 7 days. The most common sign is watery diarrhea. There may be cramps, fever, nausea, vomiting and loss of appetite. It is also possible to have very mild or nonexistent symptoms. There is no specific treatment for cryptosporidiosis itself, although various drugs can reduce the symptoms. Individuals who think they may have cryptosporidiosis or giardiasis should contact their health care provider.

For additional information on cryptosporidiosis or giardiasis, please contact: Tompkins County Health Department, Division of Environmental Health, 401 Harris B. Dates Drive, Ithaca, NY 14850-1385; telephone: (607) 274-6688.