Water Quality Laboratory

Few things in our lives are as essential as water. On average, Americans drink about 2 liters of water per day. Over an average life span, that is an amazing 51,000 liters of water!

Providing safe and reliable drinking water is the number one goal of the City of Grand Junction's Water Quality Laboratory. This goal is achieved through an intense quality control program that requires a well-equipped and highly trained staff of water quality professionals.

Last year the laboratory performed over 16,000 tests on your drinking water.

WATERSHED ANALYSIS

The search for contamination begins at the source of our drinking water, which is the Grand Mesa. High above the Grand Valley, the Mesa is far removed from potential contamination by agricultural, industrial and sewage sources. This source water is free from harmful agents like pesticides, herbicides and solvents.

However, natural water sources can contain biological pathogens (waterborne organisms that make you sick). These pathogens may include cysts like Cryptosporidium and Giardia; bacteria which can cause typhoid fever and cholera; and viruses which can cause respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases.. Many animals such as elk, deer, beaver, marmots, cows and sheep can be host for these waterborne organisms. While these organisms can cause unpleasant intestinal and respiratory disorders in healthy individuals, they can pose a significant threat to the immune and respiratory impaired.

The Water Quality Laboratory has been monitoring its source and treated water since 1994. In that time, we have found a rare Cryptosporidium cyst in source water. Conversely Giardia cysts are found with some frequency in the source water. No cysts of either organism have ever been found in the finished treated drinking water.

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ANNUAL WATER QUALITY REPORT

Read the report

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Colorado State Health Department have established drinking water standards, or Maximum Contaminate Levels (MCLs) for more than 80 contaminates. The standards limit the amount of each substance allowed to be present in drinking water.

The Water Quality Laboratory acts as an independent department and monitors the treated finished water for these standards and reports them directly to the State Health Department.

One important test that can establish whether a treatment plant is removing contaminates is called the Microscopic Particulate Analysis (MPA). All types of particles (algae, dirt, plant debris, and insect parts) are present in the raw untreated water entering the treatment plant. Disinfecting kills bacteria and viruses that are too small to be removed by the treatment plant. Using a high powered microscope, we can compare the particles entering the treatment plant to the particles that may be present in the finished treated water and evaluate how well the treatment plant is performing and make adjustments, if necessary. A well-operated treatment plant is capable of removing 99.9% of all particles entering the plant. The Water Quality Laboratory is only one of a few labs in the country that is certified by the Colorado State Health Department to perform MPAs.

DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM ANALYSES

Our task of searching out contamination is not over with the water leaving the water treatment plant. Water is delivered to businesses and homes via hundreds of miles of underground pipe. This method of delivery can be susceptible to contamination if the system is not properly maintained and monitored. The Water Quality Laboratory continually monitors the entire distribution system for adequate disinfection levels and tests a minimum of 40 samples per month for the presence of harmful bacteria.

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WATER QUALITY OR COMPLAINT CALLS

Our customers are one of the most important links for insuring contamination free water. We encourage our customers to ask questions about the water they drink and if they have any concerns, talk to us. The Water Quality Laboratory responds to 98% of all customer inquiries in person and is committed to helping resolve any water quality issues our customers may have.

PROTECTING THE HEALTH OF CUSTOMERS

The City of Grand Junction Water Quality Laboratory is committed to providing our customers with the safest and most reliable drinking water possible. We are here to serve our customers. If you have any questions about the quality of your drinking water, please contact us at (970) 243-9636 or e-mail Jo Holcomb, Laboratory Manager.

This page updated Thursday, May 15, 2008