Cottonwood Water and Sanitation District

General Information About Drinking Water
All 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 the
water poses a health risk. 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 of
infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water
from their health care providers. For more information about
contaminants and potential health effects, or to receive a copy of
the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines on appropriate
means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and
microbiological contaminants call the EPA Safe Drinking Water
Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.
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. Contaminants that
may be present in source water include:
• 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 that 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 also may come from
gas stations, urban storm water runoff, and septic systems.
• Radioactive contaminants, that 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, the Colorado
Department of Public Health and Environment prescribes
regulations limiting the amount of certain contaminants in water
provided by public water systems. The Food and Drug
Administration regulations establish limits for contaminants in
bottled water that must provide the same protection for public
health.