Frequently Asked Questions

If you don't find the answer to your question listed below, please call us at (734) 994-2840.

Water Advisories
What are the different types of Water Advisories, and what do they mean?
What do I do during a Boil Water Advisory or Notice?
Who should consider boiling water?
How do I find out about a boil water notice?

Water Quality
What is turbidity?
Why is turbidity important in drinking water production?
I think I am allergic to water; my skin is dry and itchy! What causes this and what can I do to avoid it?
What is the sodium content of the drinking water?
What is the hardness of my water?
Should I be concerned about the lead in my water? And what can I do to avoid it?
What are the white particles in my water: calcium versus dip tube?
Where can I find Ann Arbor's response to the Chromium 6 report issued by the nonprofit Environmental Working Group, December 2010?

Emerging Contaminants
What is the occurrence of emerging contaminants, such as endocrine disruptors, pharmaceuticals and personal care products, in the Huron River, the City’s drinking water and the City’s wastewater?

Water Advisories

Q: What are the different types of Water Advisories, and what do they mean?
A: Boil Water Advisory: A Boil Water Advisory is a public statement advising customers to boil tap water before consuming it. Advisories are issued when an event occurs that may cause the water distribution system to become contaminated, such as a loss of pressure from a water main break or back siphonage event. If the affected area is small we can restore water quality by flushing hydrants; but if the area is large we cannot do this effectively. In this circumstance we cannot guarantee the quality of the drinking water until the system is repressurized and we have completed testing. That testing takes 24 hours so we suggest that people may want to boil their water until the tests are complete and indicate that the water is safe. Boiling the water will kill any bacteria that may be present in the water, including disease-causing microorganisms like Giardia lamblia and Cryptosporidium, which are frequently found in rivers and lakes. An advisory does not mean that the water is contaminated, but that there is a chance contamination has occurred.

Boil Water Notice: A Boil Water Notice is issued when contamination is confirmed in the water system.

On rare occasions a Do Not Drink Notice or Do Not Use Notice will be issued. In these cases, the City will provide information about safety precautions you should take including using bottled water for drinking, cooking, bathing and laundry.
[back to top]

Q: What do I do during a Boil Water Advisory or Notice?

Bring water to a boil and keep at a rolling boil for at least one minute. Cool before using. This includes water used for brushing teeth, making ice, washing raw foods, and preparing drinks, as well as water for pets. Water used for bathing, laundry and lawn irrigation does not need to be boiled. Note: To improve the flat taste of boiled water, aerate it by pouring it back and forth from one container to another and allow it to stand for a few hours, or add a pinch of salt for each quart or liter of water boiled.

Throw away ice made during the time the Advisory or Notice was issued (freezing does not killl bacteria)

Flush the piping inside your home or businesses once the Advisory or Notice has been lifted: run all cold water faucets in your home for one minute, flush automatic ice makers by making and discarding several batches of ice, and run drinking water fountains for one minute.

Use hot, soapy water (add one tablespoon of bleach per gallon as a precaution) to wash dishes, and rinse them with boiled water.

NOTE: If you are unable to boil your water, we suggest using bottled water for drinking, cooking and brushing teeth.
[back to top]

Q: Who should consider boiling water?
A: Boil water notices apply to locations which have been completely out of water – you

turn on the tap and nothing comes out. Boiling water is not necessary for locations with low water pressure – it may trickle out of the tap but water is still flowing.
NOTE: If water containing bacteria is not treated through boiling or disinfection, you may experience health effects such as headache, nausea, diarrhea and fatigue. Infants, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems are most at risk to develop these symptoms.

[back to top]

Q: How do I find out about a boil water notice?

The City is now using Code Red, a reverse 9-1-1 system. During a boil water notice the addresses affected will recieve a call relaying the message. Other sources for boil water notice information include:

The city website (www.a2gov.org)– both on the main page and on the Utilities Department page.

Local cable, CTN Channel 16.

Local radio stations: WAAM (AM 1600), WEMU (FM89.1), KOOL (WKQL FM 107); WUOM (FM 97.1).

The Ann Arbor News typically runs the information in the Local section.

Neighborhood Watch Coordinator.

Other TV and radio stations, however, non-local stations will not typically pick up on a precautionary notice, but are likely to become involved during a demonstrated problem.

The Water Plant at 734-994-2840. We have multiple telephone lines and answer as fast as we can. There will be a voice mail message with updates on it as well – we do return voice mail messages and assume you want a return call unless you tell us otherwise.

You can help! If you are completely out of water (nothing comes out of the faucet at all) contact the Water Treatment Plant with your address to help us map the affected area, determine if we need a boil water notice and know who is affected by that notice. Talk to your neighbors, family and friends – share the news!
[back to top]

Water Quality

Q: What is turbidity?
A: Turbidity, the measure of a liquid’s ability to scatter light, is often thought of as a measure of the particles in water or the cloudiness of water. Particles in water can be a variety of things, such as dirt, and may or may not have associated health risks. More particles in water cause

more light to be scattered when a light beam is passed through the water, which means higher turbidity. Turbidity naturally occurs in rivers, lakes and wells but is something that drinking water plants are required to remove.
[back to top]

Q: Why is turbidity important in drinking water production?
A: Turbidity is used as a way to measure how well a treatment plant is operating. Well operated plants have low turbidity, and are unlikely to have other problems, such as with microorganisms, passing through the system. High turbidity indicates that a process is not working as well as it should. This does not necessarily mean there is health risk, but it is an indicator that actions need to be taken to improve water quality. Federal and State standards have recently changed to reduce the allowable amount of turbidity in drinking water and in the treatment processes used to produce that water. These new standards include more notification of the public when the treatment processes are not working optimally.
[back to top]

Q: I think I am allergic to water; my skin is dry and itchy! What causes this and what can I do to avoid it?
A: The water is not directly responsible for dry itchy skin, but it can make the problem worse. Water removes the natural oils from your skin, particularly when using soap. Loss of these oils makes the skin dryer and more prone to itching. This most commonly occurs in the winter. The air is dryer (lower humidity), and cold, which leads to dry skin. It is not typically an allergic problem to the water supply, but rather the removal of the body oils which affect the skin.

So what can you do to avoid or reduce this problem? Use a humidifier in your house. Raising the humidity will help with dry skin. Take shorter, cooler showers. This will remove fewer oils from the skin. Use a moisturizing soap – the amount of oil removal varies with the type and amount of soap you use, so pick one that promotes body oil retention. Use lotion on dry skin to help it recover. Minimize your skin exposure to the outdoors – keep your hands covered in winter weather. Of course, see a doctor if serious problems persist.
[back to top]

Q: What is the sodium content of the drinking water?
A: The City of Ann Arbor's drinking water averages 48.5 mg/l or ppm (parts per million). Most of this sodium is naturally occurring.
[back to top]

Q: What is the hardness of my water?
A: Water hardness is a measure of dissolved minerals, specifically calcium and magnesium, in your water. These minerals are naturally occurring. The Ann Arbor Water Plant treats the water to reduce the hardness. How well this process works varies seasonally with the water temperature. In 2009 the average hardness of Ann Arbor water was 148 milligrams/liter (mg/l), and is generally lower in the summer and higher in the winter.

Washing machine and dishwasher manufacturers often recommend settings based on grains/gallon (GPG) of water hardness scale. To convert mg/l to GPG, divide by 17.1. e.g. the hardness of Ann Arbor water could also be expressed as 8.65 GPG. Harder water requires more soap to form suds and provide effective cleaning.

Grains/gallon	mg/l or ppm	Classification
Less than 5.3	Less than 90	Soft
5.3-7.0	90-120	Moderately Hard
7.0-10.5	120-180	Hard
Over 10.5	Over 180	Very Hard

[back to top]

Q: Should I be concerned about lead in my water? And what can I do to avoid it?
A: All Ann Arbor water samples collected and analyzed were well within strict Federal and State limits for lead in drinking water, based on data from the 2008 testing. Of 54 homes sampled, two exceeded the action level for lead.

If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems for pregnant women and young children. Here are some simple tips to help reduce lead in drinking water:
Turn on your cold water faucet and run the tap for 30 seconds - 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking. Lead occurs in water when it has been unused in a home for an extended period (6+ hours) so, flush the water line in the morning and after work to avoid lead.
Use cool water for cooking and preparing baby formula. Hot water will leach lead, if this metal is present in the plumbing system

Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. The City of Ann Arbor cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components. 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 (1-800-426-4791) or at www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.
[back to top]

Q: What are the white particles in my water: calcium versus dip tube?
A: There are two types of white particles that have been observed in Ann Arbor drinking water. They have very different causes and solutions. Both occur rarely.

One type is calcium. The water pipes are naturally lined with a calcium deposit. When pressure changes occur, such as during plumbing work, water main breaks, hydrant flushing or other disruptive procedures, some of this calcium may break loose from the pipe and come out the water faucet. Typically, the particles will be very small, around 1 mm in diameter. They usually do not clog the aerators (screens) on faucets. They are very hard, but can be dissolved in vinegar. These are the same deposits that you may notice inside a teakettle after many uses. These types of particles should only occur for a very brief time. If they are persistent or abundant in the water, you should call the water plant so that we can investigate and take action.

The second type of particle is actually plastic. The particles vary in size, even up to half an inch. They are noted for plugging up aerators. They are white in appearance, but one side may be yellowish. They can be crumbled by hand and do not dissolve in vinegar. They will melt if placed in a flame (we do not recommend this, as they may also smell bad). Also, these particles float whereas the calcium particles described above do not. Often these particles are associated with a loss in hot water capacity. That is because they are actually parts of the hot water heater – specifically the dip tube. The dip tube is the tube that directs the cold water into the bottom of the tank for heating. Dip tubes manufactured from 1993 to 1996 are prone to this failure. The particles are non-toxic. The manufacturer should cover replacement of these dip tubes. The web site www.hotwater.com has more information.
[back to top]

Q: Where can I find Ann Arbor's response to the Chromium 6 report issued by the nonprofit Environmental Working Group, December 2010?
A: Press release- Ann Arbor's Tap Water Meets/Exceeds Federal Regulations (PDF)

Emerging Contaminants

Q: What is the occurrence of emerging contaminants, such as endocrine disruptors, pharmaceuticals and personal care products, in the Huron River, the City’s drinking water and the City’s wastewater?
A: Through grants from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Environment (MDNRE) in 2004 and 2005, Ann Arbor conducted one of the nation's first comprehensive water testing of minute quantities of pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and endocrine-disrupting compounds in the city's drinking water. Most contaminants were either not detected or were found at very low levels in the Huron River. Most of the contaminants were removed or reduced by the drinking water treatment. Contaminants were found in the raw sewage. Variable removals were observed by the wastewater treatment process. View a summary report and case studies of the research by clicking below:

Case Studies: The Occurrence and Fate of Pharmaceuticals, Personal Care Products and Endocrine Disrupting Compounds in a Municipal Water Use Cycle

Response to Chromium 6 report issued by the nonprofit Environmental Working Group, December 2010 (pdf)