The City of Kent provides our annual Water Quality Report to all our customers, in compliance with federal and state drinking water regulations. We are required to provide this report by July 1 of each year. This edition summarizes the water quality testing completed from January through December 2020.

The purpose of this report is to share a summary of where your water comes from and how your water was treated and tested during 2020. We continue our commitment to delivering high quality drinking water.

We remain diligent in meeting the challenges of water source protection, conservation and community education while continuing to serve the needs of all water users in a fiscally responsible manner.

For questions related to drinking water, call 253-856-5600. You may also contact the Washington State Department of Health, Office of Drinking Water, at 253-395-6750.

KENT WATER FACTS

Distribution

70,029 water

customers served

15,678 water

service connections

287 miles of water main

7,779 water

valves

2,959 fire hydrants

City of Kent water service area

The City’s primary water supplies come from either a spring or well drilled into an underground aquifer (a natural underground water reservoir).

To provide for future growth and water system demands, the City has partnerships with Tacoma Water, Covington Water District and Lakehaven Utility District to obtain surface water from the Green River through the Regional Water Supply System.

Kent also has a number of interties linking our water system with all our neighboring water providers to provide emergency service among water providers. Water providers include the cities of Auburn, Renton, Tacoma and Tukwila as well as Lake Meridian Water District, Highline Water District and Soos Creek Water & Sewer District.

Customers may notice slight taste differences due to the operation of these various sources and interties, but these water providers must meet the same rigorous standards as the City of Kent.

Chlorine is used

for disinfection of the water supply. Chlorine kills germs and microorganisms that may be in the water supply and acts as a protective barrier from any recontamination while water is in the distribution system. The average chlorine residual in your drinking water is 0.83 parts per million (ppm).

Sodium

Fluoride

is added to the water supply to aid in the prevention of tooth decay. Fluoride levels are maintained at an average of 0.71 ppm.

Sodium Hydroxide

is added to the water supply to raise pH levels. pH levels, which are a measurement of acidity, are adjusted to make the water less corrosive on plumbing and reduce the amount of lead and copper that can dissolve into drinking water.

Several aquifers supplying Kent’s water are shallow and receive most of their water through infiltration (rainfall trickling through the ground into the aquifer). Because of this, the aquifers are susceptible to contamination from aboveground activities that have the potential to introduce contaminants through the ground to the aquifer.

To ensure Kent’s groundwater is protected, a Wellhead Protection Program was implemented in 1996 and updated in 2008. This program ensures our groundwater sources are regularly monitored to provide a high quality water supply. By monitoring how water flows underground and where potential sources of contaminants are located, we can be better prepared to respond in the event of an emergency or contamination.

Growth has the potential to impact groundwater resources by creating impervious surfaces which concentrate pollutants and decrease aquifer recharge rates. Growth also leads to additional pesticide and fertilizer use that could impact water quality and quantity. The City continues to review land use applications to ensure development will not have a negative impact on groundwater resources. New developments are being encouraged to maintain a no-net-loss in aquifer recharge.

For more information on the Wellhead Protection Program, call 253-856-5527.

To report spills, water pollution or contamination, call 253-856-5600.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) provides alternatives for farmers, golf course managers, parks departments, school districts, public works

crews and homeowners to control nuisance plants and insects. Alternatives in IPM are provided to decrease environmental impacts and to help protect groundwater. For example, instead of spraying an entire playfield for weeds, spot spraying may be used to save money and reduce the amount of herbicide used.

About PFAS

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a family of chemicals used since the 1950s to manufacture stain-resistant, water-resistant and non-stick products. PFAS are widely used as coatings in common consumer products such as food packaging, outdoor clothing, carpets, leather goods, ski and snowboard waxes, and more. Certain types of firefighting foam— historically used by the U.S. military, local fire departments and airports—may contain PFAS.

There are no current enforceable federal standards for PFAS in drinking water. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently working on rule making to develop enforceable standards for two of the most commonly detected PFAS, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctyl sulfonate (PFOS). The State Board of Health (SBOH) is considering a new standard for PFAS in response to a petition for rulemaking. The SBOH began rulemaking for PFAS in drinking water in late 2017. State action levels for five PFAS (PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, PFHxS, and PFBS) are being recommended. DOH anticipates having a rule proposal ready to file and begin the formal public comment period in summer 2021—with an anticipated public hearing at the SBOH meeting in October 2021.

Water use efficiency goals

State law requires municipal water suppliers to use water more efficiently in exchange for water right certainty and flexibility to help meet future demand. The Legislature directed the Department of Health to adopt an enforceable Water Use Efficiency (WUE) program, which became effective on January 22, 2007.

Water use efficiency goals must be set through a public process and shall be evaluated and reestablished as part of a water system plan update. The City formally adopted water use efficiency goals in 2007 via the City Council Public Works Committee and last updated our WUE Program as part of our 2019 water system plan update. The goals and objectives of the City’s WUE Program are as follows.

• Reduce water used by public agencies (e.g., city facilities, schools, etc.) between June and August by 0.5 percent each year.
• Reduce multi-family residential water consumption by 1 percent per year.
• Maintain water loss at less than 6 percent per year (Municipal Water Law standard is 10 percent). Water loss (unaccounted-for water) is an inherent element of water system management which can never be eliminated entirely due to meter inaccuracies, water theft and undetected system leakage.

Water use for the previous period of June through August 2020 decreased 55.4 percent compared to the same period in 2019. Our emphasis was on outdoor water use which saw a decrease of 51.0 percent over last year. Since the inception of this goal in 2007, overall water use for the period of June through August has decreased by 63.9 percent while the number of services has decreased by 8.21 percent. Dedicated irrigation accounts for government agencies have risen by 7.6 percent over this same time period.

While these large decreases in water usage are abnormal, we consider them a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout this period in 2020 schools and parks facilities were closed and many of the government offices that did remain open were staffed remotely. This abnormality will be noted with an asterisk in the record and will be reevaluated as business returns to a new normal.

As part of our water system plan renewal in 2019, the City set a new goal for the next planning period 2019-2029. In addition to maintaining our original WUE Goals of reducing water use during summer months and maintaining 6 percent or less lost water, we will also strive to reduce multi-family residential (MFR) water consumption by one percent per year.

To reduce MFR water usage the City has chosen to use educational materials for individuals and savings incentives on more efficient fixtures for building owners. To make these incentives most effective, just over 70 Multi-family locations were chosen based on their construction date, the newest being built before 1992, before more water efficient codes were put in place. In the base year comparison, the annual water usage for these dwellings was up 5.37 percent in 2020 compared to 2019.

This increase may have also been affected by the pandemic. As schools and businesses were closed and more people worked from home, you would expect to see an increase in water usage there. These MFR’s are no exception. Again, it is uncertain if this increase will last or trend down. In the meantime, the City will continue its strategy of personal outreach and financial incentives to encourage conservation. We will continue to monitor water usage for this group and evaluate the effects of schools and businesses reopening.

The City met its goal of maintaining 6 percent or less lost water for the year, with a 4.8 percent distribution system leakage reported. The average lost water rate is 4.5 percent since 2007.

To view the entire 2020 Water Use Efficiency Report, visit our water utility page at KentWA.gov.

Unwanted medicine return program

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products, abbreviated as PPCPs, are a group of compounds consisting of human and veterinary drugs (prescription or over the counter) and consumer products such as perfumes, lotions, sunscreens, housecleaning products and others. These compounds have been detected in trace amounts in surface water, drinking water and wastewater in the United States and Europe.

Pharmaceuticals can enter the water when they are flushed down toilets, put into sinks, thrown into the garbage or when humans or animals pass drugs through their bodies. Excretion of medicines that pass through our bodies is the largest source of the pollution and is more difficult to prevent from entering sewage or septic tanks.

To date, scientists have found no evidence of adverse human health effects from PPCPs in the environment. However, the EPA is committed to investigating PPCPs and developing strategies to make sure the health of the environment and the public is protected.

Kaiser Permanente is participating in King County’s medication disposal program to encourage responsible disposal of unwanted medicines. Disposal kiosks are open to anyone in the community. Kent Medical Center Pharmacy has a disposal kiosk available.

For more information on their program and other locations, visit wa.kaiserpermanente.org/html/ public/pharmacy/drug-disposal

For other locations in King County and answers to questions about disposing of unwanted medicines, visit

KingCountySecureMedicineReturn.org

Toilet

Buying a new toilet? Make it a Water Sense model, and you may qualify for a $50 rebate*. Water Sense toilets use 20 percent less water than the current federal standard, while still providing equal or superior performance.

To be eligible for this rebate, you must:

• Be a City water customer and pay your bill to “City of Kent”
• Be replacing a high-volume toilet that was installed before 1993

For a list of EPA Water Sense-certified toilets, visit

EPA.gov/watersense/residential-toilets.

Washing Machine

Save water and energy with a new, high-efficiency, Energy Star washer, and you may qualify for a $75 rebate*.

To be eligible for this rebate, you must:

• Be a City water customer and pay your bill to “City of Kent”
• Purchase an approved high-efficiency, Energy Star washer For a list of eligible washing machines, visit energystar.gov.

To find out more about these rebate offers, visit KentWA.gov/ EnvironmentalStewardship and click “Rebates for water conservation”. *Other restrictions apply.

• Install rain sensor on sprinkler system.
• Water the lawn and garden in the morning or evening to avoid evaporation in hot weather. One inch of water a week is sufficient.
• Use mulch around plants and shrubs.

• Repair leaks in faucets and hoses, and use water- saving nozzles.
• Wash your car using water from a bucket, and save the hose for rinsing.

The City of Kent implements an extensive cross connection control program to help ensure safe drinking water for its customers.

What is a cross connection? A cross connection is a permanent or temporary piping arrangement that can allow the City’s drinking water to be contaminated by a non-potable (not safe to drink) source if a backflow condition occurs.

What is backflow? Backflow is water flowing in the opposite direction of its intended path. Backflow can allow contaminants to enter the drinking water system through cross connections.

Through an active cross connection control program, the City of Kent isolates and eliminates hazards by requiring installation and testing of backflow prevention assemblies. A properly- installed and maintained backflow prevention assembly protects the water supply and the health and wellbeing

of those who drink the water. Periodic testing ensures the assembly is working properly.

The following are examples of water uses for which the City of Kent requires backflow prevention:

• RV wastewater (blackwater) dumping stations
• Embalming processes
• Hazardous chemicals or biological processes
• Laboratory and aspirator equipment
• Chemical sprayers attached to hoses
• Ornamental landscape ponds and fountains
• Auxiliary water supplies
• Boilers
• Water recirculation systems
• Swimming pools
• Solar heat systems
• Fire sprinkler systems
• Wash basins and service sinks
• Hose bibs (garden hose faucets)
• Lawn irrigation systems

• Construction was completed on a coating, structural and safety improvement project at our 125,000 gallon reservoir on the East Hill of our service area.
• Finished construction of a new pump station to supply water for a new pressure zone on Kent’s East Hill and implemented the new pressure zone.
• Completed the design and bidding for a new 5-million-gallon reservoir on the West Hill of our service area. Construction started in March of 2021 and is expected to take eighteen months to complete.
• Completed an electrical upgrade of a pump station that delivers water to the West Hill of our service area.
• Completed a control system upgrade at our Kent Springs water source

• Completed a well rehabilitation project at our Armstrong Springs water source
• Completed a side channel project on Rock Creek in Maple Valley as part of our Clark Springs Habitat Conservation Plan
• Installed 800 feet of 16-inch ductile iron pipe as part of our Reith Road water main project
• We cleaned and inspected three water reservoirs.
• We installed 650 feet of eight-inch ductile iron water main as part of our Shops Inc. program.
• We upgraded seven fire hydrants in the water distribution system.

• Construction of a 5-million-gallon reservoir on Kent’s West Hill
• Design and construction of a new water booster station and transmission main to supply water to the West Hill
• Coating and structural improvements for a water storage tank on the Kent East Hill
• Design and construction of projects to complete the second phase of a new pressure zone on Kent’s East Hill
• Water main and fire hydrant replacements

• Interior cleaning and inspection of water storage reservoirs
• Design/installation of backup emergency power supply for our water sources
• Design/implementation of habitat conservation measures for our Clark Springs source
• Well and pump rehabilitations at City water sources
• Control and communication improvements at water facilities

SUBSTANCE

Year

Sampled

MCL (Maximum

amount allowed)

MCLG (ideal

amount or less)

Maximum

Result

Sample Range

MCL Violation

Major Sources