Brainerd Public Utilities(BPU) is dedicated to providing clean drinking water to our service area. BPU water crews work around the clock in their mission to provide all customers with clean water, however there are some risks that cannot be entirely mitigated at the production level. Please read the following information to see what you can do as a customer to reduce your risk level at the household level.

Date Distributed: 11/13/2023

Making Safe Drinking Water

Your drinking water comes from a groundwater source: six wells ranging from 123 to 187 feet deep, that draw water from the Quaternary Water Table aquifer.

Brainerd works hard to provide you with safe and reliable drinking water that meets federal and state water quality requirements. The purpose of this report is to provide you with information on your drinking water and how to protect our precious water resources.

Contact Todd Wicklund, at 218-825-3220, or twicklund@bpu.org if you have questions about Brainerd’s drinking water. You can also ask for information about how you can take part in decisions that may affect water quality.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency sets safe drinking water standards. These standards limit the amounts of specific contaminants allowed in drinking water. This ensures that tap water is safe to drink for most people. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates the amount of certain contaminants in bottled water. Bottled water must provide the same public health protection as public tap water.

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 water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.

Who would be considered more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water?

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 from infections. The developing fetus and therefore pregnant women may also be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water. These people or their caregivers should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. EPA/Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.

Where does BPU get its water?

Groundwater supplies 75 percent of Minnesota’s drinking water, and is found in aquifers beneath the surface of the land. Surface water supplies 25 percent of Minnesota’s drinking water, and is the water in lakes, rivers, and streams above the surface of the land. Contaminants can get in drinking water sources from the natural environment and from people’s daily activities. There are five main types of contaminants in drinking water sources.

The Minnesota Department of Health provides information about your drinking water source(s) in a source water assessment, including:

Find your source water assessment at Source Water Assessments or call 651-201-4700 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Drinking Water Contaminant-Copper

Elevated Levels of Copper in Your Drinking Water
Our water system regularly samples for copper in our drinking water to make sure it meets Safe Drinking Water Act standards. More than 10 percent of the locations sampled for copper were above the Safe Drinking Water Act action level for copper. The action level for copper is 1,300 micrograms per liter (the same as 1,300 parts per billion, or ppb).

What Are We Doing about the Issue?
We are looking at ways to reduce copper in our drinking water. We are also adopting a copper education program for all of our water customers.

What Are the Health Effects of Copper?
Your body needs some copper to stay healthy, but too much is harmful. Eating or drinking too much copper can cause vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, liver damage, and kidney disease. The level of copper that will cause symptoms varies from person to person. Nausea and diarrhea may occur when copper levels are approximately 3,000 ppb. Most people’s bodies are able to maintain the right level of copper. People with Wilson’s disease and some infants (babies under one year old) are sensitive to copper. Their bodies are not able to get rid of extra copper easily.

Sources of Copper
Copper is a reddish metal that occurs naturally in rock, soil, water, sediment, and air. It is used to make many products, including parts for plumbing systems. Copper can get into your drinking water as the water passes through your plumbing system. Over time, plumbing parts usually build up a natural coating that keeps the water from absorbing copper from the plumbing.

Water may have more copper if:

• Your plumbing is less than three years old. It likely has not had time to build up a
  protective coating.
• It has been sitting in your pipes. The water has had more time to absorb copper from
  the plumbing.
• You use warm or hot water. Warmer water absorbs more copper from plumbing
  systems.
• You have a water softener. There may be less protective coating with softened water.

Reducing Exposure to Copper in Water

• Let the water run before using it for drinking or cooking. If you have a lead service line, let the water run for 3-5 minutes. If you do not have a lead service line, let the water run for 30-60 seconds.
• Do tasks like showering or running the dishwasher first
• Collect tap water for cleaning or watering plants
• Make sure you let the water run from individual faucets for a short time before using them for drinking or cooking.
• Consider keeping a container of drinking water in the refrigerator to reduce how often you need to let the water run.
• Use cold water for drinking, making food, and making baby formula. Hot water releases more copper from pipes than cold water.

Test your water. In most cases, letting the water run and using cold water for drinking and cooking should keep copper levels low in your drinking water. If you are still concerned about copper, arrange with a laboratory to test your tap water.

• Testing your water is important if an infant or someone with Wilson’s disease drinks your tap water.
• Search for Accredited Laboratories (MDH Accredited Lab List) to purchase a sample container and get instructions on how to submit a sample.

If tests show you have levels of copper over 1,300 ppb in your tap water after you let the water run 30-60 seconds, you may want to consider treating your water.

• If you use a water softener, ensure that your softener settings are correct. Some treatments can increase copper levels in water.
• You can learn more about water treatment options at (MDH Home Treatment Factsheet).

Drinking Water Contaminant-Lead

You may be in contact with lead through paint, water, dust, soil, food, hobbies, or your job. Coming in contact with lead can cause serious health problems for everyone. There is no safe level of lead. Babies, children under six years, and pregnant women are at the highest risk.

Lead is rarely in a drinking water source, but it can get in your drinking water as it passes through lead service lines and your household plumbing system. Brainerd is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but it cannot control the plumbing materials used in private buildings.

30-60 seconds before using it for drinking or cooking if the water has not been turned on in over six hours. If you have a lead service line, you may need to let the water run longer. A service line is the underground pipe that brings water from the main water pipe under the street to your home.

Hot water releases more trace amounts of lead from pipes which makes colder water the better choice for drinking, making food, and making baby formula.

In most cases, letting the water run and using cold water for drinking and cooking should keep lead levels low in your drinking water. If you are still concerned about lead, arrange with a laboratory to test your tap water. Testing your water is important if young children or pregnant women drink your tap water. Please refer to the MDH list of accredited laboratories for more information on testing.(MDH Accredited Lab List)

The Minnesota Department of Health can help you understand your test results. If your test results shows your water has high levels of lead please visit MDH Factsheet: Home Treatment for Lead Reduction

Please visit these resources below to learn more about the risks of consuming lead:

• Minnesota Department of Health: Risks of Drinking Lead Contaminated Water
• Environmental Protection Agency: Basic Information about Lead in Drinking Water
• Minnesota Department of Health: Common Sources of Lead

Water systems have ongoing infrastructure, operations and maintenance costs in supplying safe drinking water, and many are implementing additional efforts to help insure health equity and manageable water bills with:

• Turn the faucet off while brushing teeth.
• Shower instead of bathing to reduce water use.
• Fix running toilets by replacing flapper valves.
• Run full loads of laundry and use a minimal water use setting.

Contact Brainerd Public Utilities with any questions/inquires related to clean drinking water.