Mayor Thomas S. Richards Announces Water Quality Report Available for Review

City of Rochester

News Release

(Tuesday, May 28, 2013) – Mayor Thomas S. Richards has announced that residents may access the City of Rochester’s 2012 Water Quality Report online at www.cityofrochester.gov/waterquality or by picking up a brochure at City branch libraries or Neighborhood Service Centers.

The report, completed annually by the City’s Department of Environmental Services, Bureau of Water, publishes the results of extensive water testing for more than 80 types of regulated microorganisms and chemical compounds. The City conducts these tests on drinking water as it makes its way from the City’s Hemlock Lake Water Treatment Plant, on to storage reservoirs, and then into city homes. All tests were found to be in compliance with State drinking water requirements.

“Maintaining the quality of Rochester’s water is always a top priority,” said Mayor Thomas S. Richards. “We know that pristine, pure drinking water is one of our most precious natural resources, essential to a healthy life, and we plan to keep it that way.”

The report also provides residents with updates on the water system, details on the source and treatment of drinking water. In 2012 numerous improvements were made to the water system including a $9 million project to cover and line the City’s Rush Reservoir, one step in a $25 million, multi-year effort to bring the city’s reservoirs into compliance with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations.

The City has also completed the cleaning and lining of over 8.6 miles of aging cast-iron pipes with cement and the replacement of 2.3 miles of pipe.

The City entered into a 25-year water exchange agreement in 2011 with the Monroe County Water Authority (MCWA), ensuring that future generations of residents and water customers will have an abundance of clean drinking water at a reasonable cost. This agreement enables the daily exchange of millions of gallons of water between the two systems and optimizes the availability of water to the City and County. The City and MCWA will continue to share certain capital costs for system improvements.

For more information, contact the City’s Water Bureau, at 428-6477.

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News Media: For more information, contact Leonard Schantz, the City’s Manager of Water Production at 428-7378.
 

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Water Supply