Drink up! Published July 3, 2007 By Airman 1st Class Kali L. Gradishar 92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. -- Never fear, your water is clear. The water provided by the Fairchild public water system meets all requirements set by the Safe Drinking Water Act and Washington Department of Ecology. The sources of Fairchild drinking water are rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs and wells. "Our water is obtained from off base, though we do have a water system on base that is used only on a contingency basis," said Tech. Sgt. Joe Vass, 92nd Medical Group occupational health NCOIC. As water moves over and through the ground, natural materials and other contaminants are dissolved. Examples of contaminants include microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria; inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals; industrial or domestic wastewater discharges; pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources; organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals; and radioactive contaminants, according to the 2006 Consumer Confidence Report. Regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems is provided by the United States Environmental Protection Agency to ensure tap water is safe to drink, though all drinking water may contain small amounts of some contaminants. This does not always indicate a health risk. The base does sampling weekly at locations around the base and we have yet to test positive for contaminants, said Sergeant Vass. Bioenvironmental Engineering monitors the base's drinking water on a regular basis. Though our water is safe to drink and meets the EPA, SDWA and ecology regulations, some people may be vulnerable to contaminants such as people undergoing chemotherapy, people who have undergone an organ transplant, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, the elderly, and infants, according to the report. Under the "Consumer Confidence Reporting Rule" of the SDWA, water quality information must be reported to the public, as Fairchild has recently done with the 2006 Consumer Confidence Report. "It's important to share our water quality results with the public so we can guarantee the water being provided is safe for consumption. We put the report out every year so the base can maintain confidence in the water quality," Sergeant Vass said. Copies of the Report are also posted at the Commissary, Base Exchange, Post Office, Housing Office, Child Development Center, Library, and other public locations. For additional information regarding this report, or if you have any questions or concerns regarding this report, please contact the Bioenvironmental Engineering Flight at 247-2391.