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1. Where does Anacortes drinking water come from?

Anacortes water is pumped from the Skagit River and  treated at the Anacortes Water Treatment Plant on River Bend Road in Mount Vernon. It is then pumped to the two 1.5-million-gallon reservoirs on Whistle Lake Road. From there, it is distributed throughout the city. The City of Anacortes also sells water to the Skagit PUD, Town of LaConner, City of Oak Harbor, NAS Whidbey, Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, Shell Refinery, and Marathon Refinery.

2. How do I keep my pipes from freezing?

Here are some helpful tips to prevent your pipes from freezing:

• Disconnect outside hoses (the water in the hose will freeze and the ice will make its way through the hose and into your house and break the pipes)
• Cover foundation vents
• Open cupboard doors to allow heat into the area where pipes are (this is especially important for old buildings which may or may not have enough insulation in the walls to prevent the pipes from freezing)
• Consider letting faucets trickle if they are far away from the meter during extremely cold weather

For more information, please call the Water plant at 360-428-1598.

3. How do I check for a water leak on my property?

The easiest way to check for a water leak is to make sure all water faucets in the house are turned off and go to the outside meter. Watch the register on top of the meter for a little while. On a standard household meter, there is a row of numbers on the register, which record cubic feet of water used. Just below the row of numbers is a small red triangle that rotates as water passes through the meter. If everything is turned off in the house and this red triangle is rotating, then you have a leak on your side of the meter. Very small leaks may take several minutes of watching this red triangle to be able to see it move. 

If the leak is causing damage to your house or property, you can shut it down at the gate valve in the meter box. If you cannot find your meter box or you cannot get it shut off, you can call 360-293-1921 during normal business hours and 911 on nights and weekends. The City does not repair leaks on the customer side of the meter - this will have to be done by the homeowner or a plumber. For more information, please call the water treatment plant at 360-428-1598.

4. How do I shut my water off in an emergency?

On most water services, there is a gate valve on the homeowner’s side of the meter. There may also be a shut-off valve near (or inside) the house. It is a good idea to locate them before you have an emergency. If you cannot locate either valve, please call 360-293-1921 during business hours or 911 for after-hour emergencies.

5. Why is fluoride added to Anacortes water?

Anacortes began adding fluoride to its water in 1962 after a vote by residents followed by a city ordinance adopted that same year that directs fluoride be added to the water at the Blue Heron reservoir station.

In 2018, 73.0% of the US population on community water systems, or 207,426,535 people, had access to fluoridated water, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Fluoride is found naturally in the environment including in soil, water and foods, such as tea, chips and tuna, according to the US. Agriculture Department.

The level of fluoride is monitored through an online analyzer at the reservoir station that analyzes and reports the fluoride residual to Water Treatment Plant operators every five minutes, 24 hours a day. The city’s goal is to keep fluoride levels at 0.7 parts per million. (One part per million is equal to one milligram per liter.) 

That amount was recommended by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 2015. The Washington State Department of Health revised the state’s fluoridation drinking water rule to reflect the new standard in 2016.

The recommendation is set to achieve a reduction in dental decay while minimizing the risk of dental fluorosis, according to Health and Human Services.

The maximum amount of fluoride recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in public water systems is 4.0 parts per million based on possible health risks and exposure over a lifetime, and 2.0 parts per million based on possible cosmetic effects.

The average range of fluoride detected in Anacortes water in 2019 was between 0.61 and 0.99 parts per million with an average of 0.74 parts per million.

Links to more information on Fluoride:

Washington State Department of Health - https://www.doh.wa.gov/CommunityandEnvironment/DrinkingWater/FluorideinDrinkingWater

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - https://www.cdc.gov/fluoridation/index.html

American Dental Association - https://www.ada.org/en/public-programs/advocating-for-the-public/fluoride-and-fluoridation

American Academy of Pediatrics - https://ilikemyteeth.org/fluoridation/

List of Washington public water systems that fluoridate - https://www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/4200/FluorideCommunities.pdf