Dear Customers,

Sussex Shores Water Co., Inc. (SSWC) is proud of the fine drinking water it provides. This eighth annual Water Quality Report shows the sources of our water, lists the results of our tests, and contains a great deal of important information about water and health. This publication conforms to the federal regulation requiring water utilities to provide this information annually. We support the passage of this regulation and believe the information provides a valuable service to our customers. The information in this report is also submitted formally to the Delaware Health and Social Services, Division of Public Health, Office of Drinking Water (ODW). This agency monitors our compliance with the many regulatory standards and tests our water regularly to assure high quality water. SSWC will notify you immediately if there is ever any reason for concern about our water. We are happy to show you how we have surpassed water quality standards. If you have any questions about this report or our water, please call us at (302) 539-7611.

The Source of Your Water

Sussex Shores Water Co. is presently supplied by ground water pumped from four 185' deep wells, which tap the Pocomoke aquifer, and three wells in the Columbia formation. Our ground water wells use the natural filtering capability of the aquifer to remove harmful bacteria and other naturally occurring substances from the water. Our water treatment facilities use the best available technology to ensure the highest quality water. The majority of our wells are located in confined aquifers, which ensure high quality water protected from surface-borne contaminants, past farming influences, and saltwater intrusion

SSWC works hard to provide you and your family with high quality water and reliable service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The Division of Public Health, in conjunction with The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) has conducted source water assessments for nearly all community water systems in Delaware. Contact SSWC at (302) 539-8044 regarding how to get a copy of this assessment.

A Year In Review

It has been a very eventful year for SSWC. In the last year, we have been busy planning and overseeing the construction of water distribution systems for five new communities, Magnolia Towers, Bethany Preserves, North Beach Community, Topside, and the Sandy Cove Community. SSWC also broke ground for a new water treatment and storage facility on the north side of the Indian River in the Delaware State Seashore Park. The new plant will increase our water storage capacity and improve our fire protection capabilities throughout our entire system. The completion of this new facility is expected later this year

Bottled Water or Tap Water

To ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes limits on the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. FDA regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water.

Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants do 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 (800-426-4791).

The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity. Contaminants that may be present in source water include:

(A) Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock  operations, and wildlife.

(B) Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally-occurring or result from urban storm runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming.

(C) Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, stormwater runoff, and residential uses.

(D) Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organics, which are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff and septic systems.

(E) Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.

In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations, which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. FDA regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water, which must provide the same protection for public health. EPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline

*Health Note - Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than is the general population. Immune- 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. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. EPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lesson the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbiological contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).

This Water Quality Report was prepared by Bradley F. Dorey, Director of Operations, SSWC (Public Water System ID #DE0000557) on June 12, 2006.

Sussex Shores Water Co. is proud to be a member of the following organizations, dedicated to Safe Drinking Water: American Water Works Association, Delaware Rural Water Association, National Association of Water Companies, and the National Rural Water Association.

An Explanation of the Water-Quality Data Table

The table shows the results of our water-quality analyses. Every substance that we detected in the water, even in the most minute traces, is listed here. The table contains the name of each substance, the highest level allowed by regulation (MCL), the ideal goals for public health, the amount detected, the usual sources of such contamination, footnotes explaining our findings, and a key to units of measurement. Definitions of MCL and MCLG are important.

Maximum Contaminant Level or MCL: The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology.

Maximum Contaminant Level Goal or MCLG: The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety.

Detected Level: The highest level detected of a contaminant for comparison against the acceptance levels for each parameter. These levels could be the highest single measurement, or an average of values depending on the contaminant.

Range: The lowest to the highest values for all samples tested for each parameter. If only one sample is tested, or no range is required for this report, then no range is listed for that contaminant in the table.

Water Quality Table Footnotes

The data presented in this report represents the most recent testing performed by the Delaware Health and Social Services, Division of Public Health, Office of Drinking Water (ODW) and SSWC in accordance with regulations. SSWC's water was also tested by ODW for scores of other contaminants, none of which were detected.

Your Drinking Water Surpasses All State and Federal Standards for Drinking Water