Reporting Period January 1, 2025 – December 31, 2025
CONSUMER CONFIDENCE REPORT
This report provides information about the quality of your drinking water during 2025, including its source and how it compares to federal and state standards. NBU is pleased to report that your drinking water meets or exceeds all applicable standards, and we remain committed to providing safe and reliable water to our customers.
Where Your Water Comes From
NBU gets water through nine wells. Each produces groundwater from sand units of the regional aquifer known as the Pliocene-Miocene Aquifer. The aquifer recharge source is precipitation. The sands (aquifers) supply the following wells: Bay Minette Middle 2, 3, 4, 5; Bay Minette Lower 5, 6; Miocene Undifferentiated 9A&B; Stapleton 275-foot 12; Miocene-Pliocene 10. NBU has established a Wellhead Protection Plan to help protect these groundwater sources from potential contamination. Your water is treated by filtration & disinfection. Filtration removes particles suspended in source water. Particles typically include clays and silts, natural organic matter, iron and manganese, and microorganisms. Disinfection involves adding chlorine or other disinfectants to kill bacteria and other microorganisms (viruses, cysts, etc.) that may be in the water.
Water Quality Protection
In compliance with Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) requirements, NBU developed a Source Water Assessment plan that assists in the protection of our water sources. NBU performed the appropriate assessment, performed public notification, and received an approved plan from ADEM. A copy of the report is available at the NBU office for review during regular business hours.
How You Can Help
While NBU continuously monitors water production and treatment to deliver safe drinking water, protecting our water sources is a shared responsibility. Everyday actions can also impact water quality. We encourage residents to properly dispose of household chemicals, limit pesticide use and prevent runoff pollution. Local watershed cleanup events also provide opportunities to contribute to a cleaner water supply.
NBU's Board meets at 8:30a on the last Wednesday of each month at NBU. These meetings provide an opportunity for customers to stay informed & participate in decisions affecting our community’s drinking water quality. Meeting announcements and any special public hearings are posted on our website and other communication channels. For more information or to be notified of upcoming meetings, please contact us.
Board of Directors:
Clint Conner, Trey Dickson, Hamilton Smith, Jamie Jaye & Mayor Josh Brown.
Drinking Water Contaminants
Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants doesn't necessarily indicate water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).
Sources of drinking water (tap & bottled) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs & wells. As water travels over the surface of land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals &, in some cases, radioactive material, & can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity.
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Microbial Contaminants, such as viruses & bacteria, that may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations & wildlife
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Inorganic Contaminants, such as salts & metals, which can be naturally occurring or result from urban stormwater runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil & gas production, mining or farming
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Pesticides & Herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff & residential uses
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Organic Chemical Contaminants, including synthetic & volatile organic chemicals, which are by-products of industrial processes & petroleum production, & can also come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff & septic systems
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Radioactive Contaminants can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil & gas production & mining.
In order to ensure tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations to amounts of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health.
Are Special Precautions Needed?
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 & infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from a health care provider. EPA/Centers for Disease Control guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium & other microbial contaminants are available at Safe Water Drinking Hotline (800-426-4791).
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Information About Potential Lead
NBU's system does NOT include lead service lines. Lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women & young children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials & components associated with service lines & home plumbing. NBU is responsible for providing high quality water & removing lead pipes, but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components in your home.
You share responsibility for protecting yourself & your family from lead in your home plumbing. You can take responsibility by identifying & removing lead materials within your home plumbing & taking steps to reduce your family’s risk. Before drinking tap water, flush your pipes for several minutes by running your tap, taking a shower, doing laundry or a load of dishes. You can also use a filter certified by an American National Standards Institute accredited certifier to reduce lead in drinking water.
If you're worried about lead in your water & wish to have your water tested, contact NBU (System AL0000023) at 251-580-1626 or info@nbumail.com. Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods & steps to minimize exposure is available at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.
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*Previous sampling cycle if not required this cycle; t=trillion; q=quadrillion; Waived = Statewide waiver; ND=Non-detect; UR = unregulated; Dist = distribution; PDWS = Primary Drinking Water Standard; SDWS = Secondary Drinking Water Standard
Water Quality Data Table
​In order to ensure tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations which limit the amount of contaminants in water provided by public water systems. These tables list all drinking water contaminants detected during 2025 calendar year. Although many more contaminants were tested, only those listed below were found in your water.
All sources of drinking water contain some naturally occurring contaminants. At low levels, these substances are generally not harmful in drinking water. Removing all contaminants would be extremely expensive, and in most cases, not provide increased protection of public health. A few naturally occurring minerals may actually improve the taste of drinking water and have nutritional value at low levels.
Unless otherwise noted, data presented is from testing during 2025. The EPA or State requires monitoring for certain contaminants less than once per year because concentrations of these contaminants don't vary significantly, or the system is not considered vulnerable to this type of contamination. As such, some of our data, though representative, may be more than one year old. Some terms & abbreviations may not be familiar. To better understand the terms, definitions and unit descriptions are provided below.
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No Violations in 2025
Following a service disruption caused by severe freezing temperatures in January 2025, a precautionary Boil Water Notice was issued for customers in the Rabun and Lottie areas. Laboratory testing was conducted as required by state regulations.
All required samples were collected and analyzed, and results confirmed that the water met all state and federal drinking water standards. The boil water notice was lifted on January 29, 2025.
There were NO VIOLATIONS associated with this or any other event during 2025.
Helpful Definitions
MCL
Maximum Contaminant Level
Highest level of contaminant allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology.
MCLG
Maximum Contaminant Level Goal
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.
MRDL
Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level
Highest level of disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants.
MRDLG
Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal
Level of a drinking water disinfectant below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MRDLGs don't reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contaminants.