WATER

Hibbing draws it's drinking water from two groundwater sources. The first is a mantle of glacial drifts overlying impenetrable bedrock. The second groundwater source is called the Biwabik Iron Formation.

The Hibbing water system includes approximately 5186 residential connections, 476 commercial connections, 650 hydrants, and 74 miles of water main. In addition, Hibbing Public Utilities manages 2.3 million gallons of water storage which are comprised of underground and elevated storage facilities.

The EPA and the Safe Drinking Water Act, regulate Hibbing's drinking water on the federal level, on the state level, the water is regulated and monitored by the Minnesota Department of Health. Three different groups analyze the water: The MDH laboratory, Hibbing Public Utilities employees, and independent laboratories.

Water Costs Money. Don't waste it!
A continuous leak from a hole this size would, over a 3 month period, waste water in the amounts shown:
(not to scale)

1/4"   Diameter stream wastes 1,181,500 gals.
3/16" Diameter Stream wastes 666,000 gals.
1/8"   Diameter Stream wastes 296,000 gals.
   1/16" Diameter Stream wastes 74,000 gals.

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I'll Bet You Didn't Know:

Water that is safe to drink is called potable (pronounced po ta-bal).
It costs over 3.5 billion to operate water systems throughout the US.
Groundwater is water that sinks into the upper portion of the earth's surface.
Public water suppliers in the US process nearly 34 billion gallons of water per day for domestic and public use.
Americans drink more than 1 billion glasses of tap water per day.
It takes 39,090 gallons of water to manufacture a new car and it's four tires.
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In addition to testing our water for safety, we also monitor the substances that are important for aesthetic water quality. These things can effect some of the characteristics of the water like taste, odor, and hardness. The table below lists some of these parameters along with the level in our water and the desired amount for quality water.

Hibbing Water Quality Parameters

Parameter
Chloride
Iron
Manganese
Potassium
Alkalinity
Total Suspended Solids
pH
Magnesium
Calcium
Nickel
Arsenic
Oil and Grease
Total organic carbon
Total hardness

Hibbing Water Value
5.0 ppm
<0.03 ppm
0.01 ppm
1.94 pmm
185 pmm

7.1
33.3 ppm
43.9 ppm
None found
1 ppb
None found
None found
266 ppm

Desired Amount
< 250 ppm
<0.03 pmm
<0.05 pmm
<20 pmm
40 to 400 pmm
1.0 pmm < 500 pmm
6.5-7.5
<50 ppm
<100 ppm
<0.1 ppm
<5 ppb
None
<2 ppm for groundwater

Water with hardness from 150 to 300 ppm is considered "hard." Hardness greater than 300 ppm
is considered "very hard."
(ppm= parts per million)
(ppb= parts per billion)

Total Water Hardness per Grain is 15 ppm.

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Dig Safely
Call Before You Dig: 1-800-252-1166
www.gopherstateonecall.org