BREMERTON — The City of Bremerton has released its annual Drinking Water Report to let customers know where their water comes from; what is and isn’t in the water; how Bremerton protects the water from lead; and who customers should call with questions about their water.

Customers will be pleased to learn that Bremerton’s water quality is excellent and met all water quality requirements. Customers may not realize that Bremerton’s water comes from both surface and groundwater, and that the surface water is of such exceptional quality that Bremerton is one of the few water systems not required to filter its surface water.

The Washington State Department of Health also encourages consumers to use these reports to become better educated about their water. Information is a powerful tool in protecting the public’s health. Drinking water suppliers now provide the same kind of information we’ve come to expect from the labels on our food.

Federal regulations require water systems serving more than 25 people to provide these reports each year detailing the quality of their water. Consumer advocates and water suppliers alike support this important right-to-know rule. Nationwide, around 248 million people are expected to receive reports from 55,000 water systems.

For more information or a paper copy of the annual report, Bremerton water customers can call 473-5920. To view the report online, visit www.bremertonwa.gov/drinkingwaterreport.

— Edited by Michelle Beahm