Fort Walton Beach — 2015 Consumer Water Quality Report

Important Health Information Community Participation Some people may be more vulnerable to You are welcome to attended Fort Walton Beach contaminants in drinking water than the general regularly scheduled Council meetings held on the second population. Immuno-compromised persons such as and fourth Tuesday of every month. Contact the City FORT WALTON BEACH persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, Clerk at 833-9511 to confirm day, time and location of persons who have undergone organ transplants, meeting. people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system The purpose of this report disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people Substances that might be in drinking water: 2016 Annual is to provide you with information about the quality of water and services we deliver to you every day. We The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled should seek advice about drinking water from their water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, ask that all our customers help us protect our water health care providers. EPA/CDC guidelines on springs, and wells. As water travels over the surface of sources, which are the heart of our community, our appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally way of life and our children’s future. The Water Cryptosporidium and other microbiological occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive Treatment staff works around the clock to meet our contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking material, and can pick up substances resulting from the goal to provide you with a high quality safe and Water Hotline (800-426-4791). presence of animals or from human activity. dependable supply of drinking water. Contaminants That May Be Present In Source Water During the past year we have taken thousands of A Special Note About Lead In Drinking Include: water samples in order to ensure the quality of your Water (A) Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and drinking water. The table attached shows only those If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, contaminants that were detected in the water. The health problems, especially for pregnant women and septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and WATER TESTING PERFORMED IN 2015 State has reduced monitoring requirements for certain young children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from wildlife. PWS ID# 1460144 contaminants to less often than once per year materials and components associated with service lines because the concentration of these contaminants is (B) Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, and home plumbing. The City of Fort Walton Beach is not expected to vary significantly from year to year. In which can be naturally-occurring or result from urban responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but those cases, the most recent sample data are stormwater runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing included along with the year in which the sample was discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming. components. When your water has been sitting for taken. several hours, you can minimize the potential for lead (C) Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater The City of Fort Walton Beach monitors for minutes before using water for drinking or cooking. If runoff, and residential uses. contaminants in your drinking water according to you are concerned about lead in your water, you may (D) Organic chemical contaminants, including Federal and State laws, rules, and regulations. wish to have your water tested. Information on lead in synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are by- Except where indicated otherwise, this report is based drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take products of industrial processes and petroleum on the results of our monitoring for the period of to minimize exposure is available from the Safe production, and can also come from gas stations, urban January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2015. Data Drinking Water Hotline or at stormwater runoff, and septic systems. obtained before January 1, 2015, and presented in http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead this report are from the most recent testing done in In the wake of recent national events, the City of Fort (E) Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and accordance with the laws, rules, and regulations. Walton Beach is aware of elevated concern about lead levels in drinking water. We want to reassure you that our mining activities. most recent lead and copper testing has shown our levels If you have any questions about this report or water to be well within Federal limits. In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the EPA quality in the City of Fort Walton Beach, please prescribes regulations, which limit the amount of certain contact Tim Bolduc, Engineering & Utility Services contaminants in water provided by public water systems. Director at 833-9607 Source Water Assessment The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations In 2015 the Florida Department of Environmental Where Does Our Drinking Water Come establish limits for contaminants in bottled water, which Protection performed a Source Water Assessment on our system. The assessment was conducted to provide must provide the same protection for public health. From And How Is It Purified? information about any potential sources of Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably The City of Fort Walton Beach’s water system contamination in the vicinity of our wells. There are nine be expected to contain at least small amounts of some processed approximately 900 million gallons of water potential sources of contamination identified for this contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not in 2015. Our water comes from nine deep wells system with low to moderate susceptibility levels. The necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk. drawing ground water from the Floridan Aquifer, assessment results are available on the FDEP Source More information about contaminants and potential health which provides a very high quality water source. Water Assessment and Protection Program website at effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental With the excellent water quality of the Floridan www.dep.state.fl.us/swapp. Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800- Aquifer, the only treatments required to meet Federal 426-4791). and State standards are aeration and chlorination.  2015 WATER TESTING RESULTS INORGANIC CONTAMINANTS In the table you will find many terms Dates of MCL and abbreviations you might not be Contaminant and Unit of Range of sampling Violation Level Detected MCLG MCL Likely Source of Contamination familiar with. To help you better Measurement Results (mo./yr.) (Yes/No) Erosion of natural deposits; discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories. understand these terms, we’ve provided Fluoride (ppm) Jan 2014 No 1.3 0.5-1.3 4 4.0 Water additive which promotes strong teeth when at the optimum level of 0.7 the following definitions: ppm n/a: not applicable Discharge of drilling wastes; discharge from metal refineries; erosion of Barium (ppm) Jan 2014 No 0.36 0.005-0.36 2 2 natural deposits ND: means not detected and indicates that the substance was not found by laboratory analysis. Sodium (ppm) Jan 2014 No 120 38-120 n/a 160 Salt water intrusion, leaching from soil Parts per million (ppm) or milligrams per liter RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINANTS (mg/l): one part by weight of analyte to one million Contaminant and Unit of Dates of MCL Range of parts by weight of the water sample. sampling Violation Level Detected MCLG MCL Likely Source of Contamination Parts per billion (ppb) or micrograms per liter Measurement Results (mo./yr.) (Yes/No) (µg/l): one part by weight of analyte to one billion Radium 226 +228 or Jan 2014 No 1.1 0.3-1.1 0 5 Erosion of natural deposits parts by weight of the water sample. combined radium (pCi/L) STAGE 2 DISINFECTANTS AND DISINFECTION BY-PRODUCTS . Picocuries per liter (pCi/L): measure of the MCL or radioactivity in water. Disinfectant or Dates of MRDL Range of MCLG or MCL or Action Level (AL): the concentration of a Contaminant and Unit of sampling Level Detected Likely Source of Contamination Measurement (mo./yr.) Violation Results MRDLG MRDL contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment (Yes/No) or other requirements which a water system must MRDLG MRDL follow. Chlorine (ppm) – Stage 1 Jan-Dec 2015 No 0.72 0.58-0.93 Water additive used to control microbes Maximum Contaminant Level or MCL: the =4 = 4.0 highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in Haloacetic Acids (five) drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the Jan & July 2015 No 5.7 ND-5.7 n/a MCL = 60 By-product of drinking water disinfection (HAA5) (ppb) MCLGs as feasible using the best available TTHM (Total treatment technology. Jan & July 2015 No 31.5 11.9 -31.5 n/a MCL = 80 By-product of drinking water disinfection trihalomethanes) (ppb) Maximum Contaminant Level Goal or MCLG: LEAD AND COPPER (TAP WATER) the level of a contaminant in drinking water below th No. which there is no known or expected risk to health. Contaminant and Unit of Dates of Sampling AL Exceeded 90 Percentile AL (Action Measurement (mo./yr.) (Yes/No) Result Exceeding MCLG Level) Likely Source of Contamination MCLGs allow for a margin of safety. the AL Maximum residual disinfectant level or MRDL: Corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits; the highest level of a disinfectant allowed in Copper (tap water) (ppm) Jun-Sept 2014 No 0.17 0 of 30 1.3 1.3 leaching from wood preservatives drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of Lead (tap water) (ppb) Jun-Sept 2014 No 3.3 0 of 30 0 15 Corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits microbial contaminants. Maximum residual disinfectant level goal or MICROBIOLOGICAL CONTAMINANTS MRDLG: the level of a drinking water disinfectant below which there is no known or expected risk to Dates of MCL Highest health. MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the Contaminant and Unit of Measurement sampling Violation Monthly MCLG MCL Likely Source of Contamination use of disinfectants to control microbial (mo./yr.) (Yes/No) Number contaminants. For systems collecting fewer than 40 samples per month: Jan-Dec Total Coliform Bacteria Yes 3 0 presence of coliform bacteria in 1 sample collected during Naturally present in the environment 2015 a month. The City of Fort Walton Beach Water System had an MCL violation for Total coliform bacteria in April. Three samples tested positive; two more than is allowed by rule. Additional sampling was immediately taken and with repeated rechecks, all samples tested negative (no bacteria present). Coliforms are bacteria that are naturally present in the environment and are used as an indicator that other, potentially harmful, bacteria may be present. When coliforms are found in more samples than allowed there is a warning of potential problems. The bacteriological sampling procedures for this system were reviewed and modified in hopes of ensuring compliance in the future.