Fort Walton Beach — 2015 Consumer Water Quality Report — reading text

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