Fort Walton Beach — 2022 Consumer Water Quality Report

Important Health Information Contaminants That May Be Present In Source Water FORT WALTON BEACH WE ARE PLEASED TO REPORT THAT OUR Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in Include: drinking water than the general population. Immuno- DRINKING WATER MEETS ALL FEDERAL AND compromised persons such as persons with cancer (A) Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, STATE REQUIREMENTS undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife. 2022 Annual Purpose of report The purpose of this report is to provide you with system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should (B) Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which information about the quality of water and services we seek advice about drinking water from their health care can be naturally-occurring or result from urban stormwater deliver to you every day. We ask that all our customers providers. EPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas help us protect our water sources, which are the heart of lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other production, mining, or farming. our community, our way of life and our children’s future. microbiological contaminants are available from the Safe (C) Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a The Water Treatment staff works around the clock to Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791). variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, meet our goal to provide you with a high quality safe and and residential uses. dependable supply of drinking water. A Special Note About Lead in Drinking Water (D) Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health volatile organic chemicals, which are by-products of industrial During the past year we have taken thousands of water problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. processes and petroleum production, and can also come from samples to ensure the quality of your drinking water. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and gas stations, urban stormwater runoff, and septic systems. The table attached shows only those contaminants that components associated with service lines and home plumbing. (E) Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally WATER TESTING PERFORMED IN 2022 were detected in the water. The State has reduced The City of Fort Walton Beach is responsible for providing high PWS ID# 1460144 occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining monitoring requirements for certain contaminants to less quality drinking water but cannot control the variety of activities. often than once per year because the concentration of materials used in plumbing components. When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize the In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the EPA these contaminants is not expected to vary significantly potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds prescribes regulations, which limit the amount of certain Recipient from year to year. In those cases, the most recent to 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking. If you contaminants in water provided by public water systems. The FDEP 2020 Plant Operation Excellence Award sample data are included along with the year in which are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations establish limits the sample was taken. your water tested. Information on lead in drinking water, for contaminants in bottled water, which must provide the same testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure protection for public health. The City of Fort Walton Beach monitors for contaminants is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead in your drinking water according to Federal and State expected to contain at least small amounts of some laws, rules, and regulations. Except where indicated contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not Source Water Assessment otherwise, this report is based on the results of our necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk. More In 2022 the Florida Department of Environmental Protection information about contaminants and potential health effects can monitoring for the period of January 1, 2022 to performed a Source Water Assessment on our system. The be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency’s December 31, 2022. Data obtained before January 1, assessment was conducted to provide information about any Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800-426-4791). 2022, and presented in this report are from the most potential sources of contamination in the vicinity of our wells. recent testing done in accordance with the laws, rules, There are 13 potential sources of contamination identified for and regulations. this system with low to moderate susceptibility levels. The assessment results are available on the FDEP Source Water Assessment and Protection Program website at If you have any questions about this report or water www.dep.state.fl.us/swapp. quality in the City of Fort Walton Beach, please contact the Water Operations Supervisor at 850-833-9613. Community Participation Where Does Our Drinking Water Come You are welcome to attended Fort Walton Beach regularly From And How Is It Purified? scheduled Council meetings held on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month. Contact the City Clerk at 850-833- The City of Fort Walton Beach’s water system processed 9511 to confirm day, time and location of meeting. approximately 954 million gallons of water in 2022. Our water comes from eight deep wells drawing ground water Substances that might be in drinking water from the Floridan Aquifer, which provides a very high The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) quality water source. With the excellent water quality of include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and the Floridan Aquifer, the only treatments required to wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through meet Federal and State standards are aeration and the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and, in chlorination. some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity.  2022 WATER TESTING RESULTS In the table to the left you will find many terms and abbreviations, some of which you INORGANIC CONTAMINANTS might not be familiar. To help you better Dates of MCL Contaminant and Unit of sampling Violation Level Range of MCLG MCL Likely Source of Contamination understand these terms, we have provided the Measurement Detected Results following definitions: (mo./yr.) (Yes/No) Discharge of drilling wastes; discharge from metal refineries; n/a: not applicable Barium (ppm) April 2020 No 0.36 0.005-0.36 2 2 erosion of natural deposits ND: means not detected and indicates that the substance Erosion of natural deposits; discharge from fertilizer and aluminum was not found by laboratory analysis. Fluoride (ppm) April 2020 No 1.15 0.51-1.15 4 4.0 factories. Water additive which promotes strong teeth when at the Parts per million (ppm) or milligrams per liter (mg/l): optimum level of 0.7 ppm one part by weight of analyte to one million parts by weight Discharge from petroleum and metal refineries; erosion of natural of the water sample. Selenium (ppb) April 2020 No 4.0 ND – 4.0 50 50 deposits; discharge from mines. Parts per billion (ppb) or micrograms per liter (µg/l): Sodium (ppm) April 2020 No 120 35-120 n/a 160 Saltwater intrusion, leaching from soil one part by weight of analyte to one billion parts by weight RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINANTS of the water sample. Jan & May Picocuries per liter (pCi/L): measure of the radioactivity Alpha emitters (pCi/L) No 2.7 ND-2.7 0 15 Erosion of natural deposits in water. 2017 Radium 226 +228 or Jan & May Action Level (AL): the concentration of a contaminant No 1.36 0.4-1.36 0 5 Erosion of natural deposits combined radium (pCi/L) 2017 which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements STAGE 2 DISINFECTANTS AND DISINFECTION BY-PRODUCTS . which a water system must follow. MCL or Maximum Contaminant Level or MCL: the highest level Disinfectant or Dates of MRDL Level Range of MCLG or MCL or of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs Contaminant and Unit of sampling Likely Source of Contamination Violation Detected Results MRDLG MRDL are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best Measurement (mo./yr.) (Yes/No) available treatment technology. Jan-Dec Maximum Contaminant Level Goal or MCLG: the level Chlorine (ppm) Stage 1 No 0.86 0.7-1.06 MRDLG = 4 MRDL = 4.0 Water additive used to control microbes 2022 of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no Haloacetic Acids (five) known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a Aug 2022 No 8.4 1.5-8.4 n/a MCL = 60 By-product of drinking water disinfection margin of safety. (HAA5) (ppb) TTHM (Total Maximum residual disinfectant level or MRDL: the Aug 2022 No 15 11.9-15 n/a MCL = 80 By-product of drinking water disinfection trihalomethanes) (ppb) highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. LEAD AND COPPER (TAP WATER) There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant Dates of AL 90th No. is necessary for control of microbial contaminants. Contaminant and Unit of AL (Action Sampling Exceeded Percentile Exceeding MCLG Likely Source of Contamination Maximum residual disinfectant level goal or MRDLG: Measurement Level) (mo./yr.) (Yes/No) Result the AL the level of a drinking water disinfectant below which there Corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of natural is no known or expected risk to health. MRDLGs do not Copper (tap water) (ppm) August 2020 No 0.17 0 of 30 1.3 1.3 reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control deposits; leaching from wood preservatives Corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of natural microbial contaminants. Lead (tap water) (ppb) August 2020 No 5.2 0 of 30 0 15 deposits