Fort Walton Beach — 2016 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 WE ARE PLEASED TO REPORT THAT 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 OUR DRINKING WATER MEETS ALL persons who have undergone organ transplants, meeting. FEDERAL AND STATE REQUIREMENTS people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people Substances that might be in drinking water: 2017 Annual The purpose of this report The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled should seek advice about drinking water from their is to provide you with information about the quality of water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, health care providers. EPA/CDC guidelines on water and services we deliver to you every day. We springs, and wells. As water travels over the surface of appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by ask that all our customers help us protect our water the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally Cryptosporidium and other microbiological sources, which are the heart of our community, our occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking way of life and our children’s future. The Water material, and can pick up substances resulting from the Water Hotline (800-426-4791). Treatment staff works around the clock to meet our presence of animals or from human activity. goal to provide you with a high quality safe and Contaminants That May Be Present In Source Water dependable supply of drinking water. A Special Note About Lead In Drinking Include: Water (A) Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and During the past year we have taken thousands of If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, water samples in order to ensure the quality of your health problems, especially for pregnant women and septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and WATER TESTING PERFORMED IN 2016 drinking water. The table attached shows only those young children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from wildlife. PWS ID# 1460144 contaminants that were detected in the water. The materials and components associated with service lines State has reduced monitoring requirements for certain (B) Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, and home plumbing. The City of Fort Walton Beach is contaminants to less often than once per year which can be naturally-occurring or result from urban responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but because the concentration of these contaminants is stormwater runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing not expected to vary significantly from year to year. In discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming. components. When your water has been sitting for those cases, the most recent sample data are several hours, you can minimize the potential for lead (C) Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a included along with the year in which the sample was exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater taken. minutes before using water for drinking or cooking. If runoff, and residential uses. you are concerned about lead in your water, you may (D) Organic chemical contaminants, including The City of Fort Walton Beach monitors for wish to have your water tested. Information on lead in synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are by- contaminants in your drinking water according to drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take products of industrial processes and petroleum Federal and State laws, rules, and regulations. to minimize exposure is available from the Safe production, and can also come from gas stations, urban Except where indicated otherwise, this report is based Drinking Water Hotline or at stormwater runoff, and septic systems. on the results of our monitoring for the period of http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2016. Data (E) Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally obtained before January 1, 2016, and presented in Source Water Assessment occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and this report are from the most recent testing done in In 2016 the Florida Department of Environmental mining activities. accordance with the laws, rules, and regulations. Protection performed a Source Water Assessment on In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the EPA our system. The assessment was conducted to provide prescribes regulations, which limit the amount of certain If you have any questions about this report or water information about any potential sources of contaminants in water provided by public water systems. quality in the City of Fort Walton Beach, please contact Tim Bolduc, Engineering & Utility Services contamination in the vicinity of our wells. There are 17 The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations Director at 833-9607 potential sources of contamination identified for this establish limits for contaminants in bottled water, which system with low to moderate susceptibility levels. The must provide the same protection for public health. assessment results are available on the FDEP Source Where Does Our Drinking Water Come Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably From And How Is It Purified? Water Assessment and Protection Program website at be expected to contain at least small amounts of some www.dep.state.fl.us/swapp. The City of Fort Walton Beach’s water system contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not processed approximately 900 million gallons of water necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk. in 2016. Our water comes from eight deep wells More information about contaminants and potential health drawing ground water from the Floridan Aquifer, effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental which provides a very high quality water source. Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800- With the excellent water quality of the Floridan 426-4791).