Fort Walton Beach — 2014 Consumer Water Quality Report — reading text

Important Health Information Community Participation We are proud to report that the water provided Some people may be more vulnerable to You are welcome to attend Fort Walton Beach regularly to the City of Fort Walton Beach Water System contaminants in drinking water than the general scheduled Council meetings held on the second and meets or exceeds all Federal and State Water- population. Immuno-compromised persons such as fourth Tuesday of every month. Contact the City Clerk at FORT WALTON BEACH persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, 833-9511 to confirm day, time and location of meeting. Quality Standards. persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system Substances that might be in drinking water: The purpose of this report disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled 2015 Annual is to provide you with information about the quality of water and services we deliver to you every day. We water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, should seek advice about drinking water from their springs, and wells. As water travels over the surface of ask that all our customers help us protect our water health care providers. EPA/CDC guidelines on the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally sources, which are the heart of our community, our appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive way of life and our children’s future. The Water Cryptosporidium and other microbiological material, and can pick up substances resulting from the Treatment staff works around the clock to meet our contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking presence of animals or from human activity. goal to provide you with a high quality safe and Water Hotline (800-426-4791). dependable supply of drinking water. Contaminants That May Be Present In Source Water Include: During the past year we have taken thousands of (A) Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and water samples in order to ensure the quality of your A Special Note About Lead In Drinking bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, drinking water. The table attached shows only those Water septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and contaminants that were detected in the water. The If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious wildlife. WATER TESTING PERFORMED IN 2014 State has reduced monitoring requirements for certain health problems, especially for pregnant women and PWS ID# 1460144 contaminants to less often than once per year (B) Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, young children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from which can be naturally-occurring or result from urban because the concentration of these contaminants is materials and components associated with service lines stormwater runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater not expected to vary significantly from year to year. In and home plumbing. The City of Fort Walton Beach is discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming. those cases, the most recent sample data are responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but included along with the year in which the sample was cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing (C) Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a taken. components. When your water has been sitting for variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater several hours, you can minimize the potential for lead runoff, and residential uses. The City of Fort Walton Beach monitors for exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 (D) Organic chemical contaminants, including contaminants in your drinking water according to minutes before using water for drinking or cooking. If synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are by- Federal and State laws, rules, and regulations. you are concerned about lead in your water, you may products of industrial processes and petroleum Except where indicated otherwise, this report is based wish to have your water tested. Information on lead in production, and can also come from gas stations, urban on the results of our monitoring for the period of drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take stormwater runoff, and septic systems. January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2014. Data to minimize exposure is available from the Safe obtained before January 1, 2014, and presented in (E) Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally Drinking Water Hotline or at this report are from the most recent testing done in occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead accordance with the laws, rules, and regulations. mining activities. Source Water Assessment In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the EPA If you have any questions about this report or water In 2014 the Florida Department of Environmental prescribes regulations, which limit the amount of certain quality in the City of Fort Walton Beach, please contaminants in water provided by public water systems. contact Tim Bolduc, Engineering & Utility Services Protection performed a Source Water Assessment on Director at 833-9607 our system. The assessment was conducted to provide The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations information about any potential sources of establish limits for contaminants in bottled water, which contamination in the vicinity of our wells. There are must provide the same protection for public health. Where Does Our Drinking Water Come seven potential sources of contamination identified for Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably From And How Is It Purified? this system with low to moderate susceptibility levels. be expected to contain at least small amounts of some The City of Fort Walton Beach’s water system The assessment results are available on the FDEP contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not processed approximately 875 million gallons of water Source Water Assessment and Protection Program necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk. in 2014. Our water comes from nine deep wells website at www.dep.state.fl.us/swapp. 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). Aquifer, the only treatments required to meet Federal and State standards are aeration and chlorination.  2014 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 Measurement sampling Violation Level Detected