Annual Water Quality Report. Volume 18 Issued April 2016

Transcription

1 Annual Water Quality Report Volume 18 Issued April 2016

2 1 Annual Water Quality Report Volume 18 Issued April 2016 Seacoast Utility Authority ( Seacoast ) is pleased to present you with the Annual Water Quality Report. The report is designed to inform you about the quality of your drinking water and the services we deliver to you every day. Health and Safety Standards We are glad to report that our drinking water meets all federal, state and local regulations, and continues to meet our quality standards. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the State of Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) set both primary and secondary standards to ensure public water is safe to drink. Primary standards protect public health against substances that may be harmful to humans if consumed for long periods. Secondary standards control the aesthetic qualities of the water such as taste, odor, and clarity, but do not impact public health. Our annual report meets the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) requirement for Consumer Confidence Reports (CCR) and contains information on the source and quality of our water. Our goal is to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water. We make every effort to continually improve the water treatment process and protect our water resources. Seacoast has an ongoing commitment to provide our customers with the highest quality of drinking water. Seacoast routinely monitors for contaminants in your drinking water according to federal and state laws, rules, and regulations. Except where otherwise indicated, this report is based on the results of our monitoring for the period of January 1 to December 31,. Data obtained before January 1,, and presented in this report are from the most recent testing done in accordance with the applicable laws, rules, and regulations governing water quality. Reported results are for contaminants detected in samples collected from Seacoast s water treatment plant, the distribution system, and private homes. If you have any questions regarding this report, please contact Pamela Olah-Brennan, Laboratory Supervisor, at ext. 685 or polah-brennan@sua.com. The Annual Water Quality Report is offered electronically to all our customers. If you would like a printed copy of this report mailed to your address, please contact Jessica Moore, Office Administrator, at ext. 383 or jmoore@sua.com.

3 2 Seacoast is a publicly owned water and sewer utility serving approximately 51,447 Northern Palm Beach County homes and businesses with an approximate population of 93,800 residents. The August 1988 Interlocal Agreement establishing Seacoast vests governing authority in its five member board. Board Members are appointed by the respective political jurisdictions within which Seacoast provides service. Each member s voting share is as follows: Palm Beach Gardens 60%, Palm Beach County 20%, North Palm Beach 12%, Lake Park 6%, and Juno Beach 2%. Seacoast currently distributes approximately 17.1 million gallons per day (MGD) of drinking water to its customers. SEACOAST BOARD MEMBERS Ron Ferris, Chair: City of Palm Beach Gardens Robert Gebbia, Vice-Chair: Village of North Palm Beach John D Agostino, President Pro-Tem: Town of Lake Park Joseph Lo Bello, Member: Town of Juno Beach Robert Weisman, Member: Palm Beach County Please visit for Seacoast s 2016 Board Meeting Schedule. to like us on Facebook. Service Area Map: µ Legend SUA Service Area Major Roads Streets Water Bodies ALT A1A N MILITARY TRL 5 I-9 FLORIDA'S TURNPIKE WY 1 US H DONALD ROSS RD PGA BLVD BE E NE N CEA HW NO LI Y 5, ,000 Feet WY AL H 11,000 D BLV R FEDE NORTHLAKE BLVD Seacoast Utility Authority Service Area

4 3 Conservation Water is fast becoming one of the world s most precious resources. Here in Palm Beach County, as throughout the Southeastern United States, water restrictions have become a way of life year-round. We encourage you to conserve water whenever possible. For more information on water use, restrictions, and conservation, please visit the South Florida Water Management District s website at Recycled Water Seacoast s reclaimed water production and distribution system delivers high-quality treated reclaimed water from its PGA Wastewater Treatment Plant to several large scale landscape irrigation sites. The reclaimed water system is currently capable of treating and delivering approximately 12 million gallons per day ( MGD ) of reclaimed water to customers located throughout the service area through 24.3 miles of reclaimed water mains. Seacoast is presently contracted to provide up to MGD of reclaimed water to a total of 34 separate sites. The reclaimed water system continues to operate at full capacity and in compliance with all regulatory requirements. During fiscal year 2014/, Seacoast delivered an average of MGD of highly-treated reclaimed water to customers, virtually 100% of system wastewater generated.

5 4 Innovative methods developed by Seacoast to supplement the reclaimed water system include the use of nanofiltration concentrate, three (3) supplemental wells, and the withdrawal of water from the C-17 Canal. As new customers are connected and wastewater flow increases, reclaimed water produced from the effluent at the PGA Wastewater Treatment Plant and nanofiltration concentrate from the Hood Road Water Treatment Plant may replace the supplemental water withdrawn from the wells and surface water. The Future of Our Water and Service Seacoast s aggressive capital improvements program underscores its commitment to the highest customer service and water quality standards. Projects and improvements scheduled for the next five years of this $75 million program include: Conversion of all meters to automated reading systems which will allow customers to monitor their own water use (Please visit to learn more about the program.) Replacement of water pumping and distribution piping systems nearing the end of their useful lives Refurbishment of wellfield, pumping and transmission infrastructure Construction of additional finished water storage facilities to increase system wide storage by 25% Doubling of brackish (Floridan aquifer) water supply and treatment capacity Renovation of water disinfection facilities Laboratory expansion Expansion of existing technology applications, including records handling, telemetry, global positioning systems for buried infrastructure, asset tracking, and communications The Source of Our Water Seacoast s goal is to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water. The Authority obtains its water from two separate ground water sources: (1) a shallow aquifer, 75 to 200 feet deep, known as the surficial aquifer and (2) from the 1,500 foot deep brackish Floridan aquifer. Seacoast has thirty-eight (38) surficial aquifer ground water wells and three (3) Floridan aquifer wells located in four (4) separate wellfields. Three (3) of the thirty-eight (38) surficial aquifer wells are presently out of service. The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water); include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity. Seacoast uses ground water exclusively. A 2013 Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) Source Water Assessment identified three potential sources of wellfield contamination, all representing low to moderate risk. FDEP s assessment area was based on a projected 5-year ground water travel time around each well. The 5-year ground water travel time is defined by the area from which water will flow to a well pumping at an average daily permitted rate for a five year period. The assessment results are available on the FDEP Source Water Assessment and Protection website at

6 5 Treating Your Water Seacoast uses two membrane treatment processes to treat its water: reverse osmosis for brackish Floridan aquifer water desalination and nanofiltration for demineralization of its fresh surficial aquifer water supply. Both the reverse osmosis and nanofiltration processes operate by forcing pressurized raw water through a semi-permeable membrane that separates contaminants from the water. Seacoast s Hood Road Membrane Water Plant is a 30.5 MGD facility comprised of 26.0 MGD of nanofiltration (NF), 3.5 MGD of low pressure reverse osmosis, and 1.0 MGD of pretreated local surficial aquifer blend water. Water fluoridation, the controlled addition of fluoride to drinking water for the purpose of reducing tooth decay, is not practiced by Seacoast. However, fluoride does occur naturally in our water at very low levels (<0.2 ppm). Contaminants in Tap and Bottled Water In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the EPA prescribes regulations, which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water, which must provide the same protection for public health. Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at Vulnerability to Contaminants Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immune compromised persons such as a cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. EPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbiological contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking water Hotline at

7 6 Contaminants that May be Present in Source Water Microbial Contaminants Viruses and bacteria which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations and wildlife. Inorganic Contaminants Salts and metals which can be naturally occurring or result from urban storm water runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining or farming. Pesticides and Herbicides Come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban storm water runoff and residential uses. Organic Chemical Contaminants Synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban storm water runoff and septic systems. Radioactive Contaminants Can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities. Lead in Public Drinking Water Exposure to elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Customer-owned water service lines and plumbing fixtures may, under certain conditions, leach lead into the high quality drinking water delivered to the customer s property. This is most likely to occur when the customer has been using no water for an extended period for example, overnight. As an added precaution, flush your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking. Lead and copper drinking water quality standards were first enacted in This regulation required public drinking water suppliers to monitor multiple sites twice per year unless, like Seacoast, the utility demonstrated consistently compliant lead and copper concentrations and made no significant treatment process changes. Seacoast s switch to membrane treatment technology triggered a return to semiannual monitoring, requiring sampling to be completed prior to June. Seacoast s failure to collect its first set of semiannual lead and copper samples until July and August constituted a violation of the lead and copper rule. Though the July and August sampling revealed full compliance with lead and copper water quality standards, public notice of the sampling violation was issued as required by regulations. If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water tested. Information on lead and drinking water, testing methods and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at

8 7 MICROBIAL CONTAMINANTS Contaminant & Unit of Measurement Dates of Sampling (mo/yr) MCL Violation (Y/N) Highest Monthly Percentage/Number MCLG MCL Likely Source of Contamination Total Coliform Bacteria Jan Dec N 2.83% 3 samples in 106 Aug 0 Presence of coliform bacteria in 5% of monthly samples Naturally present in the environment Contaminant & Unit of Measurement Fluoride (ppm) Nitrate (as Nitrogen) (ppm) Nitrite (as Nitrogen) (ppm) Sodium (ppm) Dates of Sampling (mo/yr) April 2014 August August April 2014 MCL Violation (Y/N) Level Detected INORGANIC CONTAMINANTS Range of Results N N N <0.025 < N N/A 160 MCLG MCL Likely Source of Contamination Erosion of natural deposits. Water additive which promotes strong teeth. Discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories. Runoff from fertilizer use; leaching from septic tanks, sewage; erosion of natural deposits. Runoff from fertilizer use; leaching from septic tanks, sewage; erosion or natural deposits. Salt water intrusion, leaching from the soil. LEAD AND COPPER (TAP WATER) Contaminant & Unit of Measurement Dates of Sampling (mo/yr) AL Exceeded (Y/N) AL (Action Level) 90 th Percentile Result No. of Sampling Sites Exceeding the AL MCLG Likely Source of Contamination Copper (tap water) (ppm) July Aug N Corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits; leaching from wood preservatives. Lead (tap water) (ppb) July Aug N Corrosion of household plumbing systems, erosion of natural deposits. STAGE 2 DISINFECTANTS AND DISINFECTION BY-PRODUCTS For haloacetic acids or TTHM, the level detected is the highest locational running annual average (LRAA), computed quarterly, or quarterly averages of all samples collected if the system is monitoring quarterly or is the average of all samples taken during the year if the system monitors less frequently than quarterly. Range of Results is the range of individual sample results (lowest to highest) for all monitoring locations. Contaminant and Unit of Measurement Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) (ppb) Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) (ppb) Dates of Sampling (mo/yr) Feb, May, Aug, Nov Feb, May, Aug, Nov MCL Violation (Y/N) Level Detected Range of Results MCLG MCL N N/A 60 N N/A 80 Likely Source of Contamination By-product of drinking water disinfection. By-product of drinking water disinfection.

9 8 Seacoast has been monitoring for unregulated contaminants (UCs) as part of a study to help the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) determine the occurrence of UCs in drinking water and whether or not these contaminants need to be regulated. At present, no health standards (for example, maximum contaminant level) have been established for UCs. However, we are required to publish the analytical results for our UC monitoring in our annual water quality report. If you would like more information on the EPA s Unregulated Contaminants Monitoring Rule, please call the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) UNREGULATED CONTAMINANTS WATER TREATMENT PLANTS AND DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM Contaminant and Measurement Unit Level Detected Range Likely Source of Contamination Chromium, Total (ppb) Naturally-occurring element; used in making steel and other alloys; chromium -3 or -6 forms are used for chrome plating, dyes and pigments, leather tanning, and wood preservation. Chromium -6+ (ppb) Naturally-occurring element; used in making steel and other alloys; chromium -3 or -6 forms are used for chrome plating, dyes, and pigments, leather tanning, and wood preservation. Molybdenum (ppb) 1.3 < Naturally-occurring element found in ores and present in plants, animals and bacteria; commonly used form molybdenum trioxide used as a chemical reagent. Strontium (ppb) Naturally-occurring element; historically, commercial use of strontium has been in the faceplate glass of cathode-ray tube televisions to block x-ray emissions. Vanadium (ppb) Naturally-occurring elemental metal; used as vanadium pentoxide which is a chemical intermediate and catalyst. Chlorodifluoromethane (ppb) 0.13 < Chlorofluorocarbon; occurs as a gas, and used as a refrigerant, as a low-temperature solvent, and a fluorocarbon resins, especially tetrafluoroethylene polymers. 1, 4-Dioxane (ppb) < Cyclic aliphatic ether; used as a solvent or solvent stabilizer in manufacture and processing of paper, cotton, textile products, automotive coolant, cosmetics and shampoos. TABLE DEFINITIOns: N/A Not Applicable. DBP Disinfection by Product. TTHM Total Trihalomethane. ppm Parts per million, or milligrams per liter (mg/l). pci/l Picocurie per liter, a measure of radioactivity in water. ppb parts per billion, or micrograms per liter (µg/l). ND Not Detected and indicated that the substance was not found by laboratory analysis. MRDL Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants. MRDLG Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal The level of a drinking water disinfectant below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MRDLG s do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contaminants. MRLG Maximum Contaminant Level Goal The level of contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLG s allow for a margin of safety. MCL Maximum Contaminant Level The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCL s are set as close to the MCLG s as feasible using the best available treatment technology. AL Action Level The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment techniques (TT) or other requirements that a water system must follow.

10 9 Misinformation Leads to Confusion, Fear & Skepticism Seacoast has received reports that firms marketing home water treatment devices have unscrupulously misrepresented Seacoast s water quality to our customers. If a marketing representative states or implies that there are problems with the drinking water supplied by Seacoast, ask them: 1. May I have a copy of the analysis made by a certified lab that shows where Seacoast s water quality fails to meet drinking water standards? Ask the vendor/caller for information about the laboratory used, Florida lab certification number, and a phone number where the lab can be reached. 2. Ask if the vendor has reported these alleged violations to Seacoast or to the Palm Beach County Health Department. If so, what are the names of the individuals to whom the vendor reported these alleged violations and what was their response? It is suggested that you refuse to interact further with the vendor/caller until all of this information is provided. Then if you decide you want to allow the individual into your home, we will be pleased to meet with you either in your home or at Seacoast for a more in-depth review of the allegations. Home water treatment devices can be very useful in polishing water to suit personal preferences (taste, hardness, etc.). However, the water that Seacoast delivers to your home meets or exceeds federal, state and local drinking water standards. Reputable dealers do not need to create a false sense of panic to sell their products. For more information please contact our customer service department at

11 10 Open Letter to Seacoast Customers Concerning Recent Flint, Michigan Water Supply Issues Recent news out of Flint, Michigan reminds us that as critical as safe drinking water is to public health, a public water supply utility s operational transparency and clarity are equally important. To that end, as the owner and operator of the public water supply, treatment, pumping and piping systems serving Lake Park, North Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, the south end of Juno Beach, and nearby unincorporated areas, Seacoast is pleased to explain why the difficulties plaguing Flint s water supply do not exist locally. I ll start by directing attention to the following two documents: 1. A timeline published by Treatment Plant Operator magazine relating to Flint s water supply issues, found here: and 2. This Water Quality Report of Seacoast s system. Specifically addressing the Flint, Michigan issue, it is essential to note some fundamental differences between that system and Seacoast s. Primary among these is the difference in source water. Flint s problems, at least the most publicized ones, seem to be related to the fact that the City s current raw water source is a river. This typically means that it contains material swept up and sometimes dissolved in runoff (drainage) which can be quite challenging to remove in the treatment plant, particularly one beset with fiscal issues. Further, river water can be aggressive, meaning that if it is not properly stabilized or buffered in the treatment plant before release to the public, it will tend to corrode metallic pipeline and plumbing. Aggressive, unstable water can cause lead and copper leaching from plumbing joints and fixtures into the water supply as well as other highly undesirable impacts. In this regard, it is important to note that as in many older water utilities, service lines connecting Flint s water mains to customer plumbing are made of lead a condition which does not exist within Seacoast s service area. Seacoast, on the other hand, draws its raw water from 38 wells averaging 150 ft. in depth plus 3 wells approximately 1,500 feet deep. Local runoff cannot find its way to well pump intakes at those depths. So while Seacoast s source water is highly mineralized, it contains none of the offensive material that one might find in the storm water runoff to many rivers, particularly those running through densely populated industrial areas. Further, Seacoast s local ground (well) water supply tends to be less aggressive than most surface waters, a fact confirmed by local lead and copper test results that are consistently within federal, state and local drinking water standards. Finally, though the oldest of Seacoast s water distribution pipelines have been in service for about 60 years, regular visual inspection performed by engineers and licensed operators reveal no signs of interior deterioration. In addition to its well-buffered ground water source, Seacoast s newly commissioned, state of the art reverse osmosis/nanofiltration water treatment plant is operated around the clock by highly experienced and licensed water treatment plant operators whose careers depend upon providing a consistently safe, stable, non-corrosive finished water to Seacoast s customers. Further, Seacoast s 484 miles of water distribution piping, 3,500 fire hydrants and 7,200 valves are inspected and maintained on a regular schedule which includes line flushing, valve and hydrant maintenance and marking, and timely replacement of infrastructure that is approaching the end of its useful life. This information, plus Seacoast s capital budget and much, much more can be accessed at In summary, Seacoast is blessed with a higher quality raw water source than Flint s appears to be, is properly funded, professionally operated, and highly responsive to customer questions and concerns. I hope that this addresses any concerns you may have, but if more detail is required, Seacoast will be pleased to provide it. Rim Bishop, Executive Director Seacoast Utility Authority

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