City of Port St. Joe

Individuals who consume water containing trihalomethanes above the MCL over extended periods may experience liver, kidney, or central nervous system complications, and could face increased cancer risks. Fortunately, our facility reported no violations of MCL standards in 2018.

In 2018, we conducted monitoring for unregulated contaminants (UCs) as part of an EPA study to determine their presence in municipal water and assess whether regulation is necessary. Currently, no health standards (such as maximum contaminant levels) or potential sources have been established for UCs.

We're pleased to report zero detections of any tested contaminants in 2018. If you'd like a copy of our 2018 UC report, please contact our water system at the number provided. For more information about the EPA's Unregulated Contaminants Monitoring Rule, call the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791.

Monitoring continues in 2019, with results to be published in our 2019 Water Quality Report. For earlier access to these results, please contact Chad Mack at 850-229-6395 when they become available.

If present, elevated lead levels can cause serious health problems, particularly for pregnant women and young children. Lead in water primarily comes from materials in service lines and home plumbing components. While the City of Port St. Joe provides quality water, we cannot control plumbing materials used in homes. When water sits unused for several hours, minimize lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using water for consumption. If concerned, consider water testing. Learn more about lead in water at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

Source water may contain various contaminants including:

• Microbial contaminants like viruses and bacteria from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural operations, and wildlife
• Inorganic contaminants such as salts and metals occurring naturally or from urban runoff, industrial wastewater, oil/gas production, mining, or farming
• Pesticides and herbicides from agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and residential usage

1. How often is Port St. Joe's water tested? Water is tested daily for basic parameters and according to EPA-mandated schedules for specific contaminants.
2. Why does my water sometimes appear cloudy? Temporary cloudiness often results from air bubbles in the water and is completely harmless.
3. Is Port St. Joe's water hard or soft? Our local water tends to have moderate to high hardness levels that may affect appliance efficiency.
4. Should I be concerned about trihalomethanes? While present in small amounts, our facility maintains levels below EPA maximum contaminant levels.
5. How can I improve my home's water quality? Consider point-of-use filtration systems designed for specific contaminants identified in our reports.