Okaloosa County Water & Sewer System

This report summarizes our monitoring results for the period of January 1 to January 31, 2018. Florida has reduced monitoring requirements for specific contaminants to less than annual testing as their concentrations rarely fluctuate. Some data, while representative, may be over one year old.

All water sources, including bottled water, naturally contain small amounts of various contaminants. Their presence doesn't necessarily indicate a health risk. In 2018, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection conducted a Source Water Assessment (SWA) on our systems to evaluate potential contamination risks near our wells.

The Main system (PWS 1460506) has 14 potential contamination sources with low to moderate susceptibility levels. The Bluewater/Raintree system (PWS 1460775) and Mid State system (PWS 1464044) revealed no potential contamination sources. Assessment results are available at www.dep.state.fl.us/swapp or by calling OCWS at 651-7133.

Water sources include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels across land or underground, it dissolves natural minerals and sometimes radioactive materials, and may pick up substances from animal or human activity.

Possible contaminants include microbial contaminants (viruses, bacteria) from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural operations, and wildlife. For better understanding of these terms:

• Parts per million (ppm) or Milligrams per liter (mg/l) - one part contaminant per million parts water
• Parts per billion (ppb) or Micrograms per liter - one part contaminant per billion parts water
• Picocuries per liter (pCi/L) - measurement of radioactivity in water
• Action Level (AL) - concentration requiring water system response
• Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) - highest permitted contaminant level
• Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) - level below which no health risk is known

In 2018, we monitored for unregulated contaminants (UCs) in our Main System as part of an EPA study to determine their occurrence and whether regulation is needed. No health standards currently exist for UCs. Detection results are shown in our data table. We're also monitoring UCs in our Bluewater/Raintree System during 2019-2020. For EPA's Unregulated Contaminants Monitoring information, call 1-800-426-4791 or visit https://www.epa.gov/dwucmr.

While our systems had no elevated lead levels in recent testing, lead exposure can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and children. Lead typically comes from service lines and home plumbing materials. We provide quality water but cannot control plumbing component materials. To minimize lead exposure, flush your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking. For lead testing information, call the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or visit http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants than the general population. Immunocompromised persons (cancer patients, organ transplant recipients, HIV/AIDS patients, elderly, infants) should seek advice from healthcare providers about drinking water. EPA/CDC guidelines on reducing infection risk are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).

Our water systems include:

• Main Program - Serves Sea City-Wright-Shalimar-Okaloosa Island and unincorporated areas around Fort Walton Beach with 12 wells, 10 elevated tanks, and two ground storage tanks.
• Bluewater Bay/Raintree System - Located east of Rocky Bayou Bridge along Highway 20 to the Walton County line with 3 wells and two elevated tanks.
• Mid-County (Crestview) System - Serves unincorporated areas around Crestview with 6 wells, 4 elevated tanks, and 1 surface storage tank.

We at Okaloosa County Water and Sewer System work around the clock to provide high-quality water to every tap. For questions about this report, please contact our office.

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