Panama City Water System

Elevated lead levels, if present, can pose serious health risks, particularly for pregnant women and young children. Lead in tap water primarily comes from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. The City of Panama City is responsible for providing quality municipal water but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components.

If your water has been sitting for several hours, you can reduce potential lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking. If concerned about lead, you may wish to have your water tested. Information about lead in water, testing methods, and minimization strategies is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

Water sources (both tap and bottled) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over land or underground, it dissolves natural minerals, sometimes radioactive material, and can pick up substances from animal or human activity. Potential contaminants include:

• Microbial contaminants (viruses, bacteria) from sewage treatment, septic systems, agricultural operations, and wildlife
• Inorganic contaminants (salts, metals) either naturally-occurring or from urban runoff, industrial/domestic wastewater, oil/gas production, mining, or farming
• Pesticides and herbicides from agriculture, urban runoff, and residential uses
• Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organics from industrial processes, petroleum production, gas stations, urban runoff, and septic systems
• Radioactive contaminants, either naturally occurring or resulting from oil/gas production and mining

In 2017, the Department of Environmental Protection conducted a Source Water Assessment on Bay County's system. The assessment identified potential contamination sources near our water intakes, placing the system at high risk. Results are available at www.dep.state.fl.us/swapp or by calling Bay County Utility Services at 850-248-5010.

EPA regulations limit contaminant levels in public water supplies to ensure safety. FDA regulations establish similar limits for bottled water. All water, including bottled water, may reasonably contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. Their presence doesn't necessarily indicate a health risk. For more information about contaminants and potential health effects, call the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.

The City is actively implementing its Cross Connection Control (CCC) Plan to eliminate hazards to the municipal water supply. Working with our GIS department, we expect full compliance by December 2019.

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