University of West Florida

If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health issues, especially for pregnant women and young children. Lead in tap water primarily comes from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. The University of West Florida is responsible for providing high-quality municipal water, but cannot control the materials used in plumbing components. When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize potential lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking.

If you're concerned about lead in your water, testing is available. Information about lead in tap water, testing methods, and exposure reduction steps can be found at the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

In our water quality tables, you may encounter unfamiliar terms and abbreviations. To help you understand these terms, we've provided these definitions:

• Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL): The highest level of a contaminant permitted in municipal water, set as close to MCLGs as feasible using available treatment technology.
• Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG): The level of a contaminant below which there is no known or expected health risk, allowing for a safety margin.
• Action Level (AL): The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements.
• Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level (MRDL): The highest disinfectant level allowed in municipal water, based on evidence that disinfection is necessary for controlling microbial contaminants.
• Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal (MRDLG): The disinfectant level below which no known or expected health risk exists.

"ND" indicates "not detected" in laboratory analysis. Measurements include parts per billion (ppb), parts per million (ppm), and picocuries per liter (pCi/L) for radioactivity.

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 resulting 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 compounds from industrial processes, petroleum production, gas stations, stormwater runoff, and septic systems
• Radioactive contaminants, either naturally occurring or resulting from oil/gas production and mining

Some individuals may be more vulnerable to contaminants than the general population. Immunocompromised persons—including those undergoing chemotherapy, organ transplant recipients, people with HIV/AIDS or immune system disorders, the elderly, and infants—may be particularly at risk. These individuals should seek advice from healthcare providers about municipal water consumption.

We're currently monitoring unregulated contaminants (UCs) as part of an EPA study to determine their prevalence and whether regulation is necessary. Results will be included in our 2019 and 2020 Water Quality Reports. For earlier access to these results or more information on the EPA's Unregulated Contaminants Monitoring Rule, please contact Nicole McDonald at 850-474-2525 or call the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791.

At UWF, we're committed to continuously improving our water treatment process and protecting our water resources. If you have questions about this information, please contact UWF Environmental Health & Safety Coordinator at 850-474-2525.

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