BELLEAIR – Belleair residents awoke Oct. 9 to find this notice from town officials on their doorsteps: “Our water system recently violated a drinking water standard. Although this is not an emergency, as our customers, you have the right to know what happened ...”
The notice went on to say the cause of the violation was due to levels of a class of substances called Trihalomethanes. The TTHM’s had exceeded the Maximum Contaminant Level as mandated by standards of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection which set the MCL at 0.080 milligrams per liter.
Elevated levels of the contaminant were revealed by routine testing in July this year, results that were duplicated in September. The notice delivered Friday stated, “The average level of TTHMs for the last 12 months was 0.089 mg/L.”
The contamination does not represent, “an immediate risk,” the notice read but warned that for some, exposure to elevated levels of TTHM over “many years” may result in damage to the liver, kidneys and central nervous system with an increased risk of developing cancer.
Though town officials are not recommending that consumers switch to bottled water the notice does advise those with specific health issues to consult with their physician.
David Brown, Belleair’s manager of water treatment and distribution, said in a phone interview Oct. 13 that the system due in part to age (sections of the system are 60-plus years old) had developed small organic iron rust tubercles which in turn reacted with chlorine used to disinfect the water creating increased levels of TTHM.
“We are treating the system with extra phosphate to eradicate the tubercles and continuing to test every three months,” Brown said.
In addition to the phosphate treatment, Brown said the town was beginning a flushing treatment that would scour the pipes.
“It consists of a process called unidirectional flushing,” Brown explained, “We flush the water one pipe at a time by isolating upstream sections so as not to recontaminate pipes already cleaned and we continue to monitor the levels.”
Brown added they anticipate the whole process should be complete in 60 days.
The town is working with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Florida Rural Water Association to resolve the issue.
“The FDEP has given us one year to do this,” Brown said. “We’ve been working on it for six months already.”
A copy of the consent order received from the office of the Southwest Director of the FDEP dated June 18, 2009 acknowledges receipt of a $500 settlement to FDEP for administrative costs incurred by the department during its investigation of the incident. In addition, the consent order provides for a schedule of fines to the town of $100 per day for every day the town fails to comply with the provisions for reporting progress under the consent order.
The city has complied with the initial actions required by the consent in submitting a plan for remediation and now must continue testing every 90 days and similarly issue quarterly public notices until the water quality is in compliance.
Reached at his office, Florida Rural Water Association Executive Director Gary Williams said they have no comment.
Just this year Belleair hosted the regional Best Tasting Water Taste Off having won the competition in 2008. A community may not hold the award in consecutive years.
Brown said this incident will preclude Belleair from entering the contest in 2010.
“We’re very proud of our water quality,” Brown added, “And we just want to return to the best water quality.”
Brown urged residents to contact him at 588-3769 if they had any questions or concerns.
