In 2020, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) per- formed a Source Water Assessment on the City’s wellfield system in order to ensure our source water is protected. The assessment was conducted to provide information about any potential sources of contamination in the vicinity of the City’s wells. Potential sources of contamination are those facilities, sites, and activities that have the potential to affect the underlying ground water aquifers or nearby surface waters used for public drinking water supply. Many of these potential sources are regulated by DEP and the location and status of these sites are maintained within DEP da- tabases. By utilizing in-house databases and a geographical information system (GIS), DEP can access and illustrate the relationships of potential contaminant sources to the approximately 12,000 public water supply intakes in Florida.

It should be noted that the potential sources of contamination identified by this assessment project are just that; potential sources. Many of these facili- ties are regulated and operate under stringent construction and maintenance requirements designed to protect both human health and the environment. The purpose of conducting the source water assessments is to provide information that will lead to actions to reduce cur- rent risks or avoid future problems.

The DEP has identified forty-five unique potential sources of contamination

for the City’s wellfield system with a mod- erate or a low susceptibility level. The assessment results and more information are available on the DEP Source Water Assessment and Protection Program website at www.dep.state.fl.us/swapp or can be obtained by calling the Utility Services Department at 561-338-7310.

City of Boca Raton Utility Services Quality Control Lab team members Right to left: Mark Liburdi,Ashtan Wydock, and Devin Dykes.

An Explanation of

THE WATER QUALITY DATA TABLE

The City of Boca Raton Utility Services Department routinely monitors for contami- nants in your drinking water according to Federal and State laws, rules, and regula- tions. The table on the next page shows the

YOUR DRINKING WATER PROCESS

results of our water quality analysis. Unless otherwise indicated, this report is based on the results of our monitoring for the period

Once the water is pumped from our wells to our Glades Road facility, the City of Boca Raton uses two types of water treatment processes. Traditional Lime Softening: involves the use of calcium oxide and other chemicals to remove minerals and particles. The water is then filtered to remove smaller impurities and then disinfected with a chlorine compound to destroy bacteria and other microorganisms. State-of- the-Art Membrane Softening: involves pumping the water through multimedia

pretreatment pressure filters, 1-micron cartridge filters, and finally semi-permeable membranes. Next, hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide are removed using a degasifying technology. The membrane softened water is also disinfected with a chlorine compound and blended with the lime softened water. The combined processes produce high quality water that is pumped through the distribution system to our customers. The City of Boca Raton does not add fluoride to their water treatment process.

of January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020. Data obtained before January 1, 2020 and presented in this report are from the most recent testing done in accordance with laws, rules, and regulations. The table contains: the name of each substance; the maximum contaminant level (MCL) or the highest level allowed by regulation; the ideal goals for pubic health; the amount detected; the usual sources of such con- tamination; footnotes that explain our find- ings; and a key to units of measurement.

Your Drinking Water Source...

THE BISCAYNE AQUIFER

The Biscayne aquifer is the primary source of drinking water for over six million people in South Florida and is the source of the drinking water for the City of Boca Raton. The City of Boca Raton’s 52 wells pump water from the Biscayne aquifer to our water treatment facility located on Glades Road by the I-95 interchange.

IMMUNO-COMPROMISED PERSON

Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immuno-compromised persons such as those with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, those who have undergone organ transplants, those

with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These individuals should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. EPA/ CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline 1-800-426-4791.

• Action Level (AL): The concentration of a contaminant, which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements that a water system must follow.
• Maximum Contaminant Level or MCL: The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology.
• Maximum Contaminant Level Goal or MCLG: The level of contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety.
• Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level or MRDL: The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants.

• Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal or MRDLG:

The level of a drinking water disinfectant below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contaminants.

• Parts Per Billion (ppb) or Micrograms per Liter (ug/l):

One part by weight of analyte to 1 billion parts by weight of the water sample.

• Parts Per Million (ppm) or Milligrams per Liter (mg/l): One part by weight of analyte to 1 millionparts by weight of the water sample.
• Not Applicable (N/A): Does not apply.

The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity.

Contaminants that may be present in source water include:

• Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife.
• Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally occurring or result from urban stormwater runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming.
• Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and residential uses.
• Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff, and septic systems.
• Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities. To ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the EPA prescribes regulations, which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. The Food and Drug

Administration (FDA) regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water, which must provide the same protection for public health.

Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.

If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. The City of Boca Raton Utility Services Department is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components.

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