The water system serving the R.C. Willis Water Treatment Plant is in violation of public drinking water standards for the following reason:
Samples from this system have exceeded the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for Total Coliform Bacteria for the compliance period of October 2015.
Samples taken during the month of October 2015 from Viking Street, Arden Drive, Ida Street & Fenwick Street, Campbell Street & Moseley Avenue, and Oak Street & 7th Street tested positive for coliform bacteria. Subsequent testing carried out at these locations tested negative for bacterial contamination.
The City of Palatka water supply is safe to drink and it is not necessary to boil the water before use.
Other influencing factors can occur because of the container in which samples are collected, contamination at the hydrant outlet, or handling of samples. While the laboratory assumes a 5% error in testing, EPA rules do not take this into account. EPA requires notification as follows:
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets drinking water standards and had determined that the presence of total coliforms is a possible health concern. Total Coliforms are common in the environment and are generally not harmful themselves. The presence of these bacteria in drinking water, however, generally is a result of a problem with water treatment or the pipes, which distribute the water and that, can cause disease. Disease symptoms may include diarrhea, cramps, nausea, and possible jaundice, and any associated headaches and fatigue. These symptoms, however, are not just associated with disease-causing organisms in drinking water, but also may be caused by a number of factors other than your drinking water. EPA has set an enforceable drinking water standard for total coliforms to reduce the risk of these adverse health effects. Under this standard, no more than 5.0 percent of the samples collected during a month can cause these bacteria, except that systems collecting fewer than 40 samples per month that have one total coliform-positive sample per month are not violating the standard. Drinking water, which meets this standard, is usually not associated with a health risk from disease-causing bacteria and should be considered safe.
The supplier of water is required to conduct additional sampling in order to insure that either the number of total coliform positive samples does not exceed the standard or that the number of total coliform positive samples does not continue to exceed the standard.
For more information, please contact Melvin Register at (386) 329-0144, by e-mail mregister@palatka-fl.gov or contact the Department of Environmental Protection, Potable Water Section, at (904) 256-1700.
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