Manatee County Utilities Department makes a commitment daily to provide the highest quality drinking water to the residents of Manatee County, Sarasota County and cities served. This report reflects on that commitment and represents a summary of the drinking water quality during 2020.
PROTECTING MANATEE COUNTY’S WATER SOURCES
Drinking water for the customers of Manatee County Utilities Department is a blend of purified groundwater and purified surface water. In 2020, an average of 15.18 million gallons per day of deep ground water and 30.05 million gallons per day of surface water was used.
The groundwater is pumped from the Floridan Aquifer from seven, 1200-foot deep wells located in eastern Manatee County. This water is pumped through a 36-inch pipe approximately 13 miles to the Purification Plant. Surface water is taken from the Lake Manatee Reservoir located in central Manatee County.
In 2020 the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) performed a Source Water Assessment on our system. The assessment was conducted to provide information about any potential sources of contamination in the vicinity of our wells or surface water intakes. There are 15 potential sources of contamination identified for the Manatee County Water Purification Plant with susceptibility levels of low and high. The assessment results are available on the FDEP Source Water Assessment and Protection Program website www.dep.state.fl.us/swapp or they can be obtained from the Manatee County Water Purification Plant at (941) 746-3020.
The County has taken stringent measures to protect these water sources. In the late 1980s Manatee County voters approved the purchase of 20,500 acres of the 82,000 acre watershed area, which drains into and includes the Reservoir and Wellfield. County and State agencies have continued to purchase additional watershed acreage, and today approximately 35,000 acres are in public ownership. This ownership ensures that activities detrimental to water quality or quantity will not occur on these public lands.
HEALTH AND SAFETY STANDARDS
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:
A. Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife.
B. 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.
C. Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and residential uses.
D. 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.
E. Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally-occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.
In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, 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.
HOW YOUR WATER IS PURIFIED
The Manatee County Water Purification Plant, located on the shore of Lake Manatee, purifies both groundwater and surface water. The groundwater is purified by aeration, lime-softening and filtration. These processes remove odor, a portion of the hardness, and undesirable elements such as suspended matter and microbiological organisms.
The surface water is purified by carbon adsorption, biological filtration, coagulation, sedimentation and filtration. These processes remove odor, color, and undesirable elements such as suspended matter and microbiological organisms. The filtered water from the two sources is then combined. The combined water is further enhanced before leaving the plant.
The water is disinfected to destroy microbes and provide protection against microbial regrowth in the distribution system and your plumbing. The water is also made less corrosive, thus prolonging your home plumbing and fixtures. Natural fluoride levels are slightly increased to optimal levels as a public health measure to help develop decay resistant teeth and strong bones.
The purification plant is staffed with dedicated, professionally trained, State certified operational, laboratory and maintenance personnel. This staff operates and maintains the advanced water purification facility as well as monitors and researches water quality issues.