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2021 Water Quality Report Town of Highland Beach 3614 South Ocean Boulevard • Highland Beach, Florida 33487 CERTIFICATION I, LANELDA GASKINS, MMC,Town Clerk of the Town of Highland Beach, do herebv certify that the attached document is a true and correct copy of Town of Highland Beach 2021 Water Quality Report. Mass Mail Direct through the United States Postal Services mailed the report to Highland Beach residents according to the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser's tax roll prior to 10't day of June 2022. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and the official seal of the Town of Highland Beach, Florida, on this the 26' day of May 2022. 01949 Lanelda Gas0is, MMC Town Clerk Town of Highland Beach, Florida (SEAL) www.highlandbeach.us Tel (561) 278-4548 • Fax (561) 265-3582 Town of Highland Beach 3614 South Ocean Blvd. Highland Beach FL 33487 Water Dept. Hours Monday-Friday- 7:00 a.m. to 4 p.m. Water Quality Questions Contact: Robert Ailstock, Water Plant Superintendent or David Richards, Chief Operator (561) 243-2084 www.highlandbeach.us Additional Contacts Environmental Protection Agency's Safe Drinking Water Hotline: (800) 426-4791 • www.epa.gov Palm Beach County Public Health Unit: (561) 837-5900 Florida Department of Health: (904) 791-1599 ®2022 Town of Highland Beach. This publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without written authorization from the Town of Highland Beach. Town of Highland Beach 3614 South Ocean Blvd. Highland Beach, FL 33487 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. FDA regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health. MCLs are set at very stringent levels. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791. In our continuing effort to maintain a safe and dependable water supply and to comply with applicable regulations it may, from time to time be necessary to make improvements to the water system. The costs of such improvements may be reflected in the rate structure or through ad valorem taxes. The Town continues to upgrade its Water Plant by replacing aging equipment before it fails. In 2017, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) performed a Source Water Assessment, which indicated there is one potential source of contamination with low concern level near our groundwater wells. According to the 2018 FDEP Source Water Assessment for Highland Beach, there are two potential sources of contamination with low and moderate concern levels. The assessment results are available on the FDEP Source Water Assessment and Protection Program website at www.dep.state.fl.us/swapp. WATER CONSERVATION TIPS Courtesy of the Environmental Protection Agency Repair all leaks immediately. A leaky toilet can waste 200 gallons of water per day. To detect leaks in the toilet, add food coloring to the tank; if the colored water appears in the bowl, the toilet is leaking When using a hose, control flow with an automatic shut-off nozzle Water only when necessary. The most effective time is early in the morning; not on windy, rainy or very hot days. Use-water efficiently; direct water to plants, not to driveways or sidewalks Replace old fixtures with high efficiency devices NOTE: Some individuals may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immunocompromised persons such as people with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, have undergone organ transplants, or those who may have HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people 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 microbiological contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hot Line (800) 426-4791.   2021 Water Quality Monitoring Results Definitions of Terms & Abbreviations 2021 Revenue Sufficiency and Rate Study – Water and Wastewater Systems Test Results Table Why are Contaminants Present in Our Water Our Monitoring Process How is Our Water Treated? The Town of Highland Beach is pleased to present our Water Quality Report for 2021. The publication of this report allows us the opportunity to keep you informed about the excellent water services we have delivered over the past year. Our goal has always been to provide our residents with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water. The source of the raw water is from wells drawn from the Floridan Aquifer. Since water is the earth's most precious resource we request that citizens practice sensible conservation measures whenever possible. Reduced usage also helps to control expenses associated with pumping and treatment of water. The Town of Highland Beach Water Treatment Plant uses a state-of-the-art method of Reverse Osmosis to treat the water that is pumped from the aquifer. This process removes minerals and other contaminants from the water but does not eliminate dissolved gases. A degasification system and two air scrubbers are used to remove unwanted gases from the water. The water is then treated to add hardness, alkalinity and for disinfection. This improves the taste of the water, reduces the corrosivity, and keeps it safe to drink. The Water Department diligently operates and maintains the treatment facility to ensure the delivery of reliable, safe and high quality water to our customers. The Town also has the ability to provide you with water through interconnections with the Cities of Delray Beach or Boca Raton in case of an emergency or for maintenance that requires our plant to be shut down. We want our valued customers to be informed about your water utility and encourage you to attend Town Commission Meetings or view them online at www.highlandbeach.us. Meetings are held at 1:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month in the Town Hall Commission Chambers, 3614 South Ocean Boulevard. If you have any questions or concerns about this information or to learn more about your water utility, please contact Robert Ailstock, Water Plant Superintendent or David Richard, Chief Operator at (561) 243-2084. Our Monitoring Process The Town of Highland Beach Water Treatment plant routinely monitors for many contaminants in your drinking water according to Federal and State Laws; however, only those detected are included in the table. As water travels over the land or underground it can pick up substances or contaminants such as microbes, inorganic and organic chemicals, and radioactive substances. All drinking water, including bottled drinking water, may be reasonably expected to contain at least trace amounts of some contaminants. It's important to remember that the presence of these contaminants does not necessarily pose a health risk. The state allows us to monitor for some contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants do not change frequently. Therefore, some of our data, although representative, is more than one year old. How Is Our Water Treated? Highland Beach's water plant uses the process of Reverse Osmosis to treat our water. The water plant utilizes the Floridan aquifer, and draws water from wells that are 1,200 feet deep. Although raw water is quite pristine, it is high in salinity (salt content). To remove the salinity and other impurities, the raw well water passes through a series of membranes. The system uses 300 horse power pumps that force the water through the membranes at very high pressures, in excess of 350 pounds per square inch (psi). An antiscalant is used in order to protect the membranes from a buildup of solids that would result in clogging, and phosphate is used as a corrosion inhibitor as protection for the piping. Before the finished water enters the distribution system, acid and liquid lime are added for pH adjustment, and chlorine is used as a disinfectant. The end result is that Highland Beach residents enjoy very pure water that is crystal clear. Lead and Copper (Tap Water) Contaminant And Unit of Measure Dates of Sampling (mo./Yr.) Action Level Exceedance Y/N Percentile Result 90th No. of Sampling Sites Exceeding the AL MCLG All (Action Level) Likely Source Of Contamination Copper (ppm) 09/16/2021 N 0.062 0 1.3 1.3 Lead (ppb) 09/16/2021 N 0.0047 0 0 15 Inorganic Contaminants Contaminant And Unit of Measure Dates of Sampling (mo./yr.) Violations Exceedance Y/N Level Detected Range of Results MRDLG or MCLG MRDL or MCL Likely Source Of Contamination Fluoride (ppm) 10/19/2020 N 0.035 N/A N/A 4.0 Erosion of natural deposits. Discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories. Sodium (ppm) 10/19/2020 N 61.3 N/A N/A 160 Salt water intrusion; leaching from soil. Arsenic (ppm) 10/19/2020 N ND N/A N/A 0.010 Erosion of natural deposits: runoff from orchards: runoff from glass and electronics production wastes . Selenium (ppm) 10/19/2020 N ND N/A N/A 0.05 Discharge from petroleum and metal refineries: erosion of natural deposits: discharge from mines. Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection by-Products—Inorganic Contaminants Chlorine (ppm) Monthly N 1.4 (Avg.) 0.5 - 1.8 4.0 4.0 Water additive used to control microbes. Stage 2 Disinfectants and disinfection By-Products—Inorganic Contaminants Trihalomethanes (ppb) 09/08/2021 N ND 0 N/A 80.0 By-product of drinking water disinfection. Haloacetic Acids (ppb) 09/08/2021 N ND 0 N/A 60.0 By-product of drinking water disinfection. Corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits. 2021 Revenue Sufficiency and Rate Study – Water and Wastewater Systems On March 2, 2021, the Town Commission approved the 2021 Revenue Sufficiency and Rate Study – Water and Wastewater Systems. The approved rates went into effect as of April 1, 2021. The new rate structure was developed and approved to achieve three main goals: (1) Create an independent utility system by systematically transferring debt service costs from the General Fund to the utility enterprise fund coupled with matching reduction to the debt service millage, (2) Eliminate operating deficits, and (3) Establish a sufficient capital improvement fund. Furthermore, to achieve the goals as outlined, there will be adjustments to the rates over the next five (5) years. As such, utility customers should expect to see increases during these years. Water Rates (Effective 10/01/2021) Residential, Multifamily, and Commercial classes of customers: Water flat charge: $44.40 Bi-monthly Usage Charges (per unit): 0 to 10,000 gallons $2.36 per 1,000 gallons 10,001 to 20,000 gallons $3.20 per 1,000 gallons 20,001 to 55,000 gallons $4.96 per 1,000 gallons 55,001 to 80,000 gallons $7.22 per 1,000 gallons Over 80,000 gallons $9.44 per 1,000 gallons For the irrigation class: Water flat charge: $44.40 Bi-monthly Usage Charges (per unit): 0 to 55,000 gallons $4.96 per 1,000 gallons 55,001 to 80,000 gallons $7.22 per 1,000 gallons over 80,000 gallons $9.44 per 1,000 gallons Wastewater Rates For residential and multifamily classes of customers: Wastewater flat charge: $33.39 Bi-monthly Usage Charge (per unit): $2.72 per 1,000 gallons of water usage to a maximum of 20,000 gallons For commercial customers: Wastewater flat charge: $33.39 Bi-Monthly Usage Charge (per unit): $2.72 per 1,000 gallons with no maximum In the test result table you may find terms and abbreviations you might not be familiar with. To help you better understand these terms, we have provided the following definitions: 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. N/A - Not applicable. ND - "ND" means not detected and indicates that the substance was not found by laboratory analysis. Parts per billion (ppb) or Micrograms per liter (mg/L) - one part by weight of analyte to 1 billion parts by weight of the water sample. Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level or MRDL - The highest level of disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants. Parts per million (ppm ) or Milligrams per liter (mg/L) - one part by weight of analyte to 1 million parts by weight of the water sample. 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. Maximum Contaminant Level Goal or MCLG - The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety. Definitions of Terms & Abbreviations Why are Contaminants Present in Our Water? 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 storm water 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 storm water 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 storm water runoff, and septic systems. (E) Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally-occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities. F) Lead, 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 Town of Highland Beach 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.