2020 Water Quality ReportTown of Highland Beach
3614 South Ocean Blvd.
Highland Beach, FL 33487
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
02020 Town of Highland Beach. This
publication may not be reproduced in
whole or in part without written
authorization from the Town of Highland
Beach.
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Highland Beach Town Of
3614 S Ocean Blvd
Prst Standard '
US PostageIV
RECEIVED PAID •
Boca Raton, FL -
Permit No. 1767 >'
JUN Q 22
1949
Highland Beach, FL 33487-3393 TOVVn Of ill
lill 11"lll'll'il'lllllllll111"1lllll'1lll1"1111'llilll"1111'1 Town wnClerk's il:) How
Do We Ensure the Highest Quality of Water? 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. 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. 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. 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. 1
202
I
in This Report 2020
Water Quality
Monitoring Results Definitions
of Terms & Abbreviations
2021
Revenue Sufficiency and Rate
Study — Water and Wastewater
Systems Test
Results Table 1
Why are Contaminants Present in
Our Water Our
Monitoring -Process How
is Our Water Treated?
1
111:171 liEaP
19 L;!J1 ANNUAL WATER QUALITY
REPORT
The Town of
Highland Beach is pleased to present our
Water Quality Keport for 2020. 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.
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 N/A - Not applicable.
which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other ND - "ND" means not detected and indicates
requirements that a water system must follow. that the substance was not found by laboratory
Maximum Contaminant Level or MCL - The highest
analysis.
level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. Parts per billion (ppb) or Micrograms per
MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using liter (mg/L) - one part by weight of analyte to 1
the best available treatment technology. billion parts by weight of the water sample.
Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level or MRDL - Parts per million (ppm ) or Milligrams per
The highest level of disinfectant allowed in drinking liter (mg/L) - one part by weight of analyte to 1
water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a million parts by weight of the water sample.
disinfectant is necessary for control of 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.
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.
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 0410112021)
Residential, Multifamily, and Commercial classes of customers:
Water flat charge: $40.00
Bi-monthly Usage Charges (per unit):
C
0 to 10,000 gallons 2.13 per 1,000 gallons
10,001 to 20,000 gallons 2.88 per 1,000 gallons
20,001 to 55,000 gallons 4.47 per 1,000 gallons
55,001 to 80,000 gallons 6.50 per 1,000 gallons
Over 80,000 gallons 8.50 per 1,000 gallons
For the irrigation class:
Water flat charge: $40.00
Bi-monthly Usage Charges (per unit):
0 to 55,000 gallons $4.47 per 1,000 gallons
55,001 to 80,000 gallons $6.50 per 1,000 gallons
over 80,000 gallons $8.50 per 1,000 gallons
Wastewater Rates
For residential and multifamily classes of customers:
Wastewater flat charge: $29.55 Bi-monthly Usage Charge (per unit): $2.41 per 1,000 gallons of water
usage to a maximum of 20,000 gallons
For commercial customers:
Wastewater flat charge: $29.55 Bi-Monthly Usage Charge (per unit): $2.41 per 1,000 gallons with no
maximum
Test Results Table
ontarninant
Awl Unit of
Dates of
Sampling
A tion
1- evel
Lead and CopperWater)
Percentile No. of
Result Sampling
MCLGI All
Action
Likely Source
Of Contamination
Copper (ppm) 09/25/2020
N
N 0.094
Exceeding
the AL
0 1.3 1.3
Corrosion of household
plumbing systems; erosion of
Lead (ppm) 09/25/2020 N 0.0021 0 0 15 natural deposits.
Inorganic1
ontaininant
And Unit of
Dates of
Samplilig
Vio ations
Ex q edance
Level
Detected
Range of
Results
MRDl_,G
or
MRDL
01,
1-,ikely Source
Of
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 0.00050 N/A N/A 0.010
Erosion of natural deposits:
runoff from orchards: runoff
from glass and electronics
production wastes .
Discharge from petroleum andSelenium (ppm) 10/19/2020 N 0.00083 N/A N/A 0.05
metal refineries: erosion of
natural deposits: discharge from
mines.
Stagel Disinfecfil,knts and Disinfection1 1Contaminants
N 1.4 (Avg.) Chlorine (ppm) Monthly 0.5 - 2.1 4.0 4.0 Water additive used to control
microbes.
Stage 2 Disinfecto'IrInts1 i 1d ucts-1 norgan ic Contaminants
Trihalomethanes 10/22/2020 N 0.95 (Avg.) 0.6 - 1.3 N/A 80.0 By-product of drinking water
ppb) disinfection.
Haloacetic Acids 10/22/2020 N 1.0 (Avg.) 0.90 - 1.10 N/A 60.0 By-product of drinking water
ppb) disinfection.
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 stor-.z 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 wo RP.erl 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.