Water Quality Report 2022 (2023)

Important information

water quality reportUnder amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1996, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires water to be made available to all municipal water system customers on an annual basis.

JEA regularly monitors drinking water for contaminants in accordance with federal and state laws, rules and regulations. Unless otherwise noted, this report is based on our surveillance from January 1 to December 31, 2022. Data collected prior to January 1, 2022 and presented in this report is derived from the most recent laws, rules and regulations. Of the more than 100 contaminants that JEA routinely detects, only those that have been detected appear in the table.

Sources of drinking water (tap and bottled) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs and wells. As water flows over land surfaces or through soil, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive materials, and absorbs materials generated by the presence of animals or human activity.

Contaminants that may be present in spring water include:

• (A) Microbial contaminants such as viruses and bacteria can originate from sewage treatment plants, sewage treatment plants, farm animals and wildlife.
• (B) Inorganic pollutants such as salts and metals, which may occur naturally or from urban stormwater runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas exploration, mining or agriculture.
• (C) Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from various sources, e.g. B. from agriculture, from urban stormwater runoff and from residential areas.
• (D) Organic chemical pollutants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals that are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and may also come from gas stations, municipal stormwater runoff, and sewage treatment plants.
• (E) Radioactive pollutants that may occur naturally or as a result of oil and gas production and mining activities.

To ensure tap water is safe to drink, the EPA has issued regulations that limit the levels of certain contaminants in water in public water systems. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations set limits for contaminants in bottled water that must provide the same level of public health protection.

It is reasonable to assume that drinking water, including bottled water, contains at least small amounts of certain contaminants. The presence of pollutants does not necessarily mean that the water is hazardous to health. For more information on contaminants and potential health effects, please callEPA Safe Drinking Water Hotlineexist(800) 426-4791.

terms and abbreviations

In the table above you may find unfamiliar terms and abbreviations. To help you better understand these terms, we provide the following definitions:

• Action level (AL):The concentration of a pollutant above which triggers treatment or other requirement that the water system must meet.
• Maximum pollutant content (MCL):The maximum permissible pollutant content in drinking water. Set the MCL as close as possible to the MCLG using the best treatment technique available.
• Target Maximum Contaminant Content (MCLG):The level of contaminants in drinking water below which there is no known or expected health risk. MCLG allows for a margin of safety.
• Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level (MRDL):The maximum permissible proportion of disinfectant in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that the addition of disinfectants is necessary to control microbial contamination.
• Target of the maximum residual disinfection amount (MRDLG):The concentration of a drinking water disinfectant below which there is no known or expected health risk. MRDLG does not reflect the benefits of using disinfectants to control microbial contamination.
• Not recognized (ND):Displays "Not Detected" indicating that the substance was not found during laboratory analysis.
• Not required (NR):Secondary pollutants with sample results below the MCL do not need to be reported.
• Parts per billion (ppb) or micrograms per liter (μg/L):1 part by weight of analyte per 1 billion parts by weight of water sample.
• Parts per million (ppm) or milligrams per liter (mg/l):One part by weight of analyte per million parts by weight of water sample.
• Pikocurien pro Liter (pCi/L):Measure the radioactivity in the water.
• Differences and exceptions:The state or EPA permit the MCL to be waived under certain conditions.

Remarks:MCL is set to a strict level. To understand the possible health effects of the many regulated ingredients described, a person would need to drink two liters of water per day throughout the lifetime of the MCL to have a one in a million chance of having the described effects.

Further information

to lead:When elevated levels of lead are present, it can lead to serious health problems, especially in pregnant women and young children. Lead in drinking water comes primarily from materials and components associated with utility lines and household plumbing. JEA is responsible for providing high quality drinking water but has no control over the variety of materials used for plumbing components. If your water has sat for hours, you can minimize the possibility of lead exposure by flushing the faucet for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using or boiling. If you are concerned about the lead levels in your water, you can have your water tested. For information about lead levels in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure, go toHotline for safe drinking waterorepa.gov/safewater/lead.

TTHM [Total Trihalomethane]:Subsequent samples in 2022 exceeded the TTHM MCL of 80 ppb. However, the system did not lead to MCL violations as all sites achieved average annual results below the MCL. Some people who drink water with THM levels above the MCL for years may develop liver, kidney or central nervous system problems and may be at increased risk of cancer.

• Main grid:
  • 6506 Greenfern Lane: 90.69 ppb (January)
• Ponce de Leon grid:
  • 2371 S. Ponte Vedra Blvd.: 81.88 & 85.61 ppb (January)
  • 125 Tides Edge Place: 92,81 (7 Monate)

E coli:On August 25, 2022, we collected E. coli samples from 5 out of 38 water treatment plants. Analysis the next day showed that a sample from Oakridge was positive for the stool indicator E. coli. On August 26th we shut down the waterworks, surveyed each well five times, issued a Boiling Water Advisory (BWA) for the area and surveyed the distribution system for two days. All samples were coliform free and the BWA was canceled on August 28th. E. coli is a bacterium whose presence indicates that the water may be contaminated with human or animal waste. Microorganisms in this waste can cause short-term effects such as diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches or other symptoms. They can pose a particular health risk to infants, young children, some older adults, and people with severely compromised immune systems.

immunocompromised people

Some people may be more vulnerable to the effects of contaminants in drinking water than the general population. People with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, people who have had an organ transplant, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly people and young children may be particularly at risk. These people should seek advice from their doctor about drinking water. For EPA/CDC guidance on appropriate methods to reduce the risk of infection with Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants, seeSafe Drinking Water Hotline 800-426-4791.

Printed version of the report

• Download the print version (PDF)Water Quality Report 2022.
• request a copy of the reportCall our Customer Service Center(904) 665-6000.
• pick up a copyin every branchJacksonville Public Library.

For more information on the JEA water quality assessment or to request a report, please contact us.