Bay County's Violation

The Bay County water system was in violation of the U.S. EPA and FDEP water quality standards for the sum of the five haloacetic acids (HAAS) during the first quarter of 2004 due to a quarterly high of 122 ppb during July through September of 2003. The HAA5 level is calculated quarterly and is based on a rolling annual average of the prior four quarterly averages. For 2004, the quarterly averages were 33 ppb for January-March, 17 ppb for April-June, 38 ppb for July-September, and 34 ppb for October-December.

Some people who drink water containing haloacetic acids in excess of the MCL over many years may have an increased risk of getting cancer. In practical terms, the MCL of 60 ppb is based on the assumption of an individual consuming two liters per day of water with 60 ppb of HAA5 over a 70-year lifetime; this would result in a maximum cancer risk that falls within the 1 in 10,000 risk range that the U.S. EPA considers adequate for public health protection.

Bay County Utilities is working with the FDEP and Bay County consultants to evaluate the raw water supply and is researching options to correct the problem. The wetter than normal summer in 2003 had flushed higher levels of natural organic matter (for example tannic and humic acids) into Deer Point Reservoir. The Bay County Water Treatment \Plant is currently undergoing an upgrade; construction should be completed by February 2007.