{"id":2072809,"date":"2023-10-19T09:44:03","date_gmt":"2023-10-19T13:44:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/in-depth-floridas-water-problems-and-solutions-are-a-model-for-the-nation\/"},"modified":"2023-10-19T09:47:51","modified_gmt":"2023-10-19T13:47:51","slug":"in-depth-floridas-water-problems-and-solutions-are-a-model-for-the-nation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/in-depth-floridas-water-problems-and-solutions-are-a-model-for-the-nation\/","title":{"rendered":"Florida&#8217;s water issues and solutions serve as a national model."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fin-depth-floridas-water-problems-and-solutions-are-a-model-for-the-nation%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2072809&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div data-post-content=\"true\" class=\"post_content\" id=\"post_content\">\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<blockquote>\n<p>When the city of Lake \u200cMary tested its \u2064public wells in 2014, \u200bit made a startling discovery. The Florida community of 17,000 had \u2063elevated levels of\u200d 1,4-dioxane in its water, \u200ba chemical that the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/2016-09\/documents\/1-4-dioxane.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">EPA says<\/a> can cause kidney and liver failure or cancer from prolonged exposure.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote><\/div>\n<p>While reducing pumping at specific wells \u200dwith\u2063 the highest measurements of the chemical solvent lowered levels of 1,4-dioxane going into Lake Mary homes to what is \u2062considered \u201csafe\u201d by both the EPA and \u200cthe Florida Department of Health (DOH), former public works director, Bruce Paster, was concerned for the future. What if\u200d the \u2063levels of 1,4-dioxane increased again, and suddenly, \u2062residents\u200d and public health officials demanded\u200c a comprehensive \u200dsolution for the 3 million gallons\u200c of drinking\u200c water pumping \u200binto the city \u2064daily?<\/p>\n<p>For Lake Mary residents, the city blamed the companies liable for the crisis. The chemical plume originated at \u200cthe Siemans-Stromberg hazardous waste site \u2063at 400 Rinehart \u200dRoad, Seminole County, which, according\u200c to DOH\u200d paperwork, used chlorinated solvents until the early 1980s. Over the years, three companies were \u200dassociated with the site\u2014General Dynamics, MONI Holdings, and\u200b Siemens\u2014all required to collectively pay for Lake Mary\u2019s new water treatment plant.<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode\">\n    <!--$--><\/p>\n<div class=\"border-comp-divider mb-4 mr-4 w-full max-w-[500px] border px-5 py-4 text-[16px] leading-[20px] text-[#262626] md:float-left\" id=\"in_article_related_stories\">\n<h2 class=\"mb-3 font-sans text-[16px] font-semibold uppercase leading-[19px] text-[#2F2F2F]\">Related Stories<\/h2>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-4 sm:line-clamp-3\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/jackson-mississippi-mayor-declares-state-of-emergency-amid-water-crisis-4948609?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"text-sm sm:text-base\">Jackson, \u200bMississippi, Mayor Declares \u200bState of Emergency Amid\u2063 Water Crisis<\/h3>\n<p>            <\/a>\n          <\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">12\/27\/2022<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[70px] sm:basis-[120px]\">\n          <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/jackson-mississippi-mayor-declares-state-of-emergency-amid-water-crisis-4948609?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\">\n            <picture><source type=\"image\/webp\" https:><\/source><source type=\"image\/*\" https:><\/source>\n            <\/picture>\n          <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-4 sm:line-clamp-3\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/flint-water-crisis-charges-dropped-for-7-former-officials-4774590?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"text-sm sm:text-base\">Flint Water Crisis Charges Dropped for 7 \u200dFormer Officials<\/h3>\n<p>            <\/a>\n          <\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">10\/5\/2022<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[70px] sm:basis-[120px]\">\n          <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/flint-water-crisis-charges-dropped-for-7-former-officials-4774590?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\">\n            <picture><source type=\"image\/webp\" https:><\/source><source type=\"image\/*\" https:><\/source>\n            <\/picture>\n          <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>    <!--\/$-->\n  <\/div>\n<p>This agreement gave Lake Mary\u200d a unique opportunity, according to Public Works Director Danielle Koury.\u2064 Unlike most\u200c municipal \u200bwater utilities forced to \u200bfind the most practical solution at the lowest\u2064 affordable cost, Lake Mary made a\u2063 deal with the three responsible companies to\u200c create the best possible water \u200dtreatment system that money\u200d could buy. The cost was roughly $40 million, according to Ms. Koury.<\/p>\n<p>Instead of\u200d only using granulated activated \u200ccarbon (GAC) to filter its groundwater \u200dcontaminants\u2014which is essentially high-grade charcoal\u2014Lake Mary adopted an approach known as \u201cadvanced oxidation,\u201d which completely\u2064 \u201cdestroys\u201d 1,4-dioxane by ripping the molecules to shreds, leaving no byproduct whatsoever, according\u2062 to Ms. Koury.<\/p>\n<p>She said the solution is ideal because &#8220;<strong>We are \u2062essentially destroying the \u2063chemical, not just removing it from the \u2064water that\u200d you\u2019re\u200c drinking. \u200cSo, like with \u2062reverse\u2062 osmosis and carbon filters,\u200c the chemical is being absorbed into either a membrane or that carbon. What do you do with the \u2063membrane or the leftover? You\u2019re removing \u2064the chemical; what do you\u2062 do with the\u2062 waste that is still present?<\/strong>&#8220;<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode post-related-videos\">\n    <!--$--><\/p>\n<div class=\"lazyload-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"lazyload-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>    <!--\/$-->\n  <\/div>\n<div class=\"post-figure\" style=\"margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:1200px\">\n<figure style=\"width:759px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"aligncenter\"><figcaption>A map of Lake Mary&#8217;s\u2063 water service area. (Courtesy of Lake \u2062Mary)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Advanced oxidation combines \u2063the power\u2062 of strong\u2063 ultraviolet lights with\u200c the corrosive powers of hydrogen \u200bperoxide to create what\u2019s known\u200b as a hydroxyl radical, a molecule with the capability of tearing apart \u200bcertain chemicals \u2062and\u200b rendering\u2062 them inert, such as 1,4-dioxane. The UV\u2062 lights \u2064are similar \u2062to the ones \u2063used in\u200c air sanitation\u2064 products but much stronger. While store-bought hydrogen peroxide&#8217;s strength is\u200c only 3 percent, the peroxide used by Lake Mary is 50 percent \u200band nearly 17 times stronger.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<blockquote>\n<p>According\u200b to <a href=\"https:\/\/earthobservatory.nasa.gov\/images\/144358\/detergent-like-molecule-recycles-itself-in-atmosphere#:~:text=The%20hydroxyl%20(OH)%20radical%E2%80%94,air%2C%20breaking%20down%20other%20gases.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NASA<\/a>,\u200c hydroxyl\u200c radicals naturally occur in the atmosphere and act like a\u200d \u201cdetergent in the air\u201d \u2063as they \u200cbreak down harmful gases, such as methane. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/topics\/earth-and-planetary-sciences\/hydroxyl-radical#:~:text=Hydroxyl%20radicals%20destroy%20organic%20contaminants,their%20interactions%20with%20organic%20molecules.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">One study<\/a> found that hydroxyl\u2063 molecules\u2063 can also naturally \u200bdegrade \u200dacids,\u200d alcohols, aldehydes, aromatics, amines, ethers, ketones, \u200dand other chemical contaminants.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote><\/div>\n<p>For 1,4-dioxane, public health \u2063officials nationwide \u200care \u200dfacing similar\u2063 issues \u2062to Lake Mary. The solvent was found in\u2062 shallow groundwater in Waterworks Park in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 2016 \u200bafter it migrated from a plume\u2062 that originated at the former Gelman Sciences property. While the chemical\u2019s levels were not\u200c high enough \u2062to result in vapor exposure from\u200c running water indoors, some public\u2062 health officials feared ramifications of long-term exposure to the solvent.<\/p>\n<p>Officials found 1,4-dioxane\u200d in Pittsboro, \u200cNorth Carolina\u2019s drinking water in 2021. Initial tests confirmed that levels of 1,4-dioxane were\u200b more \u2062than double the amount considered to be safe, according \u2064to \u200bofficials. The\u2062 town\u2062 stopped drawing as much water from Haw River, which had high \u2062measurements of the chemical, \u200bin hopes \u2064that \u200dit would reduce the 1,4-dioxane\u200b to a safe threshold. Despite those attempts, the amount of 1,4-dioxane in the\u200d town\u2019s water was slightly higher than what the EPA deems safe.<\/p>\n<p>Lake Mary\u2019s solution to its 1,4-dioxane groundwater\u2062 contamination is comprehensive and advanced and\u200b could potentially destroy other common chemical contaminants such \u2063as vinyl chloride, according to\u2064 Ms.\u2063 Koury. However, every chemical \u200bexposed to advanced oxidation\u200c would need to be studied extensively \u2062first.\u200d And that will\u2064 depend on every\u2064 municipality&#8217;s water source, she said.<\/p>\n<p>Ms. Koury pointed\u2063 out the issue of different contaminants coming \u2062from water sources that \u2064could be adjacent. Other wells could contain bromide, which \u2063turns into a\u2062 highly dangerous chemical known \u2062as bromate\u200b when exposed to advanced oxidation.<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Steven J. Duranceau, Professor of Environmental Engineering at the University of Central Florida and Director of\u200d the\u2064 Environmental Systems Engineering Institute, echoed these concerns. According\u2063 to Dr. Duranceau, advanced oxidation\u2063 not only presents issues when \u2062groundwater contains bromide but is not the \u2062only solution for removing\u200b 1,4-dioxane specifically.<\/p>\n<p>He co-authored a paper on using a \u201cnanofiltration\u2064 membrane process\u201d to remove the solvent from exposed groundwater, akin to a super-dense filter with \u200ba tiny micron count. However, \u200caccording to Dr. Duranceau, \u200cGAC is also effective at removing 1,4-dioxane; it is \u200bnot as comprehensive as advanced oxidation because there is waste when replacing the carbon that filters the chemical.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-figure\" style=\"margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:1200px\">\n<figure style=\"width:843px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"aligncenter\"><figcaption>Dr. Steven \u2063J. \u2064Duranceau, Professor\u2063 of Environmental Engineering at the \u2063University of Central Florida and\u200b Director\u200c of the Environmental Systems Engineering Institute. (Courtesy of the University of Central Florida)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Many\u200d residents \u200dexpressed frustrations \u2063with Lake Mary, even though Dr. Duranceau \u2063emphasizes that chemicals like 1,4-dioxane were previously unregulated by the EPA.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf \u200bit was me that found out, I&#8217;d be thankful\u2064 that Lake Mary went ahead above and beyond to protect their citizens\u200b through the \u2064public water system. You know, kudos to them for going and making an organization \u200bhelp them deal with a contamination issue that\u200b wasn&#8217;t \u2062even regulated,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<blockquote>\n<p>Additionally, Lake Mary\u2019s woes with 1,4-dioxane are just a small\u200c part of Florida\u2019s decades-long struggles\u200c with\u2064 groundwater contamination.<\/p>\n<h2>Creating Safe Drinking Water<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re talking about a complex natural water system that has one or more contaminants \u2063in it because of industrialization,\u201d Dr. Duranceau said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote><\/div>\n<p>Sometimes,\u2062 officials trace \u200bthose contaminants to leaking gasoline tanks\u200c underneath old gas stations, which can release \u200ca chemical \u200dknown as TCE into the\u2063 surrounding groundwater. While water treatment plants can remove TCE through aeration techniques, just \u200bone ounce of gasoline is required to contaminate millions of gallons of water, according to Dr. Duranceau.<\/p>\n<p>He said \u2062that water wells in Florida also test positive\u200b for chemicals like \u200cbenzene and xylene. Some chemicals found in wells are \u2064regulated at low levels, and others are not. All regulated chemicals in drinking water are defined \u2062by the \u200cSafe Drinking Water\u2062 Act.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe drinking water laws, the\u200b United States Environmental Protection Agency\u2019s \u200cSafe Drinking Water Act is the most complex, comprehensive legislation ever enacted by any society, in the history\u2062 of the world, to protect people&#8217;s exposure \u200cin \u2062a public system to an involuntary exposure to \u200ccontaminants in the \u2063water system,\u201d Dr. Duranceau said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<blockquote>\n<p>The Safe Drinking Water Act was \u2063passed in 1974 to \u201cprotect public health by regulating the nation\u2019s public drinking water supply,\u201d according to\u200c the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/sdwa\/overview-safe-drinking-water-act\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">EPA<\/a>.\u200d It\u200d was amended in 1986\u200d and \u200b1996, allowing the EPA to \u201cset national health-based standards for drinking water \u200cto protect against both naturally-occurring and man-made contaminants that may be found in water.\u201d Federal and state governments collaborate to ensure safety regarding the\u200c public\u2019s access to drinking water.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote><\/div>\n<div class=\"post-figure\" style=\"margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:1200px\">\n<figure style=\"width:719px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"aligncenter\"><figcaption>The\u2062 Environmental Protection Agency headquarters in\u200d Washington, on March 23, 2023. (Richard Moore\/The Epoch Times)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>For \u2063many\u2063 municipalities faced with chemical contaminants in their groundwater, using activated carbon (GAC) is typically enough, as long as the carbon media is replaced as\u2063 needed,\u2064 Dr. Duranceau said. However, he noted a past public health crisis in\u200d Hawaii when countless residents bought GAC systems \u2064for their homes \u2064to rid their water of chlorine, which is an essential disinfectant\u2062 in \u200bmost public water\u2064 systems.<\/p>\n<p>According to Dr. Duranceau, many residents were not replacing the carbon \u2062in their GAC systems, which led\u2062 to rampant bacterial growth within their home water filtration equipment. An \u2062\u201citchy water\u201d\u2063 outbreak resulted that residents blamed \u2062on their municipal \u2063water utility, when in fact, \u200dit was the \u200bresidents doing it to themselves, he said.<\/p>\n<p>Natural disasters can complicate public water safety as well.<\/p>\n<p>After the\u200b August 2023 fires in Maui, Hawaii, devastated public and private land\u2014destroying \u200bcountless homes and businesses\u2014the heat from the flames also damaged municipal\u2063 water lines. Public \u2063health officials warned residents that \u200cfilters were insufficient and that there was no \u201cway \u200cto make \u200c [the water] safe.\u201d \u2062The fire\u2062 caused\u200c pressure loss in water \u2062lines, which let\u200d toxic chemicals, metals, and bacteria seep\u200d inside. Sometimes, simple breaches to the pipes\u2062 can result in waste runoff mixing with public drinking water. Flames can \u2063also melt plastic liners inside \u200cpipes, resulting in \u200ctoxic fumes \u200cflowing through water lines.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<blockquote>\n<p>These pipes can\u200b be a huge source of contamination, according to officials. Historically, the lines that carry \u200cwater from wells or water sources to treatment facilities and out to homes\u200d and businesses\u200d were not always constructed\u2064 from materials that are now deemed \u201csafe.\u201d \u200cLead was used in water lines throughout the United States for\u200c years, especially \u2063in industrial areas like the Northern Midwest.<\/p>\n<h2>National Lead \u200bCrisis<\/h2>\n<p>According to \u200ba <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC2509614\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">study<\/a> from the\u200b National\u200c Library\u2064 of Medicine, health officials recognized the link between lead pipes and lead poisoning as far back as\u2062 the late 1800s. Cities and towns began restricting the use of lead pipes by the\u200d 1920s. However, the lead industry, championed by the Lead Industries Association (LIA), lobbied against this pushback of lead plumbing. \u2063The \u200dLIA sent representatives to \u201cspeak with plumbers\u2019 associations, local water \u2062authorities, architects, and federal officials.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote><\/div>\n<p>The National Library of Medicine charged the LIA with publishing articles and books that \u201cextolled the advantages of lead over other\u2063 materials and gave practical advice on the\u2064 installation and repair of lead pipes. The\u2064 LIA\u2019s activities over \u200bseveral decades, therefore, contributed to the present-day public health and economic \u2064cost \u2063of lead water pipes,\u201d according to the study.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Lead affects the nervous system\u200c in \u200dadults and children. Long-term exposure may lead to muscle weakness, kidney damage, high blood pressure, reproductive problems in\u200c both men and\u2064 women, and\u200b miscarriage,&#8221; according to a Florida Department of\u200d Health fact sheet.<\/p>\n<p>One of the states most\u200b affected by\u2063 lead pipe poisoning is Michigan.\u200d State officials <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlive.com\/news\/flint\/2019\/06\/michigan-spent-1m-on-water-filters-for-flint-schools.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">tried to save money<\/a> \u200bin 2013\u200b by redirecting the city of \u2062Flint\u2019s water from the Detroit \u2064River\u2063 to \u2064the local Flint River for the\u200d city\u2019s 100,000 residents.<\/p>\n<p>Even \u200cthough the move was intended to be temporary until officials could connect to Lake Huron, residents almost immediately started\u200b complaining about the city&#8217;s water&#8217;s taste, smell, and brown color. Some experienced\u200b rashes and hair loss before a group of doctors measured increased lead levels in children\u2019s blood and urged the city to stop drawing water from the Flint River.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-figure\" style=\"margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:1200px\">\n<figure style=\"width:1133px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"aligncenter\"><figcaption>U.S. \u200bSurgeon General Vivek Murthy inspects a bottle of water that contains water from \u2062Flint resident Tia Simpson&#8217;s tap at her home\u200b on Flint&#8217;s south side, in Mich., on Feb.\u200b 16, 2015. (Jake May\/The Flint Journal-MLive.com via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<blockquote>\n<p>The river\u200b was exposed to industrial\u2064 and unofficial waste disposal \u2062for \u200ddecades, which included \u2062treated and untreated refuse from carriage and \u2062car factories, meat \u200dpackaging plants, and\u2064 lumber and paper mills, among others, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/stories\/flint-water-crisis-everything-you-need-know#summary\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the National Resource Defense Council\u2063 (NRDC)<\/a>. \u2063Flint\u2019s waste-treatment plant\u2063 also expelled raw\u200b sewage into the \u2062river and \u2064toxic chemicals \u200bleeching from\u2062 nearby landfills. There are rumors\u2063 that the Flint River caught on fire twice, according to the NRDC.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote><\/div>\n<p>Decades of chemical\u200b runoff\u200c made the Flint River\u2019s water highly corrosive, and the lack of proper treatment of that water before it was sent through aging lead water lines beneath Flint resulted in lead leaching into the city\u2019s\u200d drinking water, \u2063according to the NRDC.<\/p>\n<p>Michigan Gov. Rick \u200dSnyder announced in 2015 that the\u200d state would spend $1 million to buy water filters and test the\u200d water in Flint public schools. The ensuing years saw \u200cMr. Snyder distribute bottled water and filters to Flint residents while \u2064asking the Obama administration for federal aid and a major disaster declaration. While\u2063 investigators\u2062 unraveled the threads of \u2062blame and\u2063 eventually charged several state and local officials for the\u200d disaster\u2014and then acquitted all but one\u2064 official\u2014Michigan ended bottled water distribution in 2018 after\u2062 saying \u2062the city\u2019s tap \u200dwater \u2064had \u2062improved.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<blockquote>\n<p>At least 95 percent of the city\u2019s\u2064 old lead water lines \u200bhave been replaced with modern infrastructure, according \u200bto a <a href=\"https:\/\/mphdegree.usc.edu\/blog\/the-flint-water-crises\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">report<\/a> from the University of Southern\u200d California\u2019s\u200d Keck \u200cSchool of\u2063 Medicine. Additionally, the city\u2063 reached six years of compliance with federal water\u2064 standards in January 2022.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote><\/div>\n<div class=\"post-figure\" style=\"margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:1200px\">\n<figure style=\"width:1133px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"aligncenter\"><figcaption>New water \u200dpipes awaiting installation\u2064 in Flint, Michigan on Feb. 19. (Bill Pugliano\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>While Flint residents now have access to\u200c clean drinking water, those living in Benton Harbor, Michigan,\u200b faced a similar lead crisis in 2021.\u2062 The city\u2019s \u2063water tested positive for elevated lead\u2062 levels three years\u2064 in a row,\u2063 prompting \u200cGov. Gretchen Whitmer\u200d to\u200b allocate\u2062 millions of dollars\u200b to replace \u2064the city\u2019s lead water lines within 18 months. An investigation by the EPA found issues so dire with the city\u2019s water treatment facility that the regulatory body\u200c recommended\u2064 the city forfeit the plant\u2019s ownership.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<blockquote>\n<p>Unlike Flint, Benton Harbor draws its water from Lake Michigan, considered a clean water \u200csource. But like\u2062 Flint, Benton Harbor\u2019s\u2062 lead came from the pipes underneath the city, not the water source itself.<\/p>\n<h2>Lead Pipes in Florida?<\/h2>\n<p>In April, the EPA released a preliminary <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/system\/files\/documents\/2023-04\/Final_DWINSA%20Public%20Factsheet%204.4.23.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">survey<\/a> of lead\u200b pipes\u200d nationwide to determine how to allocate billions \u2062in money from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law set aside\u200c for \u2064lead pipe replacements in each state. The full survey will base allocations on the \u2064number of lead pipes \u200ca state contains.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote><\/div>\n<p>Florida \u200dwas at \u200dthe top with an estimated 1.16 million\u200b lead pipes. \u200cStates like Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania are more often associated with extensive lead pipe use. Illinois \u200cwas\u200b second\u2064 on\u2063 the list, followed by Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and \u2062New\u2064 York.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<blockquote>\n<p>The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) was surprised by Florida\u2019s ranking and Texas\u2019s\u2063 measurement of \u200c650,000 lead pipes. The EDF <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/deepdives\/2023\/06\/29\/lead-pipe-survey-flaws\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">found numerous flaws<\/a> with the EPA\u2019s April survey. \u200cIt reached \u2064out\u200d to the six Florida municipalities alleged to contain the most lead lines\u2014Pinellas County, Jacksonville, Fort\u2064 Lauderdale, Cocoa,\u200b Hillsborough County, and Pasco \u200dCounty\u2014and all but one responded with confusion over\u2062 the source of the EPA\u2019s data.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote><\/div>\n<div class=\"post-figure\" style=\"margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:1200px\">\n<figure style=\"width:836px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"aligncenter\"><figcaption>Pinellas County, Florida (Screenshot\/Googlemaps)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Some utilities said they\u2064 were just beginning their inventories of lead water lines ahead\u200b of the EPA\u2019s October 2024 deadline,\u200d while others do\u200c not remember being surveyed by the EPA in the\u200d first place, according to the EDF.<\/p>\n<p>The environmental\u200d group \u200bgave Florida a new estimate of 100,000 \u2064lead water lines instead of the EPA\u2019s 1.16 million. \u2064This estimate would reduce the\u200b Sunshine State\u2019s lead line infrastructure\u200c allocation from $225 million to the $28\u2064 million baseline, the EDF\u2062 said.<\/p>\n<p>The Florida\u200d Department of\u200c Environment Protection (FDEP) did not \u200brespond to requests\u2064 for comment.<\/p>\n<p>Brian Miller, spokesperson for FDEP, \u2064shared similar concerns with the EPA\u2019s findings\u200d in a statement to the Associated Press.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cOnce these lead line surveys are completed, it is expected\u2064 that the actual extent of facilities with lead service lines \u200ddocumented in Florida will be \u2063significantly less than \u200bwhat was\u2062 estimated by the EPA,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<h2>Highest Quality Water at the Lowest \u2062Affordable Cost<\/h2>\n<p>State\u200c officials\u2062 found lead in several schools\u2019 drinking water\u2064 in 2019,\u2063 prompting bipartisan action from the Florida legislature. It drafted\u200d a\u2064 bill to put water filters in all schools built before 1986, when the state\u200c started using other metals in its water lines.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<blockquote>\n<p>Whether a community\u2019s drinking water is\u200d exposed\u2062 to carcinogenic chemicals like \u20641,4-dioxane or neurotoxic metals like lead, activated carbon filters\u2014or GACs\u2014are viable\u2062 treatment methods,\u2063 according to the EPA.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote><\/div>\n<p>Dr. \u200dDuranceau expressed a similar sentiment\u2014unless there are other complex \u2064factors or contaminants \u200din a public \u200bwater source, \u201cGranular activated \u2062carbon is\u200d the best \u2064available technology\u200b for\u200b those types of contaminants.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>GACs can be used in water treatment plants and bought for homes and businesses for added filtration to tap water.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-figure\" style=\"margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:1200px\">\n<figure style=\"width:761px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"aligncenter\"><figcaption>Activated carbon\/charcoal is used to make\u200d GAC filters. \u200c(Jacob Burg\/The Epoch Times)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The solution\u200d to water contamination is not always the most expensive and elaborate treatment setup. Sometimes,\u2063 it is as simple as changing the\u200d source of a\u200d municipality&#8217;s drinking water, which is what Lake Mary did when it stopped drawing \u2064water from a well that\u200c tested\u200c positive for\u200d 1,4-dioxane \u2064at levels far higher than any other\u2064 wells in \u200dthe area,\u2062 according to Ms. \u2063Koury. \u2064This move is also what Flint had \u200bto do after their initial\u2062 change in\u2062 water sourcing resulted in a \u2064national crisis.<\/p>\n<p>According\u200c to Dr.\u200c Duranceau, every community and private water source\u2014whether it is a well for a single\u2064 home, school, or business\u2014will require a water treatment plan that reflects \u200dthe specific contaminants within its\u200b water. There is no single solution that works across \u2063the board in every location.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople\u200b don&#8217;t realize what&#8217;s involved in\u200d getting\u2062 water\u200c from a water plant \u2062to your tap safely so you don&#8217;t die,\u201d Dr. Duranceau \u2064said. \u201cYou want to produce the highest quality \u2064water \u2064at the lowest affordable\u2064 cost.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n    <em>The\u200c Associated Press contributed to this report.<\/em>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In 2014, Lake Mary found elevated levels of 1,4-dioxane in its public wells. This chemical, according to the EPA, can lead to kidney and liver failure or cancer with prolonged exposure. To address this, pumping was reduced at wells with the highest measurements in the Florida community of 17,000.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2377,"featured_media":2072810,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2072809","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2072809","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2377"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2072809"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2072809\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2072810"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2072809"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2072809"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2072809"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}