Our water system recently violated a drinking water standard. Although this incident was not an emergency, as our customers, you have a right to know what happened, what we did, and what we are doing to correct this situation.

We routinely monitor for the presence of drinking water contaminants. Testing results from the defined quarter, April 1, 2021 through June 30, 2021, will show that our system exceeded maximum contaminant level (MCL), for total trihalomethanes, a byproduct of drinking water disinfectants. The standard for total trihalomethanes is 80 micrograms per liter (µg/l). It is determined by averaging all the samples collected at each sampling location for the past 12 months. The highest level of total trihalomethanes for the city’s monitoring sites averaged over the past 12 months for July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021 was 108 micrograms per liter (µg/l).

What does this mean?

This is not an emergency. If it had been an emergency, you would have been notified within 24 hours. Some people who drink water containing trihalomethanes in excess of the MCL over many years may experience problems with their liver, kidneys, or central nervous system, and may have an increased risk of getting cancer.

What should I do?

• There is nothing you need to do unless you have a severely compromised immune system, have an infant, or are elderly. These people may be at increased risk and should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers.
• You do not need to boil your water or take other corrective actions. If a situation arises where the water is no longer safe to drink, you will be notified within 24 hours. We will announce any emergencies through local TV stations, newspaper, and AlertPBC (Palm Beach County’s Emergency Notification System.) Additional information may be found on the city’s website wpb.org.

What happened, and What is being done?

The elevated levels of total trihalomethanes are a byproduct of the city’s need to switch to free chlorine from its normal disinfection process to respond to the elevated levels of the cyanotoxin cylindrospermopsin found at the water treatment plant.  The city switched back to the use of chloramines in the distribution system on June 19, 2021. This is expected to reduce total trihalomethane levels to below the MCL.  Additional samples are being collected in June to assess the overall impacts of the changes in the treatment process to address the cyanotoxins.  We anticipate resolving the cause of the exceedance within the next several weeks. However, since the total trihalomethane MCL is a 12-month average, the city will need to report quarterly for the next year on its progress in meeting the MCL.

For more information, please contact Public Utilities Dispatch at (561) 822-2210 or 401 Clematis Street, West Palm Beach, Florida 33401. Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail. This notice is being sent to you by the City of West Palm Beach.  State Water System ID#: 4501559.  Date distributed: June 23, 2021

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