The Drinking Water Toxics Program: is responsible for coordinating state-wide groundwater sampling for chemical contamination of private drinking water supplies. Contamination monitoring helps protect the public from agricultural chemicals, industrial solvents and heavy metals. The program provides technical consultation to county health officials, state agencies and federal entities regarding human exposures from waterborne contaminants. Health Advisory Levels (HAL’s) The maximum contaminant level (MCL) is a standard established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, under the Safe Drinking Water Act.

Waste Cleanup Site Information: To better protect public health, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is expanding its public notification process to advise property owners if pollution has been found on their property or in their neighborhood in either the ground water or soil.

Waste Cleanup Sites - click on County to View List
Fact Sheets on 19 specific contaminants found in private drinking water wells
Frequently Asked Health Questions from the Department of Health

DEP Awards Loan to Citrus County for Wastewater Upgrades - The loan, part of DEP’s State Revolving Fund (SRF) Water Pollution Control Program, will be used to protect water quality by eliminating more than 200 septic tanks along Halls River Road.

Senator Fasano & Representative Dean Announce Funding for Citrus County Water Projects - the 2004-2005 state budget will include important water projects that will directly benefit:

• Homosassa Southfork Water Quality Improvement, Phase 4 - $250,000
• Homosassa Wastewater Collection System, Phase 5 - $1,000,000
• Crystal River & King’s Bay Improvement Project - $200,000
• Crystal River/Kings Bay Project Time Line November 30, 2004

Water Projects qualifying for funding under S. 403.885, FLORIDA STATUTES

Florida Healthy Beaches Program Beginning with a 1998 pilot program, 11 Florida coastal counties began conducting beach water sampling every two weeks. In August 2000, the beach water sampling program was expanded to include the 34 Florida counties. In August 2002, the coastal counties began collecting weekly samples. These samples are analyzed for enterococci and fecal coliform bacteria. High concentrations of these bacteria may indicate the presence of microorganisms that could cause disease, infections, or rashes. County health departments will issue health advisories or warnings when these conditions are confirmed.

Citrus County, FL
Fort Island Gulf Beach, Crystal River
Sampling Results History
Health Warning/Advisory for Fort Island Gulf Beach - 3/05

7/24/05:
Lawmakers remove roadblock to energy bill
".. House and Senate conferees abandoned giving makers of the gasoline additive MTBE liability protection against environmental lawsuits on Sunday, removing the major roadblock to enactment of broad energy legislation. Senate negotiators rejected a House proposal for a..." Associated Press.

Find out more about MTBE in drinking water.

7/20/05
Email from Florida Public Interest Research Group (PIRG):
"Stop Mercury Pollution Now!"

7/12/05:
Coalition Launches Landmark Campaign: "ExxposeExxon.com" - The ExxposeExxon.com website will reveal the truth about the world’s largest and most profitable oil company’s actions: including actively lobbying Congress to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling, trying to avoid paying all the damages due to those harmed by the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, and funding organizations that work to discredit the science behind global warming.

4/21/05:
"Oil Companies Lose Effort to End Suits Over Contaminated Water" - The ruling means that plaintiffs can proceed with some 80 lawsuits against oil companies asserting that the additive, methyl tertiary-butyl ether, or MTBE, fouled groundwater... The suits assert that the oil companies contaminated wells and underground aquifers across the country by adding MTBE to gasoline as a way to reduce air pollution. They say the oil companies knew that MTBE would cause widespread contamination because the chemical does not readily cling to soil and moves faster and farther in the ground than other gasoline components.

01/22/03:
Toxic Releases and Health: A Review of Pollution Data and Current Knowledge on the Health Effects of Toxic Chemicals - Industrial facilities nationwide release hundreds of millions of pounds of chemicals linked to cancer, to developmental and reproductive problems, and to neurological and respiratory disorders into the nation’s air and water. Yet, communities in the shadow of industrial facilities typically have access to only limited information on how these discharges may be affecting their health...

View maps by state showing locations of toxic chemical releases:

• Maps of releases linked to cancer by state, 2000
• Maps of dioxins releases by state, 2000
• Maps of releases linked to neurological effects by state, 2000
• Maps of releases linked to reproductive effects by state, 2000
• Maps of releases linked to respiratory effects by state, 2000
• Maps of Releases linked to developmental effects by state, 2000