Orange County is working towards lowering harmful chemicals in tap water

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – You might be surprised to know how many unwanted chemicals are lurking in your drinking water.

The regulation of the amount and types of chemicals allowed is overseen by the Environmental Protection Agency. Among the chemicals subject to their standards are PFAS, which are synthetic chemicals commonly present in various consumer products.

According to information on the EPA website, prolonged exposure to PFAS can lead to illnesses such as cancer that can significantly reduce the quality of life or potentially result in fatality.

Within a four-year timeframe, the EPA is planning to introduce more stringent regulations concerning the permissible levels of PFAS in drinking water. Recently, Orange County commissioners unanimously agreed to appoint engineering firm Tetra Tech to assist in reducing PFAS concentrations in the county’s water treatment facilities.

The county approved $4.5 million to make it happen. A review of its website revealed that two of the county’s facilities did not comply with the new standards.

The EPA limit for PFAS in drinking water is 4 parts per trillion. However, a PFAS test result chart shows that while many results are “not detected,” the Malcolm Road facility has a level of 4.7, and the County Road 535 facility shows a level of 5. Orange County is currently in compliance, but these levels are too high under the new rules.

Orange County Utilities declined an interview but provided a statement: “Orange County Utilities selected consultants for the design of water quality improvements for the CR 535 Water Supply Facility and, if monitoring confirms water quality improvements are necessary, for the Malcolm Road Water Supply Facility.”

Toxicology expert Dr. Alex LeBeau, an adjunct professor at the University of South Florida, noted that Orange County is not alone in addressing this issue.

“In Central Florida, some areas are more populated than others. The EPA typically classifies water systems by the number of people they serve. Sometimes, they may be rural or small water systems, so they have different requirements for those currently. Now that’s going to change as 2029 approaches. But when you’re talking about those smaller utilities, they may have certain districts that are set up where they only monitor certain different constituents,” he told News 6.