Among details, report points to ‘no known lead’ in service line inventory
Sarasota County’s 2024 Water Quality Consumer Confidence Report, released this week, “demonstrates that the county is in full compliance” with all Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards, county staff has announced.
“This annual report provides in-depth, measured results of the quality of water delivered to Sarasota County Public Utilities customers during 2024,” based on standards set by the EPA and FDEP, a news release explained.
Among the details is the fact that the county’s Public Utilities Department “has no known lead” in its service line inventory. The report pointed out, “Having high amounts of lead and/or copper present in drinking water can have serious implications for those consuming the water. Over the years, we have focused our efforts on diminishing the presence of these substances in our water. The line graph below shows a timeline of these improvements”:
The report explained that “PPM” means parts per million, adding, with emphasis, that 1 million parts “is equivalent to two thirds of a gallon in an Olympic-sized swimming pool.”
In regard to “PPB,” or parts per billion, the report added that 1 billion parts “is equivalent to half a teaspoon in an Olympic-sized swimming pool.”
Further, the report noted, “Daily water samplings throughout the distribution system, including more than 150 samples, are analyzed monthly for bacteria content.”
The report also highlighted the county’s Public Utilities Department’s “commitment to educating the public about the quality and safety of drinking water, plus the broader role of Sarasota County Public Utilities,” the county news release said.
“We are excited to share that we had no violations again this year, and hope the community enjoys this report on the quality of our water,” said Public Utilities Director Brooke Bailey in the release.
“This annual report is mandated for all utilities across the nation,” Bailey continued, “so if you are traveling, please remember this information is always accessible.”
The report said that the county “provides water and wastewater services to approximately 110,000 customer connections.”
“Key Accomplishments” in 2024 for the Water Division, the report noted, were maintaining about 1,400 miles of water main lines, servicing and monitoring more than 7,900 fire hydrants, and inspecting and maintaining more than 27,000 isolation valves.
For the Wastewater Division, the key accomplishments were as follows:
- Maintained close to 800 lift stations throughout the county.
- Used optical equipment to review video of more than 730,000 feet of sewer lines and cleaned those lines.
- Completed 31 infrastructure projects designed to prevent problems.
Further, the report pointed out that, in 2024, the department’s customer service representatives had more than 105,000 interactions with customers, “with approximately 76,000 being over the phone,” more than 26,000 via email, more than 1,700 performed through physical mail “and approximately 1,250 performed in person.” This team also processed more than 1.2 million bills and reviewed more than 2,200 utility permits, the report added.
In 2024, the report continued, the county obtained 58% of its drinking water from the Peace River Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority, whose members include not only Sarasota County but also Manatee, Charlotte and DeSoto counties.
Another 26% of the water came from the T. Mabry Carlton Jr. Memorial Reserve Treatment Plant near Venice, while the final 16% came from Manatee County, the report added.
Last year, 47% of the county’s water came from the Peace River Authority, with 37% from the Carlton facility and 16% from Manatee County, that report said.
The new report explained, “The T. Mabry Carlton, Jr. Memorial Reserve treatment plant produces up to 12 million gallons of water daily (MGD) from intermediate aquifers, Floridan aquifers and a wellfield of 16 wells …” It uses various methods, including aeration, filtration, electrodialysis and disinfection the report added.
“Sarasota County can purchase 15 million gallons of drinking water daily (MGD) from the Peace River/Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority, which is sourced from Peace River and the Floridan Aquifer,” the report continued. A variety of processes are used “to prepare the water to be blended with the Carlton facility water,” the report noted.
“Sarasota County can purchase 4 million gallons of drinking water daily (MGD) from Manatee County, which is sourced from the Manatee River and the Floridan Aquifer,” the report continued.
The news release further noted, “For the first time, Sarasota County students participated in the Florida Section American Water Works Association (FSAWWA) Drop Savers Poster contest, which promotes water conservation education. Public Utilities facilitated student participation and is proud to present the 2024 winning submissions in this year’s report,” the release added.
The report is available online at scgov.net/CCR, the release said, while printed copies may be found at county libraries.