Radium, Arsenic in Florida water (Orlando, Deltona: home, neighborhoods, where to buy)

[erjoalgo]

I'm interested in relocating to the Orlando/Kissimmee/Deltona area. Something that I worry is the tap water quality in the region.

For example, Lake Mary water is reported to contain 18x the amount of radium and and 75x arsenic considered safe:

https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/system.php?pws=FL3590201

Some questions I have:

1. Why does it seem that no one cares much about arsenic and radium in Florida water? I see a lot of discussion about prices, crime, etc but not much about water contamination. According to ewg.org, the water in the great majority of Florida cities contains at least these two contaminants.

2. Does it make sense to rule out cities serving water with higher levels radium/arsenic or other contaminants? Or are these contamination map lines likely to change over time, whether for better or for worse? For example, I'm currently not looking in Deltona, and more interested in Altamonte Springs, based on the ewg.org results for these areas, but of course Altamonte is much more expensive than Deltona.

3. Is this just a matter of installing a water filter and moving on with life? How effective are the best home filtration systems at removing arsenic/radium/chromium6, etc?

Thanks!

[WinterParkLocal]

EWG is a lobbyist group based in DC. I would look for a more neutral information source. I believe Orange County provides water quality reports annually. Seminole may as well.

[erjoalgo]

Sorry but what exactly do you question about the EWG report? The levels of arsenic and radium are corroborated in the Orange County 2020 report:

https://www.orangecountyfl.net/Porta...Report2020.pdf

For example, radium is at 1.5 pCi/L, which is consistent with what EWG reports. No one questions that these contaminants are present in the water.

All that EWG does is inform us that the legal EPA limit is 5 pCi/L doesn't necessarily mean safe, and they use a stricter 0.05 pCi/L standard currently enforced in California (California State Water Resources Control Board).

Why would someone have a problem with stricter standards when it comes to protecting their own health? Why should I trust the EPA's lax standard from almost 20 years ago?

[Parnassia]

Do some research on reverse osmosis water filtration. IIRC an RO system with appropriate pre-filters will remove those contaminants or reduce them to a negligible level. However, installing a whole-house filtration system won't be cheap and you will be replacing filter cartridges at different intervals.

[cfenn006]

Originally Posted by erjoalgo

Sorry but what exactly do you question about the EWG report? The levels of arsenic and radium are corroborated in the Orange County 2020 report:

https://www.orangecountyfl.net/Porta...Report2020.pdf

For example, radium is at 1.5 pCi/L, which is consistent with what EWG reports. No one questions that these contaminants are present in the water.

All that EWG does is inform us that the legal EPA limit is 5 pCi/L doesn't necessarily mean safe, and they use a stricter 0.05 pCi/L standard currently enforced in California (California State Water Resources Control Board).

Why would someone have a problem with stricter standards when it comes to protecting their own health? Why should I trust the EPA's lax standard from almost 20 years ago?

It's the Florida mentality. As little government as possible, even if it kills us. Anything that that exposes the need for regulation is a lie or bias.



If COVID proved anything in this state is that science and facts are the enemy.



Just pretend the problem doesnt exist until we are the new Flint.

[Grace512]

You might want to learn about arsenic. It is a natural element and also a by product of pesticides now banned. I think you are overly worried. There is no way to have pure water. You want pure water, distill it. Florida has sandy soils so if you are going to worry about any particular contaminant, it should be Nitrogen and pesticides (not banned). And who pollutes? You. Yes you, if you have a septic tank or fertilize your lawn or use golf courses where they have to maintain the greens with Nitrogen. Some pesticides leach and some do not, so don't judge all pesticides the same.

[erjoalgo]

To be fair, I'm not sure radium, arsenic, HAA5, TTHMs, chromium-6, is a Florida-specific problem, it seems to be nation-wide. I simply posted here because I'm interested in FL, and I didn't see much discussion on the topic.


I'm aware of RO, I'm aware it reduces these contaminants. But does it reduce contamination to safe levels? Toho water in Poinciana is reported to have 158x above the level of arsenic considered safe[1]. If RO removes 99% of contaminants as it is reported to, isn't the remaining 1% still 1.5x above safe levels?

Also I can have all the water filters in the world in my own home, but whenever I go out to a restaurant in the local area won't I be served a glass of radium-contaminated tap water?

I'm aware that some low levels of arsenic is naturally occurring. What about chromium 6? Is there anywhere in Deltona where water isn't contaminated with this compound? What about cancer-causing Haloacetic acids, TTHMs? I haven't yet found any water utility in FL without these two contaminants.

BTW I personally don't have a septic tank, nor do I fertilize my lawn or use golf courses.


[1] https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/system.php?pws=FL3494429

[erjoalgo]

Even if I put a point-of-use RO filter in the kitchen for drinking and cooking water, if I buy a home with a pool in Deltona, will I have to swim in radium-contaiminated, arsenic-contaminated, chromum-6-contaminated water? Do I have to install a whole-house RO filter and waste a ton of water? It seems that this is a problem that should be solved by the local government instead of by every individual homeowner. Which brings me back to my question is, are there any plans by the local governments, cities, counties to address this that I should be aware of when considering where to buy a home? Do the residents in these neighborhoods know or care what is in their water?

[cfenn006]

Originally Posted by erjoalgo

Even if I put a point-of-use RO filter in the kitchen for drinking and cooking water, if I buy a home with a pool in Deltona, will I have to swim in radium-contaiminated, arsenic-contaminated, chromum-6-contaminated water? Do I have to install a whole-house RO filter and waste a ton of water? It seems that this is a problem that should be solved by the local government instead of by every individual homeowner. Which brings me back to my question is, are there any plans by the local governments, cities, counties to address this that I should be aware of when considering where to buy a home? Do the residents in these neighborhoods know or care what is in their water?

Any plans to reduce contaminants in the water by local government? As you are referring to Osceola County (Mainly Kissimmee/Poinciana)...


ABSOLUTELY NOT.
Just a few years ago the leaders of this county got caught importing coal ash from Puerto Rico to dump in Kissimmee. You'll find that many spots in Florida share similar environmental policy.


I receive on a regular basis Marketing and PR mail from TOHO talking about how great they stack up against other counties, their process, and how they are innovating public services... and slip in that little extra fee increase in the back in tiny print on the back. Their "facts sheet" sent me to more PR/Marketing online. There is no plans to improve water quality here at all.



I stopped drinking from tap a long time ago, if I run out of bottles during an emergency and forced to use the tap, It tastes like pool water to me now.

[Grace512]

erjoelgo
I would suggest moving somewhere with absolute pure water. Let me know if such a place exist. I have been drinking Florida tap water all my life and I am almost 60. I have no health issues. But then again, I eat no processed food, avoid vegetable oils (these are truly toxic), run 20 -35 miles a week and work outside in fresh air. I get lots of the Florida sun which boost my immunity. Maybe you are overly obsessed with water. We aren't Flint MI.