definitions
Action Level (AL): The concentration of a
contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers
treatment or other requirements that a water
system must follow.
Contaminant: Any unwanted physical, chemical,
biological or radiological substance or matter in
water.
Maximum Contaminant Level or MCL: The
highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in
drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs
as feasible using the best available treatment
technology.
Maximum Contaminant Level Goal or MCLG:
The level of a contaminant in drinking water
below which there is no known or expected risk
to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety.
Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level or MRDL:
The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in
drinking water. There is convincing evidence that
addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control
of microbial contaminants.
Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal or
MRDLG: The level of a drinking water disinfectant
below which there is no known or expected risk
to health. MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits
of the use of disinfectants to control microbial
contaminants.
N/A: Not applicable.
“ND” Not detected and indicates that the
substance was not found by laboratory analysis.
Parts per billion (PPB) or Micrograms per liter
(µg/l): One part by weight of analyte to one billion
parts by weight of the water sample.
Parts per million (PPM) or Milligrams per liter
(mg/l): One part by weight of analyte to one
million parts by weight of the water sample.
Picocurie per liter (pCi/L): Measure of the
radioactivity in water.
source water
assessment &
protection
program (swapp)
In 2018, the Florida Department of Environmental
Protection (FDEP) performed a Source Water
Assessment on our system. The assessment was
conducted to provide information about any
potential sources of contamination in the vicinity
of our wells. There are five potential sources of
contamination identified for this system with low
susceptibility levels.
The assessment results are available on the FDEP
Source Water Assessment and Protection Program
website at www.dep.state.fl.us/swapp.
lead
If present, elevated levels of lead can cause
serious health problems, especially for
pregnant women and young children. Lead in
drinking water is primarily from materials and
components associated with service lines and
home plumbing. The Town of Jupiter Utilities is
responsible for providing high quality drinking
water, but cannot control the variety of materials
used in plumbing components. When your
water has been sitting for several hours, you
can minimize the potential for lead exposure
by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes
before using water for drinking or cooking. If you
are concerned about lead in your water, you may
wish to have your water tested.
Information on lead in drinking water, testing
methods, and steps you can take to minimize
exposure is available from the Safe Drinking
Water Hotline 1-800-426-4791 or visit their
website at www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.
2018 drop savers winner
Carly Plummer
1st Place - Division 5 (11th Grade)
Every year, Jupiter Utilities administers
the Drop Saver Program in conjunction
with National Drinking Water Week and
in partnership with the Florida Section of
the American Water Works Association.
The
program
encourages
school
children to be more aware of water
conservation. For more information
about the Drop Savers Program,
please visit www.jupiter.fl.us/water.
drinking water
quality
The sources of drinking water (both tap water
and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams,
ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water
travels over the surface of the land or through
the ground it dissolves naturally occurring
minerals and, in some cases, radioactive
material, and can pick up substances resulting
from the presence of animals or from human
activity.
Contaminants that may be present in source
water include:
Microbial contaminants, such as viruses
and bacteria, which may come from sewage
treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural
livestock operations, and wildlife.
Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and
metals, which can be naturally occurring or
result from urban stormwater runoff , industrial
or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas
production, mining or farming.
Pesticides and herbicides, which may come
from a variety of sources such as agriculture,
urban stormwater runoff , and residential uses.
Organic chemical contaminants, including
synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which
are by-products of industrial processes and
petroleum production, and can also come from
gas stations, urban stormwater runoff , and
septic systems.
Radioactive contaminants, which can be
naturally occurring or be the result of oil and
gas production and mining activities.
To ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the EPA
prescribes regulations, which limit the amount
of certain contaminants in water provided
by public water systems. The Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) regulations establish
limits for contaminants in bottled water, which
must provide the same protection for public
health.
Drinking water, including bottled water, may
be reasonably expected to contain at least
small amounts of some contaminants. The
presence of contaminants does not necessarily
indicate that the water poses a health risk.
More information about contaminants and
potential health eff ects can be obtained by
called the Environmental Protection Agency’s
Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.
Some people may be more vulnerable to
contaminants in drinking water than the
general population. Immuno-compromised
persons such as persons with cancer
undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have
undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/
AIDS or other immune system disorders, some
elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk
from infections. These people should seek
advice about drinking water from their health
care providers. EPA/Center for Disease Control
(CDC) guidelines on appropriate means to
lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium
and other microbiological contaminants are
available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline
at 1-800-426-4791.