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The State of Florida Department of Health (DOH) Well Surveillance Program locates and samples drinking water wells around areas of known or suspected anthropogenic chemical contamination. This contamination may be from several sources, such as petroleum, drycleaners, industrial, or agricultural sites. This program is jointly administered by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the DOH. It is a program that helps to protect both public health and the environment.
The work done in this program helps the DEP to manage and prioritize the cleanup of contaminated sites. Sites that pose the greatest risk to both drinking water and the environment are the first to be handled. This program also protects public health by monitoring and identifying threats to the drinking water supply. Furthermore, private and other small wells with chemical concentrations greater than federal or state standards are either provided with a filter or connected to a central water source at no cost to the property owner. This prevents long-term public consumption of contaminated drinking water. Since 2005, the Well Surveillance program has searched over 19,000 sites and sampled nearly 48,000 wells. Over 4,400 of those wells had chemical concentrations greater than state and federal drinking water limits. |