A dangerous drink
Lead found in Navarre Beach drinking water
BY FRANKLIN HAYES Gulf Breeze News franklin@gulfbreezenews.com
Pensacola Beach water supply is not affected

Lead builds up in the body over many years and can cause damage to the brain, red blood cells and kidneys. The greatest risk is to children and pregnant women. Amounts of lead that won't hurt adults can slow down normal mental and physical development of growing bodies. In addition, a child at play often comes into contact with sources of lead contamination - such as dirt and dust - that rarely affect an adult.

Navarre Beach utility officials are working to remove traces of lead in the drinking water in some homes. According to an official with the Santa Rosa County Navarre Beach Water and Sewer Department, a collection of homes on the beach have traces of lead above that of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) action level of 15 parts per billion of lead per liter of water.

Utility Supervisor Terry Wallace said his department is required to test for lead every six months because they discovered an unacceptable amount of lead there approximately a year ago. Normally, water and sewer utility providers are required to test for lead every three years. Pensacola Beach residents are not affected by the contaminants because their water and sewer utilities come from the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority (ECUA). ECUA last tested its tap water for lead in June and July in 2006 and passed.

"We probably run about 1,200 tests [for contaminants] annually," said Nathalie Bowers with ECUA.

Wallace says the traces of the chemical element are coming from water fixtures and solder connections in copper pipes in 18 homes on the island. Wallace said 15 of those are a part of the Sunset Harbour complex. To mitigate the problem, Wallace said the utility company is using zinc to sequester lead and copper in the pipes. He said the process creates a lining inside the pipes and prevents copper and lead from flaking off the pipes.

"There's very little water usage there," Wallace said of the mostly vacation rental town homes. "They're not getting a good coating of the pipes in the homes."

Wallace said in the mean time Santa Rosa County will pay to change out plumbing fixtures that are high in lead content.

"Right now we are waiting on response from owners," Wallace said. "We have a response from half. We will be sampling again between January and June 2008. Hopefully by then we'll have that problem resolved."

According to the EPA, lead in drinking water, although rarely the sole cause of lead poisoning, can significantly increase a person's total lead exposure, particularly the exposure of infants who drink baby formulas and concentrated juices that are mixed with water. The EPA estimates that drinking water can make up to 20 percent or more of a person's total exposure to lead.

Lead is a common metal found throughout the environment in leadbased paint, air, soil, household dust, food, and certain types of pottery porcelain and pewter, and water. Lead can pose a significant risk to health if too much of it enters the body. Lead builds up in the body over many years and can cause damage to the brain, red blood cells and kidneys. The greatest risk is to your children and pregnant women.

Amounts of lead that won't hurt adults can slow down normal mental and physical development of growing bodies. In addition, a child at play often comes into contact with sources of lead contamination - such as dirt and dust - that rarely affect an adult.

The EPA recommends residents have their drinking water tested to determine if it contains excessive concentrations of lead. For more information on water testing, call (850) 936-6110.