Water in Boca Raton, FL

Boca Raton Water Needs Improvement

What You Can Do to Stay Safe While Drinking Water

There’s nothing more refreshing than a cold glass of water at the end of the day. Unfortunately, you might want to think twice before drinking from the tap. Studies have shown that although Boca Raton water meets federal guidelines for safety, it contains harmful contaminants that could lead to severe problems.

The citizens of Boca Raton should be able to drink water without fearing for their health. Continue reading to learn more about making this a possibility. We’ll discuss:

Where Boca Raton water comes from
Which contaminants are in the drinking water
How to stay safe
How Angel Water can protect you from contaminated water

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How Does Boca Raton Get Its Water?

The City of Boca Raton’s water comes from the Biscayne Aquifer. This groundwater supply contains high levels of naturally occurring dissolved organic material. This organic material causes the water to change color, which is aesthetically unappealing to many residents.

Although Boca’s water is discolored, the city has been at the forefront of modern water treatment since the 1920s. In 1927, Clarence H. Geist spoke up at a Town Council meeting where he stressed the importance of clean water for Boca Raton. He financed the city’s first municipal water plant that treated around 500,000 gallons.

Now, Boca Raton is home to one of the nation’s largest water treatment plants. The facility has treated 70 mgd (million-gallons-per-day) for Boca Raton residents and other parts of the country.

Does Boca Raton Have Hard Water?

The water in Boca Raton has a hardness level of 189PPM (mg/L) or 11gpg. These numbers indicate that the water supply in Boca Raton is incredibly hard. Hard water causes a host of issues, both household and health-related. They include:

So, what should you do if you have hard water? You should consider getting a water softener to break up the mineral buildup that causes water to be hard in the first place. Contact a team of professionals the minute you notice any of the signs listed above.

What’s in The City of Boca’s Water?

The water in Boca Raton is monitored by two organizations: the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and the EWG (Environmental Working Group). The EPA is a government-run agency that sets benchmarks for different cities’ water supply. However, agency professionals haven’t updated the standards in years, and aren’t as precise as those set by the EWG.

Unlike the EPA, the EWG is a non-profit independent organization that aims to provide you with the purest water possible. To the right, is a list of the containments in Boca water that exceeded the EWG’s benchmarks.

CONTAMINANT	TOTAL	EWG RECOMMENDED
Chromium (hexavalent)	0.0660ppb	0.02ppb
Haloacetic Acids (HAA9)	35ppb	0.06ppb
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM)	51.8	0.15ppb

Let’s take a closer look at these three pollutants and the problems they can cause.

Chromium (Hexavalent)

Hexavalent chromium, also called chromium-6, is typically found in industrial environments. Boca Raton’s water doesn’t have an excessive amount of chromium according to EPA standards, but it’s still too high.

Severe health issues like heart and liver disease, respiratory illnesses and certain cancers have been linked to high exposure to chromium-6.

Haloacetic Acids

The Boca Raton’s Water Utility Department treats its water with chlorine or chloramine. The chemicals are highly effective at removing dangerous contaminants from the water supply. However, a group of nine disinfectants known as haloacetic acids might emerge during the treatment process. The positives of chlorine treatment far outweigh the negatives.

Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs)

Total trihalomethanes materialize during the chlorine treatment process, as well. One total trihalomethane, chlorodifluoromethane tested above the EWG’s limit.

Increased contact with TTHMs can lead to liver, bladder and kidney cancer.

Other Contaminants Detected

The EWG also found other contaminants in the Boca Raton water. These include:

Aluminum
Chlorate
Dalapon
Fluoride
Manganese
Nitrate
Nitrite
Strontium
Vanadium

Yes, these contaminants didn’t exceed EWG’s standards, but they still pose a health risk. You can learn more at the EWG Boca Raton page.

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What Can the City of Boca Raton Do to Stay Safe?

You can’t just snap your fingers and automatically get clean water. Rather, you must go through a series of steps to get the pure water you want and need. Let’s overview these steps, so you know what to do.

Step 1: Have Your Water Tested

You should have your water tested if you think something’s fishy. You can contact the team of professionals at Angel Water for a free test today. These experts know what to look out for and what solutions might be beneficial. If your dishes remain dirty after washing or your clothing is discolored, give us a call ASAP.

Step 2: Get an NSF/ANSI 58 Certified Reverse Osmosis System to Remove Contaminants

Water company professionals might suggest you get a water filter. Here at Angel Water, we recommend an under-the-sink reverse osmosis system. RO systems filter out additional contaminants, like the ones listed below, so you get the purest water available. Some of the filtered-out contaminants are:

Total Trihalomethanes
Chromium (Hexavalent)
Chromium (Total)
Haloacetic Acids
Germanium
Molybdenum
And More!

Water passes through a semi-permeable membrane in an RO system. This extra step filters out contaminants other devices don’t. Surprisingly, RO systems are occasionally too effective and remove beneficial minerals that should be in a water supply. Fortunately, the best systems include features that add essential minerals back into the water.

It’s our recommendation that you purchase an NSF/ANSI 58 certified RO system. NSF/ANSI 58 certified RO systems have undergone additional testing other filters haven’t.

Step 3: Think About Getting an NSF/ANSI 44 Certified Water Softener to Get Rid of Hard Water

We can fix hard water problems, too! We have NSF/ANSI 44 certified water softeners that eliminate hard water and radium 226/228. These systems are salt-based and do more than remove scaling from plumbing, unlike salt-free conditioners.

Step 4: Get Your Systems Installed by the Pros and Make Sure to Maintain Them

The last step is to have a professional install whatever device you need. You might incorrectly do things if you try installing it yourself. So, leave it to us to take care of it and any maintenance needed down the line.

Boca Raton Deserves Clean Water

We’ve proven that Boca Raton water is full of contaminants. You don’t need to be stuck in this situation! Instead, give us a call to schedule your free water test today! We’ll recommend a water softener, RO system or whatever else we think you need to get the water you deserve. Then, you can enjoy a refreshing glass at the end of the day!

Tell Us How We Can Help

Please call us today at (847) 382-7800

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Would You Like to Know More About Water Quality in Boca?

If you want to understand the quality of the water your family depends on everyday, contact us today. One of our representatives is standing by to help you schedule your free water test. We’ll send one of our local water expert to test the water at your tap and explain common problems and solutions for your specific water composition so that you can rest easy, knowing that your family is drinking the healthiest water possible.