City of New Port Richey Water Quality Report

DID YOU KNOW water quality reports, also known as “Consumer Confidence Reports (CCRs),” are annual documents that all public water systems are required to provide to you via mail and online. These reports are supposed to provide important information about the quality of the drinking water delivered over the previous year.

They can be difficult to read or understand. They are often many pages long and contain complex tables and charts. Culligan Water wants to change this and help you MAKE SENSE OF YOUR WATER.

This easy-to-read report will provide you with the following:

1) Infrastructure Improvements:
New Port Richey’s water treatment system uses advanced methods to stabilize pH, reduce corrosion, and disinfect the supply to maintain safety. Continuous monitoring ensures water delivered to homes meets state and federal standards. These efforts help provide reliable service to residents.

2) Water Sources and Usage:
The city draws its drinking water primarily from groundwater wells tapping into the Floridan Aquifer. This source is naturally high in minerals and occasionally vulnerable to saltwater intrusion, which can affect sodium levels.

3) Disinfection Byproducts:
The 2024 report shows chlorine averaging 2.81 ppm, which is within EPA’s limit of 4.0 ppm. Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) were measured at 29 ppb (below the MCL of 60 ppb), but Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) reached 121.85 ppb, exceeding the federal limit of 80 ppb. This violation highlights a concern with disinfection byproducts, which form when chlorine reacts with organic matter in water.

4) Minerals and Water Quality Highlights:
New Port Richey water contains high levels of Total Dissolved Solids (700 ppm), which exceeds the EPA’s secondary standard of 500 ppm and can impact taste and scaling. Sodium levels were measured at 99 ppm, just under the limit of 160 ppm. Chloride (200 ppm) and sulfate (28 ppm) remained within EPA limits. Water hardness was reported as 359 mg/L (about 21 grains per gallon), which classifies it as hard water.

New Port Richey, found in Pasco county, at times has recorded water hardness to be around 359 mg/L (about 21 grains/gallon), making this water very hard. Hard water can still lead to issues like scale buildup, mineral deposits, and dry skin. New Port Richey’s water hardness remains consistent year to year, making a water softener or whole-house filtration system a smart choice for homeowners.

Radioactive contaminants can include substances like radium, uranium, and radon. These contaminants can enter water sources through natural deposits or as a result of human activities like mining.

Common contaminants can come from natural sources, industrial discharges, agricultural runoff, or corrosion of plumbing systems.

Disinfection byproducts (DBPs) are formed when disinfectants like chlorine react with natural organic matter in the water. Common DBPs include trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAA5s). One thing to note is that while some states have public health goals around all of these contaminants, Florida does not. Therefore, there is no state-mandated goal for contaminants such as HAA5 or TTHM.

For reference, a part per trillion (ppt) is roughly equivalent to a single drop of water in 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools or one second in 32,000 years. These updated interim Health Advisory Levels are below the detection capabilities of current laboratory testing technology. They serve as interim guidance until formal regulations or Maximum Contaminant Levels are established.

PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), commonly known as ‘Forever Chemicals,’ water contamination impacts residents in many places across the United States.

PFAS contamination is a growing concern across Florida. Installing a reverse osmosis filter is one of the most effective ways to reduce PFAS if present. Florida’s most recent legislation against PFAS requires the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to establish specific cleanup levels for PFAS in drinking water, groundwater, and soil by 2025.

On April 10, 2024, the United States government introduced its first-ever national, legally enforceable drinking water standard to protect citizens from PFAS forever chemicals. While this is a major development in the regulation of PFAS, there are over 12,000 types of PFAS, and only six types are being regulated by the EPA.