2019 Water Quality Report
CLEAN • SAFE • RELIABLE
A Naturally Clean Water Source
OUC’s water comes from the Lower Floridan aquifer, an underground reservoir that, in many places, is a quarter-mile below parts of the Earth’s surface. The aquifer is fed by rainwater that goes through a filtration process as it seeps through hundreds of feet of sand and rock. OUC pumps water from the aquifer to facilities where it’s treated to meet standards that ensure the water is safe to drink.
Promoting Water Conservation
OUC works year-round to educate the community about the importance of protecting such a precious — and limited — natural resource. From water-conservation themed events, campaigns and student projects to proactive traditional and social media outreach during times of low rainfall or drought, we are committed to helping our customers understand the vital role water plays in everyday life and how crucial their role is in protecting it.
OUC also offers services that help customers become water-wise consumers. Our conservation team conducts home audits to search for potential sources of water loss and make recommendations on improvements. Some recommended upgrades are eligible for OUC rebates, including low-volume irrigation systems, ultra-low-flow toilets, and water cisterns. Customers also have online access to water conservation tips and videos covering such topics as leak detection, water-wise landscaping, faucet aerators, and more. For additional information, visit OUC.com/water.
Ozone Process Produces Great-Tasting Tap Water
OUC uses ozone treatment at our seven water-service plants as part of a process to produce high-quality, great-tasting tap water we call H2OUC. Ozone oxidizes hydrogen sulfide to improve taste, eliminate odor and reduce the amount of chlorine that’s added to water. By law, we are required to add chlorine to our water to maintain its high quality as it flows through pipes to customers’ taps. Fluoride also is added to promote healthy teeth, and we add sodium hydroxide to adjust the pH, preventing copper and lead from leaching into the drinking water from customers’ plumbing, the primary source of these elements.
Protecting Our Water Facilities
Because the safety of your water is of the utmost importance, OUC goes to great lengths to keep our water treatment facilities secure. All OUC water plants are equipped with state-of-the-art security, including intrusion-detection systems, alarms, cameras and fences around the perimeter of properties. Armed security guards and law enforcement officers regularly patrol the facilities.
Through water-conservation-themed classroom programs, OUC is teaching public school students about the importance of preserving and protecting Florida’s water supply. Since 2006, more than 139,000 local students have participated in OUC’s Water Color Project and Project AWESOME (Alternative Water & Energy Supply, Observation, Methods and Education). The Water Color Project encourages Orange County students to use their artistic talents to promote conservation. Fourth- and fifth-graders compete to have their artwork featured in OUC’s annual Water Conservation Calendar while middle and high school students paint water-themed rain barrels for judging.
Project AWESOME delivers an interactive lab to fifth graders in Orange and Osceola counties. For water efficiency, students gain an understanding of how water is supplied by community water systems and learn the importance of water conservation. For renewable energy, students discover how to harness Florida’s natural resource, the sun, to its greatest advantage.
OUC’s efforts to spread the word on water conservation go beyond the classroom. Everyone can help save water by following a few simple tips:
- Water only as needed and then water only a maximum of once per week in cooler months and twice per week in warmer months in accordance with the SJRWMD watering restrictions at www.sjrwmd.com/wateringrestrictions.
- Water your lawn before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m. to minimize the amount lost to evaporation.
- Water your lawn only as needed and just for 35-45 minutes to provide no more than 1/2"-3/4" of water per zone per day. Turn off your irrigation system if it has rained or install a smart irrigation controller.
- Repair leaking faucets and toilets immediately.
- Install EPA WaterSense labeled shower heads and take shorter showers.
For more ways to save water, visit OUC.com/waterconservation.
OUC’s Water Quality Laboratory is certified by the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) and is accredited to perform a wide scope of analyses. Certification is maintained through an on-site assessment every two years and performance of proficiency testing twice a year. Chemists at OUC’s Water Quality Laboratory perform thousands of chemical and bacteriological tests annually to ensure that your drinking water meets or exceeds all state and federal regulations. Customers can continue to enjoy OUC’s water knowing that it is tested regularly and surpasses the highest quality standards. For more information about OUC’s drinking water, call our Water Quality Laboratory at 407-434-2549 to talk to a water quality professional. Information is also available online at OUC.com/water.
Source Water Assessment
In 2019 the Florida Department of Environmental Protection 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 63 unique potential sources of contamination identified for this system with low to high susceptibility levels. These results of the source water assessment are not a reflection of our treated water quality, but rather a rating of susceptibility of contamination under guidelines of the Florida DEP SWAPP program.
Sources of drinking water (both tap and bottled) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs and wells. As water travels over the surface of land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring, and, in some cases, radioactive materials. But it also picks up substances related to animals or human activity. Contaminants that may be present in source water include:
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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 come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff and septic systems.
- Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or the result of oil and gas production, and mining activities.
In order to ensure that tap water provided by public water systems is safe to drink, the EPA prescribes regulations that limit the amounts of certain contaminants in water. Meanwhile, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates limits for contaminants in bottled water, which must provide the same protection for public health.
All drinking water, including bottled water, may be reasonably expected to contain minute amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants in water does not necessarily pose health risks. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.
What The EPA Says About MCLs And Health Effects
The Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) established by the EPA are set at very stringent levels. To understand the possible health effects described for many regulated constituents, a person would have to drink two liters of water every day at the MCL level for a lifetime to have a one-in-a-million chance of having the described health effect.
Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immuno-compromised people, such as those with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, those who have undergone organ transplants, those with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, and some elderly and infants, can be particularly at risk for infections. These people should consult with their healthcare providers about drinking water. EPA and Center for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.
Water Quality Test Results
All test results well below allowable levels
As shown in the following tables, OUC routinely monitors for contaminants in your drinking water according to Federal and State laws, rules, and regulations. Except where indicated otherwise, this report is based on the results of our monitoring for the period of January 1 to December 31, 2019. Data obtained before January 1, 2019, and presented in this report is from the most recent testing done in accordance with the laws, rules, and regulations.
Results of Copper and Lead
Sampling at Customer Taps
The following results are from tests conducted in July 2017 (the most recent available in accordance with FDEP regulations). The tests confirm that the levels of lead and copper in tap water sampled in homes were below the Action Level (AL).
The primary source of lead and copper in tap water is customer's plumbing. These elements can possibly leach into the water from a building's plumbing through corrosion if the water has been standing in the pipes for several hours. To prevent corrosion from occurring, OUC has effectively implemented system-wide corrosion-control treatment. At the treatment plants, sodium hydroxide is added to the water to increase the water's pH and thus prevent corrosion.
Buildings at risk for lead or copper in the water are those that have lead services or that have lead solder in copper pipes.
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. OUC 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 at 1-800-426-4791 or online at www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.
Constantly Testing Your Water
OUC’s Water Quality Laboratory is certified by the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) and is accredited to perform a wide scope of analyses. Certification is maintained through an on-site assessment every two years and performance of proficiency testing twice a year. Chemists at OUC’s Water Quality Laboratory perform thousands of chemical and bacteriological tests annually to ensure that your drinking water meets or exceeds all state and federal regulations. Customers can continue to enjoy OUC’s water knowing that it is tested regularly and surpasses the highest quality standards.
For more information about OUC’s drinking water, call our Water Quality Laboratory at 407-434-2549 to talk to a water quality professional. Information is also available online at www.ouc.com.
Source Water Assessment
In 2023 the Florida Department of Environmental Protection 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 68 unique potential sources of contamination identified for this system with low to high susceptibility levels. The results of the Source Water Assessment are not a reflection of our treated water quality, but rather a rating of susceptibility of contamination under guidelines of the Florida DEP SWAPP program. The latest Source Water Assessment was completed in 2023 and the report is available online at prodapps.dep.state.fl.us/swapp.
About OUC—The Reliable One
OUC is a municipal utility owned by the citizens of Orlando and governed by a board of commissioners. As the second largest municipal utility in Florida and 14th largest municipal in the country, OUC provides electric, water, chilled water and/or lighting services to 400,000 customer accounts in Orlando, St. Cloud and parts of unincorporated Orange and Osceola counties. OUC is one of the largest water utilities in the state and serves a population of more than 442,000.