Action News Jax Investigates: What's in the water you drink?

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Clean drinking water is a basic need that we can't live without. But do we know what comes out of the taps?

Jacksonville is a city surrounded by water, but the most important body of water lies more than 1,000 feet underground.

"It's a very pristine clean, source of water,” said Kevin Holbrooks, Director of environmental compliance for JEA.

The water is protected by a layer of clay called the hawthorne. Florida's aquifer feeds Jacksonville's 105 million gallon-a-day thirst.

Action News Jax was at the site where JEA drilled its newest well.

“This is a 20-inch hole.They're their drilling 1,300 feet down,” said Holbrooks?

There are 135 active wells that are about 800 to 1,300 feet deep.

The two-step treatment process uses air to get rid of the sulfur smell and chlorine to kill any organics.

“No, it's a totally different water source,” said Holbrooks when Action News Jax's Paige Kelton asked if the water situation in Flint, Michigan could happen here.

Another difference is that in Flint, the city water travels through miles of lead pipes.

JEA said none of its service and distribution lines contain lead, but private homes and businesses might.

JEA is temporarily changing its policy after concerns over the situation in Flint. If you want to know what's in your drinking water, a crew will come to your home and test it.

However, water in other areas is not equal. Tap water wasn’t always a first choice at the Red Alligator in Bunnell.

“It wasn't the greatest in the world, but you do with what you got,” said a longtime resident of Bunnell.

Bunnell recently replaced its aging treatment plant with an ion exchange system, the only one of its kind in the world.

It's the first municipal application that uses two different resin types in a single contact: two filters in one massive tank, one that softens and the other that filters out organic matter.

Many smaller communities, like Bunnell, get their water from shallow wells that means a greater chance of contamination.

"The water had an odor and taste to it, and I think what triggered the residents it added color to it, had a yellowish or ice tea color. And now it's crystal clear,” said Phillip Locke, senior project manager with the engineering firm McKin & Creed.

The federal government requires utilities to provide detailed reports about what's in the water, from lead and arsenic to E-coli and chlorine.

JEA allowed Action News Jax into its lab, where it tests 45,000 water samples each year. There were no contaminants that tested near or over allowable limits, JEA said.

To find out how to get your water tested, call JEA at 904-665-6000.

Cox Media Group