PALATKA, Fla. — The City of Palatka is warning residents after recent drinking-water tests revealed elevated lead levels, with more than 10 percent of sampled homes exceeding the federal action threshold. The discovery has left many families uneasy and searching for answers.
Homeowners began receiving water-notice letters after the city collected 62 samples in November and found lead levels above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Lead Action Level. Since then, residents have been trying to determine what the results mean for their households.
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Homeowner and realtor Butch Puryear said the notification prompted him to immediately take matters into his own hands.
“It’s kind of shocking. I actually just purchased a lead-based test from Amazon so I can test the water in my home.”
Puryear said communication from the city has lacked clarity.
“I see that the lack of information is it coming from the Source front of the water treatment plan itself.”
City officials are urging residents to take precautions, including using certified filters, flushing pipes, cleaning faucet aerators, and using only cold water for drinking and cooking.
But for Puryear, the notice raises broader concerns about how the city is addressing the issue.
“How many waterlines have been replaced, and did they conduct test to see was lead contamination leaked out in the system with those repairs?”
As a realtor, he worries about the impact the situation could have on the community’s reputation.
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“Perception reality, if I’m a buyer coming to the city of Palatka, I have to ask myself, is the water good? Is it clean with my kids? Be safe.”
He also believes the city needs to better demonstrate the steps it is taking.
“Hopefully, when they do these additional tests that was in that press release, they actually put video or something like that on social media to show the citizens that they’re actively doing this instead of just sitting and trusting what they say.”
According to the EPA, exceeding the Lead Action Level does not automatically mean any individual home’s water is unsafe.
However, it does require the city to reevaluate its corrosion-control treatment to reduce the possibility of lead leaching from pipes.
Action News Jax reached out to Palatka officials for comment, but did not receive a response before airtime. City leaders have previously said they are expanding water-quality monitoring and reviewing their corrosion-control strategies.
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