Well Surveillance Program

The Well Surveillance Program manages several programs to identify and monitor areas in Hernando County where contaminated drinking water is suspected and may pose a threat to public health.  The Well Surveillance Program is composed of the State Underground Petroleum Environmental Response (SUPER) Act, Drinking Water Toxic's Program (DWTP) and the Drycleaner Solvent Cleanup Program (DSCP). Chemical analysis of water samples is conducted at the Department’s laboratory in Jacksonville.  The data is maintained in a central spatial relationship database.  Users can generate maps and reports summarizing water quality for individual wells or areas of interest.

Arsenic Information  

If you have questions or concerns about Arsenic in your drinking water, please contact Jon Campbell at (352) 540-6845.  If you live in the Spring Lake area of the county, you may be eligible for free sampling of your well.  If your drinking water well is found to be above the public health level of concern, you will have the opportunity for remediation of your drinking water well at no cost to you.

For more information on Arsenic:

• Arsenic ATSDR ToxFacts (PDF-278KB)

Contact Information 

Link 

DOH Bureau of Water Programs

SUPER Act Program 

In 1986, the Florida Legislature created the SUPER Act Program in response to ground water contamination resulting from leaking underground petroleum storage tanks.  The primary authority for the SUPER Act Program was given to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).  The DEP oversees the clean-up activities around petroleum facilities that have had a loss of petroleum product.  The Department of Health’s SUPER Act Program (per Chapter 376.3071(4)(g), Florida Statutes), was given authority to provide field and laboratory services, toxicological risk assessments, investigations of drinking water contamination complaints and education of the public. 

In July, 2005, the Department of Environmental Protection contracted with the Department of Health to conduct well surveys and sampling around know or suspected contaminated facilities.  A major portion of the contract is dedicated to conducting investigations for the purpose of prioritizing cleanup funding in accordance with Chapter 62-771, Florida Administrative Code (Priority Ranking Rule).  Funding for the SUPER Act is provided through the Inland Protection Trust Fund.

Drinking Water Toxic's Program 

Discovery of extensive groundwater contamination of wells with the agricultural fumigant ethylene dibromide (EDB) in the early 1980’s led to widespread public concern about the water quality of Florida’s private potable wells. The Florida legislature enacted the Water Quality Assurance Trust Fund in 1983 to protect public health and the environment.  This trust fund gave the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), then called the Florida Department of Environmental Resources (DER), the responsibility to investigate wells or areas that may be at risk due to chemical release and to provide an alternative water source to a homeowner whose well is found to contain contaminants above the primary maximum contamination level MCL)or health advisory level (HAL).  The program is limited to chemical contaminants that present an unacceptable risk to the homeowner by any source not already covered by another program (i.e. SUPER  Act, drycleaner, lead, bacteria).  In July 2005, the Department of Environmental Protection contracted with the Department of Health to perform sampling of residential potable wells and to provide information and support to the homeowner and the Department of Environmental Protection.

Drycleaning Solvent Cleanup Program 

In 1994, the Florida Legislature established a state-funded program to cleanup properties that are contaminated as a result of the operations of a drycleaning facility or wholesale supply facility.  The program is administered by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.  The statute was sponsored by the drycleaning industry to address environmental, economic and liability issues resulting from drycleaning solvent contamination. The Department of Environmental Protection is now requesting investigations of specific drycleaning facilities for scoring purposes at sites being considered for cleanup.  While drycleaner solvents have been a problem at both private and public water systems, the physical properties of drycleaner solvents has led to several public water system wells becoming contaminated above safe levels.  Therefore, drycleaners close to public water systems (PWS)are more closely monitored and are awarded higher points in the priority scoring process.