Local Water Supply Protected
Thick layers of clay and a strong wellfield protection code keep our water safe
Gainesville’s drinking water supply is safe. GRU officials want to reassure customers that recent articles appearing in the national media are not a cause for concern, because the articles refer to problems that are primarily associated with surface water sources such as lakes, rivers and reservoirs. Gainesville’s drinking water supply comes from the Floridan Aquifer, which is a pristine underground source naturally protected from the type of contaminants that are of concern for surface water bodies and unprotected aquifers.
GRU’s 165,000 water consumers drink water originating from deep water wells drilled into the Floridan, which is protected by multiple layers including limestone and clay materials. Surface water and unprotected aquifers such as those cited in the national studies lack this natural filtration. In addition, in the interest of the public health and safety, a wellfield protection code regulates the use of hazardous materials within the vicinity of the Murphree Water Treatment Plant Wellfield to prevent contamination of the groundwater supply. The best and most cost effective way to ensure safe drinking water is to keep the source water clean in the first place.
Approximately 87,000 man-made compounds of potential concern including pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) have been identified. Although the water industry has been researching these compounds for 30 years, most of them are not regulated by any current or proposed standard. These compounds can be detected in water supplies only because modern science can now identify extremely low levels— in the part-per-trillion range. People regularly consume or expose themselves to PPCPs and products containing those compounds every day— and in much higher concentrations than exist in water supplies.
