PUNTA GORDA, Florida Tap Water Quality

What this violation means

Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) form when chlorine reacts with naturally occurring organic matter — leaves, soil, algae — in source water. They are among the most commonly reported violations because utilities pulling from surface water (rivers, lakes, reservoirs) struggle to balance disinfection with byproduct formation. Long-term exposure has been linked to bladder cancer and adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Recommended precautions

• →Activated carbon filters (pitcher, faucet, or under-sink) effectively reduce TTHMs.
• →Letting water sit uncovered allows TTHMs to off-gas — leave a pitcher in the fridge for several hours.
• →Shower with the bathroom fan on; TTHMs can volatilize into the air during hot showers.
• →Boiling reduces TTHMs through volatilization, but only after extended boiling.

What this violation means

Radium-226 and Radium-228 occur naturally in groundwater, particularly in regions with granite or sandstone aquifers. Long-term ingestion increases the risk of bone, sinus, and other cancers because radium concentrates in bone tissue.

Recommended precautions

• →Reverse osmosis and ion exchange (water softeners) remove radium.
• →Boiling does NOT remove radium and may concentrate it.
• →Private well users in radium-rich geology should test every 3–5 years.

What this violation means

Radium-226 and Radium-228 occur naturally in groundwater, particularly in regions with granite or sandstone aquifers. Long-term ingestion increases the risk of bone, sinus, and other cancers because radium concentrates in bone tissue.

Recommended precautions

• →Reverse osmosis and ion exchange (water softeners) remove radium.
• →Boiling does NOT remove radium and may concentrate it.
• →Private well users in radium-rich geology should test every 3–5 years.