BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Water customers for the City of Cocoa were recently notified that Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP), a plastic additive, exceeded the “Regulatory Detection Level” but didn’t exceed the “Maximum Contaminant Level” in a sample taken during the first quarter of 2023.
The City of Cocoa maintains that none of the tests for DEHP or any contaminants tested were over the Maximum Contaminant Level.
Below is the full letter the City of Cocoa sent out, dated by December 26, 2023:
Dear City of Cocoa Utilities Customer,
We have recently discovered that there was an oversight in our water sampling process, and we did not adhere to our approved monitoring plan. While this incident is not an emergency, we believe it’s important for our customers to be informed about what occurred and the steps we are taking to address and rectify the issue.
What Happened
We are required to monitor your drinking water for specific contaminants triennially (once every three years) for two quarters in that year. Results of the monitoring are an indicator of whether or not our drinking water meets health standards.
During the first quarter of 2023 (January-March), one of the synthetic organic contaminants, Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) exceeded the Regulatory Detection Level (RDL) but was below the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL). This exceedance triggered the utility to perform four consecutive quarterly samples of DEHP.
The first quarter following the exceedance (April-June 2023) the utility tested for DEHP and the levels were undetectable.
In error, the utility did not monitor or test the third quarter of 2023 (July-September) for DEHP.
The utility is in the process of monitoring or testing for DEHP in the fourth quarter of 2023 (October-December)
This is not an emergency. If it had been, you would have been notified within 24 hours. None of the tests for DEHP or any contaminants tested were over the MCL.
Some people who drink water containing Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) in excess of the MCL over many years may have problems with their liver, or experience reproductive difficulties, and may have an increased risk of getting cancer.
What should I do?
There is nothing you need to do. You do not need to boil your water or take other corrective actions. If a situation arises where the water is no longer safe to drink, you will be notified within 24 hours. Stay tuned Space Coast Daily for updates.
What is being done?
The utility is in the process of monitoring or testing for DEHP in the fourth quarter of 2023 (Oct-Nov). It will also test for DEHP for three consecutive quarters in 2024 as well as annually in 2025, 2026 and 2027.
Additionally, we reviewed the sampling plan and updated our sampling procedures to ensure all monitoring and reporting requirements are met in the future.
The City of Cocoa Utilities Department is committed to providing clean, fresh drinking water to all customers and assures its customers that we have taken corrective actions to prevent a similar oversight in the future. For more information, please contact Donald Downs at 321-433-8705 or ddowns@cocoafl.gov.
Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.
This notice is being sent to you by City of Cocoa. State Water System ID#: 3050223.
Date distributed: December 26, 2023
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