Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Environment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Resident urges county action after finding high arsenic in private wells; commissioners say staff will follow up
Summary
A Beverly Hills resident told commissioners he found arsenic levels above EPA recommendations in wells on Holiday Drive and asked the county to extend Citrus County Utilities service; commissioners said staff would follow up to determine next steps but no formal action was taken.
A Beverly Hills resident told the Citrus County Board of County Commissioners on June 23 that private wells on Holiday Drive contain high levels of arsenic and that some households are buying bottled water. The resident asked the county to extend public water lines where state grant funds had previously extended services to nearby areas.
Anthony Ayo told the board he had identified wells exceeding 24 parts per billion of arsenic, above the EPA's maximum contaminant level of 10 parts per billion, and said one household had additional contaminants that made the water unusable. "We cannot allow them to go without clean drinking water," Ayo said.
County commissioners and staff responded that the county was "concerned and taking care of any water issues" and directed county staff (Veronica) to follow up with the resident and explore next steps. Chair Rebecca Bays and Commissioner Diane Finnegan suggested staff will investigate options such as extending county utility service or reviewing prior grant conditions.
No motion or formal board action was taken during the meeting. Staff agreed to talk with the resident offline and to report back to the board if an agenda item or funding request is required.
