Miami Springs tap-water wells closed due to chemical contamination

By Theo Karantsalis | Miami New Times | January 21, 2020

Read the full article by Theo Karantsalis (Miami New Times)

“Three wells situated on the Miami Springs golf course have been closed for nearly six months owing to chemical contamination, according to the county.

The golf-course wells supply water to the Hialeah and Preston plants off Okeechobee Road. They were shut down last August after sampling results showed elevated levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, chemicals better known as PFAS. The chemicals have been used for decades in nonstick cookware, water-repellent clothing, carpets, and products that resist grease, water, and oil, according to the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

Doug Yoder, deputy director of the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department, tells New Times the water from the affected wells contained higher-than-recommended levels of PFAS. But locals likely never consumed water infused with that particular cocktail of chemicals because their drinking water is a mix that comes from multiple sources, he says…

Yoder says further testing is underway and results are expected in February. Well-safety concerns at the site last cropped up in 2013, when a Miami Herald report showed officials discovered an unregistered 1,120-gallon diesel tank buried in the Miami Springs well field at the same level as the water supply…

Earlier this week, the advocacy nonprofit Environment Working Group released a report showing the organization’s testing results from municipal water sources across the country; the Miami area ranked third highest in the nation for PFAS levels.”

This content provided by the PFAS Project.