How safe is tap water on the Mississippi Coast? Here’s how to check in your county.
If your tap water smells like rotten eggs, looks cloudy or tastes like metal, you know there’s something wrong with it. But, how do you know if your water is safe to drink without these cues from your senses?
Public water systems are required to test water every three months and to provide the results to the public. Each public water system files an annual consumer confidence report. The reports include the results of any tests for acute and chronic contaminants.
What are chronic contaminants?
Any contaminant that will affect your health after continuous long-term exposure at levels greater than the maximum contaminant level (MCL) is considered a chronic contaminant.
What are acute contaminants?
Acute contaminants can cause short-term health issues within hours or days of exposure. Examples include E. coli, bacteria, viruses and protozoa. Some chronic contaminants can be acute if the levels are well over the maximum allowed. “For example, nitrate levels over the MCL can cause ‘blue-baby’ syndrome in children less than 6 months,” said one EPA best practices guide.
Also known as a drinking water quality report, the CCR tells you where your water comes from and what is in it, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
The EPA requires water systems to mail Consumer Confidence Reports directly to consumers via mail or electronic mail each year by July 1. If you do not pay for your water, you will not directly receive a CCR. Contact your landlord or check online.
If you use well water, you may apply for the health department to test your water for bacteria and contact private labs to test for everything else.
The Mississippi State Department of Health provides an online database where you can review your water system’s confidence reports and any violations filed.
Here’s how to use the database
Step 1
Start with the health department’s Drinking Water Watch page where you can find your water supply system by searching by the water system number, name or county. You can set your date range or make no changes to the search parameters, which will use the default of the last two years.
For a quick link to your county, scroll to the bottom and use the link to the interactive county map. Choose your county on the map and it will link to a list of water systems in your county.
Here are the links to water systems in South Mississippi:
Step 2
Find your utility company/water supplier on the list and click the corresponding water system number next to it.
The first page you will see provides general information including contacts, if the service is active and where your drinking water is sourced.
Step 3
A list of links is located on the left (blue) side of the page. Scroll down to the “Violations/Enforcement Actions” link. The page will list group and individual violations with the most current violation at the top of the list.
Group violations are when the violation tested for and found more than one contaminant. The types of contaminants found and analyzed are listed under “Analyte Group Code.”
Individual violations list and track a single contaminant found in the water supply.
Step 4
Learn more about the violation by clicking on the violation number in the first column.
If a date is listed under “Compliance Period End Date” or “Violation Period End Date,” the violation has been resolved as of that date and the water is no longer contaminated.
This story was originally published September 7, 2022 at 10:04 AM.
