Century Failed To Properly Test Drinking Water For Lead, Copper For A Full Year

August 8, 2023

Century has notified utility customers that they failed to test drinking water for lead and copper for an entire year as required by the state.

From July 2022 through June 2023, the town “failed to take all of our required samples from our water distribution system” for lead and copper, according to a notice recently sent to customers. “Results of regular monitoring are an indicator of whether or not our drinking water meets health standards.”

“This puts us in violation of our requirement,” the town said.

The notice continued to say there is no action needed from customers at this time.

“You may continue to drink the water…If the situation ever arises where the water is no longer safe to drink, we will notify you within 24 hours.”

The notice states that “Infants and children who drink water containing lead in excess of the action level could experience delays in their physical or mental development. Children could show slight deficits in attention span and learning abilities. Adults who drink this water over many years could develop kidney problems or high blood pressure.”

In addition, the town’s notice continues to say that “some people who drink water containing copper in excess of the action level over a relatively short amount of time could experience gastrointestinal distress. Some people who drink water containing copper in excess of the action level over many years could suffer liver or kidney damage.”

Century Utilities said they planned to sample the water system again in July and amend procedures to ensure required sampling is conducted.

In July, NorthEscambia.com reported that Century failed to properly test drinking water for lead and copper during 2022 while failing to test for the inorganic contaminants nitrate and nitrite.

Comments

21 Responses to “Century Failed To Properly Test Drinking Water For Lead, Copper For A Full Year”

  1. Charlie Mike on August 11th, 2023 9:51 pm

    Wow, that really engenders trust in the system. ECUA is not much better.

  2. dave lamb on August 10th, 2023 1:19 am

    I do not understand how this could happen. Surely testing requirements by the state are set. I worked for a rural water system in Nebraska, and we regularly were required to send samples to the state labs.

  3. Danielle on August 9th, 2023 11:42 pm

    Will North Escambia please do a follow up on this story? Find out who the water operator is and what actions are being taken to prevent this from happening a 3rd time. Will you please use your journalism super powers for the community and follow up with FDEP and the City of Century?

  4. Chris on August 8th, 2023 7:20 pm

    Two things you hear often. Century and fail.

  5. Anne on August 8th, 2023 6:27 pm

    “Oversight” is there NO Oversight of this mess named Century?

  6. Willis on August 8th, 2023 5:34 pm

    How dang inept can you be.
    Fail to test one year , make the news…..
    Turn around and fail to test again the next year.

    Seems there would be something CRIMINAL in this.

  7. Brianna on August 8th, 2023 3:09 pm

    Time to lawyer up !

  8. ed on August 8th, 2023 2:20 pm

    If the state stopped the grants Century will go away

  9. Ann on August 8th, 2023 10:32 am

    I lived in Century for 18 years and I had kidney cancer. Strange that my husband passed away from kidney cancer after it spread throughout his body !

  10. Enough on August 8th, 2023 10:20 am

    I honestly don’t know how the town council can show their face in public. The last several years have taken a giant step backward for the town. Just look at the sidewalks; it has been YEARS since the sidewalks have been edged and in some places, it has almost completely overgrown the sidewalk. The town simply it not being maintained, and hasn’t been properly maintained for quite some time. The mentality seems to be that the town will request state funding to repair broken infrastructure; they receive funding and replace the broken system; they don’t properly maintain it; when it breaks, the cycle starts again with requesting state funding. If the powers that be are not going to run and maintain the town, PLEASE, do us all a favor and kindly step down, step aside, and let someone willing to WORK take the helm and get this town back in shape.

  11. just a fact on August 8th, 2023 9:04 am

    century fails everything.

  12. TaxPayer on August 8th, 2023 8:39 am

    “…if the situation ever arises where the water is no longer safe to drink, we will notify you within 24 hours.” Note: since we don’t actually DO the testing, we’ll never really know, so have a nice day.

  13. tg on August 8th, 2023 8:32 am

    Just like the song How Long Can This Keep Going On.

  14. sam on August 8th, 2023 7:37 am

    So the town wants us to drink bad water. the town is responsible for the problem, fix it or find someone that can.

  15. Vicky on August 8th, 2023 7:36 am

    Of course so what’s new !! Maybe soon they will do something to fix the problem or just close the city down make it all county!

  16. A Friend on August 8th, 2023 7:14 am

    How is one man expected to maintain a failing water system after making several attempts to gain additional help and resources from the town. Just because you see a group of people working on a leak doesn’t mean they help with day to day operations.

  17. Interesting on August 8th, 2023 6:26 am

    Looking more and more like Century has had lead in their water for a very long time…

  18. Why on August 8th, 2023 5:18 am

    How is Century allowed to self govern as a city. It is apparently obvious they can’t find their way out of a paper bag. The state needs to step in at this point before the failed leadership actually kills someone. It is abundantly clear they have no concept of how to follow standards and practices of running a city. They blatantly ignore state regulations. I am for the town leadership to be dissolved and for the county to take control.

  19. SW on August 8th, 2023 3:55 am

    ‘Century failed’

    Says it all.

    The state really needs to step in and revoke the town charter. Divest assets to private entities and shut it down.

    No reason for it to continue.

  20. Duke of Wawbeek on August 8th, 2023 3:00 am

    It won’t make much difference.

  21. D. Flowers on August 8th, 2023 1:54 am

    Stop the madness. Time for a heavy-duty intervention by the state.