Century Fails To Test Drinking Water For Cyanide, Organic Compounds For Entire Year, DEP Says

May 2, 2024


The Town of Century failed to properly monitor their water system for several compounds for an entire year, according to a warning letter from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

According to an April 24 letter to Mayor Luis Gomez, Jr., Century failed to test for inorganic cyanide, secondary color, secondary foaming agents, and all synthetic organic compounds for the 2023 monitoring period.

Century will now be required to issue a public notice to water customers advising them of the missed sampling within 90 days and respond to the allegation within 15 days.

For a copy of the required public notice template, click here.

“Violations of Florida Statutes or administrative rules may result in liability for damages and restoration, and the judicial imposition of civil penalties,”  the DEP letter states. “This Warning Letter is part of an agency investigation, preliminary to agency action in accordance to (Florida statutes.)”

Comments

22 Responses to “Century Fails To Test Drinking Water For Cyanide, Organic Compounds For Entire Year, DEP Says”

  1. bob c. on May 4th, 2024 2:15 pm

    Mayor Luis Gomez, Jr., his entire family as well as the Town of Century Council should be restricted to consuming the “safe” water and bathing, washing, cooking with it for a year.
    Good Grief, what does it take before this joke of a Town is dismantled?
    Easy to understand why the Escambia County Commission doesn’t want any part of the liability that years of neglect and corrosion have taken on that little spot in the road.

  2. Crystal Ball on May 3rd, 2024 11:06 pm

    It’s past time for the county or state to step in and take over the management of Century. Reports like this one have been the norm not the rare instance for far too long. When the residents of this once proud town are being put in harms way there’s no longer time for excuses or patience.

  3. just a fact on May 3rd, 2024 4:30 pm

    their water is almost as bad as their counsel.

  4. Jim on May 3rd, 2024 11:15 am

    Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Anyone that knowingly allowed this to happen must be held accountable. This is the same out of sight out of mind ideology that Jackson Ms. And Detroit Mi. residents have faced for years. It’s time for those that can do something about the blatant abuse of position to step up to the plate.

  5. brianh on May 3rd, 2024 10:53 am

    Maybe we could sucker Alabama into buying Century from Florida.

  6. Bewildered on May 3rd, 2024 7:29 am

    People vote for leaders they can relate to . Smart folks vote for a smart man, stupid ones prefer a fool and crooked folks look for dishonesty in a candidate

  7. Steve on May 3rd, 2024 3:24 am

    Nothing to see here . Move along (drink) .

  8. Bill on May 3rd, 2024 12:13 am

    As a former longtime resident of Walnut Hill it always amazed me then, as it does now, how do the people serving Century continue to do so? For goodness sakes, why are they still in a position to continue? I can shrug and say Century, but this is crazy town.

  9. Rodney on May 2nd, 2024 9:45 pm

    This is not a case where the previous administration can be held accountable for this error. Gomez cannot hold an intelligent conversation with a broom handle yet he was chosen as mayor. At what point will actions be taken by the state for the ineptitude?

  10. Johncasb on May 2nd, 2024 3:52 pm

    I thought I was a man till I saw the people in century drinking the yellow water.

  11. Randy lucas on May 2nd, 2024 3:28 pm

    Wow…I smell a Class Action lawsuit…Come on Century yall can do better than this…I mean really,Posining the folks that live and support the City Council..No excuse.Take action.

  12. D. Flowers on May 2nd, 2024 2:45 pm

    If I resided in Century, I’d be asking myself when does mere incompetence rise to the level of criminality?

  13. Fredd on May 2nd, 2024 10:22 am

    The people need to get together and take out a Class Action Lawsuit against the city of Century

  14. tg on May 2nd, 2024 10:08 am

    May God help the residents of Century.

  15. Bob on May 2nd, 2024 8:54 am

    If citizens were harmed or damaged by the water I think the TOC could face a class action lawsuit.

  16. RW on May 2nd, 2024 8:52 am

    TIME FOR JAIL

  17. Oversight on May 2nd, 2024 8:50 am

    Not unexpected, right? Town of Century government incompetence on full display, again.

  18. chris on May 2nd, 2024 8:43 am

    So the drinking water may have inorganic cyanide, but at last they have nice Christmas lights.

  19. mic hall on May 2nd, 2024 8:28 am

    When is the State going to recognize that Century is a failed city and needs to be dissolved? The repeated failures of management are getting ridiculous but now actually could be very dangerous.

  20. JTV on May 2nd, 2024 8:23 am

    It’s time to take the keys from grandpa. This is the tenth mailbox this year we’ve had to replace. Century, like Prichard, AL. Can’t fix their own stupid.

  21. dave lamb on May 2nd, 2024 8:07 am

    As someone who has worked for a rural water district I don’t know how you could not comply with state rules. The consequences to the public and the fines by the state are too costly to not comply. somewhere moral integrity should kick in especialy when you drink the same water.

  22. SW on May 2nd, 2024 6:30 am

    The first two words in the headline and first five words in the story say it all.