MYAKKA CITY, Fla. — In the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, state and local health officials are still concerned about contaminated well water supplies to many homes.
They have urged homeowners who rely on well water for drinking and household uses to bring samples of their water to get tested for bacteria including E. coli.
In Myakka City, Manatee County officials have continued to provide bottled water for drinking and cooking and chlorine to disinfect non-drinking water.
A trailer with more than 200 2.5-gallon jugs of 10.5% sodium hypochlorite solution has been stationed at the Myakka Community Center. Homeowners can take up to four jugs to disinfect their wells.
Florida Health officials are also at the center to collect the water samples and send them to get tested. Hurricane Ian inundated the Myakka River with excess stormwater which caused its banks to overflow, flooding many homes and communities, and forcing their taps to stay shut.
"When we first got home, turning on our faucet, there was a little bit more sewage," said Heather Baumgartner, a Myakka City homeowner.
Like many of her neighbors, Baumgartner has brought a sample of her well water to get tested and has had to rely on bottled water stockpiled ahead of the hurricane.
"You take it for granted. You don't realize what it's like to not be able to use your water, to drink your water," Baumgartner said. "Like just turn on the tap and then you can have water, and to not be able to drink that, I think that's kind of the inconvenience."
So far, Florida Health has tested water from about 550 private wells since sampling began on October 5.
As of October 19, of the total 454 sample results received, 215 samples (39%) were satisfactory. 173 (31%) require a resample due to the presence of total coliform present while 76 (13%) had both total coliform and fecal coliform present.
"If there's any of that we are encouraging people to disinfect as well and use bottled water until they get a clean test," said Bill Logan, Information Outreach Manager, Manatee County.
The wells that showed the presence of both total coliform and fecal coliform in the water must be disinfected using chlorine.
Homeowners who get their water through Manatee County utilities don't have this problem but county leaders want drinkable water to be accessible to everyone.
"We just want to make sure the people here have safe drinking water and until or unless their well is able to provide them that, we're making sure that we've got that bottle here for them," Logan said.
Health officials said the result of the water sample test takes approximately two to three days.
"Hopefully, we're good and then we can just be back to just running the faucet and not have to do bottled water,", Baumgartner said.
Manatee County officials said they anticipate about four more weeks of distributing water and chlorine before things go back to normal. Along with bottled water, chlorine, hand sanitizer and any information residents may need about their water or other county services.
FEMA agents are at the Myakka City Community Center helping homeowners with claims and access to available disaster relief benefits.
For more information about your water safety, you can contact your local health department.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's website also has instructions for disinfecting wells.