Questions have arisen about the safety and quality of Palmetto’s drinking water, which has recently been put to the test.
On Wednesday March 9, Water Wizard Company owner, Rick Escauriza, tested a sample of school water. His goal was to find out why students are complaining of the drinking water and why the water turns yellow after long breaks and weekends. However, according to Escuriza, the possibility of bacteria in the water due to a lack of chlorine has gone unnoticed, possibly putting student and faculty health in jeopardy.
Escauriza used an OTO indicator to measure the amount of chlorine present in the water. After running the fountain for several minutes and testing many samples, he concluded that Palmetto water does not contain enough chlorine.
“We can see that there is barely any chlorine which is good and bad. Why? Because if you have a little bit of chlorine, it can act as a disinfectant, which can kill any virus in the water, but right now we are not seeing much of a chlorine level. This is an indication that it’s not killing any viruses or bacteria if there were to be anything in the water,” Escauriza said.
Science Department head and AP Environmental Science teacher Pamela Shlachtman believes that Escauriza’s conclusions on the safety of school water based on the growth bacteria and viruses are wrong. She proceeded to test the water herself and received different results.
“There are one half to two milligrams of chlorine per liter of water. It may be low, but it is still there. I don’t think we have to worry about bacteria in the water,” Shlachtman said.
Chlorine is only placed in city water once a year to kill off bacteria; the county now uses Chloromine. This chemical substance treats the water like chlorine does, but is not reactive and therefore does not create THM (tri-halo methane) which is a carcinogenic.
Along with the unsolved presence of bacteria, the mystery of Palmetto’s infamous yellow water never reached a full conclusion. Iron, the suspected cause for the lurid coloration, tested negative in the water sample. According to Miami-Dade County Water and Sewer Department Chemist Noel Grant, Palmetto water most likely does contain iron despite Escauriza’s results.
“It makes sense that the test came out negative for iron. It was probably all flushed out by the time he tested it because fountains usually run all day. The pipes are probably old and when water sits in them all night without being used, it turns yellow. Service-men should let the water run for a while before the school day starts and the iron will clear right up,” Grant said.
Although the colored water may be benign, many students are not willing to take the risk. In fact, some are even worried about the school’s sanitation in general.
“Have you seen this school? I would never drink anything from this school! I won’t even wash my hands with the school water,” junior Kelci White said.
The specific fountain from which the tested sample was taken contained several pieces of chewed gum and other unidentifiable objects.
Disregarding the unsanitary fountains, Escauriza proceeded with his water examination. He tested for hardness, TDS (total dissolved solvents), and pH. The water contained 12 grains of hardness and 190 ppm (parts per million) for TDS, which is very alkaline. This is not unhealthy, but bodies prefer a level of 7.0 to 7.5. According to Escuriza, the city can fix the pH level by making sure that proper disinfectants and solutions are added to its water plant.
All of the alterations that the City of Miami Water Plant would have to undergo to perfect Palmetto water could be avoided with the purchase of a filter. However, perfection comes with a price.
“Filters are expensive and they would have to be continually changed,” Shlachtman said. “But it would prevent the water from turning yellow and make it taste much better.”
