Water Safety

Public water suppliers are sometimes the target of companies or groups trying to capitalize on the perception that water quality is poor or even harmful to drink. JEA prides itself in delivering high quality, safe drinking water that meets stringent regulatory requirements.

JEA’s water quality meets the standards demanded by federal and state regulatory agencies – it is safe to drink. Every year, we collect and test over 45,000 samples throughout our service territory for over 100 bacteriological and chemical components to ensure compliance. Our Annual Water Quality Report shows the results of our testing. As stated in the report, most of the minerals and elements present in our drinking water occur naturally in the aquifer at very low levels.

Additionally, federal and state regulations require drinking water utilities to maintain an adequate chlorine residual to ensure the water is free of pathogens. Chlorine can impart a taste to water for some people. If someone calls you and offers to test your water for free, please keep in mind that they may attempt to sell you a water filtration system to change the taste. If any suggestion is made that your water is unsafe to consume, please contact JEA at (904) 665-6000 with the vendor’s name and phone number so we can address the issue directly with them. 

Water Quality in Your Home

Customers often ask about the quality of the water in their home. Your pipes could have a lot to do with it. 

• Water that has a brown tint coming from the tap usually indicates rust in the house plumbing. 
• White (Alka-Seltzer-like) appearance is generally caused by air in the water. 
• Debris in your water usually comes after an interruption of water flow, i.e. repair or replacement of water lines. Run your water until it clears up before using it.
• If you color your hair and notice an odd tint to it, chances are it’s coming from copper that’s leached out of your internal piping system and into the water. 
• Low water pressure may be caused by build-up in the customer’s pipes that restricts the flow and thus the pressure, or it could be high customer demands straining the distribution system. 

If you have questions about your water quality, please call (904) 665-6000.

Home Water Treatment Systems 

Since the water we deliver to you meets federal and state drinking water standards, the decision to install a point-of-use or point-of-entry home water treatment device is a personal one. Some choose to install home treatment units. These systems can cost thousands of dollars, so before investing in a costly unit, make sure that the system you intend to purchase can address your needs. Additionally, it should be certified by NSF International, the Water Quality Association, or Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. to ensure that the manufacturers’ performance claims are tested and validated. Finally, be sure to follow the directions for cleaning and maintaining the system in order to prevent the growth of potentially harmful bacteria. 

JEA’s State-of-the-Art Water Monitoring System 

JEA has a state-of-the-art operations network in place, called Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), which enables us to monitor our water supply system and bring you an uninterrupted supply of fresh, clean water to your home. SCADA is a technology that allows us to remotely control and monitor conditions at our water plants 24 hours a day. An operator monitors and controls the treatment facilities through a centralized computer system that shows a representation of the water plant system instrumentation and equipment indicating pressure, flow, reservoir levels, chlorine level, and pH, as well as critical alarms.