City workers in Riviera Beach found water contaminated with fecal bacteria June 27, 2023, in a test of one of the city’s many wells.
However, it did not notify the public until a post on the city’s web page last week.
That post drew the ire of City Council Member Tradrick McCoy.
“Nobody should be sitting here waiting seven months for an explanation about why there’s fecal matter contamination in the city’s well-water supply,” McCoy said at the most recent city council meeting.
WPTVSo, why didn’t Riviera Beach Utility Director Michael Low notify the public immediately?
“Because there was no need because we have a treatment plant here,” Low said.
He said that even though well water was contaminated, it was filtered at the treatment plant and made clean, safe and drinkable by the time it reached people’s homes.
As for the seven-month delay in notification, Low said it took the county health department that long to sign off on the language of the public notice.