To better protect public health, Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is expanding its public notification process to advise property owners if pollution has been found on their property or in their neighborhood. You may have received a letter from DEP about pollutants discovered in the ground water or soil at your property or properties in your area.  To answer your questions, the DEP and the Department of Health (DOH) have established two toll-free information lines.

If your residence is connected to a public water supply system, there is little or no risk of exposure to pollutants in the ground water. If your property has a drinking water well on-site and it has not been tested within the past three years, we recommended having the water sampled by your County Health Department or a private laboratory. Irrigation wells should not be used for drinking water.

You can reduce the risk of exposure to soil pollutants by thoroughly washing your hands after gardening, playing or working in the yard. Covering an impacted area with clean soil or a layer of mulch such as pine straw or leaves provides an additional safeguard.

If you have health questions about contamination of your property, please contact us at one of the above exclusive information lines.

» For more information about the Department of Health's (DOH) Environmental Health Programs, go to:
Chemical Fact Sheets
List of Frequently Asked Questions

» For more information about DEP's Waste Cleanup Programs, go to: www.dep.state.fl.us/waste

For more information about laboratories, go to:
http://www.floridadep.org/labs/cgi-bin/aams/index.asp