Residents in portions of South Okaloosa County are being advised to boil their water before use after county officials detected E. coli bacteria in a raw water sample collected from one of the area’s drinking water wells.
Okaloosa County Water & Sewer issued the precautionary boil water notice Thursday, June 4, after testing identified E. coli in a sample taken from Hawkins Well, one of several wells supplying the Okaloosa Main Public Water System.
According to the utility, the positive result came from untreated groundwater collected before the water entered the treatment and disinfection process. Officials emphasized that all samples collected from the distribution system—the network of pipes delivering water to homes and businesses—tested negative for E. coli.
The advisory affects certain customers in unincorporated Fort Walton Beach and unincorporated Mary Esther, commonly known as Florosa.
County officials said the positive sample most likely resulted from either a sampling error or maintenance work recently completed at the well. Nevertheless, state and federal drinking water regulations require public notification and precautionary measures until additional testing confirms the water source is safe.
As a precaution, residents in the affected area should bring water to a rolling boil for at least one minute before using it for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, or preparing food. Bottled water may also be used.
Health officials note that the presence of E. coli can indicate contamination from human or animal waste. Exposure to contaminated water can cause symptoms such as diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, and headaches. Infants, older adults, young children, and individuals with weakened immune systems may face greater health risks.
The county has removed Hawkins Well from service while crews conduct additional testing. Officials are currently pumping water from the well away from the distribution system and collecting new samples to determine whether contamination is present.
Okaloosa County Water & Sewer expects to resolve the issue within approximately one week. Customers will receive another notification once testing confirms the water is safe and the boil water notice can be lifted.
Residents seeking additional information can contact Okaloosa County Water & Sewer at 850-651-7171 during business hours or 850-651-7174 after hours.
