NEWS
The Saltwater Intrusion has been CLEARED!
Drinking water advisory from Cedar Key Water and Sewer District
You no longer have to boil water. Until further notice, however, please use bottled water for drinking and cooking. The saltwater infiltration of our potable water is slowly clearing out.
Appliances should not be affected by the water. The district is not making any recommendations one way or the other, so use your judgement.
Please conserve water. Do not fill pools or hot tubs or water your yards.
Bottled water is available at many locations on the island. Please use it!
The Levy County Health Department will be across form the Cedar Key Fire Station next to the FEMA station from 10 am to 3 pm today, to help citizens with information on what to do about boiling the water and the salinity in the water.
An update on CKWSD drinking water issues:
Continue to boil water until further notice. The CKWSD will begin
taking samples starting today, and after two days of clean results, the
boil water notice will be lifted.
Salinity in the drinking water is a taste issue, that has been caused by
the flooding of seawater miles inland due to Hurricane Idalia. We are
working to clear the wells of seawater and we hope the salinity will be
reduced to very low levels. We will keep you posted on this progress.
Notice of Proposed Rate Increase
Notice is hereby given that at 5:00 PM on September 18, 2023, the Cedar Key Water and Sewer District (“District”) will hold a public meeting at the District’s office, 510 3RD STREET, CEDAR KEY FL 32625, to consider adoption of the below water and sewer rates to take effect commencing October 1, 2023:
Proposed Water Rates
Base Service Availability Charge:
Small User $28.84 OR $29.40
Large User: $69.01 OR $70.35
Plus the following usage charges:
Number of Gallons
Rate per 1,000 Gallons Used
0 to 3,000 $2.94 OR $2.99
3,001 to 6,000 $5.49 OR $5.60
6,001 to 9,000 $7.75 OR $7.90
9,001 and up $10.02 OR $10.22
Proposed Sewer Rates
Base Service Availability Charge:
Small User $27.81 OR $28.35
Large User: $65.92 OR $67.92
Plus the following usage charges:
Number of Gallons
Rate per 1,000 Gallons Used
0 to 3,000 $2.37 OR $2.42
3,001 to 6,000 $4.80 OR $4.89
6,001 to 9,000 $6.97 OR $7.11
9,001 and up $9.13 OR $9.30
If a person decides to appeal any decision made by the District with respect to any matter considered at the meeting, such person will need a record of the proceedings and may need to ensure that a verbatim record is made, including the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is to be made. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, persons needing special accommodations or an interpreter to participate in the meeting should contact the District Office at (352) 543-5285 at least three (3) business days prior to the dates of the hearing.
CEDAR KEY WATER AND SEWER DISTRICT
NOTICE OF JOB OPENING
GENERAL MANAGER
The Cedar Key Water and Sewer District is accepting applications for the position of General Manager. A letter of interest and resume may be hand delivered to the District Offices at 510 3rd Street, Cedar Key, mailed to P.O. Box 309, Cedar Key, FL, 32625, or emailed to alicia@ckwater.org. The application period will remain open until position is filled.
The General Manager is in charge of, and responsible for, overseeing all day-to-day operations and affairs of the District’s combined water and wastewater utilities and implementing the direction and policies established by the District Board of Commissioners. Principal responsibilities include management of all planning, budgeting, administration, customer service, engineering, construction, permitting, and operations for all utility responsibility areas in accordance with District policies and applicable laws and regulations.
The General Manager reports directly to the five-member governing Board for the District. The applicant may propose to work on less than a full-time basis. Employee benefits include paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; and paid medical, dental, life insurance, and retirement plan. Compensation shall be negotiable. Additionally, the District will accept applications from qualified firms that propose to perform the duties and responsibilities of the General Manager on a contractual basis.
Experience managing a water/wastewater utility or Florida local government entity is strongly preferred, though the Board may find that alternative experience, education and/or training in other fields qualify a person to be General Manager.
The Cedar Key Water and Sewer District is a drug-free workplace. Applicant must be legally able to accept work in the United States. Requests for reasonable accommodation of a disability during the application and/or interview process should be made to the District Office. The District is an equal opportunity employer.
February 16, 2023
OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE ON CEDAR KEY WATER AND SEWER DISTRICT BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
The Cedar Key Water and Sewer District (the "District") is seeking persons interested in serving on the District’s governing body, the Board of Commissioners (the “Board”). A vacancy will exist on the Board beginning April 5, 2023, which the remaining members of the Board are required to fill by appointment for a two-year term of office. All persons who are qualified to vote in District elections are eligible to serve on the Board.
If you are interested in serving on the Board, you must submit an application to the District, which can be obtained at the District’s website www.ckwater.org, in person at 510 3rd Street in Cedar Key, or by contacting Alicia M. Johns at the District by telephone at (352)543-5285 or by e-mail at alicia@ckwater.org. Applications should be submitted no later than March 8, 2023. Applicants will need to be available to attend the Board meeting to be held at 510 3rd Street, Cedar Key, FL 32625 on March 13, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. for a brief interview with the Board.
For questions or additional information, please contact Alicia M. Johns via the contact information listed above.
June 11,2021
Customers are being made aware that we are no longer above the recommended threshold for disinfectant byproducts for our yearly rolling average. This means that we will not be sending the quarterly public notices and, reaffirms our safe drinking water. Any questions regarding this, please feel free to extend them to Chad Wisdom, General Manager, Cedar Key Water and Sewer District.
(352)543-5285
April 21,2021
Customers will be receiving a "Notice to Customers" letter in their mail boxes very soon if not already. It is important to understand that the quality of our water is very important and never taken lightly. We wanted to give a quick explanation, for any who may not already know. The level of THHM's that are the upper limit threshold for constant use is 80 ug/l. We are and have been well below that amount since January. The reporting of these numbers to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection is done quarterly and the reports are for a rolling yearly average. During pilot testing to try to find a solution for this issue, our test results in the last quarter of 2020 came back very high in the month of October. That in turn, has put our rolling yearly average to above the "80" goal for all subsequent tests, even though our water has been deemed safe on each water draw for testing. We still report the high yearly average in every attempt to be as transparent as possible. Any questions regarding this or any other water or sewer items please feel free to reach out to Chad Wisdom, General Manager, Cedar Key Water and Sewer District
543-5285
February 18,2021
WATER SHUT OFF VALVES FOR UNOCCUPIED DWELLINGS
Due to recent events of extremely high water bills being incurred by homeowners who have returned to their dwellings to find broken water lines, left on spigots, and leaks, we are sending out this recommendation. Our advice to you is to have a manual disconnect installed as close to your water meter as possible and turn it off any time that you are not going to be at that address for an extended period of time. If you have questions, feel free to reach out to Chad Wisdom, General Manager, Cedar Key Water and Sewer District, at 543-5285.
February 9, 2021
WATER TEST BAGS ARE NOT FROM CEDAR KEY WATER AND SEWER DISTRICT
Many households in Cedar Key have found sticks with bags attached to them in their front yard, with a request to send a water sample in for testing. These were placed by a private company and have nothing to do with the Cedar Key Water and Sewer District or any other public agency. It has been reported to the District by one customer who sent the bottle in for testing that it appeared to be a scam. The District constantly tests the drinking water for safety, and the District would never test by leaving such an anonymous request at a customer’s house. Whenever testing at a residence is needed, the customer would be informed in advance by District personnel. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Chad Wisdom, General Manager, Cedar Key Water and Sewer District, at 543-5285.
October 2, 2010
DISTRICT GETS EXCELLENT INITIAL TEST RESULTS USING NEW CARBON FILTRATION SYSTEM
As previously reported, the Cedar Key Water and Sewer District has installed four large granulated activated carbon (GAC) filtration vessels for the purpose of reducing disinfectant byproducts in the drinking water. The District has shared the problem of reducing these byproducts with many other utilities, and has tested many possible solutions over the years. The installation of an ion exchange treatment process back in 2006 brought the DBP levels down below the maximums for most of the time, but there have been occasions when the levels have exceeded the maximums, probably due to the variability of the water the District draws from its well field. Such exceedances are not an immediate health risk, but the State requires utilities to move towards reducing the levels over the long term.
The purpose of this update is to report on the initial test results after use of the new GAC filtration system. The disinfectant byproduct that the District has sometimes had high levels of goes by the abbreviation TTHM. The state’s regulatory maximum for TTHM in the system is 80 parts per billion (ppb). The TTHM results for the two testing sites after use of the GAC filtration are 8.84 ppb and 13.81 ppb. These are very low levels that the District has never achieved in the past, and they strongly indicate that the GAC filtration system is working as promised to reduce DBPs. Additional testing will be taking place on a monthly basis, and results will be reported as they come in.
September 2, 2020
NEW FILTRATION PROCESS ADDED TO WATER TREATMENT PLANT
They’ve arrived, they’ve been installed, and they’re adding a new level of treatment to Cedar Key’s drinking water: four large granulated activated carbon (GAC) filtration vessels.
After the District’s drinking water goes through its usual multi-stage treatment process, these filtration vessels will provide a final polishing of the water before it is sent out to customers. The primary motivation for installing these filters is the need to reduce disinfectant byproducts (DBPs) in the water. The District has shared the problem of reducing these byproducts with many other utilities, and has tested many possible solutions over the years. The installation of an ion exchange treatment process back in 2006 brought the DBP levels down below the maximums for most of the time, but there have been occasions when the levels have exceeded the maximums, probably due to the variability of the water the District draws from its well field. Such exceedances are not an immediate health risk, but the State requires utilities to move towards reducing the levels over the long term.
After successful testing of GAC filtration, the District is confident that the new filtration will keep the DBP levels consistently below maximum state-imposed levels. The District will be conducting monthly testing of the DBP levels and updates will be provided to customers.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact John McPherson, General Manager, 352-317-7431, john@ckwater.org.
October 10, 2019
PROJECT TO REMOVE FINAL WASTEWATER LINES FROM BRIDGES COMPLETED
The directional drilling project to remove aging wastewater lines from Bridges 1, 2 and 3, and place them underground beneath the waterways has been successfully completed. A generous “RIVER Grant” from the Suwannee River Water Management District aided the Cedar Key Water and Sewer District in getting this work done by funding half of the $180,000 project. The work was ably performed by General Underground LLC out of Chiefland.
The Water and Sewer District’s wastewater collection and treatment system was installed in 1981, and wastewater collection pipes were attached to the sides of Bridges 1, 2, and 3 on State Road 24, as well as on other bridges in Cedar Key. These aging PVC pipes were exposed to the elements, and there were various threats to their integrity, including collision by boats, damage by storms, and brittleness due to age. A substantial spill of wastewater into Cedar Key’s Class II shellfish waters could have a devastating impact on the environment and economy of Cedar Key. With the completion of this project, wastewater lines on all bridges in Cedar Key have been removed and buried underground, and the threat of a wastewater spill into Cedar Key’s waters has been greatly reduced.