Sarasota residents complained the county’s tap water tasted like ‘pool water.’ Was it safe to drink?
Yes.
Though Sarasota residents might have been wary of drinking the funky-tasting tap water these past couple of weeks, it was perfectly safe to drink.
The explanation behind the taste is free chlorine, which Sarasota County added on April 22 and stopped on May 6. Under Florida Administrative Code Rule 62-550.817, the Department of Environmental Protection recommends using free chlorine to disinfect drinking water from viruses and other harmful pathogens.
The DEP regulates the maximum amount of free chlorine in drinking water to 4.0 mg/L. Free chlorine is typically used to maintain water quality once a year, but Sarasota skipped it in 2024. Prior to this year, the last time Sarasota conducted this process was in April 2023.
When free chlorine is used, the water might also be discolored or smell different. While officials advise letting your faucet run until the water is clear, there’s no need to boil the water.
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Was a 700-acre fire at Myakka State Park due to a controlled burn?
No.
The controlled burn was planned for a smaller portion of land. A day after it was conducted, a wildfire broke out, torching hundreds more acres. The specific reason is unclear.
A video capturing the blaze by a resident amassed 720,000 views before being deleted on social media.
Sarasota County, the park’s location, has been under a burn ban since late March due to severe drought conditions. It will lift after the drought index falls below 500 for one week.
Residents cannot have open fires of any kind during this period. Outdoor burns approved by the Florida Forest Service are exempted.
Experts plan controlled burns under specified weather conditions to maintain fire-dependent ecosystems. The burns’ benefits include promoting tree growth, removing unwanted species and improving habitats for endangered species.
Myakka River State Park spans 37,000 acres of land and forms part of the 80,000-acre Myakka Island conservation area.
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This story was originally published by Suncoast Searchlight, a nonprofit newsroom delivering investigative journalism to Sarasota, Manatee, and DeSoto counties. Learn more at suncoastsearchlight.org.
