Both Cueto and his counterpart in Broward, Alan Garcia, say their systems have defenses in place to ward off or detect a similar attack.
Someone gained remote access to Oldsmar s system to release large amounts of lye into the water intended for 15,000 people in that community. It was detected and contained before the tainted water was released to customers. The hacker changed the sodium hydroxide from about 100 parts per million to 11,100 parts per million, said Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, using the chemical name for lye.
It s something you do not want to shower in, much less drink. Exposure to elevated levels can cause skin and eye irritation, severe burns, eye damage and blindness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
JEA: Multiple safeguards in place to protect water system
Jacksonville’s utility monitoring investigation into Oldsmar water system hack
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – JEA wants to reassure its customers that water treated at the utility’s facilities is safe to drink because of the layers of protocols in place.
At the JEA downtown water treatment facility, Kevin Holbrooks is the director of environmental compliance, and it’s his job to make sure the city’s water is safe. He said the attempted poisoning of drinking water at a treatment facility in the city of Oldsmar in Pinellas County is concerning.