New drinking fountains coming to Satellite Beach schools after contamination concerns
SATELLITE BEACH, Fla. - New drinking fountains are on the way to schools in Satellite Beach. The upgrade comes as leaders continue to address contaminated water concerns.
People started sounding the alarm when PFAS (polyfluoroalkyl substances, or "forever" chemicals) were found in groundwater near Patrick Space Force Base in 2018.
FOX 35 News saw a few new fill stations on Tuesday at Satellite High School, but that school is just the start.
School board member Matt Susin wants to update nearly 700 drinking fountains across the district. They’re starting in Satellite Beach because this community has been testing water and hearing concerns about pollution for years.
It may look like an ordinary water fountain, but for the Holmes family, it's the next step in their mission to clean up the water in Brevard County.
"To know that this will change this for people really affects me because we want to make sure that kids at a very basic level should be able to drink water," said Richelle Holmes, who lost her daughter to a rare form of childhood cancer.
For years, FOX 35 has been reporting on high levels of cancer-causing chemicals in the groundwater around Patrick Space Force Base.
The Space Force base has previously told us there is no need for concern because it is not in the drinking water.
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- New drinking fountains coming to Satellite Beach schools after contamination concerns
Richelle and her husband, Jim, lost their daughter, Kayla, in 2019, when she was just 17 years old, to aggressive brain cancer. While the drinking water in Brevard County is not directly connected to Kayla’s cancer, her father turned his grief into a new goal, getting the government to help with cleanup. He even testified before Congress about the issue near Patrick.
"I don’t want to see another family go through what our family went through," said Kayla’s dad.
His advocacy and efforts got the attention of the Brevard School Board.
"We are committed to clean water, and that’s what we want for our children," said school member Matt Susin.
The new filters will be installed at the Satellite Beach schools first, but Susin said that’s just the beginning.
The school board member wants to see all drinking fountains updated with state-of-the-art carbon-filtered filling stations.
"This has been a long time coming," said Satellite Beach vice mayor Mindy Gibson.
The fight for funding hasn’t been easy. Gibson said they thanked Rep. Bill Posey for sending a letter and asking for millions in federal funding.
"I want people to be safe, and I don’t want children to die, and I want us to be healthy and happy in the places that we live," said Gibson.
Congressman Posey shared this statement with FOX 35.
"Local leaders and residents in Satellite Beach, which has been impacted by PFAS compounds, have worked together to create a plan to begin to purify their drinking water of these contaminants, and I’m pleased to support their efforts."
Efforts parents hope will expand to other schools across the county.
"The solution really is filters, so we have to educate the community," concluded Richelle.
Congressman Posey’s office said the $1.8 million funding request is moving through the process and could be voted on by the end of the month. The school board also plans to contribute more than $360,000 to ensure sufficient funding.
FOX 35 also contacted Patrick Space Force Base on Tuesday for a new statement about this next step and will update you when we hear back.