Is Your Drinking Water in Florida Safe? What you should know.

Is Your Drinking Water in Florida Safe? What You Should Know

Florida is renowned for its natural springs, aquifers, and waterways. But under the surface, the state faces mounting concerns over drinking water contamination. With 90% of Florida's drinking water sourced from underground aquifers—porous limestone rock formations acting like giant sponges—understanding how pollutants reach our water is essential for safeguarding public health.

How Contaminants Enter Florida's Water

Florida’s porous soil, high water table, frequent rainfall, and thin limestone bedrock make its groundwater particularly vulnerable to contamination. Pollutants can enter the aquifer through:

• Raw sewage overflows from aging infrastructure

• Leaking septic tanks and sewer lines

• Agricultural runoff, including sewage sludge and pesticides

• Industrial activities and improper waste disposal

• Chemical spills and hazardous waste sites

When these contaminants seep into groundwater, they can pollute drinking water systems and lead to serious illnesses, including infections from E. coli, Hepatitis A, and other pathogens.

The EPA warns that polluted groundwater can reach drinking water systems, posing serious risks—particularly for children and vulnerable populations.

Lack of Regulation and Transparency

Many chemicals found in drinking water are unregulated, meaning water utilities are not required to test or report them. For example, PFAS chemicals (forever chemicals) have been found in home faucets globally, but they often do not appear in standard water quality reports.

The Safe Drinking Water Act has not been updated since 1996, leaving regulatory gaps despite decades of science linking specific chemicals to adverse health effects.

Chlorine and Cancer-Causing Byproducts

Chlorine is commonly used to disinfect drinking water, but it can react with organic matter to create disinfection byproducts (DBPs) such as trihalomethanes (THMs). These chemicals have been linked to bladder cancer and other health issues.

In 1979, Melbourne, FL, recorded the highest THM levels in the U.S. Studies have shown that exposure to THMs over time significantly increases cancer risk.

Boiling Water Isn't Always Safe

“Boil water notices” are issued to kill pathogens, but boiling water concentrates chemicals like PFAS, making them more dangerous. The Rhode Island Department of Health explicitly advises not to boil water contaminated with PFAS.

Is Fluoride Safe?

Many Florida municipalities add fluoride to drinking water, often using hydrofluorosilicic acid, an industrial byproduct of phosphate fertilizer production—not pharmaceutical-grade fluoride.

Phosphate mining creates toxic runoff containing heavy metals, radionuclides, and acidic wastewater. This runoff threatens Florida's aquifers and water quality. To learn more, watch the documentary Phosfate: www.phosfatemovie.com

PFAS: The Forever Chemicals

PFAS chemicals persist in the environment and build up

in human blood and tissues. Found near military bases and airports, PFAS exposure has been linked to:

• Immune suppression

• Cancer

• Thyroid disruption

• Liver and kidney damage

• 
  

In 2018, Patrick Air Force Base in Brevard County tested at 57,000 times the EPA’s health advisory level for PFAS—making it one of the most contaminated military bases in the country.

Florida’s Lead Pipe Problem

According to PBS, Florida has more lead water pipes than any other U.S. state, contributing to widespread risk of lead contamination, especially in homes built before 1986.

FAQ: Understanding Your Water Risks

Can Fight for Zero test my water? We do not offer direct testing but collaborate with labs like Tap Score to empower communities with science-backed tools. Learn more at https://fight4zero.org.

Can my water contain lead? Yes—especially in homes built before 1986. Learn more from SciLine.

Is bottled water safer? Bottled water is generally safe, but it’s environmentally unsustainable and not intended for long-term use. It takes three times more water to produce a bottle than it holds.

Is my water safe? City reports test water at the source, but not what comes out of your tap. Aging infrastructure can allow contamination after water leaves the treatment facility.

What about private wells? Private wells are not regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Over 20% of wells have tested positive for contaminants above safe levels. See USGS study.

Contaminants of Concern in Florida Water

Here’s a breakdown of some key contaminants and their health effects:

• Antimony – Liver toxicity

• Arsenic – Cancer (skin, bladder, liver, prostate), cardiovascular issues

• Barium – High blood pressure, brain/liver/kidney damage

• Cadmium – Kidney, liver, bone, and blood damage

• Carbon Tetrachloride – Cancer, liver/kidney/CNS damage

• Chloramine – Hemolytic anemia risk in dialysis patients

• Chromium-6 – Cancer; made famous by Erin Brockovich

• Copper – GI issues, liver poisoning

• Cyanobacteria – Liver failure, tumor promotion, gastrointestinal illness

• Phthalates – Hormone disruption

• Dioxins – Immune and reproductive harm

• Disinfection Byproducts – DNA damage, cancer

• Fluoride (HFSA) – Bone fragility, skeletal fluorosis

• Lead – Brain/kidney damage, cognitive decline

• Mercury – Neurotoxin; damages brain and kidneys

• Nitrate – Infant oxygen deprivation, cancer risk

• Pathogens – Gastrointestinal illness

• PCBs – Endocrine and neurological harm

• Perchlorate – Thyroid disruption

• Pesticides – Cancer, organ damage

• PFAS – Cancer, endocrine disruption, liver damage

• Radioactive Elements (Radium/Uranium) – Bone cancer, kidney failure

• Selenium – Nervous system damage

• Strontium-90 – Bone cancer, leukemia

• Thallium – Reproductive and CNS harm

• Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) – Bladder/skin cancer, fetal issues

• Vinyl Chloride – Cancer risk from old piping

Resources

• EWG Tap Water Database: https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/

• Fight for Zero: https://fight4zero.org

• USGS Well Water Report: https://pubs.usgs.gov

Table of Regulated Drinking Water Contaminants

• Disinfectants

• Disinfection Byproducts

• Inorganic Chemicals

• Microorganisms

• Organic Chemicals

• Radionuclides

• Secondary Drinking water Standards

• Volatile Organic Contaminants

Other Resources

• ​Approved EPA Testing Methods

• Concerned: Who Do I Contact

• Drinking Water Data Base

• EPA Legislation and regulations

• EWG's Tap Water Database

• Florida Water Data

• How Polluted is U.S. Drinking Water

• Lead in U.S. Drinking Water

• Priority Pollutants (Clean Water Act)

• Radium contamination in public water systems nationwide

• Summary of the Clean Water Act (CWA)

• Understand the Safe Drinking Water Act

• Water Pollution Explained

• Water Pollution is on The Rise Globally

Studies

• Atrazine and cancer risk

• Dacthal and cancer risk

• Drinking Water Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs) and Human Health Effects

• HCB (hexachlorobenzene) Cancer Risk

• Microbial Contamination of Drinking Water and Human Health

• Pesticides and Cancer Risks

Knowledge is your best protection. By staying informed and testing your water, you can protect your family from unseen threats in Florida’s water supply. Consider donating to Fight For Zero to help raise public awareness