Is Orlando, FL Tap Water Safe to Drink?

Where Does Orlando Get Its Water?

Orlando, FL draws its drinking water from groundwater, primarily the Floridan Aquifer system. Several utilities serve the city and surrounding Orange County area, including Orlando Utilities Commission, the Orange County Utilities Department (which operates eastern, southern, and western regional systems), the City of Winter Park, and Taft Water Association.

Major treatment facilities serving the area include the Eastern Regional Plant, Southern Regional plant, and Western Regional plant operated by Orange County Utilities, as well as multiple plants run by Orlando Utilities Commission including the Conway, Highland, Kirkman, Pine Hills, Sky Lake, and Southwest Water Plants. Winter Park operates its own treatment facilities including plants on New Aloma and New Swoope alignments.

Together these systems serve 21 ZIP codes across the Orlando metro area. Because all of these utilities draw from the same regional aquifer and use similar treatment approaches, finished tap water quality tends to be broadly comparable across the service area.

How Is Orlando Tap Water Treated?

Water from the Floridan Aquifer undergoes several treatment steps before reaching your tap. Treatment across the Orlando-area utilities includes aeration to remove dissolved gases, granular activated carbon filtration to reduce organic compounds and certain contaminants, and additional processes such as degasification and other site-specific methods depending on the plant.

Disinfection is handled through a combination of approaches. Utilities in this area use free chlorine, chloramines, and ozone at various points in the treatment process to kill bacteria and viruses and to maintain a disinfectant residual through the distribution system, which protects water quality all the way to your faucet.

Some plants also apply additional treatment steps suited to Florida groundwater conditions, such as air stripping to remove naturally occurring volatile compounds. The specific combination of steps varies by plant and utility, but all systems are required to meet the same federal and state drinking water standards.

What's in Orlando Tap Water?

The main finding in recent EPA testing is PFTrDA, a long-chain PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance). The highest detected level was 0.007 micrograms per liter, which equals EPA's health reference level for this compound. Three of the 21 ZIP codes in the dataset had detections at or above that benchmark.

Several other PFAS compounds were also detected, including 8:2 FTS, 6:2 FTS, and PFBA, each measured at up to 0.005 micrograms per liter. None of those three exceeded any applicable guideline in the data. Lithium was detected across all 21 ZIP codes at a maximum of 9 micrograms per liter, but no ZIP exceeded any guideline value for lithium.

PFAS compounds are a large family of synthetic chemicals used in industrial processes, firefighting foam, and many consumer products. They can reach groundwater through land use, industrial discharge, or historical use of firefighting foam at nearby facilities. Their presence in Florida aquifer systems has been documented broadly across the state.

Health Risk Profile for Orlando

PFTrDA is the primary concern here. EPA has established a health reference level of 0.007 micrograms per liter for this compound. That is a non-regulatory screening benchmark, not an enforceable federal maximum contaminant level, but it is the threshold EPA uses to flag potential health concern. The peak detected value in Orlando-area testing exactly reached that benchmark.

Infants, pregnant individuals, and people who are immunocompromised face greater potential risk from PFAS exposure. Some PFAS compounds have been associated with effects on immune function, thyroid health, and fetal development at sustained exposures. If your household includes any of these groups, filtering your tap water is a reasonable precaution.

For PFAS removal, look for a filter certified to NSF/ANSI 58 (reverse osmosis) or NSF/ANSI P473 (covers PFOA and PFOS specifically). NSF/ANSI is an independent third-party certification program, so that label on the box tells you the filter has been tested and verified to perform as claimed. Because chlorine-based disinfectants are also used in this system, a filter with NSF/ANSI 42 certification can improve taste and reduce chlorine byproducts as well.

For the PFAS compounds detected below the health reference level, and for lithium at the levels found here, EPA considers the risk low for healthy adults. The science around PFAS health effects continues to evolve, and EPA has been updating its guidance in recent years. Checking your utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report gives you the most current local compliance data.