Forever Chemicals
Moving a family to Florida, or already here and wondering what's actually in the water over the long run? This page is for you — and for the neighbor who's simply curious about the ground around them. The office you'd eventually deal with is the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), and we've assembled the federal records so you don't have to go hunting. What you'll see comes from the EPA, the Department of Defense, and the Toxics Release Inventory, presented plainly. No alarmism, no safety verdict — just what the public records show about Florida's water, the kind of detail worth reviewing when evaluating an address.
EPA's UCMR 5 program (2021–2024) tested 51 public water systems in Florida for 29 PFAS compounds; 8 reported at least one detection and none exceeded the 2024 federal limit of 4 ppt for PFOA/PFOS (a 16% detection rate). Detections vary by water system — check the utility serving a specific Florida address.
Florida's environmental work is led by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), with drinking-water oversight for public systems carried out under the state's Safe Drinking Water Act program in partnership with the Department of Health. Florida has studied PFAS and developed cleanup target levels for soil and groundwater, but for drinking water it largely follows the federal benchmark: residents are covered by the April 2024 federal limits the state administers rather than a separate, stricter Florida standard. The reassurance is simple — FDEP is the named office standing behind the figures below.
Numbers below come straight from EPA UCMR 5 monitoring (2021–2024). Every public water system in Floridaserving more than 3,300 people had to test for 29 different PFAS — here's what they reported.
51
Water systems tested
UCMR 5 (2021–2024)
8
Systems with any PFAS detected
16% detection rate
0
Systems exceeding 2024 MCL
Above 4 ppt PFOA/PFOS
9
Distinct PFAS compounds detected
Of 29 monitored under UCMR 5
0
TRI-reporting PFAS facilities
EPA Toxics Release Inventory 2024
5
DoD PFAS installations
Military PFAS contamination sites
Red triangles are military installations the Department of Defense has flagged for PFAS from firefighting foam. Orange dots are industrial facilities that reported PFAS to the EPA Toxics Release Inventory. If your future home sits near a cluster, that's a conversation worth having with the seller or landlord.
These are the Floridautilities where EPA testing found PFAS the most often or at the highest levels. Being on this list doesn't automatically mean today's tap water is unsafe — some systems have added treatment since these samples were taken — but it means a conversation with the utility is worth having before you move in.
| Water system | Detections | Max value (ng/L) | vs 2024 MCL |
|---|---|---|---|
| OCALA, CITY OF (2 WTPS) | 6 | 0.04 | Below MCL |
| NAS PENSACOLA / CORRY STATION | 6 | 0.01 | Below MCL |
| EMERALD COAST UTILITIES AUTHORITY | 7 | 0.01 | Below MCL |
| GONZALEZ UTILITIES ASSOCIATION, INC. | 3 | 0.01 | Below MCL |
| VILLAGE OF PINE RIDGE (CONSEC) | 1 | 0.01 | Below MCL |
| MEXICO BEACH, CITY OF | 1 | 0.01 | Below MCL |
| MARIANNA, CITY OF | 3 | 0.01 | Below MCL |
| TOHO WATER AUTHORITY WESTERN | 1 | 0 | Below MCL |
PFAS isn't one chemical — it's a family of thousands. Here are the specific compounds EPA picked up most often across Florida water systems. PFOA and PFOS are the two with the strictest federal limits (4 parts per trillion).
For decades the military trained with AFFF firefighting foam loaded with PFAS. It soaked into soil and groundwater and, in many places, traveled miles. If you're house-hunting near any of these Florida installations, the address report will tell you exactly how close.
Barin/OLF Wolf
Navy
Homestead ARB
Air Force
Hurlburt Field
Air Force
Saufley Field NAS
Navy
Whiting Field NAS
Navy
Looking at a specific Floridacity? Each page below pulls the same federal data narrowed to that water system — useful whether you're relocating, buying, organizing your neighborhood around getting cleaner water, or just trying to find out what's in the tap and what's around you.
Keep one thing in mind before any number lands too hard. UCMR 5 sampled 29 PFAS compounds between 2021 and 2024, and only public systems serving more than roughly 3,300 people were required to participate. That leaves meaningful gaps — private wells and small rural systems didn't have to test, and a detection from a year or two ago isn't a promise about today's tap. Florida has plenty of well-water households, so if your address draws from a private well, FDEP and the state's health partners offer testing guidance worth following. The acronym thicket — UCMR, MCL, FDEP — is admittedly a lot to keep straight. On the military side, a plainer register fits: for decades, firefighting training used AFFF foam laden with PFAS, and these compounds don't break down. They travel through groundwater and can appear well beyond the original installation. That's what ties the installations listed above to the water records here, and it's why veterans and military families often read these pages with the most at stake.
Yes. EPA UCMR 5 monitoring (2021–2024) tested 51 public water systems in Florida; 8 had at least one PFAS detection. Detections vary by water system — check your specific serving utility.
Florida has studied PFAS and set cleanup target levels for soil and groundwater, but for drinking water it largely follows the federal benchmark. Residents are covered by the April 2024 federal limits the state administers — 4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS, and 10 ppt each for PFHxS, PFNA, and GenX.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) leads environmental oversight and has developed PFAS cleanup target levels, while drinking water for public systems is administered under the state's Safe Drinking Water program. Florida's enforceable drinking-water posture tends to align with the federal PFAS rule.
FDEP is the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the state agency responsible for protecting air, water, and land. It administers Florida's drinking-water program for public systems in coordination with the state Department of Health.
Use VetMyAddress to see the PFAS detections reported for the public water system serving any Florida address, alongside nearby military bases and industrial PFAS sources. The data comes from EPA UCMR 5, EPA TRI, and the DoD PFAS installation report.
In April 2024 the EPA set the first enforceable federal limits for PFAS in drinking water: 4 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS, and 10 ppt each for PFHxS, PFNA, and HFPO-DA (GenX), plus a Hazard Index for certain mixtures. Public water systems must complete initial monitoring by 2027 and come into compliance after that.
No. The federal limits apply to public water systems. Private well owners are responsible for their own testing and treatment, which is especially worth doing near a known PFAS source like a military base or industrial site.
State numbers tell you the pattern. An address report tells you what's actually in the water at yourkitchen sink — the matched utility, the PFAS detections on file, and every military or industrial source nearby. Whether it's for your family, your neighbors, or peace of mind.
Data sources: EPA UCMR 5 bulk data · EPA TRI 2024 · DoD PFAS installation report