Hillsborough County Water Quality Report

DID YOU KNOW water quality reports, also known as “Consumer Confidence Reports (CCRs),” are annual documents that all public water systems are required to provide to you via mail and online. These reports are supposed to provide important information about the quality of the drinking water delivered over the previous year.

They can be difficult to read or understand. They are often many pages long and contain complex tables and charts. Culligan Water wants to change this and help you MAKE SENSE OF YOUR WATER.

This easy-to-read report will provide you with the following:

1) Infrastructure Improvements: Hillsborough County Water Resources continues to invest in modernizing its infrastructure and maintaining a robust water safety program. County water plants use optimized corrosion control treatment to prevent lead and copper from leaching into the water from household plumbing materials. The County also performs comprehensive lead sampling across its entire distribution system and expanded testing in public schools to identify potential sources of lead exposure. An interactive service line inventory and detailed program information are available at HCFL.gov/LeadAndCopper. In 2024, all samples collected from the South-Central water system met or exceeded state and federal drinking water standards, confirming the system’s continued safety and compliance.

2) Water Sources and Usage: Tampa’s drinking water is sourced from a blend of surface water, groundwater, and desalinated seawater, managed by Tampa Bay Water, the region’s wholesale supplier. The main surface water sources include the Hillsborough River, Alafia River, and Tampa Bypass Canal, with groundwater drawn from the Floridan Aquifer. Desalinated seawater from the Apollo Beach plant supplements the supply when needed. Before reaching customers, the water undergoes multiple treatment processes—coagulation, filtration, reverse osmosis (RO), pH stabilization, and chloramination—to remove impurities and ensure a clean, reliable supply. Fluoride is currently added to promote dental health but will be discontinued on July 1, 2025, in accordance with new state legislation.

3) PFAS: In 2024, Hillsborough County participated in the EPA’s Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 5)program to test for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Several PFAS compounds—such as PFBA, PFBS, PFHxA, PFPeA, and PFOS—were detected in trace amounts between 1–5 parts per trillion (ppt), well below the EPA’s proposed federal limits. These results indicate low PFAS presence in Tampa’s drinking water, reflecting the effectiveness of local treatment and source management programs.

4) Lead & Copper: Lead and copper levels in the 2024 South-Central system remained well below the EPA’s action levels (15 ppb for lead, 1.3 ppm for copper). The 90th percentile results were 0.66 ppb for lead and 0.43 ppm for copper—confirming compliance and minimal risk of metal exposure through the public system. However, as these metals can still leach from older household plumbing, residents are encouraged to flush stagnant water before use and consider a certified home filtration system if concerned about potential buildup from private fixtures or pipes.

PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), commonly known as ‘Forever Chemicals,’ water contamination impacts residents in many places across the United States, including Hillsborough County. Florida’s most recent legislation against PFAS requires the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to establish specific cleanup levels for PFAS in drinking water, groundwater, and soil by 2025.

On April 10, 2024, the United States government introduced its first-ever national, legally enforceable drinking water standard to protect citizens from PFAS forever chemicals. While this is a major development in the regulation of PFAS, there are over 12,000 types of PFAS, and only six types are being regulated by the EPA.

Water hardness varies across the different systems within Hillsborough County. For instance, in Tampa, the water is considered hard, with an average total hardness of 201 mg/L (11.7 grains per gallon). It’s advisable to consult the specific water quality report for your area to determine the exact hardness level

Radioactive contaminants can include substances like radium, uranium, and radon. These contaminants can enter water sources through natural deposits or as a result of human activities like mining.

Common contaminants can come from natural sources, industrial discharges, agricultural runoff, or corrosion of plumbing systems.

Disinfection byproducts (DBPs) are formed when disinfectants like chlorine react with natural organic matter in the water. Common DBPs include trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs). One thing to note is that while some states have public health goals around all of these contaminants, Florida does not. Therefore, there is no state-mandated goal for contaminants such as HAA5 or TTHM.

For reference, a part per trillion (ppt) is roughly equivalent to a single drop of water in 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools or one second in 32,000 years. These updated interim Health Advisory Levels are below the detection capabilities of current laboratory testing technology. They serve as interim guidance until formal regulations or Maximum Contaminant Levels are established.