What was found in Ft Lauderdale's water
The highest level seen across the city's suppliers, the EPA limit for each, and where the figure comes from.
| Contaminant | Level vs EPA limit | Suppliers | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fluoride | 1100 µg/L 28% of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L | 2/3 | SYR4 |
| Nitrite | 800 µg/L 80% of the EPA limit 1000 µg/L | 2/3 | SYR4 |
| TTHM | 128 µg/L 160% of the EPA limit, in the worst sample — 80 µg/L | 3/3 | SYR4 |
| Nitrate | 120 µg/L 1.2% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L | 2/3 | SYR4 |
| Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) | 54.8 µg/L 91% of the EPA limit 60 µg/L | 3/3 | SYR4 |
| Barium | 5.4 µg/L 0.3% of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L | 2/3 | SYR4 |
| Cyanide | 5 µg/L 2.5% of the EPA limit 200 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Endothall | 4.3 µg/L 4.3% of the EPA limit 100 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Glyphosate | 2.8 µg/L 0.4% of the EPA limit 700 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Chromium | 2.5 µg/L 2.5% of the EPA limit 100 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Arsenic | 1.7 µg/L 17% of the EPA limit 10 µg/L | 2/3 | SYR4 |
| Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon And U | 1.2 pCi/L 8% of the EPA limit 15 pCi/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Combined Uranium | 1.192 µg/L 4% of the EPA limit 30 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Selenium | 1 µg/L 2% of the EPA limit 50 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Dalapon | 0.8900 µg/L 0.4% of the EPA limit 200 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Toxaphene | 0.5700 µg/L 19% of the EPA limit 3 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Oxamyl | 0.5500 µg/L 0.3% of the EPA limit 200 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Di(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate | 0.5300 µg/L 8.8% of the EPA limit 6 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Antimony, Total | 0.5000 µg/L 8.3% of the EPA limit 6 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Copper | 0.5000 µg/L 0% of the EPA limit 1300 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Cadmium | 0.5000 µg/L 10% of the EPA limit 5 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Lead | 0.5000 µg/L 3.3% of the EPA limit 15 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Thallium, Total | 0.5000 µg/L 25% of the EPA limit 2 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Dichloromethane | 0.4400 µg/L 8.8% of the EPA limit 5 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene | 0.4100 µg/L 0.6% of the EPA limit 70 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Vinyl Chloride | 0.3900 µg/L 20% of the EPA limit 2 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Di(2-ethylhexyl) Adipate | 0.3600 µg/L 0.1% of the EPA limit 400 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Carbofuran | 0.3200 µg/L 0.8% of the EPA limit 40 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Diquat | 0.3000 µg/L 1.5% of the EPA limit 20 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| 1,1,1-Trichloroethane | 0.2500 µg/L 0.1% of the EPA limit 200 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| 1,1,2-Trichloroethane | 0.2500 µg/L 5% of the EPA limit 5 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| 1,1-Dichloroethylene | 0.2500 µg/L 3.6% of the EPA limit 7 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| 1,2-Dichloroethane | 0.2500 µg/L 5% of the EPA limit 5 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| 1,2-Dichloropropane | 0.2500 µg/L 5% of the EPA limit 5 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Benzene | 0.2500 µg/L 5% of the EPA limit 5 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Chlorobenzene | 0.2500 µg/L 0.3% of the EPA limit 100 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Carbon Tetrachloride | 0.2500 µg/L 5% of the EPA limit 5 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Ethylbenzene | 0.2500 µg/L 0% of the EPA limit 700 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Styrene | 0.2500 µg/L 0.3% of the EPA limit 100 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Tetrachloroethylene | 0.2500 µg/L 5% of the EPA limit 5 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Toluene | 0.2500 µg/L 0% of the EPA limit 1000 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Trichloroethylene | 0.2500 µg/L 5% of the EPA limit 5 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Xylenes, Total | 0.2500 µg/L 0% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene | 0.2500 µg/L 0.4% of the EPA limit 70 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| O-Dichlorobenzene | 0.2500 µg/L 0% of the EPA limit 600 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| P-Dichlorobenzene | 0.2500 µg/L 0.3% of the EPA limit 75 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene | 0.2500 µg/L 0.3% of the EPA limit 100 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| 2,4,5-TP | 0.1600 µg/L 0.3% of the EPA limit 50 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Dinoseb | 0.1600 µg/L 2.3% of the EPA limit 7 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Beryllium, Total | 0.1000 µg/L 2.5% of the EPA limit 4 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Mercury | 0.1000 µg/L 5% of the EPA limit 2 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Picloram | 0.0940 µg/L 0% of the EPA limit 500 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Hexachlorocyclopentadiene | 0.0860 µg/L 0.2% of the EPA limit 50 µg/L | 2/3 | SYR4 |
| 2,4-D | 0.0810 µg/L 0.1% of the EPA limit 70 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Total Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB) | 0.0750 µg/L 15% of the EPA limit 0.5000 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Simazine | 0.0650 µg/L 1.6% of the EPA limit 4 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Atrazine | 0.0590 µg/L 2% of the EPA limit 3 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Methoxychlor | 0.0480 µg/L 0.1% of the EPA limit 40 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Chlordane | 0.0440 µg/L 2.2% of the EPA limit 2 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Lasso | 0.0330 µg/L 1.7% of the EPA limit 2 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Pentachlorophenol | 0.0300 µg/L 3% of the EPA limit 1 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| PFOS | 0.0272 µg/L No EPA limit set | 2/3 | UCMR-5 |
| Hexachlorobenzene | 0.0180 µg/L 1.8% of the EPA limit 1 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| 6:2 Fts | 0.0130 µg/L No EPA limit set | 1/3 | UCMR-5 |
| Benzo(A)Pyrene | 0.0120 µg/L 6% of the EPA limit 0.2000 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Heptachlor | 0.0110 µg/L 2.7% of the EPA limit 0.4000 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Pfpea | 0.0098 µg/L No EPA limit set | 2/3 | UCMR-5 |
| Pfba | 0.0079 µg/L No EPA limit set | 2/3 | UCMR-5 |
| Pfhxa | 0.0074 µg/L No EPA limit set | 2/3 | UCMR-5 |
| PFBS | 0.0073 µg/L No EPA limit set | 2/3 | UCMR-5 |
| Ethylene Dibromide | 0.0071 µg/L 14% of the EPA limit 0.0500 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| PFOA | 0.0067 µg/L No EPA limit set | 2/3 | UCMR-5 |
| Endrin | 0.0066 µg/L 0.3% of the EPA limit 2 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Lead | 0.0049 mg/L 33% of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L | 3/3 | LCR |
| 1,2-DIBROMO-3-CHLOROPROPANE | 0.0046 µg/L 2.3% of the EPA limit 0.2000 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Pfhpa | 0.0043 µg/L No EPA limit set | 1/3 | UCMR-5 |
| PFHXS | 0.0043 µg/L No EPA limit set | 2/3 | UCMR-5 |
| Bhc-Gamma | 0.0028 µg/L 1.4% of the EPA limit 0.2000 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
| Heptachlor Epoxide | 0.0028 µg/L 1.4% of the EPA limit 0.2000 µg/L | 1/3 | SYR4 |
Each bar shows the measured level as a share of the EPA limit: green is
well under, amber is close to it, red is over. For lead and copper the
limit applies to exactly the 90th-percentile figure shown, so red there
means a real exceedance. For everything else the limit applies to a
running annual average while the figure is the single worst sample on
record — over 100% is worth reading, but is not by itself a violation.
Formal violations are listed separately.
These are the utilities' own EPA-reported results, not a city-wide
average. A detection means the lab measured the
substance — it isn't the same as exceeding a legal limit. Hover a source
tag to see the EPA program and years behind each figure.
Water suppliers serving Ft Lauderdale
| Supplier | Population served |
|---|---|
| FORT LAUDERDALE, CITY OF | 185,163 |
| BCWWS 3A | 16,046 |
| FERN CREST UTILITIES, INC. | 3,750 |
Frequently asked questions about Ft Lauderdale tap water
Is Ft Lauderdale tap water safe to drink?
EPA testing detected 79 contaminants in the water serving Ft Lauderdale. A detection isn't the same as a violation — most detected levels are within federal limits. Check the level and source for each contaminant above, and your utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report for the official compliance status.
How many water suppliers serve Ft Lauderdale?
3 public water suppliers report drinking-water monitoring for Ft Lauderdale, Florida to the EPA. Each is listed above with its population served.
What contaminants are in Ft Lauderdale's water?
The contaminants EPA monitoring detected in Ft Lauderdale include Fluoride, Nitrite, TTHM, Nitrate, Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5). The full list, with the highest level found and the data source, is in the table above.
Where does this data come from?
Every figure is official EPA drinking-water monitoring — the Lead & Copper Rule, the UCMR-5 nationwide testing program, and the EPA Six-Year Review — not our own testing. Each number is labelled with its source and period.