Is There PFAS in My Florida Drinking Water?

The short answer

Possibly. In EPA’s nationwide sampling, about a third of the public water systems tested found at least one PFAS, and Florida has documented PFAS sites tied to firefighting foam. You can’t see, taste or smell PFAS, so the real answer comes from your utility’s results or a lab test. If you want a dependable barrier for the water your family drinks, reverse osmosis at the kitchen tap is one of the treatment methods EPA identifies for PFAS.

What PFAS are, and why they stick around

PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a family of thousands of manufactured chemicals. PFOA and PFOS are the two best known. They resist heat, grease and water, which made them useful in nonstick pans, stain-resistant fabric, food packaging and firefighting foam.

The same strong chemical bonds that make them useful also keep them from breaking down. That’s where the nickname forever chemicals comes from, and it’s why they show up in groundwater years after they were used.

How PFAS get into Florida water

Firefighting foam

Aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) was used for fuel fires and training at airports, military bases and fire-training sites.

Manufacturing and waste

Production, disposal and wastewater can carry PFAS from products into soil and water.

Florida DEP is investigating PFAS at fire-training facilities and military sites. At Naval Air Station Pensacola’s Saufley Field, it points to the historical use, storage and disposal of firefighting foam as likely sources. Florida law bars using AFFF for nonemergency training, instruction or testing, and since July 2026 anyone who holds the foam must report their inventory to DEP.

Geology matters too. Much of Florida sits on porous limestone, where cracks and sinkholes give surface water a faster route into the aquifer. See how Florida’s limestone shapes your water.

Why it matters for your family

EPA links exposure to certain PFAS with higher cholesterol, a weaker immune response, reproductive and developmental effects, and a higher risk of some cancers. Because these chemicals persist, the concern is long-term, everyday exposure, which is exactly what drinking water is.

Clear, good-tasting water tells you nothing here. Only a test result does.

What the rules say in 2026

EPA’s 2024 rule set enforceable limits of 4.0 parts per trillion each for PFOA and PFOS. Utilities have until 2027 to finish initial monitoring and until 2029 to fix any problem they find.

In May 2026, EPA proposed letting utilities request two more years, to 2031, and proposed dropping the separate limits for four other PFAS. Those are proposals, not final rules. Either way, the federal deadline is years away, and your family drinks water every day in the meantime.

How to check your own water

EPA’s nationwide PFAS sampling (UCMR 5) covered more than 10,000 public water systems from 2023 through 2025, and the final data came out in August 2026. About a third of those systems found at least one PFAS. Among large systems, roughly 1 in 8 had an average PFOS result above 4.0 ppt at a sampling point. Those numbers aren’t compliance findings, but they show how common detections are.

Find your utility. Use the name on your water bill. An Orlando address can be served by OUC, Orange County Utilities or another provider.
Look up the results. Check the annual water quality report and EPA’s UCMR 5 Data Finder for your system.
Read the units. ppt and ng/L mean the same thing. A non-detect means below the lab’s reporting level, not zero.
On a private well? Use a certified lab that tests for PFAS and follow its sampling instructions.

Our report guide walks you through the table.

What actually reduces PFAS at home

EPA names three treatment methods for PFAS: reverse osmosis, granular activated carbon and PFAS-selective ion exchange. Boiling doesn’t work, and neither does a standard water softener.

For most homes, the practical, affordable move is reverse osmosis where you drink and cook. You treat the water that actually goes into your body without paying to push every shower and load of laundry through a membrane. If you want a model-specific PFOA or PFOS number, ask for the system’s performance documentation. We’ll show it to you for any concern you name.

How Sunstorm handles drinking water

We put the finest treatment where it matters most, the water your family drinks, then take care of every other tap so the whole house benefits.

Kitchen tap

HydroSip RO

Four-stage reverse osmosis under the sink with its own faucet, for drinking water, coffee, cooking and ice.

See HydroSip →

Every tap

HydroOne or HydroDuo

Catalytic carbon, KDF and 10% cross-linked softening resin treat the water where it enters your home, so every shower, sink and appliance gets filtered, soft water.

See HydroOne →

Want RO at every tap? We install Hydro360 whole-home reverse osmosis too. For most homes, filtration and softening plus kitchen RO is the better value: the same drinking water at the sink, without paying to purify the water you shower, flush and wash with. See Hydro360

See packages and prices Book a free water test

Questions homeowners ask

Can reverse osmosis reduce PFAS?

Yes. EPA lists reverse osmosis as one of the effective treatment methods for PFAS. For an exact reduction figure, check the specific system’s performance data.

Can I boil PFAS out of my water?

No. Boiling doesn’t remove PFAS. Use treatment designed for them.

Does a water softener remove PFAS?

No. A softener removes hardness minerals. PFAS need RO, the right carbon or PFAS-selective resin.

Is bottled water PFAS-free?

Not necessarily. FDA tested 197 bottled-water samples and found detectable PFAS in 10, though none were above EPA’s drinking-water limits. Compare bottled water and kitchen RO.