Broward County tap water: hardness, PFAS and lead

Broward County, Florida has about 2,037,472 residents (Census 2024 estimate) and 37 community water systems in EPA records. The largest local system is Pembroke Pines, City of, serving about 187,459 people from groundwater.

! 1 of 6 largest systems with health-based violationsPFAS detected at 4 of 6 sampled systemsHardness 14.6 gpg (low confidence)

Public-record figures, not a test of your tap. Not 100% accurate or guaranteed. Confirm with a water test, your utility or a qualified pro before you buy or act.

How hard is Broward County water?

Pembroke Pines, City of Estimate: untreated local water, not your tap · Low confidence

14.6 gpg (250 mg/L), very hard

Broward County: median of 3,722 results from 525 monitoring sites (streams and wells). Utilities may blend or treat water, so your tap can differ.

Source: Hard Water Map county data, samples through 2020

County estimates: Hard Water Map (hardwatermap.com), CC BY 4.0, derived from the USGS/EPA Water Quality Portal; file generated 2026-07-22. License

Public-record figures, not a test of your tap. Not 100% accurate or guaranteed. Confirm with a water test, your utility or a qualified pro before you buy or act.

Softener size at 14.6 gpg

For a 3-person home using 57 gallons per person per day and regenerating weekly, you'd remove about 17,476 grains between regenerations. Suggested size: 24,000 grain. This uses a low-confidence county estimate, so confirm with a test first.

Estimate only. Not 100% accurate or guaranteed. Confirm with a water test, your utility or a qualified pro before you buy or act.

Open the softener calculator with 14.6 gpg

Largest water systems in Broward County

The 6 biggest of 37 community water systems on EPA records for this county. Service areas don't follow county lines; your water bill names your provider.

Pembroke Pines, City of

FL4061083 · serves about 187,459 people · Groundwater

! 1 health-based violation✓ Lead below action levelPFAS detected (9 types)

Lead 90th percentile: 0.6 ppb (period starting 2024-01-01). Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).

  • 6:2 FTS: highest sample 39.1 ppt (2 of 2 samples); no federal limit
  • PFOS: highest sample 34.7 ppt (2 of 2 samples); federal limit 4.0 ppt as a running annual average
  • PFPeA: highest sample 23.9 ppt (2 of 2 samples); no federal limit
  • PFHxA: highest sample 18.4 ppt (2 of 2 samples); no federal limit
  • PFOA: highest sample 14.4 ppt (2 of 2 samples); federal limit 4.0 ppt as a running annual average
  • PFBA: highest sample 12.2 ppt (2 of 2 samples); no federal limit
  • PFHpA: highest sample 10 ppt (2 of 2 samples); no federal limit
  • PFBS: highest sample 9.8 ppt (2 of 2 samples); no individual limit; counted in EPA's PFAS mixture (hazard index) limit
  • PFHxS: highest sample 9.1 ppt (2 of 2 samples); federal limit 10.0 ppt as a running annual average, also counted in EPA's PFAS mixture (hazard index) limit (currently in effect; EPA has proposed removing it)

EPA ECHO record

Fort Lauderdale, City of

FL4060486 · serves about 185,163 people · Groundwater

✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below action levelPFAS detected (9 types)

Lead 90th percentile: 4.9 ppb (period starting 2023-01-01) Older result. Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).

  • PFOS: highest sample 16 ppt (1 of 3 samples); federal limit 4.0 ppt as a running annual average
  • 6:2 FTS: highest sample 13 ppt (1 of 3 samples); no federal limit
  • PFPeA: highest sample 9.8 ppt (1 of 3 samples); no federal limit
  • PFBA: highest sample 7.9 ppt (1 of 3 samples); no federal limit
  • PFHxA: highest sample 7.4 ppt (1 of 3 samples); no federal limit
  • PFBS: highest sample 6 ppt (1 of 3 samples); no individual limit; counted in EPA's PFAS mixture (hazard index) limit
  • PFOA: highest sample 4.9 ppt (1 of 3 samples); federal limit 4.0 ppt as a running annual average
  • PFHpA: highest sample 4.3 ppt (1 of 3 samples); no federal limit
  • PFHxS: highest sample 3.2 ppt (1 of 3 samples); federal limit 10.0 ppt as a running annual average, also counted in EPA's PFAS mixture (hazard index) limit (currently in effect; EPA has proposed removing it)

EPA ECHO record

Hollywood, City of

FL4060642 · serves about 147,566 people · Groundwater

✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below action levelPFAS detected (8 types)

Lead 90th percentile: 3.5 ppb (period starting 2024-01-01). Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).

  • PFOS: highest sample 20 ppt (2 of 2 samples); federal limit 4.0 ppt as a running annual average
  • 6:2 FTS: highest sample 8.4 ppt (1 of 2 samples); no federal limit
  • PFPeA: highest sample 6.7 ppt (2 of 2 samples); no federal limit
  • PFOA: highest sample 6 ppt (2 of 2 samples); federal limit 4.0 ppt as a running annual average
  • PFBS: highest sample 5.9 ppt (2 of 2 samples); no individual limit; counted in EPA's PFAS mixture (hazard index) limit
  • PFBA: highest sample 5 ppt (1 of 2 samples); no federal limit
  • PFHxA: highest sample 4.7 ppt (2 of 2 samples); no federal limit
  • PFHxS: highest sample 3.8 ppt (2 of 2 samples); federal limit 10.0 ppt as a running annual average, also counted in EPA's PFAS mixture (hazard index) limit (currently in effect; EPA has proposed removing it)

EPA ECHO record

Miramar (East ; West) Plants

FL4060925 · serves about 137,107 people · Groundwater

✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below action level✓ No PFAS detected

Lead 90th percentile: 1.2 ppb (period starting 2023-01-01) Older result. Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).

EPA ECHO record

City of Pompano

FL4061129 · serves about 99,400 people · Groundwater

✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below action levelPFAS detected (9 types)

Lead 90th percentile: 1.1 ppb (period starting 2023-01-01) Older result. Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).

  • 6:2 FTS: highest sample 62 ppt (1 of 2 samples); no federal limit
  • PFHxA: highest sample 25 ppt (1 of 2 samples); no federal limit
  • PFPeA: highest sample 24 ppt (2 of 2 samples); no federal limit
  • PFOS: highest sample 20 ppt (2 of 2 samples); federal limit 4.0 ppt as a running annual average
  • PFBA: highest sample 19 ppt (1 of 2 samples); no federal limit
  • PFHpA: highest sample 9.6 ppt (1 of 2 samples); no federal limit
  • PFOA: highest sample 6.6 ppt (1 of 2 samples); federal limit 4.0 ppt as a running annual average
  • PFHxS: highest sample 5.3 ppt (2 of 2 samples); federal limit 10.0 ppt as a running annual average, also counted in EPA's PFAS mixture (hazard index) limit (currently in effect; EPA has proposed removing it)
  • PFBS: highest sample 4.5 ppt (2 of 2 samples); no individual limit; counted in EPA's PFAS mixture (hazard index) limit

EPA ECHO record

Plantation, East ; Central

FL4061121 · serves about 85,496 people · Groundwater

✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below action level✓ No PFAS detected

Lead 90th percentile: 1 ppb (period starting 2025-01-01). Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).

EPA ECHO record

Public-record figures, not a test of your tap. Not 100% accurate or guaranteed. Confirm with a water test, your utility or a qualified pro before you buy or act.

A PFAS detection is not a violation. Federal limits (4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS) apply to running annual averages, with compliance required by 2029. In May 2026 EPA proposed extending the PFOA/PFOS deadline to 2031 and removing other PFAS limits; not final as of 2026-10-21.

Test your own tap

These are public records for whole systems. Your home's pipes, fixtures and any private well can change what you drink. A certified lab test or a hardness test strip gives you your own numbers. Then use our PFAS and lead filter selector to see which certifications to look for.

Common questions about Broward County water

Is tap water in Broward County safe to drink?

1 of the 6 largest systems here have at least one health-based violation in EPA records since October 2021 (see each system below for status). Pembroke Pines, City of's most recent lead 90th percentile was 0.6 ppb (2024), below the 15 ppb action level. Public records can't guarantee what comes out of your tap, especially with older plumbing, so a home test is the surest check.

How hard is the water in Broward County?

There's no published utility figure in our data, but untreated local stream and well samples in Broward County have a median of about 14.6 grains per gallon (250 mg/L, very hard). That's a low-confidence estimate of source water, not your tap, so test before you buy equipment. For a 3-person home at 14.6 gpg, our softener calculator suggests a 24,000 grain unit as a starting point.

Is there PFAS in Broward County water?

4 of the 6 sampled systems listed here detected at least one PFAS in EPA's UCMR 5 testing, and 8 results were above the level of a federal limit in at least one sample. A detection isn't a violation: federal PFAS limits apply to running annual averages starting in 2029.

Which water system serves my address in Broward County?

Most homes are served by Pembroke Pines, City of or one of the other systems listed on this page, but service areas don't follow county lines. Your water bill names your provider, and its annual Consumer Confidence Report has the full test results.

More Florida counties

Sources for this page

Data as of October 21, 2026. Figures are copied from public records and combined with our own calculations; they can be out of date or wrong. Tapped Out isn't affiliated with any utility or the EPA. Written and reviewed by the Tapped Out team. How we calculate · All sources.