Palm Beach County tap water: hardness, PFAS and lead
Palm Beach County, Florida has about 1,582,055 residents (Census 2024 estimate) and 33 community water systems in EPA records. The largest local system is Palm Beach County Water Utilities, serving about 671,114 people from groundwater.
! 2 of 6 largest systems with health-based violationsPFAS detected at 4 of 6 sampled systemsHardness 11.7 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 Palm Beach County water?
Palm Beach County Water UtilitiesEstimate: untreated local water, not your tap · Low confidence
11.7 gpg(200 mg/L), very hard
Palm Beach County: median of 6,824 results from 964 monitoring sites (streams and wells). Utilities may blend or treat water, so your tap can differ.
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 11.7 gpg
For a 3-person home using 57 gallons per person per day and regenerating weekly, you'd remove about 14,005 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.
The 6 biggest of 33 community water systems on EPA records for this county. Service areas don't follow county lines; your water bill names your provider.
Palm Beach County Water Utilities
FL4504393 · serves about 671,114 people · Groundwater
Lead 90th percentile: 1.4 ppb (period starting 2023-01-01) Older result. Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).
PFOS: highest sample 20 ppt (4 of 8 samples); federal limit 4.0 ppt as a running annual average
6:2 FTS: highest sample 13 ppt (1 of 8 samples); no federal limit
PFOA: highest sample 9 ppt (4 of 8 samples); federal limit 4.0 ppt as a running annual average
PFPeA: highest sample 7.7 ppt (4 of 8 samples); no federal limit
PFHxA: highest sample 6.5 ppt (4 of 8 samples); no federal limit
PFHxS: highest sample 6.4 ppt (4 of 8 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 6.1 ppt (4 of 8 samples); no individual limit; counted in EPA's PFAS mixture (hazard index) limit
PFBA: highest sample 5 ppt (1 of 8 samples); no federal limit
PFHpA: highest sample 3.1 ppt (2 of 8 samples); no federal limit
FL4500145 · serves about 112,000 people · Groundwater
✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below action levelPFAS detected (7 types)
Lead 90th percentile: 4.4 ppb (period starting 2025-01-01). Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).
PFOS: highest sample 26 ppt (2 of 4 samples); federal limit 4.0 ppt as a running annual average
PFOA: highest sample 8.7 ppt (2 of 4 samples); federal limit 4.0 ppt as a running annual average
PFBS: highest sample 8.1 ppt (2 of 4 samples); no individual limit; counted in EPA's PFAS mixture (hazard index) limit
PFPeA: highest sample 8.1 ppt (3 of 4 samples); no federal limit
PFHxS: highest sample 7 ppt (2 of 4 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)
PFBA: highest sample 6.4 ppt (3 of 4 samples); no federal limit
PFHxA: highest sample 5.6 ppt (3 of 4 samples); no federal limit
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 Palm Beach County water
Is tap water in Palm Beach County safe to drink?
2 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). Palm Beach County Water Utilities's most recent lead 90th percentile was 1.4 ppb (2023), 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 Palm Beach County?
There's no published utility figure in our data, but untreated local stream and well samples in Palm Beach County have a median of about 11.7 grains per gallon (200 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 11.7 gpg, our softener calculator suggests a 24,000 grain unit as a starting point.
Is there PFAS in Palm Beach County water?
4 of the 6 sampled systems listed here detected at least one PFAS in EPA's UCMR 5 testing, and 5 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 Palm Beach County?
Most homes are served by Palm Beach County Water Utilities 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.
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.