Drinking water quality · 2024
· Verified
What's in St Petersburg, FL tap water
20 contaminants were measured in the St Petersburg, FL water system's 2024 annual report. Each is shown below against its federal limit — 4 sit at or above that limit.
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Contaminants measured
- 20
- Over federal limit
- 4
- Approaching the limit
- 1
- Worst contaminant
- Chlorite
- Service area
- FL
PFAS — EPA UCMR5 (2023–2025)
1 PFAS compound detected in St Petersburg, FL
The EPA finalized the first-ever federal drinking-water limits for six PFAS compounds in April 2024. These numbers come straight from EPA's UCMR5 lab dataset — every U.S. system serving more than 3,300 people tested every PFAS sample at an entry point to its distribution system. PFAS not listed below were either tested and not detected, or not yet sampled.
PFPeA
● Detected (no federal limit)below national p90 (15.95999999999999 ng/L across detecting U.S. systems)
Where your water comes from · EPA SDWIS
St Petersburg, FL's drinking water comes from ground water, drawn from 43 sources.
Source
- TAMPA BAY WATER ODESSA WELL · 23
- TAMPA BAY WATER SO. PASCO · 7
- TAMPA BAY WATER SECT 21 FIELD · 6
- TAMPA BAY WATER REG WELLFIELDS · 2
- + 5 more
Treatment
- COSME WATER TREATMENT PLANT
- WASHINGTON TERRACE PUMP
- OBERLY PUMP STATION
Distribution
Also buys water from PINELLAS COUNTY UTILITIES, TAMPA BAY WATER -CYPRESS CREEK, and 2 more.
Historical readings · EPA Six-Year Review (2012–2019)
8 historically-detected contaminants in St Petersburg, FL
Every U.S. public water system reports compliance-monitoring data to EPA. The Six-Year Review releases the 2012–2019 window as a single dataset — here's what your system reported, year by year. Values shown are the highest detection per analyte per year, compared to the federal MCL.
| Contaminant | Worst detection | EPA limit | Years (2012–2019) |
|---|---|---|---|
HAA5 worst: 2016 | 0.0522 mg/L 87% | 0.06 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
TTHM worst: 2013 | 0.0258 mg/L within | 0.08 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
FLUORIDE worst: 2017 | 0.86 mg/L within | 4 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17 |
CYANIDE worst: 2016 | 0.012 mg/L within below national p90 | 0.2 mg/L | '16 |
NITRATE worst: 2016 | 0.36 mg/L within | 10 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
ARSENIC worst: 2017 | 0.0003 mg/L within below national p90 | 0.01 mg/L | '17 |
BARIUM worst: 2014 | 0.0124 mg/L within below national p90 | 2 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17 |
LEAD worst: 2015 | 0.001 mg/L | — | '15 |
Disinfection byproducts
Metals
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| MercuryA toxic metal from erosion of natural deposits and industrial runoff. | 4 ug/LReported levelDates of Sampling | 2 ug/LMCLG | At or above the limit |
| SodiumA naturally occurring salt component. | 8.99–78.5 mg/LRangeSystem-wide | 160 mg/LMCLG | Within the limit |
| CopperA metal that enters water from corroding household plumbing. | 0.43 mg/L90th percentileAt the tap | 1.3 mg/LMCLG | Within the limit |
| SeleniumA trace element from natural deposits and industrial discharge. | 4 ug/LReported levelSystem-wide | 50 ug/LMCLG | Within the limit |
| NickelA metal from natural deposits and industrial discharge. | 4 ug/LReported levelDates of Sampling | 100 ug/LMCLG | Within the limit |
Disinfectants
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChloramineA longer-lasting disinfectant made by combining chlorine with ammonia. | 3.82 mg/LRunning annual avgLevel Detected Highest | 4 mg/LMRDLG | Approaching the limit |
Microbial
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Escherichia coli (E. coli)Escherichia coli — bacteria found in the gut of humans and animals. | 1Reported levelSystem-wide | 0MCLG | Detected — no federal limit |
Physical & aggregate
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| TOCTotal organic carbon — a measure of organic material dissolved in the water. | 1–24 mg/LReported levelDates of Sampling | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| TurbidityA measure of cloudiness from suspended particles in the water. | 1–24 NTUReported levelDates of Sampling | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
Radionuclides
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Combined RadiumCombined radium-226 and radium-228 — naturally occurring radioactive elements. | 4 pCi/LReported levelDates of Sampling | 0 pCi/LMCLG | Detected — no federal limit |
| Gross AlphaGross alpha particle activity — a combined measure of alpha-emitting radioactive substances. | 0–40 pCi/LRangeSystem-wide | 0 pCi/LMCLG | Detected — no federal limit |
| UraniumA naturally occurring radioactive metal from erosion of natural deposits. | 4 ug/LReported levelDates of Sampling | 0 ug/LMCLG | Detected — no federal limit |
People also ask about St Petersburg, FL's water
+Is St Petersburg, FL tap water safe to drink in 2024?
The 2024 Consumer Confidence Report for the St Petersburg, FL water utility lists 4 contaminants at or above the federal limit: Chlorite, Barium, Mercury, and Fluoride. Whether that means the water is "unsafe" depends on which contaminant, how long the exposure, and individual health factors. The table on this page shows the measured value, the federal threshold, and the regulated statistic used for compliance.
+What contaminants are in St Petersburg, FL tap water?
20 contaminants were measured in St Petersburg, FL's 2024 Consumer Confidence Report, spanning metals, disinfection byproducts, and radionuclides. 18 have an enforceable federal limit; the rest are detected but unregulated. Every measured value, in the utility's own units, is on this page.
+Which contaminants exceed federal limits in St Petersburg, FL tap water?
4 contaminants in St Petersburg, FL's 2024 report sit at or above the federal limit: Chlorite (30.0× the limit); Barium (2.0× the limit); Mercury (2.0× the limit); Fluoride (1.0× the limit). The EPA enforces these limits against the regulated reporting statistic — typically a running annual average or 90th percentile — not a one-off sample spike.
+What is the worst contaminant in St Petersburg, FL tap water?
The contaminant with the highest measured value relative to its federal limit in the 2024 report is Chlorite, at 30.0× the federal threshold. It belongs to the disinfection byproducts family of contaminants.
+Are any contaminants in St Petersburg, FL tap water approaching the federal limit?
One contaminant is between 80% and 100% of the federal limit in this report: Chloramine. Approaching means measured but not in violation — a margin that can close quickly if conditions change.
+Where does the data on this page come from?
Every value is transcribed from St Petersburg, FL's 2024 Consumer Confidence Report — the annual drinking-water report every U.S. public water utility is required by federal law to publish. The original source document is archived and viewable on this site. A water-quality report covers an entire service area, not a single address.
+How often is St Petersburg, FL's water quality data updated?
Each U.S. public water utility publishes one Consumer Confidence Report per year, covering the prior calendar year's measurements. This page reflects the 2024 report; a new report will replace it once the utility publishes its next annual update.