Drinking water quality · 2024
· Verified
What's in Tallahassee, FL tap water
21 contaminants were measured in the Tallahassee, FL water system's 2024 annual report. Each is shown below against its federal limit — 1 sit at or above that limit.
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Contaminants measured
- 21
- Over federal limit
- 1
- Approaching the limit
- 0
- Worst contaminant
- Odor
- Service area
- FL
PFAS — EPA UCMR5 (2023–2025)
1 PFAS compound above EPA limits in Tallahassee, 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.
PFOS (Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid)
● Over EPA limit (2.0×)below national p90 (19.900000000000006 ng/L across detecting U.S. systems)
PFHxS (Perfluorohexane sulfonic acid)
● Below limitbelow national p90 (12.049999999999997 ng/L across detecting U.S. systems)
PFBS
● Detected (no federal limit)below national p90 (13.909999999999979 ng/L across detecting U.S. systems)
Where your water comes from · EPA SDWIS
Tallahassee, FL's drinking water comes from ground water, drawn from 39 sources.
Source
- WELL · 32
- WELL # 20 LAFAYETTE OAKS · 2
- ARROWHEAD · 2
- WELL#22
- + 2 more
Treatment
- ARROWHEAD #1
- ARROWHEAD #2
- PLANT # 20
- + 33 more
Distribution
Historical readings · EPA Six-Year Review (2012–2019)
20 historically-detected contaminants in Tallahassee, 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: 2017 | 0.0318 mg/L within | 0.06 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
TTHM worst: 2019 | 0.0408 mg/L within | 0.08 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
GROSS ALPHA worst: 2014 | 6.6 pCi/L within | 15 pCi/L | '12'14 |
PCE worst: 2016 | 0.00191 mg/L within | 0.005 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
FLUORIDE worst: 2014 | 1.31 mg/L within | 4 mg/L | '12'14'17'19 |
ARSENIC worst: 2014 | 0.002 mg/L within below national p90 | 0.01 mg/L | '14 |
CADMIUM worst: 2019 | 0.001 mg/L within below national p90 | 0.005 mg/L | '17'19 |
TCE worst: 2014 | 0.001 mg/L within | 0.005 mg/L | '12'13'14'16'17'18'19 |
NITRATE worst: 2019 | 0.695 mg/L within | 10 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
BENZENE worst: 2015 | 0.00018 mg/L within below national p90 | 0.005 mg/L | '15 |
CHROMIUM worst: 2014 | 0.0025 mg/L within below national p90 | 0.1 mg/L | '12'14'17 |
DIQUAT worst: 2017 | 0.0004 mg/L within | 0.02 mg/L | '17 |
CYANIDE worst: 2014 | 0.0034 mg/L within below national p90 | 0.2 mg/L | '14 |
NITRITE worst: 2012 | 0.01 mg/L within | 1 mg/L | '12'15'16 |
BARIUM worst: 2017 | 0.0168 mg/L within below national p90 | 2 mg/L | '12'14'17'19 |
GLYPHOSATE worst: 2017 | 0.005 mg/L within | 0.7 mg/L | '17 |
CARBOFURAN worst: 2017 | 0.00025 mg/L within below national p90 | 0.04 mg/L | '17 |
OXAMYL worst: 2017 | 0.00037 mg/L within | 0.2 mg/L | '17 |
CIS DICHLOROETHYLENE 12 worst: 2017 | 0.00012 mg/L within below national p90 | 0.07 mg/L | '17 |
COPPER worst: 2014 | 0.0869 mg/L below national p90 | — | '14'17 |
Physical & aggregate
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| OdorA measure of detectable smell in the water. | 16MaximumSystem-wide | 3MCL | At or above the limit |
Disinfectants
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChlorineA disinfectant added to drinking water to kill bacteria and viruses. | 0.81 mg/LAverageSystem-wide | 4 mg/LMRDLG | Within the limit |
Metals
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| MercuryA toxic metal from erosion of natural deposits and industrial runoff. | 0–0.1 ug/LRangeSystem-wide | 2 ug/LMCLG | Within the limit |
| SodiumA naturally occurring salt component. | 4.21 mg/LReported levelSystem-wide | 160 mg/LMCL | Within the limit |
| Chromium, TotalTotal chromium — the sum of all chromium forms, from natural deposits and industrial discharge. | 0–1.6 ug/LRangeSystem-wide | 100 ug/LMCLG | Within the limit |
| LeadA toxic metal that leaches into water from old service lines, solder, and plumbing fixtures. | 1.4 ug/L90th percentileAt the tap | 0 ug/LMCLG | Detected — no federal limit |
Radionuclides
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Combined RadiumCombined radium-226 and radium-228 — naturally occurring radioactive elements. | 0.58 pCi/LReported levelSystem-wide | 0 pCi/LMCLG | Detected — no federal limit |
| UraniumA naturally occurring radioactive metal from erosion of natural deposits. | 0.5 ug/LReported levelSystem-wide | 0 ug/LMCLG | Detected — no federal limit |
VOCs & pesticides
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| TetrachloroethyleneAn industrial solvent (PCE) used in dry cleaning and degreasing. | 1.78 ug/LAverageSystem-wide | 0 ug/LMCLG | Detected — no federal limit |
People also ask about Tallahassee, FL's water
+Is Tallahassee, FL tap water safe to drink in 2024?
The 2024 Consumer Confidence Report for the Tallahassee, FL water utility lists 1 contaminant at or above the federal limit: Odor. 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 Tallahassee, FL tap water?
21 contaminants were measured in Tallahassee, FL's 2024 Consumer Confidence Report, spanning metals, inorganic chemicals, and pfas ("forever chemicals"). 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 Tallahassee, FL tap water?
One contaminant in Tallahassee, FL's 2024 report sits at or above the federal limit: Odor (5.3× 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 Tallahassee, FL tap water?
The contaminant with the highest measured value relative to its federal limit in the 2024 report is Odor, at 5.3× the federal threshold. It belongs to the physical & aggregate family of contaminants.
+Where does the data on this page come from?
Every value is transcribed from Tallahassee, 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 Tallahassee, 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.