How to Read Your City Water Quality Report
Once a year, your water utility publishes a report packed with units and abbreviations. Most people never read it. It holds useful clues about scale, taste, filters and heater wear. Here is how to read it without a chemistry degree.
Questions about your water?
Have your report handy and ask the dispatcher about filters or softeners.
(754) 320-541224/7 emergency lineWhat the report is and when it arrives
Community water systems in the United States must give customers an annual water quality report, often called a Consumer Confidence Report. Under federal rules it is due by July 1 each year and covers the previous calendar year. Many utilities post it online and mail a notice, and some include it in a bill insert.
The report lists where your water comes from, what the utility tested for, what it found and whether any rules were broken. It is the best free source of information about the water that reaches your pipes.
Start with the source and the treatment
The first section describes the source of the water and the treatment steps. In South Florida, drinking water often comes from groundwater aquifers and is treated at plants that use lime softening, membranes, nanofiltration or reverse osmosis. Fort Lauderdale uses the Fiveash plant, with lime softening, and the Peele-Dixie plant, with nanofiltration since 2008.
Nearby cities differ. Hollywood uses lime softening, membrane and reverse osmosis treatment. Dania Beach dedicated its nanofiltration plant on March 27, 2012. Plantation runs two membrane plants. Wilton Manors receives water from Fiveash. Pompano Beach runs its own utility with membrane and lime softened supply, and Deerfield Beach is served partly by the city and partly by Broward County. Always read the report from the provider that bills you.
Key terms in the data table
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| MCL | Maximum contaminant level, the highest amount allowed in drinking water |
| MCLG | The level below which no known health risk is expected |
| Action level | A trigger for treatment or other steps, used for lead and copper |
| ppm | Parts per million, about one drop in a large tank |
| ppb | Parts per billion, a thousand times smaller than ppm |
| ND | Not detected |
| Range | The lowest and highest results over the year |
| Violation | A rule was not met, and the report must explain it |
Check that each detected substance sits below its MCL. The report also lists the likely source of each one, such as erosion of natural deposits or water additives that promote strong teeth.
Hardness: the number your plumbing cares about
Hardness measures dissolved calcium and magnesium. It matters because those minerals form scale in heaters, on fixtures and inside appliances. Reports show it in milligrams per liter, or in grains per gallon. One grain per gallon equals about 17.1 milligrams per liter.
| Level | Milligrams per liter | Grains per gallon |
|---|---|---|
| Soft | 0 to 60 | 0 to 3.5 |
| Moderately hard | 61 to 120 | 3.5 to 7 |
| Hard | 121 to 180 | 7 to 10.5 |
| Very hard | Over 180 | Over 10.5 |
If your report shows moderate or high hardness, scale will build over time. That affects water heaters and tankless units most. A water softener reduces the load. Some treatment plants already soften water, and the report shows the hardness after treatment, which is what you should use.
Disinfectants and byproducts
Utilities add chlorine or chloramine to keep water safe on its way to your tap. The report lists the average level and the allowed maximum. Chlorine can give water a pool-like taste and smell, and it can wear on rubber parts over many years. A carbon filter is a common answer for taste, and the water filtration installation page explains how filters are chosen.
Disinfection byproducts form when disinfectant reacts with natural organic matter. The report lists them and compares them to the limits. If you want to lower them at the tap, a filter certified for that purpose is needed, so check the filter's data sheet.
Lead and copper
Lead and copper are handled differently. Utilities sample at customer taps and report the 90th percentile result against an action level, which is 15 parts per billion for lead and 1.3 parts per million for copper. These metals usually enter water from household plumbing and fixtures, not from the treatment plant, so the result reflects what homes in the sample received.
If your home has old plumbing, solder or fixtures from before modern standards, ask the utility about testing. A plumber can inspect the service line and your pipes, and the repiping page covers replacement of failing lines.
Read the whole report if you see
- A violation or a notice about monitoring.
- A lead or copper result near or above the action level.
- A boil water advisory or a change in treatment.
- Water that suddenly looks cloudy, colored or smells different.
Call your utility first for water quality concerns, since it can test and advise.
Turning the numbers into action
- Find hardness firstLook up the average and the range. Use it to decide on a softener or a flush schedule for your heater.
- Check the disinfectantNote the type and the level. It explains taste, smell and rubber wear.
- Scan for violationsRead any notice and what the utility did about it.
- Review lead and copperCompare the 90th percentile to the action level and consider your home's age.
- Decide what you wantTaste, scale or safety each point to a different solution.
- Ask for a water testA home test or a lab test shows what comes out of your own tap.
What affects water at your tap
- Your provider
- Different plants, different treatment.
- Your pipes
- Old steel, copper and solder change what reaches the faucet.
- Plumbing length
- Water sitting in pipes can taste different in the morning.
- Home treatment
- Softeners and filters change the water after the meter.
A report describes the system, and a tap test describes your house.
When to call a plumber
Call when the report points to a problem you cannot fix yourself. A softener sized for your hardness, a filter that matches your taste or safety goal and new lines that replace old ones are all plumbing jobs. Bring the report to the call, and have your address ready. If you are in Dania Beach, Hollywood or Plantation, mention which utility serves you.
Questions people ask before they call
Federal rules require community water systems to deliver it by July 1 each year. Most utilities post it on their website.
Softer water causes less scale. Under about 60 milligrams per liter is considered soft, and over 180 is considered very hard.
Only in part. Lead and copper results come from sample taps, but your own home can differ, so ask about testing if your plumbing is old.
Not for safety in most cases. Filters are often chosen for taste, smell or sediment, and a clean report does not rule out those preferences.
Want help acting on your water report?
Tell the dispatcher what the report says about hardness or taste. They will explain what a visit covers.