{"id":5452,"date":"2023-08-25T02:15:47","date_gmt":"2023-08-25T02:15:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/waterdefense.org\/?p=5452"},"modified":"2023-08-25T02:15:49","modified_gmt":"2023-08-25T02:15:49","slug":"orlando","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/waterdefense.org\/water\/tap\/orlando\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Orlando Tap Water Safe to Drink in 2023?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Orlando, with a population of more than 300,000, is one of the biggest municipalities in the state of Florida, and when it comes to water quality, Florida is one of the worst states<\/a>\u00a0 in all of the United States. But, if you live in Orlando, and you\u2019re worried about the water quality, let us ease your concerns.<\/p>

Orlando\u2019s tap water is safe and in compliance with legal guidelines<\/strong>. The latest water quality report<\/a> provided by the Orlando Utilities Commission shows that, except in a few individual cases, there are no instances of contamination levels above the safety guidelines set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations<\/a> (NPDWRs).<\/p>

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Yet, that doesn\u2019t necessarily mean that the tap water in Orlando is completely contaminant-free, and the EPA\u2019s public health goals regarding many contaminants are way lower than its safety limits.<\/p>

Now, let\u2019s see what\u2019s in Orlando\u2019s tap water, and how the contaminant levels compare against the EPA action and safety limits and public health goals set under the NPDWRs. We\u2019ll also share information about water hardness in Orlando, and go into where the tap water in this city comes from and how it\u2019s treated.<\/p>

Orlando Water Quality Report: What\u2019s in the Water?<\/h2>
\"What\u2019s<\/figure><\/div>

The most recent Orlando water quality report shows that the tap water across the city has heavy metals such as lead and copper, and disinfection byproducts like total trihalomethanes, haloacetic acids, and bromate. In some individual water samples, these contaminant groups test higher than EPA action limits.<\/p>

Besides these, the water samples taken from various taps in Orlando have barium, nitrates, selenium, and asbestos. However, none of these impurities surpass the EPA action limits or public safety goals.<\/p>

Lead and Copper<\/h3>

Before the 1980s, US piping and plumbing systems featured lead and copper components (in fixtures and solders, and sometimes even in pipes). However, in the 1980s, the world discovered that lead and copper present in these components were dissolving into the water and that they had adverse health effects.<\/p>

Consequently, the EPA issued its lead and copper rule<\/a> in 1991, forbidding these heavy metals\u2019 employment in any kind of waterway. Yet, some buildings in the United States from the 1980s and earlier still have lead and copper in their infrastructure, as replacing a whole piping system is neither practical nor affordable. These old buildings\u2019 residents now have to deal with lead and copper presence in their water, which is potentially dangerous.<\/p>

Regarding copper, the EPA action limit and public health goal is 1.3 ppm (parts per million or mg\/L). Orlando has an average of 0.6 ppm of copper in its taps. According to the water quality report, there are sampling sites that have more than 1.3 ppm of copper in Orlando, albeit these sites make up less than 10% of all samples.<\/p>

The lead situation in Orlando is a bit better. No sites have higher lead levels than the EPA action limits, but the average lead level in Orlando\u2019s taps is 3 ppb (parts per billion).<\/p>

Although this number is lower than the EPA action limit of 15 ppb, the agency and medical authorities don\u2019t consider any level of lead safe in drinking water<\/a>. In fact, the agency has set its public health goal regarding this dangerous heavy metal at zero (see the NPDWRs table linked above).<\/p>

In that sense, the average lead presence in Orlando\u2019s taps might be worrying. Fortunately, you can put those worries to rest by installing a state-of-the-art lead water filter<\/a>. As these filters are also effective against other heavy metals such as copper, by purchasing a lead filter, you\u2019ll be taking care of your copper problem.<\/p>

Disinfection Byproducts<\/h3>

Like all the other municipal water authorities in the United States, the Orlando Utilities Commission disinfects the city\u2019s water with chlorine and chloramines. These chemicals kill pathogenic microorganisms like bacteria and protozoa and prevent them from infesting the water distribution lines.<\/p>

However, these disinfectants that are supposed to keep the water clean and safe, actually produce their own impurities after interacting with organic matter. The most common disinfectant byproducts are total trihalomethanes (TTHMs), haloacetic acids (HAA5), and bromate, present in almost all the municipal water supplies in the country, including Orlando.<\/p>

The EPA action limits for these chemicals are 80 ppb, 60 pbb, and 10 ppb, respectively. The TTHMs in Orlando\u2019s taps come in a range of 16.73 ppb to 74.86 ppb, HAA5 comes in a range of 7.04 ppb to 38.43 ppb, and bromate in a range of 0.63 ppb to 11.4 ppb. That makes bromate the only disinfection byproduct that tests higher than the EPA action limit.<\/p>

That being said, the agency also has a public health goal of zero for all of these chemicals since there are studies<\/a> linking them to an increased cancer risk. So, it\u2019s best practice to invest in a water filtration unit<\/a> to eliminate them from your drinking water for your and your family\u2019s well-being.<\/p>

Orlando Tap Water Contaminant Chart<\/h3>

Here is a chart that allows you to compare the impurity levels in Orlando\u2019s tap water with the EPA action limits and public health goals.<\/p>

Contaminants<\/strong><\/td>Orlando tap water levels<\/strong><\/td>EPA action limit<\/strong><\/td>EPA public health goal<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Copper<\/strong><\/td>0.6 ppm (average)<\/td>1.3 ppm<\/td>1.3 ppm<\/td><\/tr>
Lead<\/strong><\/td>3 ppb (average)<\/td>15 ppb<\/td>Zero<\/td><\/tr>
TTHMs<\/strong><\/td>16.73-74.86 ppb<\/td>80 ppb<\/td>Zero<\/td><\/tr>
HAA5<\/strong><\/td>7.04-38.43 ppb<\/td>60 ppb<\/td>Zero<\/td><\/tr>
Bromate<\/strong><\/td>0.63-11.4 ppb<\/td>10 ppb<\/td>Zero<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>

Is Orlando Tap Water Hard or Soft?<\/h3>

Orlando tap water has a hardness level of 129 mg\/L, so it\u2019s on the higher end of the water hardness scale.<\/p>

The United States Geological Survey<\/a> considers water that has more than 60 mg\/L of calcium and magnesium as hard:<\/p>