Orlando’s tap water, managed by the Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC), is considered safe to drink and consistently meets or exceeds all federally and state-mandated quality standards. While the water is legally compliant, some individuals notice characteristics related to its source and treatment processes. Any questions regarding the water’s quality are typically related to taste, odor, or the condition of private plumbing within a home.
The Source and Treatment Process
The primary source for Orlando’s public drinking water is the Lower Floridan Aquifer, a vast underground reservoir that supplies much of the state. This water is drawn from deep wells, often located a quarter-mile below the Earth’s surface. The aquifer water is naturally filtered as rainwater seeps through hundreds of feet of sand and porous limestone rock, meaning this protected groundwater generally requires less intensive treatment than surface water sources.
Despite the initial high quality of the source water, municipal treatment is necessary to ensure safety and palatability. A key component of the Orlando Utilities Commission’s process is advanced ozone treatment. Ozone, a powerful disinfectant, is used to oxidize naturally occurring compounds, such as hydrogen sulfide, which can cause an unpleasant taste and odor. This step reduces the overall amount of chlorine needed for final disinfection.
Following the ozone application, the water is treated with chlorine to maintain disinfection as it travels through the distribution pipes. The utility also adjusts the water’s pH by adding a substance like sodium hydroxide. This process of corrosion control is a preventative measure to keep metals like lead and copper from leaching out of older household plumbing materials. The overall treatment regimen ensures the water is microbiologically safe.
Regulatory Compliance and Testing Standards
The safety of Orlando’s drinking water is governed by a strict legal framework involving multiple agencies. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets the federal standards for drinking water quality under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), establishing Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for a wide range of substances. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) then enforces these regulations at the state level.
The Orlando Utilities Commission conducts thousands of chemical and bacteriological tests annually to confirm water quality. This monitoring often significantly exceeds the minimum requirements set by state and federal law. The OUC’s Water Quality Laboratory is certified by the Florida Department of Health, validating the reliability of its testing procedures. This rigorous and frequent testing ensures the water supply remains compliant.
Residents have direct access to this monitoring data through the annual Water Quality Report, also known as the Consumer Confidence Report (CCR). This mandatory annual publication details the results of all regulated contaminant testing performed throughout the year. The CCR provides a summary of the city’s water quality compared to the established EPA and FDEP standards. Accessing this document allows customers to review the system’s performance and compliance history.
Addressing Common Water Quality Concerns
A common characteristic of Orlando’s water, due to its source in the Floridan Aquifer, is its high level of hardness. This hardness is caused by dissolved minerals, primarily calcium and magnesium, picked up from the limestone bedrock. The average hardness of OUC water is approximately 129 parts per million (ppm), classifying it as moderately hard to hard. While these minerals pose no health risks, they can cause scaling on plumbing fixtures, appliances, and leave spots on glassware.
Some residents occasionally notice a slight chemical taste or odor in their tap water, which is almost always due to the chlorine disinfectant. Chlorine is necessary to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria as the water travels through the distribution system. Disinfection byproducts, such as Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs), can form when chlorine reacts with natural organic matter. Orlando’s treatment process, which includes ozone, is designed to minimize the formation of these byproducts, keeping their levels well below regulatory limits.
Concerns about lead and copper contamination are common, but the source of the issue is almost always a home’s internal plumbing, not the municipal water supply. Water leaves the OUC treatment plants virtually lead-free, but it can pick up these metals by sitting in older pipes or fixtures, particularly in homes built before 1986. The OUC manages this risk by using corrosion control chemicals to form a protective coating inside the public pipes. Running the cold water tap for 30 seconds after it has been sitting for several hours can flush out any metals accumulated from household plumbing.
Emerging contaminants, such as Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), are a growing national focus, and Orlando’s utility is actively addressing them. These synthetic compounds, sometimes called “forever chemicals,” are now subject to new federal limits announced by the EPA. The OUC is committed to complying with these new regulations and conducts regular testing to monitor for PFAS in the aquifer. The utility’s proactive approach ensures that the water remains protected from both regulated and newly regulated substances.