The City withdraws water from the east coast surficial aquifer, a 75 to 195 feet deep under-ground aquifer. There are 30 raw water wells located throughout the City from which water is drawn and piped to the water treatment plant.

The surficial aquifer system in Florida includes any otherwise undefined aquifers that are present at land surface.

The surficial aquifer system is made up of mostly unconsolidated sand, shelly sand, and shell. The aquifer thickness is typically less than 50 feet but can range up to 400 feet in Indian River and St. Lucie Counties.

Groundwater in the surficial aquifer generally flows from areas of higher elevation towards the coast or streams where it can discharge as baseflow. Water enters the aquifer from rainfall and exits as baseflow to streams, discharge to the coast, evapotranspiration, and downward recharge to deeper aquifers.

The sources of all drinking water, including tap water and bottled water, come from rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs, and wells.

As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity.

To ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prescribes regulations, which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water, which must provide the same protection for public health.