What determines the color of our water?
In its purest form, our water has a lot of color in it. Why? It absorbs natural minerals as it travels through the ground and rock before it even reaches the aquifer. After it is drawn from the wells and piped to the water treatment plant, our water undergoes a lime softening treatment process to remove as much of its natural color as possible. Color is not added to our water, only removed.

Can anything else, other than natural minerals affect the color of our water?
Yes, services lines (for example galvanized pipes) in homes or businesses can affect the color of the water. If you have questions, please call the utilities department at (561) 243-7312.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Color of Our Drinking Water

1. How is the color of our water measured?
Color is measured following approved methods and reported as PtCo Cu (Platinum-Cobalt color unit). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established National Secondary Drinking Water Regulations (NSDWRs) that set non-mandatory water quality standards for 15 contaminants such as taste, color, and odor.

2. What is the maximum allowance when it comes to the color of our water?
The EPA has set a non-mandatory maximum allowance of 15 color units. The City’s average monthly water color has been consistently below 15 color units for the past five years. In the last twelve month, the average monthly water color has measured 12 color units or below.

3. Do the 15 contaminants such as color and taste present health risks?
No, the 15 contaminants categorized as Secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels (SMCLs) are not considered to present health risks and are not enforced by the (EPA).

4. What are the secondary maximum levels for each of the 15 contaminants?

 Table of Secondary Standards

Contaminant	SecondaryMCL	Noticeable Effects above the SecondaryMCL
Aluminum	0.05 to 0.2mg/L*	colored water
Chloride	250mg/L	salty taste
Color	15 color units	visible tint
Copper	1.0mg/L	metallic taste; blue-green staining
Corrosivity	Non-corrosive	metallic taste; corroded pipes/ fixtures staining
Fluoride	2.0mg/L	tooth discoloration
Foaming agents	0.5mg/L	frothy, cloudy; bitter taste; odor
Iron	0.3mg/L	rusty color; sediment; metallic taste; reddish or orange staining
Manganese	0.05mg/L	black to brown color; black staining; bitter metallic taste
Odor	3 TON (threshold odor number)	"rotten-egg", musty or chemical smell
pH	6.5 - 8.5	low pH: bitter metallic taste; corrosion high pH: slippery feel; soda taste; deposits
Silver	0.1mg/L	skin discoloration; graying of the white part of the eye
Sulfate	250mg/L	salty taste
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)	500mg/L	hardness; deposits; colored water; staining; salty taste
Zinc	5mg/L	metallic taste

*mg/L is milligrams of substance per liter of water. This table is provided by the EPA.

5. What should I do if I notice a yellow tint in my water?
Call the City’s utilities department at (561) 243-7312.

From the Aquifer to the Sink- How Our City’s Water Gets Processed

• Water is withdrawn from a shallow underground source called the East Coast Surficial Aquifer
• There are 30 raw water wells located throughout the city from which water is drawn and piped to the water treatment plant
• The water from the wells, rich in minerals and color, is pumped to the water treatment plant
• The water is aerated to remove natural gasses and then blended with lime in settling tanks (clarifiers) for softening, color, and iron removal (lime softening process)
• Then the water is filtered and disinfected to meet the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act and Florida Department of Environmental Protection standards
• Prior to distribution, fluoride is injected to help prevent tooth decay