Hillsborough County Water Quality: 2 Cities Ranked by the Records
Hillsborough County, Florida: 2 city reports built from EPA and utility records. A county has many suppliers; each city shows the system that serves it.
Highest result for each contaminant
One row per contaminant: the highest result any system in the county reported, against its limit. Open a row for the systems behind it.
Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS)Detected in 1 system of 2 tested4.0 ng/L federal MCL (2024) · US EPAHighest6.9 ng/L
- CITY OF TAMPA WATER DEPARTMENT6.9 ng/LSample date: 2023-01-18 to 2025-09-11
- CITY OF PLANT CITY UTILITYNot detected · below 4.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2024-03-06 to 2025-03-10
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)Detected in 1 system of 2 tested4.0 ng/L federal MCL (2024) · US EPAHighest4.6 ng/L
- CITY OF TAMPA WATER DEPARTMENT4.6 ng/LSample date: 2023-01-18 to 2025-09-11
- CITY OF PLANT CITY UTILITYNot detected · below 4.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2024-03-06 to 2025-03-10
Water hardnessDetected in 1 systemAesthetic, no federal health limit · USGSHighest12.3 gpg
- CITY OF TAMPA WATER DEPARTMENT12.3 gpgReporting year: 2025
Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS)Detected in 1 system of 2 tested10 ng/L federal MCL (2024) · US EPAHighest4.1 ng/L
- CITY OF TAMPA WATER DEPARTMENT4.1 ng/LSample date: 2023-01-18 to 2025-09-11
- CITY OF PLANT CITY UTILITYNot detected · below 3.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2024-03-06 to 2025-03-10
Haloacetic acids (HAA5)Detected in 1 system60 ppb federal MCL · US EPAHighest21.4 ppb
- CITY OF TAMPA WATER DEPARTMENT21.4 ppbReporting year: 2025
Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)Detected in 1 system80 ppb federal MCL · US EPAHighest19 ppb
- CITY OF TAMPA WATER DEPARTMENT19 ppbReporting year: 2025
CopperDetected in 1 system1.3 mg/L (action level) · US EPAHighest0.287 mg/L
- CITY OF TAMPA WATER DEPARTMENT0.287 mg/LReporting year: 2025
FluorideDetected in 1 system4.0 mg/L · US EPAHighest0.56 mg/L
- CITY OF TAMPA WATER DEPARTMENT0.56 mg/LReporting year: 2025
7 more contaminants detectedShow
Lead (90th percentile)Detected in 2 systems15 µg/L federal action level · US EPAHighest1.5 µg/L
- CITY OF TAMPA WATER DEPARTMENT1.5 µg/LMonitoring period: 2025–2025
- CITY OF PLANT CITY UTILITY1 µg/LMonitoring period: 2023–2023
NitrateDetected in 1 system10 mg/L · US EPAHighest0.29 mg/L
- CITY OF TAMPA WATER DEPARTMENT0.29 mg/LReporting year: 2025
Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS)Detected in 1 system of 2 tested2,000 ng/L EPA health advisory (screening, not a legal limit) · US EPAHighest6.4 ng/L
- CITY OF TAMPA WATER DEPARTMENT6.4 ng/LSample date: 2023-01-18 to 2025-09-11
- CITY OF PLANT CITY UTILITYNot detected · below 3.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2024-03-06 to 2025-03-10
Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA)Detected in 1 system of 2 tested400,000 ng/L Michigan EGLE state MCL (strictest US state) · Michigan EGLEHighest6 ng/L
- CITY OF TAMPA WATER DEPARTMENT6 ng/LSample date: 2023-01-18 to 2025-09-11
- CITY OF PLANT CITY UTILITYNot detected · below 3.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2024-03-06 to 2025-03-10
Perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA)Detected in 1 system of 2 testedNo federal or state limit; shown for transparencyHighest6.4 ng/L
- CITY OF TAMPA WATER DEPARTMENT6.4 ng/LSample date: 2023-01-18 to 2025-09-11
- CITY OF PLANT CITY UTILITYNot detected · below 5.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2024-03-06 to 2025-03-10
Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA)Detected in 1 system of 2 testedNo federal or state limit; shown for transparencyHighest3.9 ng/L
- CITY OF TAMPA WATER DEPARTMENT3.9 ng/LSample date: 2023-01-18 to 2025-09-11
- CITY OF PLANT CITY UTILITYNot detected · below 3.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2024-03-06 to 2025-03-10
Perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA)Detected in 1 system of 2 testedNo federal or state limit; shown for transparencyHighest8.4 ng/L
- CITY OF TAMPA WATER DEPARTMENT8.4 ng/LSample date: 2023-01-18 to 2025-09-11
- CITY OF PLANT CITY UTILITYNot detected · below 3.0 ng/L lab reporting limitSample date: 2024-03-06 to 2025-03-10
22 substances tested, none detected in any systemShow
Tested in these 2 systems: CITY OF PLANT CITY UTILITY, CITY OF TAMPA WATER DEPARTMENT
- 11-Chloroeicosafluoro-3-oxaundecane-1-sulfonic acid (11Cl-PF3OUdS)
- 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorodecane sulfonic acid (8:2 FTS)
- 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (4:2 FTS)
- 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (6:2 FTS)
- 4,8-Dioxa-3H-perfluorononanoic acid (ADONA)
- 9-Chlorohexadecafluoro-3-oxanone-1-sulfonic acid (9Cl-PF3ONS)
- Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA) (GenX chemicals)
- Lithium
- N-ethyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid (NEtFOSAA)
- N-methyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid (NMeFOSAA)
- Nonafluoro-3,6-dioxaheptanoic acid (NFDHA)
- Perfluoro (2-ethoxyethane) sulfonic acid (PFEESA)
- Perfluoro-3-methoxypropanoic acid (PFMPA)
- Perfluoro-4-methoxybutanoic acid (PFMBA)
- Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA)
- Perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA)
- Perfluoroheptanesulfonic acid (PFHpS)
- Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA)
- Perfluoropentanesulfonic acid (PFPeS)
- Perfluorotetradecanoic acid (PFTA)
- Perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA)
- Perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnA)
Cities ranked by the records
Ranked by the Purity Score of each city's main water system, highest first. Scores belong to water systems; there is no county score. The score is computed only from contaminants measured in the published EPA record, so this ranks the record, not which city's water is safest. How the score works.
0of 2 cities above the 15 µg/L action level
Based on each system's 90th-percentile result. Lead from household plumbing isn't in this record.
Lead in Florida1city reports hardness · Tampa, 12.3 gpg
Hard on the USGS scale. An aesthetic measure with no federal health limit.
Hard water explainedLargest water systems
- TampaCITY OF TAMPA WATER DEPARTMENT · FL6290327733,886 served
- Plant CityCITY OF PLANT CITY UTILITY · FL629032341,601 served
Frequently asked
How does Hillsborough County tap water compare across cities?
PurityMap ranks 2 cities in Hillsborough County by the Purity Score of each city's main water system, computed only from contaminants measured in the published EPA record. Scores belong to water systems, not to cities. The highest published score is Plant City's main water system: CITY OF PLANT CITY UTILITY · PWSID FL6290323 · Purity Score 99 (Excellent) · Confidence: moderate · Assessed at the water-system level. The ranking compares the records, not which city's water is safest, and your own tap can differ with household plumbing.
How many Hillsborough County cities had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit?
1 of 2 Hillsborough County city reports had a PFAS sample above a 2024 EPA limit in EPA's UCMR 5 testing, including Tampa (PFOS 6.9 ng/L). That limit is judged on a yearly average, and water systems have until 2029 to meet it, so a single sample is not a violation. PFAS were detected at any level in 1.
Is there lead in Hillsborough County tap water?
Utilities report lead as a 90th-percentile result from home taps. 2 of 2 Hillsborough County cities reported a value above zero, and none was above the 15 µg/L federal action level. Lead usually comes from a building's own pipes and fixtures, so only a test at your tap tells you what you drink.
Does Hillsborough County have hard water?
Hardness is published in utility water-quality reports for 1 Hillsborough County city on record; the hardest is Tampa at 12.3 grains per gallon. Hardness affects scale and appliances; it is not a health finding.
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