Is Miami Tap Water Safe to Drink?
Yes, Miami-Dade tap water meets federal and state drinking water standards, and you can drink it. "Meets standards" isn't the same as "nothing in it," though. Miami water is treated with chloramine, it's naturally hard, and it can pick up lead from older plumbing inside your home. Many families filter it for taste, comfort and peace of mind.
Where Miami's Water Comes From
Most of Miami-Dade's tap water is pumped from the Biscayne Aquifer, a shallow layer of limestone just below the ground. The Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department treats it at large plants, including the Alexander Orr Jr. and Hialeah-Preston plants, before it travels through miles of pipe to homes and businesses across the county. Because the aquifer is so close to the surface, it's more exposed to what happens above it, and the limestone it flows through naturally makes the water hard.
What "Meets Standards" Really Means
Every year the county publishes a Water Quality Report comparing its test results to the limits set by the EPA. Those limits are designed around an average adult drinking water over a lifetime, and they're measured at the treatment system, not at your faucet. They also don't cover every substance: some contaminants, including many PFAS, are still being studied or are only now getting federal limits. Safe by the standard doesn't always mean free of everything you'd want out of your water.
What's Still in Miami Tap Water
The most noticeable is chloramine, a disinfectant made from chlorine and ammonia that keeps water safe in the pipes but can leave a chemical taste and smell and dry out skin and hair. Miami water is also hard, carrying calcium and magnesium that leave scale on fixtures and inside water heaters and appliances. Small amounts of disinfection byproducts form when chloramine reacts with natural organic matter, and "forever chemicals" known as PFAS are found at low levels in water supplies across the country. Lead is different: it doesn't come from the plant at all, but can enter water from older pipes, solder and brass fixtures inside a building.
Who Should Take Extra Care
Homes built before 1986 are more likely to have lead solder or older fixtures, which matters most for families with infants, young children or someone who is pregnant. People on home dialysis must remove chloramine before using tap water, and aquarium and pond owners need to treat it too, because chloramine is toxic to fish. For everyone else, the question is less about immediate safety and more about what you're comfortable drinking, cooking with and showering in every day.
How to Know What's in Your Water
The county's yearly report is the best place to start, and our guide on how to read your Miami-Dade Water Quality Report walks you through it. Keep in mind that your home's plumbing, its age and how long water sits in the pipes all affect what actually comes out of your tap, so your water can differ from the county averages. If you'd like your own numbers, a free in-home water test is available.
How Hydrality Can Help
For water you feel at every tap, the Hydronex iGen C whole-home system reduces chlorine and chloramine and removes hardness, and it's certified to NSF/ANSI 42, 44 and 372. For the water you drink and cook with, the Micromax 8500 reverse osmosis system adds a second layer at the kitchen sink and is certified under NSF/ANSI 53 to reduce PFAS. Many Miami homes use both. To learn more, read about the effects of chloramine, lead in Miami water, and whole-home filtration vs. reverse osmosis.
Read next: Bottled vs. filtered tap water · Microplastics in drinking water · Boil water notices and hurricanes
Sources
Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department. Annual Water Quality Report. miamidade.gov
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation. epa.gov
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Lead and Copper Rule Improvements. epa.gov
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention. cdc.gov