671,114 people served, groundwater, Palm Beach County
Billing, service and outages are handled by the utility at its official website above. ScoreYourWater is not your water company and never handles water billing.
Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department has a Water Score of 95 out of 100 (Strong) on our scale. 0 of 23 detected contaminants are above a published health guideline (2018-2025). EPA compliance: no open violations (July to September 2026 extract); this is public data, not a test of your tap.
EPA treatment records (state-reported) list chloramines for Palm Beach County Water Utilities. EPA record
All South Florida utilities · Utility's 2025 water quality report (opens the utility's site)
Palm Beach County Water Utilities (EPA water system FL4504393) serves about 671,114 people and is the main utility for 20 ZIP codes in Palm Beach County. It does not buy water from another system, according to EPA SDWA records and supplies water to City of Atlantis, City of Boynton Beach Utilities, Seminole Manor Water System, City of Lake Worth Beach Utilities, Seminole Improvement District (Westlake) and Seacoast West. In EPA SDWA, EPA UCMR and Florida DEP data from 2018-2025, none of the 23 detected contaminants are above published health guidelines, for a Water Score of 95 (Strong); PFOS averaged above 4.0 ppt, the limit in EPA's 2024 PFAS rule (water systems must meet it by April 2029; EPA has proposed allowing until 2031). Scored against health guidelines that are stricter than legal limits, using public utility data. Not a test of your tap.
Palm Beach County Water Utilities → City of Atlantis and City of Boynton Beach Utilities and Seminole Manor Water System and City of Lake Worth Beach Utilities and Seminole Improvement District (Westlake) and Seacoast West → customers
0 contaminants above health guidelines (of 23 detected), plus 1 with an average above 4.0 ppt, the limit in EPA's 2024 PFAS rule
No detected contaminants were above their published health guidelines in the most recent data.
Our systems aren't certified for PFAS.
| Contaminant | This utility | Legal limit or action level | Health guideline | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PFOSEPA's 2024 rule sets a limit of 4.0 ppt; water systems must meet it by April 2029. In May 2026 EPA proposed allowing extensions to April 2031. EPA's goal (MCLG) is zero. |
|---|
| 7.38 pptaverage of all sampleshighest sample 20 pptdetected in 4 of 8 samples |
| 4 ppt |
| None published |
| 2024-2025 |
The level shown is the average of all of the utility's results in the years shown, with results below EPA's reporting level counted as zero. The highest single result and the number of samples in which it was detected are shown with each level. Each of these averaged above 4.0 ppt across all of the utility's samples, with results below the reporting level counted as zero. EPA judges compliance on a running annual average at each sampling point, so our combined average is a guide, not a compliance result. Under EPA's 2024 PFAS rule, water systems must meet the PFOA and PFOS limits (4.0 ppt each) by April 2029; in May 2026 EPA proposed allowing extensions to April 2031. Results before then are monitoring data, not violations.
Public data from EPA UCMR 5, 2024–2025. It isn't a test of your tap, and your water can differ. Last checked against the Federal Register: October 25, 2026.
Lead: 1.4 ppb (90th percentile of tap samples, January to December 2023). EPA action level (90th percentile): 15 ppb.
Lead is measured at the tap in homes selected because they are most likely to have lead plumbing. EPA says lead in drinking water mainly comes from pipes, solder and fixtures in service lines and buildings, not from the water source. Your home's plumbing matters more than the utility's number. EPA's goal (MCLG) for lead is zero.
California's public health goal for lead is 0.2 ppb.
If your home is older or may have a lead service line, ask your utility (it must keep a service-line inventory) or have your tap tested by a state-certified lab.
| Contaminant | This utility | Legal limit or action level | Health guideline | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fluoride | 616 ppbaverage of all sampleshighest sample 927 ppbdetected in 8 of 8 samples | 4,000 ppb | None published | 2020 |
| Nitrate | 85.6 ppbaverage of all sampleshighest sample 680 ppbdetected in 13 of 20 samples | 10,000 ppb | None published | 2018-2022 |
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) | 30.6 ppbaverage of all sampleshighest sample 118 ppbdetected in 228 of 228 samples | 80 ppb | None published | 2018-2022 |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA9) | 27.5 ppbaverage of all sampleshighest sample 52.9 ppbdetected in 22 of 22 samples | No federal limit | None published | 2018-2019 |
| Aluminum | 24.2 ppbaverage of all sampleshighest sample 57.8 ppbdetected in 2 of 4 samples | No federal limit | None published | 2020 |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA5) | 22.5 ppbaverage of all sampleshighest sample 75.5 ppbdetected in 228 of 228 samples | 60 ppb | None published | 2018-2022 |
| Copper | 18.6 ppbaverage of all sampleshighest sample 53.2 ppbdetected in 4 of 4 samplesMeasured where water enters the distribution system, not at the tap. EPA's action level applies to tap samples. | 1,300 ppb (EPA action level, 90th percentile) | None published | 2020 |
| Barium | 5.65 ppbaverage of all sampleshighest sample 7.3 ppbdetected in 4 of 4 samples | 2,000 ppb | None published | 2020 |
| Nitrite | 4.7 ppbaverage of all sampleshighest sample 13 ppbdetected in 9 of 20 samples | 1,000 ppb | None published | 2018-2022 |
| PFOAEPA's 2024 rule sets a limit of 4.0 ppt; water systems must meet it by April 2029. In May 2026 EPA proposed allowing extensions to April 2031. EPA's goal (MCLG) is zero. | 3.71 pptaverage of all sampleshighest sample 9 pptdetected in 4 of 8 samples | 4 ppt | None published | 2024-2025 |
| PFPeA | 3.46 pptaverage of all sampleshighest sample 7.7 pptdetected in 4 of 8 samples | No federal limit | None published | 2024-2025 |
| PFHxA | 2.76 pptaverage of all sampleshighest sample 6.5 pptdetected in 4 of 8 samples | No federal limit | None published | 2024-2025 |
| PFHxSEPA set a limit in 2024 and proposed withdrawing it in May 2026. | 2.44 pptaverage of all sampleshighest sample 6.4 pptdetected in 4 of 8 samples | 10 ppt | None published | 2024-2025 |
| PFBS | 2.33 pptaverage of all sampleshighest sample 6.1 pptdetected in 4 of 8 samples | No federal limit | 2,000 ppt | 2024-2025 |
| 6:2 FTSA | 1.63 pptaverage of all sampleshighest sample 13 pptdetected in 1 of 8 samples | No federal limit | None published | 2024-2025 |
| Gross alpha | 0.99 pCi/Laverage of all sampleshighest sample 0.99 pCi/Ldetected in 1 of 1 sample | 15 pCi/L | None published | 2020 |
| PFHpA | 0.76 pptaverage of all sampleshighest sample 3.1 pptdetected in 2 of 8 samples | No federal limit | None published | 2024-2025 |
| PFBA | 0.63 pptaverage of all sampleshighest sample 5 pptdetected in 1 of 8 samples | No federal limit | None published | 2024-2025 |
| Manganese | 0.31 ppbaverage of all sampleshighest sample 0.68 ppbdetected in 4 of 8 samples | No federal limit | None published | 2018-2019 |
| Simazine | 0.0035 ppbaverage of all sampleshighest sample 0.04 ppbdetected in 1 of 11 samples | 4 ppb | None published | 2020 |
| Atrazine | 0.0013 ppbaverage of all sampleshighest sample 0.01 ppbdetected in 1 of 11 samples | 3 ppb | None published | 2020 |
| ZIP code | City | Share of the ZIP area | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 33402 | West Palm Beach | 10% | Serves part |
| 33406 | West Palm Beach | 71% | Main utility |
| 33409 | West Palm Beach | 38% | Serves part |
| 33411 | West Palm Beach | 51% | Main utility |
| 33413 | West Palm Beach | 83% | Main utility |
| 33415 | West Palm Beach | 64% | Main utility |
| 33416 | West Palm Beach | 46% | Main utility |
| 33417 | West Palm Beach | 73% | Main utility |
| 33419 | West Palm Beach | 10% | Serves part |
| 33420 | West Palm Beach | 10% | Serves part |
| 33421 | Royal Palm Beach | 42% | Main utility |
| 33422 | West Palm Beach | 10% | Serves part |
| 33428 | Boca Raton | 99% | Main utility |
| 33433 | Boca Raton | 51% | Main utility |
| 33434 | Boca Raton | 46% | Serves part |
| 33437 | Boynton Beach | 87% | Main utility |
| 33446 | Delray Beach | 49% | Main utility |
| 33454 | Greenacres | 57% | Main utility |
| 33461 | Lake Worth | 19% | Serves part |
| 33463 | Lake Worth | 90% | Main utility |
| 33465 | Lake Worth | 68% | Main utility |
| 33467 | Lake Worth | 97% | Main utility |
| 33470 | Loxahatchee | 18% | Serves part |
| 33472 | Boynton Beach | 44% | Main utility |
| 33473 | Boynton Beach | 51% | Main utility |
| 33484 | Delray Beach | 83% | Main utility |
| 33487 | Boca Raton | 19% | Serves part |
| 33496 | Boca Raton | 63% | Main utility |
| 33498 | Boca Raton | 66% | Main utility |
Source: EPA Water System Boundaries overlaid on Census ZIP code areas. Your water bill names your utility.
Source: EPA SDWA records, July to September 2026 extract. Results measured by a supplier are marked with an asterisk.
| Contaminant or rule | Compliance period | EPA return-to-compliance date | EPA status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revised Total Coliform Rule (E. coli)maximum contaminant level violation, EPA violation 20240007750 | Dec 1, 2023 to Dec 31, 2023 | Dec 18, 2023 | Resolved |
Source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWA bulk extract, July to September 2026).
Return-to-compliance dates are the dates of EPA's "compliance achieved" actions. "None recorded" means EPA's July to September 2026 extract lists no such action for that violation.
A legal limit is an enforceable standard, set by the EPA under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Limits weigh health research together with the cost and feasibility of treatment. A health guideline is published by public-health sources and based on health research alone. A utility can meet every legal limit and still be above a published health guideline.
Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department serves part of Boca Raton. Some addresses may be served by a different system, so check your water bill: it names your utility.
Call (561) 740-4600 or visit https://discover.pbc.gov/waterutilities/pages/water-quality.aspx. Billing and outages are handled by the utility, not by ScoreYourWater.
Palm Beach County Water Utilities is the main utility for 20 ZIP codes: 33406, 33411, 33413, 33415, 33416, 33417, 33421, 33428, 33433, 33437, and 10 more. It also serves part of 9 other ZIP codes. Source: EPA Water System Boundaries (CWS service area boundaries) v3.0, March 2026 release.
Palm Beach County Water Utilities does not buy water from another system, according to EPA SDWA records. In this data, City of Atlantis, City of Boynton Beach Utilities, Seminole Manor Water System, City of Lake Worth Beach Utilities, Seminole Improvement District (Westlake) and Seacoast West buy water from it. (July to September 2026 extract.)
None of the 23 detected contaminants were above their published health guidelines in EPA SDWA, EPA UCMR and Florida DEP data, 2018-2025. PFOS averaged above 4.0 ppt, the limit in EPA's 2024 PFAS rule (water systems must meet it by April 2029; EPA has proposed allowing until 2031).
Chloramine is a disinfectant made by combining chlorine and ammonia. Some water systems use it in place of free chlorine. The public data used on this site (EPA SDWA, EPA UCMR and Florida DEP data) does not record which disinfectant Palm Beach County Water Utilities uses, so we do not say. Your utility can tell you.
The score starts at 100. It goes down 8 for each contaminant above a cited health guideline whose source states a cancer basis, 5 for each other contaminant above its cited guideline, 5 for each of PFOA and PFOS averaging above the 4.0 ppt limit in EPA's 2024 PFAS rule, 10 for each contaminant whose average of all samples is above EPA's legal limit (instead of its guideline step), and 1 for each contaminant with a cited cancer-based guideline that is detected below it. Only guidelines with a cited document count. The lowest score is 5. Higher is better. For this report: 100 minus 5 times 1 (PFOS average above 4.0 ppt, the limit in EPA's 2024 PFAS rule) is 95, so the score is 95.
A legal limit is an enforceable standard, set by the EPA under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Limits weigh health research together with the cost and feasibility of treatment. A health guideline is published by public-health sources and based on health research alone. A utility can meet every legal limit and still be above a published health guideline.