Is North Miami tap water safe?

We don't give a safe or unsafe verdict. Here is what the public records show for City of North Miami: 4 of 36 detected contaminants were above the health guidelines we use (2018-2024), no health-based violations were recorded since July 1, 2021 (EPA SDWIS), and the Water Score is 57/100. These records can be one to three years old and may not reflect the water at your tap. Its PFOA or PFOS results averaged above 4.0 ppt, the level EPA set in 2024 (not yet enforceable). Details are in the full report. Our systems aren't certified for PFAS. That isn't a clean bill of health or a health finding. EPA's national files don't hold sample results for most regulated contaminants. For health questions, ask your utility or your doctor.

33161 North Miami water quality

Data updated October 24, 2026

Water Score · Weak

North Miami

ZIP 33161

Based on EPA SDWA, EPA UCMR and Florida DEP data, 2018-2024. Based on public utility data, not a test of your tap. Not medical advice.

Drinking glasses with cloudy spots — **Spots on glasses**

A faucet crusted with white buildup — **Crusty faucets**

Shower glass with a cloudy film — **Film on the shower**

A glass of tap water at a kitchen sink — **Tastes like a pool**

These show common South Florida water issues.

Arsenic144× the health guideline

Bromodichloromethane100× the health guideline

Counts toward the 80 ppb limit for total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)

+2 more in the full report

Bars use a log scale. Source: EPA SDWA, EPA UCMR and Florida DEP data

About ZIP 33161

Ranked #165 of 286 Florida ZIP codes by Water Score, as of October 24, 2026. Ranked #7 of 128 Miami-Dade County ZIP codes by Water Score, as of October 24, 2026.

Housing units: 18,965 (Census ACS 2024 5-year)
Owner / renter: 44% / 56%
Single-family homes: 49%
Buildings with 5+ units: 42%
Median home value: $376,500 (Census ACS 2023 5-year)
Median household income: $55,265 (Census ACS 2023 5-year)
Households: 17,261 (Census ACS 2023 5-year)
Owner-occupied share: 42% (Census ACS 2023 5-year)

ZCTA, approximates ZIP

Who supplies the water

ZIP 33161 is served by 2 utilities: City of North Miami (81%); Miami-Dade Water & Sewer Department (10%).

A neighboring ZIP code, 33168 (North Miami), is served mainly by the same utility, City of North Miami. Its Water Score is also 57/100.

Your utility at a glance

Utility: City of North Miami
EPA water system ID (PWSID): FL4130977
People served: 89,349
Water source: Ground water
Buys water from: Miami-Dade Water & Sewer Department
Health-based violations: None recorded (EPA SDWIS, July to September 2026, since July 1, 2021)

How this ZIP compares

See the full report

ZIP 33161High-confidence match

Water report for City of North Miami, ZIP 33161

North Miami, Miami-Dade County

Data updated October 24, 2026

According to EPA water system boundaries, ZIP 33161 (North Miami, Miami-Dade County) is served mainly by City of North Miami, which buys water from Miami-Dade Water & Sewer Department. In EPA SDWA, EPA UCMR and Florida DEP data from 2018-2024, 4 of 36 detected contaminants are above published health guidelines; PFOA and 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). The Water Score is 57 out of 100, in the Weak band. Scored against health guidelines that are stricter than legal limits, using public utility data. Not a test of your tap.

Miami-Dade Water & Sewer Department → City of North Miami → your tap

Water Score

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Every result, with its health guideline and legal limit

Each bar is the level reported for ZIP 33161. It is drawn against its own health guideline, so rows are not comparable with each other. The ink line is the health guideline, with its publisher named on each row, and the dashed line is EPA's legal limit or, for PFAS, the level in EPA's 2024 rule. Log scale: each step right is ten times more.

Arsenic0.57 ppb
Health guideline 0.004 ppb (California OEHHA 2004)Legal limit 10 ppb144× the health guideline
average of all samples
highest sample 0.8 ppb
detected in 4 of 4 samples
Bromodichloromethane6 ppb
Health guideline 0.06 ppb (California OEHHA 2020)Legal limit Counts toward the 80 ppb limit for total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)100× the health guideline
average of all samples
highest sample 18 ppb
detected in 36 of 44 samples
Chloroform27.1 ppb
Health guideline 0.4 ppb (California OEHHA 2020)Legal limit Counts toward the 80 ppb limit for total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)68× the health guideline
average of all samples
highest sample 63.5 ppb
detected in 43 of 44 samples
Dibromochloromethane

* Measured by Miami-Dade Water & Sewer Department, which supplies this utility's water.

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.

What was found

Above published health guidelines (4)

Guideline basis: long-term cancer risk

Arsenic

Far above guideline

144×the health guideline

This utility: 0.57 ppbaverage of all sampleshighest sample 0.8 ppbdetected in 4 of 4 samples
Legal limit: 10 ppb
Health guideline: 0.004 ppb

Arsenic: a natural element that enters water from rock and soil deposits and from some orchard and industrial runoff. California OEHHA set a 0.004 ppb public health goal in 2004 to limit lung and bladder cancer risk; EPA's enforceable limit is 10 ppb (in effect since 2006). Source: California OEHHA

Guideline basis: long-term cancer risk

Bromodichloromethane

Far above guideline

100×the health guideline

This utility: 6 ppbaverage of all sampleshighest sample 18 ppbdetected in 36 of 44 samples
Legal limit: Counts toward the 80 ppb limit for total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
Health guideline: 0.06 ppb

Bromodichloromethane: a disinfection by-product that forms when chlorine reacts with organic matter. California OEHHA set a 0.06 ppb public health goal to limit long-term cancer risk. Source: California OEHHA

Guideline basis: long-term cancer risk

Chloroform

Far above guideline

68×the health guideline

This utility: 27.1 ppbaverage of all sampleshighest sample 63.5 ppbdetected in 43 of 44 samples
Legal limit: Counts toward the 80 ppb limit for total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
Health guideline: 0.4 ppb

Chloroform: a disinfection by-product that forms when chlorine reacts with organic matter. California OEHHA set a 0.4 ppb public health goal in 2020 to limit long-term cancer risk; it also counts toward EPA's 80 ppb limit for total trihalomethanes. Source: California OEHHA

Guideline basis: long-term cancer risk

Dibromochloromethane

Far above guideline

11×the health guideline

This utility: 1.12 ppbaverage of all sampleshighest sample 4.74 ppbdetected in 18 of 44 samples
Legal limit: Counts toward the 80 ppb limit for total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
Health guideline: 0.1 ppb

Dibromochloromethane: a disinfection by-product that forms when chlorine reacts with organic matter. California OEHHA set a 0.1 ppb public health goal in 2020 to limit long-term cancer risk; it also counts toward EPA's 80 ppb limit for total trihalomethanes. Source: California OEHHA

Average 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)

Our systems aren't certified for PFAS.

Average 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)
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.	28 pptaverage of all sampleshighest sample 45 pptdetected in 4 of 4 samples	4 ppt	None published	2023-2024
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.	6 pptaverage of all sampleshighest sample 12 pptdetected in 2 of 4 samples	4 ppt	None published	2023-2024

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, 2023–2024. It isn't a test of your tap, and your water can differ. Last checked against the Federal Register: October 25, 2026.

Lead

Lead: 1.8 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.

Other contaminants detected (29)

Other contaminants detected, within their health guidelines or without one
Contaminant	This utility	Legal limit or action level	Health guideline	Years
PFBS	10.9 pptaverage of all sampleshighest sample 21 pptdetected in 3 of 4 samples	No federal limit	2,000 ppt	2023-2024
Bromoform	0.0059 ppbaverage of all sampleshighest sample 0.26 ppbdetected in 1 of 44 samples	Counts toward the 80 ppb limit for total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)	0.5 ppb	2020-2022
Fluoride	620 ppbaverage of all sampleshighest sample 970 ppbdetected in 122 of 123 samples	4,000 ppb	None published	2018-2022
Nitrate	504 ppbaverage of all sampleshighest sample 1,600 ppbdetected in 5 of 5 samples	10,000 ppb	None published	2018-2022
Haloacetic acids (HAA9)	44.8 ppbaverage of all sampleshighest sample 48.7 ppb

* Measured by Miami-Dade Water & Sewer Department, which supplies this utility's water.

Questions people ask

Utilities serving ZIP 33161
Utility	Share of the ZIP area	Role
City of North Miami	81%	Main utility (this report)
Miami-Dade Water & Sewer Department	10%	Also serves part of this ZIP code

Which water utility serves ZIP 33161?

City of North Miami (EPA water system FL4130977) is the main utility for ZIP 33161, based on EPA Water System Boundaries (CWS service area boundaries) v3.0, March 2026 release overlaid on Census ZIP code areas. Parts of the ZIP code are also served by Miami-Dade Water & Sewer Department (10% of the area). Your water bill names your utility.

Does the utility serving ZIP 33161 buy water from another system?

Yes. City of North Miami buys water from Miami-Dade Water & Sewer Department, according to EPA SDWA records (July to September 2026 extract). Results measured by the supplier are marked with an asterisk on the report.

How many contaminants in ZIP 33161 are above published health guidelines?

4 of 36 detected contaminants were above their published health guidelines in EPA SDWA, EPA UCMR and Florida DEP data, 2018-2024. The highest: Arsenic at 144 times its guideline, Bromodichloromethane at 100 times its guideline and Chloroform at 68 times its guideline. PFOA and 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).

How is the Water Score for ZIP 33161 calculated?

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 8 times 4, minus 5 times 2 (PFOA and PFOS average above 4.0 ppt, the limit in EPA's 2024 PFAS rule), minus 1 times 1 is 57, so the score is 57.

What is the difference between a health guideline and a legal limit?

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.

How recent is the data for ZIP 33161?

Test results cover 2018-2024. EPA compliance records come from the July to September 2026 extract. Data may be one to three years old and may not reflect water at your tap.

Results for ZIP 33161: level reported, health guideline, and legal limit or action level
Contaminant	Level reported	Health guideline (publisher)	Legal limit or action level	Multiple of guideline
Arsenic	0.57 ppb. average of all samples highest sample 0.8 ppb detected in 4 of 4 samples	0.004 ppb (California OEHHA 2004)	10 ppb	144× the health guideline
Bromodichloromethane	6 ppb. average of all samples highest sample 18 ppb detected in 36 of 44 samples	0.06 ppb (California OEHHA 2020)	Counts toward the 80 ppb limit for total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)	100× the health guideline
Chloroform	27.1 ppb. average of all samples highest sample 63.5 ppb detected in 43 of 44 samples	0.4 ppb (California OEHHA 2020)	Counts toward the 80 ppb limit for total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)	68× the health guideline
Dibromochloromethane	1.12 ppb. average of all samples highest sample 4.74 ppb detected in 18 of 44 samples	0.1 ppb (California OEHHA 2020)	Counts toward the 80 ppb limit for total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)	11× the health guideline
PFOS	28 ppt. average of all samples highest sample 45 ppt detected in 4 of 4 samples	zero (EPA MCLG)	4 ppt (from 2029)	Not above its guideline, or no guideline
PFOA	6 ppt. average of all samples highest sample 12 ppt detected in 2 of 4 samples	zero (EPA MCLG)	4 ppt (from 2029)	Not above its guideline, or no guideline
Haloacetic acids (HAA5)	31.1 ppb. average of all samples highest sample 57 ppb detected in 75 of 75 samples	None published	60 ppb	Not above its guideline, or no guideline
Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)	32.7 ppb. average of all samples highest sample 81.5 ppb detected in 76 of 77 samples	None published	80 ppb	Not above its guideline, or no guideline
PFHxS	3.95 ppt. average of all samples highest sample 8.6 ppt detected in 2 of 4 samples	10 ppt (EPA MCLG)	10 ppt (from 2029)	Not above its guideline, or no guideline
Radium-226 + Radium-228	1.9 pCi/L. sum of the radium-226 and radium-228 averages	None published	5 pCi/L	Not above its guideline, or no guideline
Fluoride	620 ppb. average of all samples highest sample 970 ppb detected in 122 of 123 samples	None published	4,000 ppb	Not above its guideline, or no guideline
PFNA	1.4 ppt. average of all samples highest sample 6.5 ppt detected in 2 of 8 samples	10 ppt (EPA MCLG)	10 ppt (from 2029)	Not above its guideline, or no guideline
Nitrate	504 ppb. average of all samples highest sample 1,600 ppb detected in 5 of 5 samples	None published	10,000 ppb	Not above its guideline, or no guideline
Uranium	1.42 ppb. average of all samples highest sample 1.49 ppb detected in 2 of 2 samples	None published	30 ppb	Not above its guideline, or no guideline
Nitrite	19.3 ppb. average of all samples highest sample 64 ppb detected in 13 of 16 samples	None published	1,000 ppb	Not above its guideline, or no guideline
Selenium	0.6 ppb. average of all samples highest sample 1 ppb detected in 2 of 3 samples	None published	50 ppb	Not above its guideline, or no guideline
Bromoform	0.0059 ppb. average of all samples highest sample 0.26 ppb detected in 1 of 44 samples	0.5 ppb (California OEHHA 2020)	Counts toward the 80 ppb limit for total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)	Not above its guideline, or no guideline
PFBS	10.9 ppt. average of all samples highest sample 21 ppt detected in 3 of 4 samples	2,000 ppt (U.S. EPA 2022)	No federal limit	Not above its guideline, or no guideline
Barium	5.13 ppb. average of all samples highest sample 6.5 ppb detected in 4 of 4 samples	None published	2,000 ppb	Not above its guideline, or no guideline
6:2 FTSA	12.5 ppt. average of all samples highest sample 20 ppt detected in 4 of 4 samples	None published	No federal limit	Not above its guideline, or no guideline
8:2 FTSA	2.23 ppt. average of all samples highest sample 9.6 ppt detected in 2 of 8 samples	None published	No federal limit	Not above its guideline, or no guideline
Aluminum	3.93 ppb. average of all samples highest sample 5 ppb detected in 3 of 3 samples	None published	No federal limit	Not above its guideline, or no guideline
Copper	1.38 ppb. average of all samples highest sample 2.4 ppb detected in 4 of 4 samples Measured where water enters the distribution system, not at the tap. EPA's action level applies to tap samples.	None published	1,300 ppb (EPA action level, 90th percentile)	Not above its guideline, or no guideline
Dibromoacetic acid	1.22 ppb. average of all samples highest sample 2.84 ppb detected in 40 of 44 samples	None published	Counts toward the 60 ppb limit for haloacetic acids (HAA5)	Not above its guideline, or no guideline
Dichloroacetic acid	17 ppb. average of all samples highest sample 27.4 ppb detected in 44 of 44 samples	None published	Counts toward the 60 ppb limit for haloacetic acids (HAA5)	Not above its guideline, or no guideline
Haloacetic acids (HAA9)	44.8 ppb. average of all samples highest sample 48.7 ppb detected in 4 of 4 samples	None published	No federal limit	Not above its guideline, or no guideline
Lead	1.8 ppb	None published	15 ppb (EPA action level, 90th percentile)	Not above its guideline, or no guideline
Manganese	1.5 ppb. average of all samples highest sample 3 ppb detected in 2 of 4 samples	None published	No federal limit	Not above its guideline, or no guideline
Monobromoacetic acid	0.52 ppb. average of all samples highest sample 1.6 ppb detected in 23 of 44 samples	None published	Counts toward the 60 ppb limit for haloacetic acids (HAA5)	Not above its guideline, or no guideline
Monochloroacetic acid	1.46 ppb. average of all samples highest sample 6.41 ppb detected in 28 of 44 samples	None published	Counts toward the 60 ppb limit for haloacetic acids (HAA5)	Not above its guideline, or no guideline
PFBA	11.6 ppt. average of all samples highest sample 13 ppt detected in 4 of 4 samples	None published	No federal limit	Not above its guideline, or no guideline
PFHpA	5.25 ppt. average of all samples highest sample 8 ppt detected in 4 of 4 samples	None published	No federal limit	Not above its guideline, or no guideline
PFHxA	13.4 ppt. average of all samples highest sample 21 ppt detected in 4 of 4 samples	None published	No federal limit	Not above its guideline, or no guideline
PFPeA	15.1 ppt. average of all samples highest sample 24 ppt detected in 4 of 4 samples	None published	No federal limit	Not above its guideline, or no guideline
Radium-226	0.2 pCi/L. average of all samples highest sample 0.4 pCi/L detected in 1 of 2 samples	None published	Counts toward the combined 5 pCi/L limit for radium-226 and radium-228	Not above its guideline, or no guideline
Trichloroacetic acid	7.59 ppb. average of all samples highest sample 53.9 ppb detected in 44 of 44 samples	None published	Counts toward the 60 ppb limit for haloacetic acids (HAA5)	Not above its guideline, or no guideline

Results for ZIP 33161: level reported, health guideline, and legal limit or action level

Contaminant

Level reported

Health guideline (publisher)

Legal limit or action level

Multiple of guideline

Arsenic

0.57 ppb. average of all samples highest sample 0.8 ppb detected in 4 of 4 samples

0.004 ppb (California OEHHA 2004)

10 ppb

144× the health guideline

Bromodichloromethane

6 ppb. average of all samples highest sample 18 ppb detected in 36 of 44 samples

0.06 ppb (California OEHHA 2020)

Counts toward the 80 ppb limit for total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)

100× the health guideline

Chloroform

27.1 ppb. average of all samples highest sample 63.5 ppb detected in 43 of 44 samples

0.4 ppb (California OEHHA 2020)

Counts toward the 80 ppb limit for total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)

68× the health guideline

Dibromochloromethane

1.12 ppb. average of all samples highest sample 4.74 ppb detected in 18 of 44 samples

0.1 ppb (California OEHHA 2020)

Counts toward the 80 ppb limit for total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)

11× the health guideline

PFOS

28 ppt. average of all samples highest sample 45 ppt detected in 4 of 4 samples

zero (EPA MCLG)

4 ppt (from 2029)