FLORIDA DRINKING WATER SOURCES

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What is the source of drinking water in Florida?

The answer is. . . it depends on your location. 

Most Florida communities rely on groundwater, typically from underground aquifers. Certain utilities use surface water (rivers, lakes and reservoirs) a source. Some areas of the state, such as Tampa, blend water sources, including from seawater.

An aquifer is an underground layer of rock, sand, or gravel that stores water—like a huge natural sponge beneath our feet. Rainwater seeps through the soil and eventually collects in the spaces within these layers. In Florida, most aquifers are made of porous limestone that lets water flow easily, almost like an extremely slow-moving underground river.  Aquifers also supply wells and springs throughout the state.

The Floridan Aquifer, one of the most productive in the world, supplies much of the state's drinking water. It supplies water to almost 10 million people as well as industries and agriculture. It extends across several states and is the deepest and oldest aquifer in the U.S. Many of the wells into this aquifer are 700 to 1200 feet deep.
Graphic from the St. Johns River Water Management District

The Biscayne Aquifer is part of the Surficial Aquifer System, shallower aquifers that range from 100 to 300 feet below the ground. This is a heavily used aquifer serving more than 5 million residents in Miami-Dade, Broward, and southern Palm Beach counties. 

Much of southwestern Florida is served by the Intermediate Aquifer System which lies between the Surficial Aquifer System and the Floridan Aquifer.

Tampa Bay Water is unique in the nation, as it blends groundwater, river water, desalinated seawater, and reservoir water.

The Sand and Gravel Aquifer provides drinking water for  Florida's western panhandle region.

Florida's Department of Environmental Protection has an excellent website on Florida Aquifer Geology  that explains the locations and compositions of our aquifers. They also discuss some of the challenges we face, such as saltwater intrusion into our aquifers. 

The St. Johns River Water Management District has interesting information about our Florida Aquifers.


The best way to find out your drinking water source is from your utility's annual Water Quality Report. These can be mailed to your home, or accessed from the utility's website. For example, here's a Water Quality Report from JEA, a large utility in northeast Florida.

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