Water Utilities Water Quality

"committed to delivering the best water"

What is the Water Quality Report?

The Water Quality Report, or Customer Confidence Report (CCR), is designed to inform you about the quality of your drinking water and the services we deliver to you every day. Our constant goal is to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water. We want you to understand the efforts we make to continually improve the water treatment process and protect our water resources. We are committed to ensuring the quality of your water.

Where Does Your Water Come From?

PBCWUD sources drinking water from the Biscayne and Floridan Aquifers.

East

In the East, source water comes from the Biscayne Aquifer. This is a surficial or shallow-depth

aquifer that enables water collection approximately 150 feet underground. PBCWUD pumps water from the most permeable layer of this aquifer to one of our four drinking water plants for treatment.

West

In the West, source water comes from the Floridan Aquifer. This deeper aquifer enables collection between 1,000 - 1,200 feet underground. PBCWUD pumps water from the most permeable layer of this aquifer to our western drinking water plant for treatment.

Water Systems Process

The PBCWUD drinking water system consists of wells, water treatment plants, the distribution grid of pipelines, and finally the customers’ meters. We have wells that withdraw water from the Biscayne and Floridan aquifers. The fresh, clean water is pumped from the well fields to one of 5 water treatment plants for processing. The water leaves the reservoirs and is disinfected with chlorine per health regulations before it enters over 2,500 miles of water lines for distribution to our customers.

	Water Supply Raw water is pumped from the surficial aquifer through wells to the surface. It then enters one of our water treatment plants.
	Lime Softening Treatment Process This process uses lime (Calcium hydroxide) to remove impurities and adjust pH levels, ensuring clean and balanced water.
	Ion Exchange Treatment Process This process uses a specialized resin to remove dissolved organic matter from the water. This process removes substances such as natural organic matter, color, and other impurities.
	Filtration Water is filtered through fine layers of granulated material to remove any remnants.
	Nanofiltration and Reverse Osmosis Treatment Process This process is a highly effective water treatment that involves using a semi-permeable membrane to remove impurities from the water. These membranes can remove small impurities such as bacteria, viruses, and heavy metals.
	Disinfection & Fluoride To protect customers from viruses, bacteria, or other microbes that may remain, a safe amount of chloramine (a combination of chlorine and ammonia) is added before the water leaves the plant to ensure water quality throughout the distribution system. Fluoride is also added as a measure to improve public health levels, recommended by the American Dental Association.

What is the Chlorine Flush?

Chlorine is commonly used as a disinfectant to kill bacteria and viruses in drinking water by many utilities. Twice a year PBCWUD changes from the standard practice of using chloramine (a combination of chlorine and ammonia) to using only chlorine, therefore cleaning the pipes to ensure optimum water quality throughout the year. PBCWUD monitors drinking water to ensure the levels of disinfectant are safe and consistent within our distribution system. Although the level of chlorine is safe for consumption, chlorine must be removed from water used for kidney dialysis and aquariums.

Please note that this process does not affect the Western service area (Belle Glade, Pahokee, and South Bay), as that system remains on chlorine year-round.

What is pipeline flushing?

During the Semiannual Water System Flush, you may notice PBCWUD out in your community conducting hydrant flushing. This is a common practice for many U.S water systems to bring freshly treated water to distant parts of the pipeline network. This process helps maintain healthy levels in all parts of the distribution network, which keeps the water safe to drink as it moves, sometimes miles from the treatment to your tap.

If you experience any issues in the meantime please contact PBCWUD Customer Service at 561-740-4600 Option #1 so we may have your lines flushed.

Understanding your Responsibility as a Homeowner

PBCWUD is responsible for the meter box and all pipes on the box's street side. Homeowners are responsible for all pipes on the house-side of the meter box.

Lead & Copper

PBCWUD performs rigorous testing to verify that the water leaving the PBCWUD water treatment plants is in compliance with EPA Regulations, ensuring the safety and well-being of all consumers.

Lead may be found in tap water, which typically can be traced to lead and copper in plumbing materials and service lines. PBCWUD is responsible for providing high-quality drinking water, but cannot control the variety of plumbing materials used in plumbing components, which may contain lead in older pipes, fixtures, and valves.

If your home or business plumbing system contains lead piping or lead-soldered pipes, here are some steps you can take to continue the lead protection provided by PBCWUD: