PFAS in Central Florida Drinking Water: What the EPA's 2024 Rule Means for You

In April 2024 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized the first-ever enforceable limits for PFAS compounds in public drinking water. The rule sets a maximum contaminant level of 4 parts per trillion each for PFOA and PFOS, the two most studied PFAS chemicals, and establishes limits for four additional compounds. Florida utilities, including OUC and Toho Water Authority in the Central Florida region, must comply by April 2029 and must notify customers if they detect PFAS above the new limits. This article explains what the rule requires, what current monitoring data shows for Central Florida water systems, and what the practical options are for homeowners who want to reduce PFAS exposure now rather than waiting for utility compliance deadlines.

Last updated: July 2026

What are PFAS and why do they matter?

PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, is a family of more than 12,000 synthetic chemical compounds that have been manufactured and used in industrial and consumer products since the 1940s. The carbon-fluorine bond that defines PFAS chemistry is one of the strongest in organic chemistry. This is what makes these compounds useful as stain repellents, non-stick coatings, firefighting foam, food packaging, and dozens of industrial applications. It is also why they break down extremely slowly in the environment and in the human body, earning the label "forever chemicals."

PFAS enter drinking water primarily through industrial discharge, the use of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) at military bases and airports, and the slow leaching of PFAS from contaminated soil into groundwater. The Floridan Aquifer, which supplies most of Central Florida's drinking water, is a confined limestone aquifer that is relatively well-protected from surface contamination compared to unconfined aquifers. This does not mean it is immune. PFAS have been detected in Florida groundwater, particularly near military installations and in areas with historical industrial activity.

The health concern with PFAS is based on decades of epidemiological and toxicological research. The National Toxicology Program, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, released a systematic review in June 2016 concluding that PFAS exposure is likely associated with reduced immune response to vaccines in children. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classified PFOA as a Group 1 carcinogen (sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in humans) in November 2023, upgrading from its prior Group 2B classification. PFOS was classified as Group 2A (probable carcinogen). These are the same two compounds the EPA set the strictest limits for in its 2024 rule.

The EPA's April 2024 PFAS MCL rule: the specific numbers

On April 10, 2024, the EPA published the National Primary Drinking Water Regulation for PFAS in the Federal Register (40 CFR Part 141). This is the first time PFAS compounds have ever had federally enforceable maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) in U.S. drinking water. The specific limits:

Compound	MCL	What it is
PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid)	4 ppt (parts per trillion)	Used in non-stick cookware, waterproof coatings; classified IARC Group 1 carcinogen (2023)
PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonic acid)	4 ppt	Primary chemical in Scotchgard and AFFF firefighting foam; classified IARC Group 2A (2023)
HFPO-DA ("GenX chemicals")	10 ppt	Replacement for PFOA in industrial processes; found in Wilmington, NC water supply contamination incident
PFNA (perfluorononanoic acid)	10 ppt	Used in fluoropolymer manufacturing
PFHxS (perfluorohexane sulfonic acid)	10 ppt	Found in carpets, leather products, and AFFF
PFBS (perfluorobutane sulfonic acid)	2,000 ppt	Short-chain replacement for PFOS; considered less bioaccumulative
Hazard Index for PFNA + PFHxS + PFBS + HFPO-DA	1.0 (sum of ratios)	Combined limit for these four compounds even if each is individually below its MCL

Source: U.S. EPA, "PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation," Federal Register Vol. 89, No. 71, April 10, 2024. federalregister.gov

At 4 parts per trillion, these are among the lowest MCLs the EPA has ever set. To put the scale in perspective: 4 ppt in water is equivalent to 4 drops of PFOA dissolved in 1 billion gallons of water. The MCLs were set at the detection limits of the best available analytical methods, meaning the EPA set them as low as technology can reliably measure, not as low as was economically convenient for utilities.

What utilities must do and when

Under the April 2024 rule, public water systems serving 10,000 or more people have until April 2027 to complete initial monitoring for all six regulated PFAS compounds. Systems must then report their results to customers. If a system exceeds any MCL, it must notify customers immediately using the same public notification procedures that apply to all primary MCL violations. Utilities have until April 2029 to come into compliance, either by treating source water, blending with a clean source, or switching water sources entirely.

The EPA estimates approximately 6 to 10 percent of U.S. public water systems will need to install treatment to comply. The treatment technologies the EPA evaluated as best available technology for PFAS are granular activated carbon, powdered activated carbon, nanofiltration, and reverse osmosis. All four are effective; reverse osmosis is the most complete removal technology, eliminating greater than 95 percent of detected PFAS from treated water according to NSF International testing.

Source: U.S. EPA, "Technologies for Addressing PFAS in Drinking Water," January 2024. epa.gov

What UCMR5 monitoring shows for Central Florida utilities

Before the April 2024 rule was finalized, the EPA ran the Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR5) from 2023 to 2025, requiring all public water systems serving 3,300 or more people to test for 29 PFAS compounds. UCMR5 is the most comprehensive PFAS dataset ever collected for U.S. drinking water, and it provides the best available picture of PFAS occurrence in Central Florida.

The EPA's UCMR5 results, published through the SDWIS Federal Reporting Services database, show that most Central Florida municipal systems detected PFAS at concentrations below the new MCLs. OUC has publicly reported PFAS monitoring results in its annual Consumer Confidence Reports consistent with this finding: detections were reported at levels below the EPA's April 2024 MCLs. Toho Water Authority similarly reported in its most recent Consumer Confidence Reports that PFAS detections were below the EPA threshold values that trigger consumer notification.

This is good news for the majority of Orlando and Kissimmee utility customers: their current utility supply does not exceed the new federal limits. What it does not answer is whether current concentrations are below the more stringent health-based guideline values published by independent health researchers. The Environmental Working Group, using health-based risk assessment rather than regulatory feasibility, recommends a combined limit of 1 ppt for PFOA and PFOS based on the same peer-reviewed literature the EPA reviewed. UCMR5 data for some Central Florida systems shows detections above the EWG health guideline even while remaining below the regulatory MCL.

Source: EPA UCMR5 Data Summary, available at epa.gov/dwucmr. EWG Tap Water Database at ewg.org/tapwater.

Private wells and PFAS: a different picture

Private well owners in Central Florida are not covered by the April 2024 rule at all. The Safe Drinking Water Act regulates public water systems; private wells are the sole responsibility of the homeowner. The Florida Department of Health does not require private well owners to test for PFAS on any regular schedule, and the state's private well testing program focuses on the more common parameters: bacteria, nitrates, and general chemistry panels.

PFAS contamination in private wells is a genuine concern near specific sites: military bases with historical AFFF use, industrial facilities with permitted PFAS discharge, and landfills that accepted PFAS-containing materials. In Central Florida, the areas with higher PFAS risk to private wells are those near Avon Park Air Force Range and the Naval Air Station Jacksonville corridor, as well as any areas near historical industrial PFAS use. Homeowners in these areas who have not tested their wells for PFAS should consider doing so through a Florida-certified laboratory.

For private well owners outside high-risk areas, the Floridan Aquifer's confined structure provides some natural protection from surface-sourced PFAS contamination. That said, PFAS migration in groundwater is an active area of research, and the EPA's UCMR5 data for private wells (collected separately under a voluntary program) did find PFAS detections in some Florida groundwater samples. The Florida Department of Health maintains a list of certified labs for private well PFAS testing at floridahealth.gov/environmental-health/well-safety/well-testing.html.

What removes PFAS at the tap: what the science says

If you want to reduce PFAS exposure from your drinking water regardless of whether your utility meets or exceeds the new MCLs, the technology options are well established. NSF International, the independent certification body for drinking water treatment products, has published performance data for PFAS removal across technology types.

Reverse osmosis is the most effective point-of-use technology for PFAS removal. NSF's testing of certified RO systems found removal rates greater than 95 percent for PFOA and PFOS. An under-sink RO system with a properly maintained membrane and pre-filter stack consistently delivers water at or below current detection limits for the regulated PFAS compounds. NSF/ANSI Standard 58 governs RO systems; systems with NSF 58 certification and a claim for PFAS reduction have been tested and verified for that performance. Pure Agua installs NSF-certified RO systems with a pre-filter stack designed to protect the membrane from Central Florida's chloraminated water, which would otherwise degrade membrane performance over time.

Activated carbon filtration is partially effective for PFAS but performance depends heavily on carbon type, contact time, and the specific PFAS compounds present. Granular activated carbon (GAC) in a properly sized and designed whole-house or point-of-use system can reduce long-chain PFAS (PFOA, PFOS) by 70 to 90 percent under optimal conditions. Short-chain PFAS, including PFBS and some replacement compounds, are less effectively removed by carbon. NSF P473 is the certification standard for carbon-based PFAS reduction products; look for P473 certification if carbon filtration is the chosen approach.

Standard pitcher filters (Brita, PUR, and similar products) with NSF P473 certification do reduce PFOA and PFOS but require strict filter change schedules. Activated carbon in pitcher-format filters has limited contact time and low capacity; PFAS breakthrough begins as the carbon approaches exhaustion, and the typical filter change intervals are set for chlorine reduction, not PFAS. For consistent PFAS reduction, a properly sized under-sink RO system or a certified whole-house GAC system with adequate empty-bed contact time is more reliable than pitcher filtration alone.

Source: NSF International, "PFAS and Drinking Water Filters," nsf.org. NSF/ANSI 58 standard for RO systems and NSF P473 for PFAS-specific carbon certification.

What to do now: a practical guide for Central Florida homeowners

The April 2024 PFAS MCL rule created a new baseline, but the regulation's 2029 compliance deadline means utility action is still years away. Here is a practical framework based on water source:

OUC or Toho Water Authority customers (city water): Pull your utility's most recent Consumer Confidence Report. Both OUC and Toho are required to publish annual CCRs by July 1 each year and must include PFAS results from UCMR5 monitoring. If your utility reports PFAS detections below the new MCLs, your water meets the 2029 standard today. If you want to reduce PFAS exposure further, an under-sink RO system at the kitchen tap is the practical solution: it removes greater than 95 percent of PFOA and PFOS and provides complete removal of other PFAS to below detection limits in NSF testing. It also removes the chloramines, disinfection byproducts, and hardness minerals that OUC and Toho water carries even after utility treatment.

Private well owners in standard Central Florida geology (Floridan Aquifer, no known industrial PFAS source nearby): Request a PFAS panel from a Florida-certified laboratory. The test costs $200 to $400 depending on the compound panel. This is a one-time baseline test, not an annual requirement. The results tell you your actual exposure level and whether any mitigation is warranted. If results are below the EPA MCLs and EWG health guideline, no treatment change is required. If results are above either threshold, an RO system at the kitchen tap addresses drinking and cooking water exposure while you evaluate options for the whole-house supply.

Private well owners near Avon Park Air Force Range, former industrial sites, or landfills: Prioritize PFAS testing before other water quality work. PFAS in groundwater near AFFF sources can reach concentrations that require whole-house treatment rather than point-of-use RO alone. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection maintains a PFAS contamination site list at floridadep.gov.

Rental properties, vacation homes, and short-term rentals in Central Florida: The April 2024 rule applies to public water systems, so utility-served rental properties benefit from whatever utilities do to comply by 2029. However, if your rental property uses a private well, you have both a practical responsibility and an increasing legal exposure as PFAS awareness grows among renters. A baseline PFAS test and disclosure to tenants is the prudent step.

For Central Florida homeowners who want a free in-home consultation to discuss water quality and filtration options, Pure Agua serves Kissimmee, Orlando, and 25 surrounding cities across the service area. Our team can walk you through what your utility's current data shows, whether a point-of-use RO system makes sense for your household, and how it fits with any existing softener or filtration setup you have. Schedule a free consultation or call (407) 773-2883. Related reading: Kissimmee and Orlando water quality overview, Pure Agua's reverse osmosis guide, and Central Florida well water treatment guide.