Testing shows Plant City water is safe.
The City of Plant City’s 2024 Annual Water Quality Report has been released. The report details how Plant City obtains its water, runs water operations, and addresses any health risks from the water the city provides to residents.
The Floridan Aquifer is, in part, directly below Plant City. Four deep wells located in the city pump groundwater from the aquifer. The depths of the wells are from 746 feet to 1,200 feet. In 2024, these wells drew a daily average of 7.43 million gallons of water to provide for the needs of people and businesses in Plant City. Plant City’s system is connected to Lakeland’s, which is also pumped from the Floridan Aquifer. This connection provides a ready supplement for either city to handle the ebbs and flows of the water used so that both can have a consistent supply. Last year, Plant City obtained an average of 16,192 gallons of water per day from Lakeland.
Plant City’s Water Utilities Department production program is committed to providing ample supplies of safe and dependable drinking water for its customers. The department operates with a mindset of continual improvement and always strives to upgrade water treatment processes and protect the Floridan Aquifer. The Water Utilities Department’s constant goal is to “provide our customers a safe and dependable supply of drinking water. The City is committed to rigorous monitoring, source water protection, water conservation, community education and service to the needs of all our customers.”
To this end, after water is pulled from the aquifer, it is routed through Plant City’s system. The Utilities Operations Division (UOD) maintains four water production plants 24/7/365. The staff are highly trained and licensed water operators who collect and test samples throughout the water distribution system on a daily basis as directed by federal and state regulations and laws.
The water is chlorinated, which beats getting typhoid fever, dysentery, and cholera. Also, polyphosphate is added to keep iron from settling in the water system, and to reduce lead and copper corrosion in the plumbing system. Hydrofluosilicic Acid (fluoride) was added in 2024 and before according to state guidelines, but the city commission voted to end the practice at its March 15 meeting. The state followed suit on July 1 by banning fluoridation of drinking water.
Plant City’s drinking water meets all Federal Safe Drinking Water Act requirements. For more than 15 years, the city has met all drinking water standards for water quality from the Florida Department of Health. In recognition of its quality outcomes, the city has been acknowledged twice as an Outstanding Class “C” Water Treatment Plant by the American Water Works Association. The city has also been named Medium Public Water System of the Year by the Florida Rural Water Association.
Part of maintaining water quality is testing for contaminants. The levels of inorganic elements are measured by parts per million (PPM) or parts per billion (PPB). The maximum contaminant level (MCL) is the highest amount of a substance permitted in drinking water by state and federal government regulations. MCGL is the level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. Radioactivity in water is measured by pico Curies per liter (pCi/L). Contaminants are tested with different frequencies, but as required by regulations. The testing results are listed in the following chart:
