PFAS in Private Wells: What Central Florida Well Owners Need to Know

PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a group of synthetic chemicals used in nonstick coatings, firefighting foam, food packaging, and industrial processes since the 1940s. They do not break down in the environment, which is why they are sometimes called forever chemicals. In April 2024, the EPA finalized the first federal drinking water rule for PFAS, setting a limit of 4 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS in public water systems (https://www.epa.gov/sdwa/and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas). Private wells are not covered by that rule, but federal health agencies recommend using 4 parts per trillion as the action threshold for private well owners as well. This guide explains where PFAS come from in Central Florida, how to test your well, and what treatment options actually work.

What Are PFAS and Why Do They End Up in Well Water?

PFAS is an umbrella term for thousands of synthetic compounds that share a carbon-fluorine bond, one of the strongest bonds in chemistry. That stability is what makes them useful in consumer and industrial products: they resist heat, water, grease, and chemical breakdown. It is also why they persist in soil, groundwater, and the human body long after the original source is gone.

The two most studied PFAS are PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) and PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate). Both have been phased out by major U.S. manufacturers since the early 2000s, but they remain in soils and groundwater from decades of industrial and military use. Other PFAS continue to be manufactured and used commercially.

PFAS reach groundwater by leaching from contaminated soil. The most common sources are: aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) used at military airfields and fire training facilities, industrial discharge from manufacturing plants, landfills that accepted PFAS-containing waste, and wastewater biosolids applied as agricultural fertilizer. Once PFAS reach an unconfined aquifer, they can migrate with groundwater flow and enter private wells that draw from that aquifer zone.

For the underlying science on PFAS fate and transport in groundwater, the USGS has published detailed studies on PFAS occurrence in U.S. aquifers at https://www.usgs.gov/mission-areas/water-resources/science/pfas-and-water.

How Common Are PFAS in Central Florida Private Wells?

National data suggests the risk is real for a meaningful share of private well owners. A 2023 USGS study published in Science of the Total Environment estimated that approximately 45 percent of U.S. private wells sampled had detectable levels of at least one PFAS compound, and about 16 percent exceeded EPA health advisory thresholds in place at the time of the study (https://www.usgs.gov/news/national-news-release/usgs-study-finds-pfas-in-nearly-half-us-tap-water).

The risk is not distributed evenly. Wells near military installations with known AFFF use histories are the highest-risk group. Central Florida has several facilities in this category:

• Patrick Space Force Base (Brevard County): Extensive AFFF use history for launch pad fire suppression systems. The Florida DEP has identified PFAS in groundwater in portions of the surrounding area.
• MacDill Air Force Base (Hillsborough County, southwest of the main service area): Active monitoring program for PFAS in surrounding communities.
• Avon Park Air Force Range (Highlands County): AFFF use at bombing and training ranges. FDEP monitoring in progress.
• Orlando International Airport and smaller regional airports: Civilian airports also used AFFF for aircraft fire training and emergency response. Private wells within several miles of airport perimeters warrant testing.

Outside those hot-spot zones, the PFAS risk in Central Florida private wells is lower but not zero. Industrial land use, certain types of agricultural operations using biosolid fertilizers, and proximity to older landfills can also contribute to groundwater PFAS. The Florida DEP PFAS drinking water page at https://floridadep.gov/water/source-drinking-water/content/pfas-drinking-water has current information on known affected areas in the state.

It is worth noting that private well owners do not receive water quality reports the way municipal water customers do. If you want to know whether your well has PFAS, you have to test it yourself. There is no regulatory agency currently notifying Central Florida private well owners about PFAS levels in their individual wells.

The EPA 2024 PFAS Drinking Water Rule: What It Does and Does Not Cover

The EPA finalized the National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) for PFAS in April 2024. The rule sets legally enforceable maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for six PFAS:

Public water systems have until 2029 to comply. State-regulated water systems in Florida will be required to meet these limits once the Florida DEP adopts them into state rules. Verify current Florida implementation status at https://www.epa.gov/sdwa/and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas.

The critical limitation: the federal rule applies to public water systems, not private wells. Private wells are regulated at the state level, and Florida currently does not have a numeric MCL for PFAS in private wells. Private well owners are responsible for their own testing and treatment decisions. The EPA and the Florida Department of Health both recommend using 4 ppt as the action threshold for private well owner decision-making, but this is guidance, not a legal requirement.

The Florida Department of Health private well guidance is available at https://www.floridahealth.gov/environmental-health/drinking-water/private-well-water.html.

How to Test Your Central Florida Well for PFAS

Standard field water tests do not detect PFAS. The compounds are present at parts-per-trillion concentrations that require specialized laboratory methods: EPA Method 533 or EPA Method 537.1. Both are analytical methods using high-performance liquid chromatography followed by mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). You cannot run these methods with a field kit or a basic water test.

The testing process:

1. Find a Florida-certified laboratory that is certified for EPA Method 533 or 537.1 for PFAS. The Florida Department of Health maintains the certified lab list at https://www.floridahealth.gov/environmental-health/drinking-water/lab-certification/.
2. Request a PFAS sampling kit from the lab. The kit includes collection bottles made from specific materials (PFAS-free plastics), chain-of-custody forms, and shipping instructions. Using any other container can contaminate the sample.
3. Collect the sample from your tap. Follow the lab instructions exactly, including whether to run the water before collecting or collect first-draw water. The sampling method affects results.
4. Ship under chain of custody within the lab-specified holding time. Most PFAS samples must be refrigerated and shipped overnight.
5. Review the laboratory report. Results will list individual PFAS compounds and their concentrations in ppt (nanograms per liter). Compare each result to the EPA MCLs in the table above.

We can guide you through the process of arranging certified PFAS testing for your Central Florida well. Reach out through our contact page or call (352) 771-2325. For the broader context on what well water testing covers in Florida, see our Florida well water testing guide.

What Treatment Actually Removes PFAS from Well Water?

Not all water treatment technologies are effective against PFAS. The EPA and state health agencies have identified two approaches with strong evidence for residential use:

Reverse Osmosis (Most Effective)

Point-of-use reverse osmosis (RO) systems remove 90 to 99 percent of PFOA and PFOS when properly maintained, according to EPA guidance on PFAS treatment technologies (https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/types-drinking-water-treatment). RO membranes work by forcing water under pressure through a semipermeable membrane with pore sizes small enough to block PFAS molecules. The concentrated PFAS in the reject water goes to drain; the treated permeate goes to your drinking water tap.

Key considerations for RO on PFAS-affected well water:

• RO is typically installed as a point-of-use system at the kitchen sink, treating drinking and cooking water rather than whole-house flow. This is because RO systems have a lower flow rate and produce reject water, making whole-house RO impractical for most residential applications.
• The RO membrane must be maintained and replaced on schedule (typically every two to five years depending on water chemistry and usage volume). A fouled or old membrane will pass PFAS at higher rates than a new one.
• High hardness, iron, and sediment in Central Florida well water can foul RO membranes faster than on municipal water. A whole-house iron and softening system upstream of the RO extends membrane life. For the full filtration sequencing logic, see our well water filtration guide.
• RO systems we install include pre-filters (sediment and activated carbon) and post-filters (carbon polish), which also reduce the organic contaminants and sediment common in Central Florida well water. For RO system maintenance and repair, see our RO system repair guide.

Granular Activated Carbon (GAC)

Whole-house granular activated carbon filtration is an alternative for households that want PFAS treatment at every tap, not just at the kitchen sink. GAC systems pass water through beds of activated carbon media with high surface area. PFAS compounds adsorb onto the carbon surface and are removed from the water flowing through.

The limitations of GAC for PFAS treatment:

• Effectiveness varies by PFAS compound. Short-chain PFAS (such as PFBS and PFHxS) are less effectively removed by GAC than longer-chain PFAS (PFOA and PFOS) because shorter molecules adsorb more weakly to the carbon surface.
• GAC media must be replaced on a schedule tied to the volume of water treated and the PFAS loading. A GAC system with saturated media will pass PFAS through at increasing rates as the carbon becomes exhausted. Testing the GAC effluent periodically is the only reliable way to verify the system is still working.
• On Central Florida well water, GAC media that also treats for organic compounds, taste, and odor will exhaust faster than GAC treating relatively clean water, because competing adsorbates compete with PFAS for carbon surface sites. Sizing the GAC bed for your specific water chemistry matters.

A system that combines whole-house GAC for PFAS with a point-of-use RO for drinking water provides the highest level of protection across the household.

What Does Not Remove PFAS

These common water treatment technologies are not effective for PFAS removal:

• Water softeners: Ion exchange for hardness (calcium and magnesium) does not remove PFAS. Your water softener, while essential for Central Florida Floridan Aquifer water, does not provide PFAS protection. See the water softener installation guide for what softeners do and do not treat.
• UV disinfection: Ultraviolet light destroys bacteria and some viruses but does not break down PFAS chemical bonds.
• Sediment filters: These remove particles but PFAS are dissolved in the water, not suspended as particles.
• Boiling: Boiling does not remove PFAS. It concentrates them by evaporating water while leaving dissolved compounds behind.
• Iron and sulfur treatment systems: Air injection, catalytic carbon, and green-sand iron filters address iron and hydrogen sulfide chemistry. They do not remove PFAS. See our iron and sulfur treatment guide for what those systems handle.

Building a Complete Treatment System When PFAS Are Present

If your well tests positive for PFAS above the 4 ppt action threshold, you will need to address it as part of a broader water treatment strategy, not as a standalone add-on. Central Florida well water presents multiple treatment challenges simultaneously: hardness, iron, hydrogen sulfide, and (for some wells) PFAS. Getting the treatment sequence right matters.

A typical treatment sequence for a Central Florida well with both Floridan Aquifer chemistry and PFAS:

1. Sediment pre-filter: Protects everything downstream from sand and fine particles common in Florida wells. See the water filtration services page for system overview.
2. Iron and hydrogen sulfide treatment: Air injection or catalytic carbon system before the water softener. High iron loads foul water softener resin and will also foul downstream GAC or RO pre-filters faster. See the well water filtration guide for sequencing logic.
3. Water softener: Removes hardness before the water reaches the PFAS treatment stage. Hard water scaling on RO membranes shortens membrane life and reduces PFAS rejection rates over time.
4. Whole-house GAC (optional but recommended when PFAS are detected): Removes PFAS from all household water. Sized and replaced on a schedule verified by periodic effluent testing.
5. Point-of-use RO at the kitchen sink: The last line of defense for drinking and cooking water. Even with upstream GAC, point-of-use RO provides a verified, tested barrier at the tap where exposure matters most. For RO system installation and service across our Central Florida service area, see the RO system repair and service guide.

Every treatment system we install starts with a water test. For PFAS, that means a lab analysis in addition to the standard field test parameters we check at every consultation. If you are in or near a known PFAS risk area in Central Florida, we recommend including PFAS in your initial water analysis. Call us at (352) 771-2325 or schedule a free consultation to discuss your water and your location.

Staying Current: PFAS Regulation Is Still Evolving

The April 2024 EPA rule is the first federal MCL for PFAS, but it is unlikely to be the last. The EPA has a list of PFAS under evaluation for future regulatory action. States including Florida are at various stages of implementing their own PFAS rules. The science on health effects continues to develop, with research ongoing on long-chain versus short-chain PFAS, mixture effects, and specific health outcomes.

For private well owners in Central Florida, the practical implication is that testing and treatment decisions made today should account for the possibility that more PFAS compounds will be regulated at lower concentrations in the future. An RO system installed today for PFOA and PFOS will also remove most other PFAS compounds that may be added to regulatory lists later.

Keep monitoring these authoritative sources for PFAS regulatory updates:

• EPA PFAS drinking water action plan: https://www.epa.gov/pfas/pfas-strategic-roadmap-epas-commitments-action-2021-2024
• Florida DEP PFAS page: https://floridadep.gov/water/source-drinking-water/content/pfas-drinking-water
• ATSDR PFAS toxicological profiles: https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/pfas/index.html

More Well Water Resources from Quality Filters And Pumps

PFAS is one of several water quality concerns Central Florida private well owners should understand. The guides below cover the contaminants most commonly found in Floridan Aquifer wells, the equipment that treats them, and the testing and maintenance schedule for a private well system:

• Well Water Filtration: A Complete Treatment Guide covers the full contaminant picture for Central Florida wells, treatment sequencing, and system sizing.
• Well Pump Troubleshooting Guide covers the five most common pump failure patterns.
• Well Drilling in Central Florida explains aquifer geology, drilling permits, and what depth affects your water chemistry.
• Water Softener Installation in Central Florida covers hardness treatment options and sizing for Floridan Aquifer water.
• Iron and Sulfur Treatment Near Ocala covers the treatment options for the iron and hydrogen sulfide common in Marion County and surrounding areas.
• RO System Repair and Service covers membrane replacement, pre-filter service, and troubleshooting for point-of-use reverse osmosis systems.
• Florida Well Water Testing Guide covers what to test, how often, and what the results mean.
• Water Testing Service describes what Quality Filters And Pumps measures in an in-home consultation.