Water Services

Yes, the average concentration is 1.0 ppm (parts per million)

No.

The average hardness of OUC water is 129 ppm or 7 gpg (grains per gallon).

Yes, the average concentration is 0.60 ppm. Fluoride is added to promote healthy teeth. Almost all water contains some naturally occurring fluoride, but usually at levels too low to prevent tooth decay. Learn more about OUC’s Fluoridation process.

At midnight on July 1, OUC will stop adding fluoride to drinking water to comply with new state requirements. Any remaining added fluoride in the water system is expected to dissipate within 72 hours.

On May 20, 2025, Governor Ron DeSantis signed the Florida Farm Bill (Senate Bill 700), which bans certain additives in water, including fluoride. The law will take effect on July 1. Currently, OUC maintains fluoride levels in potable water at 0.7 milligrams per liter (mg/L), in accordance with recommendations from the U.S. Public Health Service and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Naturally occurring fluoride, which exists in Florida groundwater at an average concentration of 0.14 milligrams per liter (mg/L), will remain.

Our water is sourced from the Lower Floridan Aquifer, a protected and reliable source used by OUC since 1957. OUC’s Water Quality Laboratory will continue its rigorous testing practices to monitor naturally occurring fluoride and ensure compliance with all drinking water standards.

PFAS are a group of manufactured chemicals that have been widely used in industry and consumer products since the 1940s. PFAS are noted for their resistance to heat, oil, stains, grease, and water. Considered “forever chemicals” because they do not degrade easily, PFAS are used in a variety of everyday products – non-stick cookware, furniture, electronics, medical devices, clothing, dental floss, pizza boxes and more – and throughout the environment, which makes it very difficult to establish limits solely for water.

Although there are multiple ways PFAS enter the environment, the main sources of PFAS contamination into the air, soil, and water are manufacturing plants, industrial facilities, waste storage and treatment sites, and similar locations. People can be exposed through using consumer goods, drinking contaminated water, eating contaminated food, especially fish, or breathing in contaminated dust. A proposed federal rule would require companies to disclose products made with PFAS. Learn More.

In 2024, the EPA announced newly established national limits for six types of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water. OUC complies with federal PFAS regulations, and we will continue regular testing and reporting as required.

OUC water comes from the lower depths of the Floridian Aquifer, a quarter of a mile below the earth’s surface. This deep water supply is protected from contaminants, pollutants, and bacteria that might affect surface water supplies. This pristine water requires little treatment.

Through our five-year Water Project 2000 initiative, OUC has shifted to an advanced ozone treatment process that produces great-tasting tap water. By treating our water with ozone, a strong and safe disinfectant, OUC reduces the use of chlorine in its water system and removes hydrogen sulfide, a naturally occurring compound that can create an unpleasant taste and odor.

Annually, we conduct approximately 12,000 water quality tests on a periodic basis throughout the system. The number of tests that are done is three times more than required. The results consistently demonstrate that the water delivered to you meets or exceeds all federal and state regulations.

OUC neither recommends nor discourages buying any specific point-of-use treatment device. We encourage you to investigate the claims made and to check the actual performance of a home treatment device before and after installing the unit. Such a decision is a matter of personal preference, especially regarding the taste or softness of either.

The natural copper or lead content of the water OUC delivers to you is well within federal and state safe drinking water standards. However, there may be instances that OUC customers have higher than normal levels of copper or lead in their drinking water because of prolonged exposure of the water to the plumbing or fixtures in their homes or businesses.

Yes, we now treat the water to reduce its natural corrosiveness and to help prevent copper or lead from leaching into water from customers’ plumbing. In addition, you can help by:

• Use cold water from your tap (never hot) for cooking, drinking, or making ice.
• Let your cold water faucet run for about 30 seconds if it has not been used for an hour or longer. This will rinse away any temporary buildup of copper, lead, or other minerals that may occur in your plumbing fixtures (Use that water for plants or washing dishes.)