**Updated April 27, 2021 to include information from the most recent Colorado Springs Consumer Confidence Report

Analies Dyjak, M.A. | Hydroviv Research Analyst

Our Water Nerds have updated our assessment of Colorado Springs drinking water to include the most recent available data. We aggregated data from the Colorado Springs Utilities, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as well as from samples that we collect and analyze. Our team of Water Nerds then cross-references these data with toxicity studies in scientific literature. The water filters that we sell in Colorado Springs are optimized with this data in mind.

Source Of Colorado Springs Drinking Water

Colorado Springs imports mountain stream-water from Aspen, Leadville, and Breckenridge. Almost 75% of Colorado Springs' water originates from mountain streams. Water from these streams is collected and stored in the Homestake, Fryingpan-Arkansas, Twin Lakes, and Blue River systems. Supplementary surface and groundwater are diverted to Colorado Spring Utility for treatment.

Per and Polyfluoralkyl Substances (PFAS) In Colorado Springs Drinking Water

PFAS are a class of chemicals found various non-stick, stain resistant products, as well as fire fighting foam. PFAS are considered to be "emerging contaminants" because they are not currently regulated by EPA, but are known to be toxic and persistent in the environment. In some wells around Colorado Springs, PFAS levels are more than 20x higher than advisory levels. Hydroviv undersink filters remove PFAS. It's important to note that not all water filters are designed to remove PFAS from drinking water. If you'd like find water filters that remove PFAS from tap water, check out this Duke/NC State PFAS study. 

Lead In Colorado Springs Drinking Water

Lead enters Colorado Springs consumer's tap water through old lead service pipes and lead-containing plumbing. When corrosion control measures fail (such as what happened in Flint, Michigan), lead leaches into the drinking water and can reach toxic levels. According to data from two sampling periods, the 90th percentile for lead in Colorado Springs was 5 parts per billion. While Colorado Springs is within the 15 part per billion Action Level, EPA, CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics all recognize that there is no such thing as a safe level of lead for children. In addition, Colorado Springs only sampled just over 100 individual taps to obtain these data. Hydroviv Undersink filters are NSF/ANSI 53 certified to remove lead from drinking water.

High Levels of Chromium 6 Levels In Colorado Springs Drinking Water

What is Chromium 6? Chromium 6 (also known as the Erin Brockavich chemical is a highly toxic metal that, while monitored, is not regulated by the EPA. In recent year, Colorado Springs has had very high concentrations of chromium 6 in drinking water. Public heath officials agree that chromium 6 levels above 20 parts per trillion, may have a negligible impact on cancer risk.

Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs) In Colorado Springs Drinking Water

DBPs are a category of emerging contaminants that form when chlorine-based disinfectants react with naturally-occurring organic matter. Although these chemicals are not well regulated, the EPA has concluded that they are associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer, as well as kidney, liver, and central nervous system problems. 

Still Have Questions About Colorado Spring’s Tap Water?

Hydroviv is a water filtration company that uses water quality data to optimize water filters for each city’s water. The chemicals that we list above are what we consider to be “points of emphasis” so we can build the best water filter for Colorado Springs tap water, but all of our home water filtration systems provide broad protection against other contaminants commonly found in drinking water.

Please Share This Colorado Springs Water Quality Article On Social Media With Anyone You Think Would Benefit From The Information!

*Updated 10/7/2022 to Include Most Recent Data*

Christina Liu | Hydroviv's Science Team

Miami-Dade County Water Department (MCWD) delivers drinking water to over 2.3 Million people each day. MCWD operates three regional water treatment plants: Alexander Orr, Jr., John E. Preston and Hialeah. There are five smaller water treatment plants which make up the South Dade Water Supply System and the Hialeah Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Plant. For Hydroviv’s assessment of Miami-Dade County’s drinking water, we aggregated water quality test data from Miami-Dade County’s Water and Sewer Department, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Environmental Working Group, and the US Geological Survey. Our Water Nerds then cross referenced these data with toxicity studies in the scientific and medical literature, as well as upcoming regulatory changes. The custom water filters that we build for our customers in Miami are optimized with this research in mind.

Source of Miami-Dade County’s Drinking Water

Miami-Dade’s primary source of drinking water is groundwater from wells. The wells withdraw primarily from the Biscayne Aquifer with a limited number of wells withdrawing from the Floridan Aquifer. The Biscayne Aquifer is located just below the land surface in South Florida and is composed of a porous rock with small cracks and holes through which rainwater seeps and fills.

What Are The Major Concerns in Miami-Dade County’s Drinking Water?

Contaminants of concern in the Miami-Dade County’s drinking water include Lead, PFAS, Disinfection Byproducts, Radium, Uranium, Arsenic, and Chromium 6. Chloramine is used to disinfect the water.

Lead In Miami-Dade County’s Drinking Water

In 2018, Hydroviv’s Founder and Chief Scientist was interviewed by The Miami Times and discussed the issue of lead in the drinking water tested in homes in the Miami-Dade County area.  

Lead enters into the consumer's tap water through old lead service pipes and lead-containing plumbing. When corrosion control measures fail (as witnessed in Flint, Michigan), lead leaches into the drinking water, reaching toxic levels. 2021 lead sampling by the Miami-Dade County Water Department detected levels as high as 3.6 parts per billion. EPA, CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics all recognize that there is no safe level of lead for children. In addition, Federal regulations cannot take into account levels measured at an individual tap.

PFAS in Miami-Dade County's Drinking Water

Per and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) are a category of emerging contaminants commonly used in firefighting foam, Teflon, non-stick surfaces, stain-resistant surfaces, and food packaging. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has determined that PFAS exposure is associated with various adverse health effects, including an increased risk of cancer, lowered fertility rates, and developmental issues in infants and young children. A new study out of The Yale School of Public Health recently found that exposure to PFAS increases the risk of miscarriage by 80-120% in pregnant women. The Centers for Disease Control also issued a disclosure regarding a potential intersection between PFAS and COVID-19.

Even small amounts of PFAS are extremely toxic. PFAS are measured in parts per trillion, and one part per trillion is equivalent to one drop of water in 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

PFAS have been detected in a growing number of municipalities across the United States. Miami-Dade County voluntarily tested the water for PFOS and PFOA, and the levels were measured to be as high as 36 ppt and 11 ppt, respectively. Not all water filters are designed to remove PFAS from tap water. If you'd like to find water filters that remove PFAS from tap water, check out this Duke/NC State PFAS study. Hydroviv filters are NSF/ANSI Standard 53 certified for PFOA/PFOS removal.

Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs) In Miami-Dade County’s Drinking Water

DBPs are a category of emerging contaminants that form when chlorine-based disinfectants (added to the water supply to protect consumers) react with naturally-occurring organic matter. EPA regulates two categories of DBPs: Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) and Haloacetic Acids (HAA5). The EPA has stated that DBPs have been associated with increased risk of bladder cancer, as well as kidney, liver, and central nervous system problems. In 2021, Haloacetic Acid levels ranged as high as 54 parts per billion, nearing the EPA Maximum Contaminant Level of 60 parts per billion, while Total Trihalomethane levels ranged as high as 63 parts per billion, compared to the EPA Maximum Contaminant Level of 80 parts per billion.

Radium and Uranium in Miami-Dade County’s Drinking Water

Radium is formed when uranium and thorium undergo radioactive decay in the environment.   Two of the main radium isotopes found in the environment are radium-226 and radium-228. Radium in drinking water is of primary concern because this radiation may cause cancer, kidney damage and birth defects.  Radium levels in 2021 were reported to be as high as 1.4  ppb with the EPA Maximum Contaminant Level Goal 5 ppb.  Uranium levels measured as high as 11 ppb in 2021, with the EPA Maximum Contaminant Level Goal set at 30 ppb.  

Use Of Chloramine In Miami Tap Water

While most cities use chlorine as the primary disinfectant, all of the municipalities within Miami use chloramine, which is made by combining chlorine and ammonia. Chloramine is frequently the issue when customers report a “bad taste” in their tap water, and unlike chlorine will not fade away if left in the fridge overnight. The 2020 chloramine running annual average for the Miami-Dade County was 2.5  parts per million, with samples ranging as high as 5 ppm while the maximum residual disinfectant level, in comparison, is only 4.0 ppm. Most one-size-fits-all water filters use filtration media that don’t adequately remove chloramine, but the filters that Hydroviv builds for Miami-Dade county water use special filtration media that are purpose-built to remove chloramine as well.

Arsenic in Miami-Dade County Drinking Water

Arsenic is a hazardous heavy metal that can cause cancer and other health problems. Arsenic originates in source water naturally. 2021 Arsenic levels measured across the different water treatment systems ranged from 0.4 ppb to 2 ppb.  While Miami-Dade County’s Arsenic levels were not in violation of EPA water quality standards, consumers should know that the U.S. EPA's standard balances toxicity against the costs of removing arsenic from drinking water. We strongly suggest that tap water with levels higher than 1 part per billion be treated to remove arsenic, especially in homes with children.

Chromium 6 Levels In Miami-Dade County’s Drinking Water

Chromium 6 is a highly toxic metal that is not regulated by the EPA. Miami-Dade Water was measured to have Chromium 6 levels ranging from 38 parts per trillion to 170 parts per trillion.  California has determined that 20 parts per trillion is the contaminant level below which there is minimal health risk.  The Chromium 6 levels in the Miami-Dade County Water System range from about 2 to over 8 times the level generally accepted as safe.

How Can Hydroviv Help Me?

Hydroviv is a water filtration company that uses water quality data to optimize water filters for each customer's water. The contaminants that we list above are what we consider to be major “points of emphasis” that we use to build water filters that are built specifically for Miami-Dade County water, but all of our filters also include broad protection against a wide range of contaminants.

If you’re interested in learning more about water filters that have been optimized for Miami-Dade tap water, or just have questions about water quality in general, feel free to visit www.hydroviv.com, reach out by email (hello@hydroviv.com) or through our live chat. We post water-related news on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. 

Hydroviv's drinking water filters carry NSF certifications to Standard 42 (aesthetic effects-Chlorine Removal) and Standard 53 (health effects--Lead, VOCs, and PFOA/PFOS removal), and are independently tested to remove hundreds of contaminants.

Recommended Articles For You
Everything You Need To Know About PFAS Contamination in Tap Water
Problems We Found With Orlando Drinking Water
Drinking Water Problems in the Tampa Bay Region

To assess Orlando drinking water quality, we aggregated water quality test data from the Orlando Utilities Commission, Orange County Utilities Department, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the US Geological Survey. We cross referenced these data with toxicity studies in scientific and medical literature, as well as regulatory guidelines. The water filters that our Orlando-area customers use are optimized with these drinking water quality issues in mind. Contaminants of concern in Orlando’s drinking water include Lead, Disinfection Byproducts, Arsenic, and PFAS. 

Analies Dyjak, M.A.  |  Research Analyst
**Updated July 7, 2022 to include current available data

For Hydroviv’s assessment of Los Angeles tap water, we aggregated water quality test data from LADWP, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as well as from samples that we collect and analyze. We cross reference these data with toxicity studies in the scientific and medical literature, and look at upcoming regulatory changes. The custom water filters that we offer in Los Angeles are optimized with this research in mind.

Source Of Los Angeles Drinking Water

Los Angeles receives water from several sources. In 2021, the Los Angeles Aqueduct (LAA) supplied 12 percent of the water that was treated at the Los Angeles Aqueduct Filtration Plant. Purchased imported water from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD), sourced from the State Water Project and Colorado River Aqueduct amounted to 73 percent. The remaining water supply was sourced from local groundwater at 12 percent and recycled water at 3 percent.

High Levels Of Lead In Los Angeles Drinking Water

Lead enters Los Angeles' drinking and tap water through older lead service pipes and lead-containing plumbing. When corrosion control measures put in place by the municipality fail (like what recently happened in Flint, Michigan), lead leaches into the drinking water, and can reach dangerous levels. Currently,10% of LA water quality samples analyzed for lead are over 5 parts per billion. While in compliance with very loose federal regulations, EPA, CDC and American Academy Of Pediatrics all acknowledge that there is no safe level of lead for children.

High Levels Of Chromium 6 In Los Angeles Drinking Water

Chromium 6 is a highly toxic metal that is not regulated by the EPA. According to the most recent report, maximum Chromium 6 levels in Los Angeles drinking water were reported at 2.8 parts per billion. For the sake of perspective, Chromium 6 levels in LA's water quality are 140 times higher than the 0.02 parts per billion concentration determined to have negligible impact on cancer risk.

PFAS in Los Angeles Drinking Water

Per and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) are a category of emerging contaminants commonly used in firefighting foam, Teflon, non-stick surfaces, stain-resistant surfaces, and food packaging. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has determined that PFAS exposure is associated with various adverse health effects, including an increased risk of cancer, lowered fertility rates, and developmental issues in infants and young children. 

PFAS were detected at locations in and around Los Angeles, including several municipal water companies, the Airport Industrial Park in Los Angeles, and the Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos. Total PFAS levels ranged from  these locations ranged from 56 ppt to 933 ppt. Not all water filters are designed to remove PFAS from tap water. If you'd like to find water filters that remove PFAS from tap water, check out this Duke/NC State PFAS study. Hydroviv filters are NSF/ANSI Standard 53 certified for PFOA/PFOS removal.

Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs) In Los Angeles’ Drinking Water

DBPs are a category of emerging contaminants that form when chlorine-based disinfectants react with naturally-occurring organic matter. EPA regulates two categories of DBPs: Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) and Haloacetic Acids (HAA5). The EPA has stated that DBPs have been associated with increased risk of bladder cancer as well as kidney, liver, and central nervous system problems. In 2021, Haloacetic Acid levels in Los Angeles were as high as 13 parts per billion, compared to the EPA Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of 60 parts per billion, while Total Trihalomethane levels were as high as 48 parts per billion, compared to the EPA MCL of 80 parts per billion.

Arsenic In Los Angeles Drinking Water

Arsenic is a naturally occurring hazardous heavy metal that can cause cancer and other health problems. 2021 Arsenic levels were reported to be as high as 2 ppb. While Los Angeles' Arsenic levels were not in violation of EPA water quality standards, consumers should know that the U.S. EPA's standard balances toxicity against the costs of removing arsenic from drinking water. We strongly suggest that tap water with levels higher than 1 part per billion be treated to remove arsenic, especially in homes with children.

Still Have Questions About Los Angeles Tap Water?

Hydroviv is a water filtration company that uses water quality data to optimize water filters for each customer's water. The contaminants that we list above are what we consider to be major “points of emphasis” that we use to build water filters that are built specifically for Los Angeles, but our filters provide broad protection against a wide range of contaminants.

If you’re interested in learning more about water filters that have been optimized for LA tap water, or just have questions about water quality in general, feel free to visit www.hydroviv.com, reach out by email (hello@hydroviv.com) or through our live chat. We also frequently post water-related news on Twitter or Facebook.  We pride ourselves in being a reputable source of information on water quality, and your questions will be answered by scientists, not salespeople (we don't have any salespeople).

Please Share This Los Angeles Water Quality Article On Social Media With Anyone You Think Would Benefit From The Information!

Recommended Articles For You