Is Florence, AL tap water safe?
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Summary
City of Florence Water Department, the largest system here, had PFAS above the 2024 federal limits (PFOA, PFOS) in EPA's 2023–2025 testing.
Is it an emergency? No: PFAS limits are about years of exposure, not a glass of water, and nothing in EPA's data calls for you to stop drinking the water today. If your utility issues a boil-water or do-not-drink notice, follow it.
4 public water systems serve parts of Florence. The largest, City of Florence Water Department, serves 77,766 people, and 3 systems here had PFAS above a federal limit. Your water bill names your system.
Largest system
City of Florence Water Department
77,766 people · Surface water · EPA ID AL0000783
| PFAS | Highest average | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| PFOA Above limit | 6.05 ppt | 4 ppt |
| PFOS Above limit | 13.3 ppt | 4 ppt |
| PFHxS Not detected | – | 10 ppt |
| PFNA Not detected | – | 10 ppt |
| HFPO-DA (GenX) Not detected | – | 10 ppt |
ppt = parts per trillion. "Highest average" is the highest average at any of the system's entry points, the way EPA compares results with the limits.
For context: the PFOA average is higher than at 87% of the Alabama systems EPA tested and the PFOS average is higher than at 92% of the Alabama systems EPA tested.
Lead: 3.4 ppb at the 90th percentile (Dec 2025, and 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below it) Below action level
Health-based violations since 2016: 0
Across Alabama, 56 of 307 water systems EPA tested had PFAS above a 2024 federal limit, and 0 systems were above the lead action level in results from the last five years. Alabama results.
Florence homes and lead pipes
Lead service lines and lead solder were allowed until 1986, so homes from before then are the ones to check. Renting? Ask your landlord what the service line is made of, because it's their pipe to replace. How to check your own line.
Housing: Census American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for Florence city (tables B25034, B25003). Estimates for small places have a margin of error.
Other water systems serving Florence
- West Lauderdale County, Water & Fire Protection Authority15,681 people · Purchased surface water · Alabama · lists this cityPFOA above limitAlso: PFOS above limit
- Greenhill Water & Fire Protection Authority8,505 people · Purchased surface water · Alabama · lists this cityPFOA above limitAlso: PFOS above limit
- Chisholm Heights, Water & F P Authority4,881 people · Purchased surface water · Alabama · lists this cityPFOA detectedAlso: PFOS detected · 1 health-based violation since 2016
How nearby cities compare
| City | PFAS | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|---|
| Athens 41 mi Limestone County Water & Sewer Authority | None above limits | 0.92 ppb |
| Decatur 42 mi Decatur Municipal Utilities Board | None above limits | 0 ppb |
| Madison 52 mi Madison W & Water Works Board | None above limits | 0.55 ppb |
| Huntsville 64 mi Huntsville Utilities Water Dept. | Above limit | 0 ppb |
| Trussville 102 mi Trussville Utilities Board | None above limits | 0 ppb |
| Birmingham 103 mi Central Alabama Water | None above limits | 1.2 ppb |
Florence ZIP codes (2)
- 35630
- 35632
Questions
Is Florence tap water safe to drink?
City of Florence Water Department has had no health-based violations since 2016, and EPA testing found PFAS above the 2024 federal limits, which it must meet by 2029. Utility data can't show lead from your own pipes: if your home was built before 1986, test your tap. Your utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report is the official summary.
Who supplies water in Florence, AL?
4 public water systems serve parts of Florence. The largest is City of Florence Water Department (77,766 people). Your water bill names your system. The EPA ID is also on your utility's Consumer Confidence Report.
Does Florence tap water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing found entry-point averages above the 2024 federal limits for PFOA and PFOS at City of Florence Water Department. Systems have until 2029 to meet them.
Do Florence homes have lead pipes?
Census estimates put 62% of Florence homes as built before 1980 (Alabama: 42%). Lead service lines and lead solder were allowed until 1986, so older homes are more likely to have them. City of Florence Water Department's service line inventory says what your line is made of. The only way to know for your home is to check the line where it enters the house and test your tap.
Source: U.S. EPA drinking water records and PFAS testing (UCMR 5). How we read the data.