Emerald Coast Utilities Authority (ECUA) water quality
Pensacola, FL · serves 242,172 people (101,327 connections) · Groundwater · Local government · EPA ID FL1170525
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Summary
PFAS above the 2024 federal limits. Systems have until 2029 to meet the PFAS limits.
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 ever issues a boil-water or do-not-drink notice, follow it.
- PFAS
- Above limitPFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, the PFAS Hazard Index above the federal limit in EPA's 2023–2025 testing (PFOA 15.5 ppt vs a limit of 4 ppt, PFOS 24.2 ppt vs a limit of 4 ppt, PFHxS 30 ppt vs a limit of 10 ppt, where ppt = parts per trillion).
- Lead
- Below action level0.6 ppb (parts per billion) at the 90th percentile: 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below it. Action level 15 ppb, falling to 10 ppb in Nov 2027. Monitoring period ending Dec 2023. Your home's pipes can make yours higher.
- Violations
- None health-basedNo health-based violations since 2016.
- Pregnant, or mixing baby formula with tap water? Babies drink more water for their size, so PFAS exposure matters more for them. Consider bottled water or a filter certified for PFAS for formula, and ask your doctor. Health effects.
- To lower your PFAS exposure now, a home filter certified for PFAS reduction works (reverse osmosis, or activated carbon certified to NSF/ANSI 53 or 58). Filters for these results.
- Built before 1986, or not sure what your service line is made of? Check your service line and test your tap. Utility data can't show your pipes.
- Tested your own tap? Compare your result with these numbers. Moving? Compare this system with another.
- Read Emerald Coast Utilities Authority (ECUA)'s 2026 water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report, from the utility). It lists every regulated contaminant tested, including ones not on this page. Questions: (850) 969-3373.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 27 entry points tested Apr 2023 to Sep 2024. "Average" is the highest entry-point average (non-detects counted as zero), the way EPA compares UCMR 5 results to the limits. ppt = parts per trillion. These results do not determine compliance.
| Contaminant | Highest average |
|---|---|
| PFOA Above limit Limit 4 ppt | 15.5 ppt 3.89× the limit |
| PFOS Above limit Limit 4 ppt | 24.2 ppt 6.04× the limit |
| PFHxS Above limit Limit 10 ppt | 30 ppt 3× the limit |
| PFNA Rounds to the limit Limit 10 ppt | 14.8 ppt 1.48× the limit |
| HFPO-DA (GenX) Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| Hazard Index (a combined score for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and PFBS, where above 1 is over the limit) Above limit Limit 1 | 4.44 |
| PFBS Detected, below limit Guideline 2,000 ppt | 8.05 ppt |
| PFBA Detected, below limit Guideline 6,000 ppt | 20.4 ppt |
| PFHxA Detected, below limit Guideline 3,000 ppt | 55.5 ppt |
| PFPeA Detected, no limit | 71 ppt |
| PFHpA Detected, no limit | 18.9 ppt |
| PFPeS Detected, no limit | 5.5 ppt |
| 4:2 FTS Detected, no limit | 3.8 ppt |
| 6:2 FTS Detected, no limit | 122 ppt |
Why "rounds to the limit"? the PFNA average (14.8 ppt) is slightly above the number on paper, but EPA compares results after rounding to the limit's precision (4.4 ppt rounds to 4), so it meets the limit as EPA applies it. Close enough to the limit to be worth watching.
What the utility says it is doing: ECUA's 2025 water quality report says granular activated carbon filters are installed at 16 wells to remove iron or organic contaminants and assist with PFAS removal.
Source: ECUA 2025 Consumer Confidence Report (Water Quality Report), 2026-04. Collected by us on Nov 14, 2026, not from EPA's data. Ask the utility for the latest.
For context: the PFOA average is higher than at 99% of the Florida systems EPA tested, the PFOS average is higher than at 93% of the Florida systems EPA tested and the PFHxS average is higher than at 99% of the Florida systems EPA tested.
29 PFAS tested, 12 detected at least once. "Not detected" means below EPA's reporting limit (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical), not proven zero. PFAS not listed were not detected. The limits for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and the Hazard Index were proposed for rescission in May 2026. That proposal is not final. Systems have until 2029 to meet the limits.
Lithium
Not detected in 54 samples (reporting limit 9 ppb). About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 0.6 ppb lead (Jan 2023 – Dec 2023). Below action level
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2023 – Dec 2023 | 0.6 ppb |
| Jan 2020 – Dec 2020 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2017 – Dec 2017 | 0 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2014 – Dec 2014 | 1.1 ppb |
| Jan 2011 – Dec 2011 | 1.1 ppb |
| Jan 2009 – Dec 2009 | 1.7 ppb |
| Jan 2006 – Dec 2006 | 5 ppb |
| Jan 2001 – Dec 2003 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 2000 – Dec 2000 | 5 ppb |
| Jan 1999 – Dec 1999 | 7 ppb |
| Jan 1998 – Jun 1998 | 11 ppb |
| Jul 1997 – Dec 1997 | 11 ppb |
Lead comes from pipes and fixtures, not the source water, so it varies home to home. The 90th percentile means 9 in 10 sampled homes were at or below it. More on lead.
Violations
Health-based violations mean a contaminant exceeded a limit or a required treatment step was missed. Monitoring and reporting violations mean required tests or reports were late or missing, so the water's quality during that time is unknown. The total includes every violation in EPA's records, most of them paperwork.
Earlier EPA testing (2013–2020)
| Contaminant | Highest | Guideline |
|---|---|---|
| Manganese | 37 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 2.6 ppb | – |
| Chlorate | 88 ppb | 210 ppb |
| 1,4-Dioxane | 0.21 ppb | 0.35 ppb |
| Vanadium | 0.72 ppb | 21 ppb |
| Cobalt | 2.1 ppb | 70 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.054 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
Where it serves
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 32501, 32502, 32503, 32504, 32505, 32506, 32507, 32508, 32509, 32511, 32514, 32526, 32533, 32534, 32561, 32562, 36561
Nearby utilities
- Nas Pensacola / Corry Station Water System Pensacola · same area · PFAS above limit
- Peoples Water Service Company Pensacola · same area · PFAS above limit
- Midway Water System, Inc. Gulf Breeze · 5 mi · PFAS above limit
- Pace Water System, Inc. Pace · 12 mi · PFAS above limit
- Bagdad-Garcon Point Water System Milton · 15 mi · PFAS above limit
- Okaloosa County Water & Sewer System Fort Walton Beach · 34 mi
Questions
Is Emerald Coast Utilities Authority (ECUA) water safe to drink?
Emerald Coast Utilities Authority (ECUA) has no health-based violations since 2016. EPA testing found PFAS above the 2024 federal limits, which systems must meet by 2029. Federal data can't tell you about your own pipes: lead comes from service lines and plumbing, so test your tap if your home was built before 1986. For the official word, read the utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report.
Does Emerald Coast Utilities Authority (ECUA) water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of Emerald Coast Utilities Authority (ECUA) found 12 PFAS at least once. The highest entry-point averages were above the federal limit for PFOA and PFOS and PFHxS: PFOA 15.5 ppt, PFOS 24.2 ppt, PFHxS 30 ppt (limit 4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS, 10 ppt for the others).
What is the lead level in Emerald Coast Utilities Authority (ECUA) water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Emerald Coast Utilities Authority (ECUA) is 0.6 ppb, for the period ending Dec 2023. The federal action level is 15 ppb, falling to 10 ppb in November 2027. The 90th percentile means 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below this number. Individual homes can be higher.
Check these numbers yourself
Every figure on this page comes from public EPA records. You don't have to take our word for it:
- EPA's own report for FL1170525: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID FL1170525).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- Emerald Coast Utilities Authority (ECUA)'s 2026 water quality report: the utility's own annual report, including contaminants EPA's national database doesn't carry (link checked Nov 14, 2026). Phone: (850) 969-3373.
- Emerald Coast Utilities Authority (ECUA) website
Found something that doesn't match? Tell us and we'll check it against EPA's records. How we check our data.
Source: U.S. EPA drinking water records and PFAS testing (UCMR 5). How we read the data.