City of Vero Beach water quality
Vero Beach, FL · serves 37,308 people (11,972 connections) · Groundwater · Local government · EPA ID FL3310206
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 limitPFOS above the federal limit in EPA's 2023–2025 testing (PFOS 8.45 ppt vs a limit of 4 ppt, where ppt = parts per trillion).
- Lead
- Below action level5 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 2024. Your home's pipes can make yours higher.
- Violations
- Resolved1 health-based violation since 2016, most recently Jul 2020.
- 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 City of Vero Beach's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report). It lists every regulated contaminant tested and is usually on the utility's website or mailed with your bill, and you can also request it at (772) 978-5211. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 1 entry point tested Dec 2023 to Jun 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 Not detected Limit 4 ppt | – |
| PFOS Above limit Limit 4 ppt | 8.45 ppt 2.11× the limit |
| PFHxS Detected, below limit Limit 10 ppt | 5.45 ppt 55% of the limit |
| PFNA Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| 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) Detected, below limit Limit 1 | 0.55 |
| PFBS Not detected Guideline 2,000 ppt | – |
| PFBA Not detected Guideline 6,000 ppt | – |
| PFHxA Not detected Guideline 3,000 ppt | – |
For context: the PFOS average is higher than at 78% of the Florida systems EPA tested.
29 PFAS tested, 2 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 2 samples (reporting limit 9 ppb). About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 5 ppb lead (Jan 2024 – Dec 2024). Below action level
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2024 – Dec 2024 | 5 ppb |
| Jan 2021 – Dec 2021 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 2018 – Dec 2018 | 3.4 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2015 – Dec 2015 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2012 – Dec 2012 | 8.7 ppb |
| Jan 2010 – Dec 2010 | 9.8 ppb |
| Jan 2007 – Dec 2007 | 3.4 ppb |
| Jan 2001 – Dec 2001 | 13.8 ppb |
| Jan 1998 – Dec 1998 | 9 ppb |
| Jan 1995 – Dec 1995 | 10 ppb |
| Jan 1994 – Dec 1994 | 8 ppb |
| Jan 1993 – Jun 1993 | 12.6 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
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| Jul 2020 | The running annual average for TTHM was above the legal limit. EPA record: TTHM · Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · measured 84 ug/l (limit 0.080 mg/L) Resolved |
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 | 0.42 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Vanadium | 1.4 ppb | 21 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.43 ppb | – |
| Molybdenum | 1.1 ppb | 40 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.5 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| 1,4-Dioxane | 0.25 ppb | 0.35 ppb |
Where it serves
Vero Beach
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 32960, 32961, 32963, 32966
Nearby utilities
- Indian River County Utilities Vero Beach · same area
- Ft. Pierce Utilities Authority Fort Pierce · 16 mi · PFAS above limit
- North Hutchinson Island Water System Fort Pierce · 16 mi · PFAS above limit
- Port St Lucie Utilities Port St. Lucie · 25 mi
- City of Palm Bay Palm Bay · 27 mi · PFAS above limit
- Martin County Utilities Jensen Beach · 29 mi
Questions
Is City of Vero Beach water safe to drink?
City of Vero Beach had 1 health-based violation since 2016, all since resolved. 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 City of Vero Beach water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of City of Vero Beach found 2 PFAS at least once. The highest entry-point averages were above the federal limit for PFOS: PFOS 8.45 ppt (limit 4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS, 10 ppt for the others).
What is the lead level in City of Vero Beach water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for City of Vero Beach is 5 ppb, for the period ending Dec 2024. 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 FL3310206: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID FL3310206).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask City of Vero Beach at (772) 978-5211, or see EPA's guide to finding it.
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.