University of South Florida Water System water quality
Tampa, FL · serves 47,586 people (182 connections) · Groundwater · State · EPA ID FL6291882
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 above the federal limit in EPA's 2023–2025 testing (PFOA 10.3 ppt vs a limit of 4 ppt, PFOS 24 ppt vs a limit of 4 ppt, where ppt = parts per trillion).
- Lead
- Below action level0 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 University of South Florida Water System'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 (813) 974-2307. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 1 entry point tested Aug 2024 to Feb 2025. "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 | 10.3 ppt 2.56× the limit |
| PFOS Above limit Limit 4 ppt | 24 ppt 6× the limit |
| PFHxS Rounds to the limit Limit 10 ppt | 11 ppt 1.1× 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) Rounds to the limit Limit 1 | 1.11 |
| PFBS Detected, below limit Guideline 2,000 ppt | 13 ppt |
| PFBA Detected, below limit Guideline 6,000 ppt | 7.45 ppt |
| PFHxA Detected, below limit Guideline 3,000 ppt | 7.05 ppt |
| PFPeA Detected, no limit | 9.4 ppt |
| PFHpA Detected, no limit | 3.9 ppt |
Why "rounds to the limit"? the PFHxS average (11 ppt) and the Hazard Index (1.11) are slightly above the number on paper, but EPA compares results after rounding to the limit's precision (4.4 ppt rounds to 4), so they meet the limit as EPA applies it. Close enough to the limit to be worth watching.
For context: the PFOA average is higher than at 95% of the Florida systems EPA tested and the PFOS average is higher than at 92% of the Florida systems EPA tested.
29 PFAS tested, 8 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: 0 ppb lead (Jan 2023 – Dec 2023). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 2.1 ppb (Dec 2021).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2023 – Dec 2023 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2022 – Dec 2022 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2021 – Dec 2021 | 2.1 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jul 2020 – Dec 2020 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2020 – Jun 2020 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 2017 – Dec 2017 | 2.1 ppb |
| Jan 2014 – Dec 2014 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 2011 – Dec 2011 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 2008 – Dec 2008 | 1 ppb |
| Jan 2007 – Dec 2007 | 1 ppb |
| Jan 2006 – Jun 2006 | 5 ppb |
| Jan 2002 – Dec 2002 | 9 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 | 4.7 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Vanadium | 3.1 ppb | 21 ppb |
| Molybdenum | 2.6 ppb | 40 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.79 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Chromium-6 | 0.26 ppb | – |
| Chlorate | 138 ppb | 210 ppb |
| 1,4-Dioxane | 0.17 ppb | 0.35 ppb |
Where it serves
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 33620
Nearby utilities
- City of Tampa Water Department Tampa · same area · PFAS above limit
- Fgua / Macdill Water System Tampa · same area · PFAS above limit
- Hillsborough County Water Resources – Northwest Utilities Tampa · same area
- Hillsborough County Water Resources – Seaboard Utilities Tampa · same area · PFAS above limit
- City of Temple Terrace Utility Temple Terrace · 8 mi · PFAS above limit
- Hillsborough County Water Resources – South-Central Riverview · 14 mi · PFAS above limit
Questions
Is University of South Florida Water System water safe to drink?
University of South Florida Water System 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 University of South Florida Water System water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of University of South Florida Water System found 8 PFAS at least once. The highest entry-point averages were above the federal limit for PFOA and PFOS: PFOA 10.3 ppt, PFOS 24 ppt (limit 4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS, 10 ppt for the others).
What is the lead level in University of South Florida Water System water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for University of South Florida Water System is 0 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 FL6291882: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID FL6291882).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask University of South Florida Water System at (813) 974-2307, 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.