Is Bradenton, FL tap water safe?
Supplied by Manatee County Utilities Dept · serves 347,800 people (130,752 connections) · Surface water · EPA ID FL6411132
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Most of Bradenton gets its water from Manatee County Utilities Dept. Parts of the city are served by 4 smaller systems: City of Bradenton (58,584 people), Heather Hills Estates Water System (700 people), Sunny Shore Water Company (450 people), Harbour Isles Master Association (395 people). Your water bill names your system.
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Not detectedNone of 29 PFAS found above EPA's reporting limits in 2 samples (2023–2025).
- Lead
- Below action level1.7 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 2022. Your home's pipes can make yours higher.
- Violations
- None health-basedNo health-based violations since 2016.
- 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 Manatee County Utilities Dept's 2026 water quality report (PDF) (Consumer Confidence Report, from the utility). It lists every regulated contaminant tested, including ones not on this page. Questions: (941) 792-8811.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 1 entry point tested Jan 2024 to Nov 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 Not detected Limit 4 ppt | – |
| PFHxS Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| 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) Not detected Limit 1 | – |
| PFBS Not detected Guideline 2,000 ppt | – |
| PFBA Not detected Guideline 6,000 ppt | – |
| PFHxA Not detected Guideline 3,000 ppt | – |
29 PFAS tested, 0 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 4 samples (reporting limit 9 ppb). About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 1.7 ppb lead (Jan 2022 – Dec 2022). Below action level
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2022 – Dec 2022 | 1.7 ppb |
| Jan 2019 – Dec 2019 | 0.8 ppb |
| Jan 2016 – Dec 2016 | 0.5 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2013 – Dec 2013 | 0.7 ppb |
| Jan 2010 – Dec 2010 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2007 – Dec 2007 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2004 – Dec 2004 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2004 – Dec 2004 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2001 – Dec 2001 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 1998 – Dec 1998 | 1 ppb |
| Jan 1995 – Dec 1995 | 4 ppb |
| Jan 1994 – Dec 1994 | 4 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 | 11.3 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Vanadium | 2.7 ppb | 21 ppb |
| Molybdenum | 10 ppb | 40 ppb |
| Strontium | 3.6 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Chromium-6 | 0.085 ppb | – |
| Chlorate | 450 ppb | 210 ppb |
Where it serves
Bradenton
29 ZIP codes the system reported serving
34201, 34202, 34203, 34204, 34205, 34206, 34207, 34208, 34209, 34210, 34211, 34212, 34215, 34216, 34217, 34218, 34219, 34220, 34221, 34222, 34228, 34240, 34243, 34250, 34264, 34270, 34280, 34281, 34282
Nearby utilities
- City of Bradenton Bradenton · same area
- City of Sarasota Sarasota · 11 mi
- Sarasota County Special Utilities District Sarasota · 11 mi
- Hillsborough County Water Resources – South-Central Riverview · 28 mi · PFAS above limit
- City of Tampa Water Department Tampa · 34 mi · PFAS above limit
- Fgua / Macdill Water System Tampa · 34 mi · PFAS above limit
Questions
Is Bradenton tap water safe to drink?
Most of Bradenton gets its water from Manatee County Utilities Dept. Manatee County Utilities Dept has no health-based violations since 2016. EPA testing found no PFAS above the federal limits. 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 Bradenton water have PFAS?
EPA tested Manatee County Utilities Dept for 29 PFAS between Jan 2024 and Nov 2024 and none were detected above the reporting limits (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical).
What is the lead level in Bradenton water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Manatee County Utilities Dept is 1.7 ppb, for the period ending Dec 2022. 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 FL6411132: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID FL6411132).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- Manatee County Utilities Dept's 2026 water quality report (PDF): the utility's own annual report, including contaminants EPA's national database doesn't carry (link checked Nov 14, 2026). Phone: (941) 792-8811.
- Manatee County Utilities Dept 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.