West Palm Beach Water Treatment Plant · serves 102,000 people
Tap Water Quality in West Palm Beach, FL 33401
West Palm Beach Water Treatment Plant's own testing found 5 contaminants above EWG's health guidelines, led by Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) at 415x, Haloacetic acids (HAA9) at 306x, Haloacetic acids (HAA5) at 247x. Here's every one, what it does, and what takes it out.
The numbers
Above EWG health guidelines
5
contaminants
Other contaminants detected
15
under the guideline
Tested for, not found
118
chemicals
People served
102,000
West Palm Beach Water Treatment Plant
Met federal legal limits in the latest quarter the EPA assessed (April 2024 - June 2024). Legal doesn't mean the water meets today's health guidelines: most legal limits haven't moved in about 20 years, and many of these chemicals have none. Palm Beach County, FL.
Contaminants Above EWG's Health Guidelines
Detected in 2021-2023 at annual averages over the level a public health authority considers safe. Most have no legal limit at all.
Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
cancer415xEWG guideline
- This utility
- 62.2 ppb
- EWG guideline
- 0.15 ppb
- Legal limit
- 80 ppb
- Activated carbon
- Reverse osmosis
State avg 30.7 ppb · US avg 29.1 ppb
What is this contaminant?About this contaminant
Trihalomethanes are cancer-causing contaminants that form during water treatment with chlorine and other disinfectants. The total trihalomethanes group includes four chemicals: chloroform, bromodichloromethane, dibromochloromethane and bromoform.
Where it comes from: treatment byproducts.
Haloacetic acids (HAA9)
cancer306xEWG guideline
- This utility
- 18.3 ppb
- EWG guideline
- 0.06 ppb
- Legal limit
- None
- Activated carbon
- Reverse osmosis
State avg 25.7 ppb · US avg 23.7 ppb
What is this contaminant?About this contaminant
Haloacetic acids are formed when disinfectants such as chlorine are added to tap water. The group of nine haloacetic acids includes monochloroacetic acid, dichloroacetic acid, trichloroacetic acid, monobromoacetic acid and dibromoacetic acid, which are regulated as a group by the federal government (HAA5); and bromochloroacetic acid, bromodichloroacetic acid, chlorodibromoacetic acid, and tribromoacetic acid.
Where it comes from: treatment byproducts.
Haloacetic acids (HAA5)
cancer247xEWG guideline
- This utility
- 24.7 ppb
- EWG guideline
- 0.1 ppb
- Legal limit
- 60 ppb
- Activated carbon
- Reverse osmosis
State avg 18.9 ppb · US avg 19.8 ppb
What is this contaminant?About this contaminant
Haloacetic acids are formed when disinfectants such as chlorine are added to tap water. The group of five haloacetic acids regulated by federal standards includes monochloroacetic acid, dichloroacetic acid, trichloroacetic acid, monobromoacetic acid and dibromoacetic acid.
Where it comes from: treatment byproducts.
Chromium (hexavalent)
cancer5.5xEWG guideline
- This utility
- 0.110 ppb
- EWG guideline
- 0.02 ppb
- Legal limit
- None
- Ion exchange
- Reverse osmosis
State avg 0.107 ppb · US avg 0.44 ppb
What is this contaminant?About this contaminant
Chromium (hexavalent) is a carcinogen that commonly contaminates American drinking water. Chromium (hexavalent) in drinking water may be due to industrial pollution or natural occurrences in mineral deposits and groundwater. Read more about chromium (hexavalent).
Where it comes from: industry, naturally occurring.
Bromochloromethane
cancer; harm to reproduction and child development4.3xEWG guideline
- This utility
- 0.260 ppb
- EWG guideline
- 0.06 ppb
- Legal limit
- None
- Activated carbon
- Reverse osmosis
State avg 0.0036 ppb · US avg 0.00569 ppb
What is this contaminant?About this contaminant
Bromochloromethane is a tap water disinfection byproduct; it is also used as an intermediate in chemical manufacturing and as a fire extinguishing agent. Disinfection byproducts in drinking water increase the risk of cancer.
Where it comes from: industry, treatment byproducts.
What Takes It Out
EWG lists which home filter technologies reduce each contaminant. Counted against this utility's report:
Reverse osmosis
5 of 5
contaminants above the guideline, plus 12 other detected. Reverse osmosis is the drinking water system under the sink.
Reverse OsmosisActivated carbon
4 of 5
contaminants above the guideline, plus 7 other detected. Activated carbon is the whole-house filter on the main line.
Whole-House FiltrationIon exchange
1 of 5
contaminants above the guideline. Ion exchange is what a water softener does; it also takes out the hardness that scales your fixtures.
Water SoftenersA complete system stacks all three: carbon on the main line, a softener, and reverse osmosis at the kitchen sink. One flat price, installed by a licensed plumber near you.
Get my priceOther Contaminants Detected
Found in the water, under EWG's guideline. Shown as a share of the guideline so you can see what's close.
| Contaminant | This utility | Of the guideline | Legal limit | What filters it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chlorate | 358.8 ppb | 100% of 210 ppb | None | Activated carbon, Reverse osmosis, Ion exchange |
| Nitrate | 0.105 ppm | 75% of 0.14 ppm | 10 ppm | Ion exchange, Reverse osmosis |
| Atrazine | 0.0617 ppb | 62% of 0.1 ppb | 3 ppb | Activated carbon, Reverse osmosis |
| Vanadium | 5.38 ppb | 26% of 21 ppb | None | Ion exchange |
| Fluoride | 0.616 ppm | 15% of the legal limit | 4 ppm | Reverse osmosis |
| Molybdenum | 1.34 ppb | 3% of 40 ppb | None | Ion exchange, Reverse osmosis |
| Barium | 6.70 ppb | 1% of 700 ppb | 2,000 ppb | Ion exchange, Reverse osmosis |
| Perfluorobutanoic Acid (PFBA) | 8.53 ppt | 1% of 1,000 ppt | None | Activated carbon, Reverse osmosis |
| Perfluoropentanoic Acid (PFPeA) | 5.40 ppt | 1% of 1,000 ppt | None | Activated carbon, Reverse osmosis |
| Perfluorohexanoic Acid (PFHxA) | 4.45 ppt | 0% of 1,000 ppt | None | Activated carbon, Reverse osmosis |
| Manganese | 0.180 ppb | 0% of 100 ppb | None | Ion exchange |
| Perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS) | 2.48 ppt | 0% of 2,000 ppt | None | Activated carbon, Reverse osmosis |
| 2,4-D | 0.0173 ppb | 0% of 20 ppb | 70 ppb | Activated carbon, Reverse osmosis |
| Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHPA) | 0.775 ppt | 0% of 1,000 ppt | None | Activated carbon, Reverse osmosis |
| Strontium | 0.425 ppb | 0% of 1,500 ppb | None | Ion exchange, Reverse osmosis |
118 chemicals tested for and not foundShow the listHide
1,1,1-Trichloroethane, 1,1,2-Trichloroethane, 1,1-Dichloroethane, 1,1-Dichloroethylene, 1,2,3-Trichloropropane, 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene, 1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP), 1,2-Dichloroethane, 1,2-Dichloropropane, 1,3-Butadiene, 1,4-Dioxane, 1-butanol, 11-chloroeicosafluoro-3-oxaundecane-1-sulfonic aci, 17-beta-Estradiol, 2,3,7,8-TCDD (Dioxin), 2,4,5-TP (Silvex), 2-methoxyethanol, 2-propen-1-ol, 4,8-dioxa-3H-perfluorononanoic acid (ADONA), 4-Androstene-3,17-dione, 4:2 Fluorotelomer Sulfonic Acid (4:2 FTSA), 6:2 Fluorotelomer Sulfonic Acid (6:2 FTSA), 8:2 Fluorotelomer Sulfonic Acid (8:2 FTSA), 9-chlorohexadecafluoro-3-oxanone-1-sulfonic acid (, Alachlor (Lasso), Alpha-hexachlorocyclohexane, Aluminum, Antimony, Asbestos, Benzene, Benzo[a]pyrene, Beryllium, Bromomethane, Butanoic acid, 2,2,3,3,4,4-hexafluoro-4-(trifluoro, Butylated hydroxyanisole, Cadmium, Carbofuran, Carbon tetrachloride, Chlordane, Chlorodifluoromethane, Chloromethane, Chlorpyriphos, Chromium (total), cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene, Cobalt, Cyanide, Dalapon, Di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate, Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, Dichloromethane (methylene chloride), Dimethipin, Dinoseb, Diquat, Endothall, Endrin, Equilin, Estriol, Estrone, Ethinyl estradiol, Ethoprop, Ethylbenzene, Ethylene dibromide, Germanium, Glyphosate, Heptachlor, Heptachlor epoxide, Hexachlorobenzene (HCB), Hexachlorocyclopentadiene, Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA), Lindane, Lithium, Mercury (inorganic), Methoxychlor, Monochlorobenzene (chlorobenzene), N-ethyl perfluorooctane sulfonamido acetic acid (N, N-methyl perfluorooctanesulfonamidoacetic acid, Nitrite, Nonafluoro-3,6-dioxaheptanoic acid, o-Dichlorobenzene, o-toluidine, Oxamyl (Vydate), Oxyflurofen, p-Dichlorobenzene, Pentachlorophenol, Perfluoro(2-ethoxyethane)sulfonic acid, Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), Perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA), Perfluoroheptane sulfonic acid (PFHpS), Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHXS), Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), Perfluoropentane sulfonic acid (PFPeS), Perfluorotetradecanoic acid (PFTA), Perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA), Perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnA), Permethrin, Picloram, Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), Profenofos, Propanoic acid, 2,2,3,3-tetrafluoro-3-(trifluorome, Quinoline, Radium, combined (-226 & -228), Selenium, Silver, Simazine, Styrene, Tebuconazole, Testosterone, Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene), Thallium, Toluene, Toxaphene, trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene, Tribufos, Trichloroethylene, Vinyl chloride, Xylenes (total).
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We install in West Palm Beach. Water softener installation in West Palm Beach, FL
Source: the EWG Tap Water Database, built from West Palm Beach Water Treatment Plant's own testing in 2021-2023, as reported to the state and the EPA. Legal limits are federal (or state) maximums; health guidelines are the levels EWG's scientists consider protective, usually set by a state or federal public health authority. “Times over” compares the utility's annual average with the guideline. Last pulled October 2026.Hardness isn't in EWG's data; ours is an area estimate.
Your utility's own test results, from the EWG Tap Water Database: what's in the water, how it compares with health guidelines, and what takes it out.
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