Water Quality

Your Water Source The City of Fort Lauderdale gets its water from 36 wells in the Prospect and Peele-Dixie Wellfields. These wells draw water from the Biscayne Aquifer, an underground water supply and the sole source of our drinking water. Water from the aquifer is treated and distributed through two City-operated treatment facilities -- the Peele-Dixie and Fiveash Treatment Plants. Both water treatment plants produce water which consistently meets or exceeds State and Federal drinking water standards.

Water Treatment

Ground water from the Biscayne Aquifer is pumped from the Peele-Dixie and Prospect Wellfields to the plants through a network of underground pipes. When the untreated water from the wells arrives at the plants, a series of treatment steps ensures that it leaves the plants as safe drinking water.

• The first process toward clean water is aeration. Aeration forces air through the ground water, thereby helping to remove odors, iron, magnesium, and iron dioxide.
• After water is aerated, it is transferred to the treatment unit, where lime and chemical coagulants are added to remove calcium hardness to make water more aesthetically pleasing.
• The next step is the addition of fluoride and disinfectants -- fluoride for strong teeth and disinfectants to protect bacteria growth in water.
• Filters are the final step in the cleaning process. The remaining sediment in water is removed in one of the 22 dual media filters.

When the treatment process has been completed, clean and safe drinking water is delivered to you through a vast underground piping system. The Peele-Dixie and Fiveash Water Treatment Plants can supply up to 90 million gallons per day.

Water Quality Assurance The City of Fort Lauderdale operates its own water quality laboratory that must adhere to strict quality assurance and proficiency standards to maintain certification by the Florida Department of Health.

The City's extensive sampling programs and consistent testing guarantee a safe, clean supply of drinking water. Various water tests include:

• Daily bacterial and chemical tests on finished water leaving City Plants;
• Weekly bacterial quality tests of water throughout the distribution system;
• Complete primary and secondary standards and unregulated compounds tested annually on finished water and on individual supply wells;
• Quarterly testing of water supply wells, under the Broward County Wellfield Protection Program, for various inorganic and organic compounds.

The City's water supply consistently meets the water quality standards established by federal law through the Safe Drinking Water Act. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection enforces the water quality standards through monitoring, reporting, and inspections of City labs.