Drinking Water
Environmental Public Health
Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County's Environmental Health Services staff are responsible for all regulatory activities pertaining to the permitting, inspection, monitoring, and enforcement of all public drinking water facilities serving Hillsborough County. Including public water systems regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act and federal facilities, Florida Department of Environmental Protection's water rules, limited use public water systems not covered under the Safe Drinking Water Act, and private residential well systems.
More than 1.5 million Hillsborough County residents get their drinking water from 670 public drinking water systems. These systems serve anywhere from 25 to 600,000 people daily and can be as small as a convenience store, or as large as the city of Tampa water treatment plant.
DOH-Hillsborough staff is responsible for ensuring residents and visitors to Hillsborough County receive safe and reliable drinking water.
Resources for Residents
There are many resources available for consumers to learn about the quality of their drinking water. Your utility provider is required to provide you with an annual water quality report, known as a Consumer Confidence Report, by July 1 of each year.
DOH-Hillsborough's Drinking Water Program also provides educational information for public water systems and private drinking water wells. Here you can find helpful material on troubleshooting water quality problems, and who to contact for answers.
Federal Safe Drinking Water Act
Under an agreement with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, DOH-Hillsborough implements the federal Safe Drinking Water Act that includes all water systems serving more than 25 people and/or 15 service connections.
Our office provides technical assistance to water systems and local agencies, implements the U.S. Environmental Prptection Agency's Safe Drinking Water Act, Florida laws, local ordinances, monitors water quality, conducts sanitary surveys and special purpose investigations, and reviews and approves water system plans. Our rules and programs rely on prevention as the first line of defense, with a goal of avoiding potentially health-threatening and costly problems.
Water system inspections (sanitary surveys) look at all aspects of water system operations, including water sources, pumps, storage tanks, treatment and filtration units, water monitoring records, and technical, financial, and managerial capacity.
Technical assistance and education programs, along with construction plan reviews help us ensure proper design and operation of water systems.
Limited Use Commercial and Community Wells
This program assists with water systems not covered under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, serving less than 15 service connections (buildings or multi-family homes) and less than 25 people.
The program also regulates new well construction for private homeowners:
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