City wells vs. your well
| Boynton Beach Utilities | Private well | |
|---|---|---|
| Source | East Coast Surficial Aquifer, 30 wells, plus ASR storage | Usually a shallow well into the same aquifer |
| Treatment | Lime softening and MIEX, or nanofiltration; chloramine | None unless you add it |
| Testing | Routine monitoring and an annual report | The owner's responsibility |
The city's wells are located in protected zones and tested regularly, according to the 2025 report. A private well depends entirely on how it was built and maintained.
Irrigation wells
The usual private well around Boynton Beach feeds sprinklers. Typical problems are orange staining, clogged heads and a sulfur smell outdoors. Treatment can go on the irrigation line alone. See orange stains in Boynton Beach.
Drinking wells: testing
- The Florida Department of Health says private well owners are responsible for the safety of their own well water and that microbes and nitrate are the most common contaminants.
- Test with a certified lab regularly, and after flooding, repairs or a change in taste, color or odor.
- DOH-Palm Beach's Environmental Laboratory in West Palm Beach tests drinking water for total coliform and E. coli, with sampling instructions in English, Spanish and Creole.
Buying a home with a well
Ask whether the well feeds the house, the irrigation or both, when it was last tested, and whether treatment equipment is included and serviced. A certified lab test before closing is worth it for any drinking well.
PFAS and private wells
Boynton Beach's report includes PFAS monitoring for the city system. No utility data covers a private well. If you drink well water and want to know about PFAS, only a certified lab using EPA methods can tell you. See PFAS in Boynton Beach.
How a well system is built
There is no standard well package, because two wells on the same street can test very differently. From the test up: sediment filtration, iron and hydrogen sulfide reduction by oxidation and filtration, an ion-exchange softener where hardness is high, and under-sink RO for drinking water. Where a lab finds bacteria, disinfection comes in; compare UV vs. RO for well water. See well water systems and well treatment cost in Florida.
What Jorge checks
Iron, hardness, pH, dissolved solids and odor, plus pump flow and pressure, and whether the well feeds the house, the sprinklers or both. He tells you when a certified lab should come first. Call, text or WhatsApp (305) 793-5974. Living Water offers financing through its financing partners; you apply with a credit application, and a co-applicant can apply with you.
https://www.boynton-beach.org/DocumentCenter/View/4063/2025-Water-Quality-Report-for-the-City-of-Boynton-Beach-9
https://www.floridahealth.gov/community-environmental-public-health/environmental-public-health/water-quality/drinking-water/private-wells/
https://palmbeach.floridahealth.gov/programs-and-services/environmental-health/water-lab/
Updated 2026-10-17 · Living Waters · Jorge Canela, Water Quality Specialist