Water Filtration & Treatment in Coral Gables

Who supplies water in Coral Gables

The City of Coral Gables runs its own sanitary sewer system, but it does not produce drinking water. That job belongs to the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department (WASD), which the city names as the operator of the water system in its annual water treatment notices. WASD reports that it delivers drinking water to more than 2.8 million people each day.

The source is the Biscayne Aquifer, a shallow layer of porous limestone that refills with rain. WASD says it withdraws roughly 330 million gallons a day through wells that average about 80 feet deep.

The Alexander Orr plant and SW 8 Street

WASD's 2025 Water Quality Report says the Alexander Orr, Jr. plant serves customers who live south of SW 8 Street to approximately SW 264 Street. Coral Gables sits largely south of SW 8 Street (Tamiami Trail), so most Gables homes fall in the Orr service area, while homes north of that line are generally supplied by the Hialeah and John E. Preston plants. All three plants feed one shared distribution system.

At Orr, water receives lime treatment to reduce hardness and is then disinfected and filtered. Lime softening at the plant does not mean water arrives with zero minerals, which is why spots on glass and scale on fixtures still show up in many homes. A test at your own tap tells you where you stand.

Chloramine, the annual conversion, and fluoride

WASD adds ammonia so it combines with chlorine to form chloramine, a longer-lasting disinfectant. Once a year WASD temporarily switches to free chlorine for about two weeks; the City of Coral Gables posts a notice and tells residents they may notice a chlorine taste or smell, brief pressure dips or cloudy water during that window.

WASD's plants stopped adding fluoride as of June 6, 2025, following County Resolution R-370-25 and Florida Senate Bill 700. WASD reports that fluoride since then ranges from about 0.1 to 0.3 ppm from natural levels in the aquifer. See the fluoride page for details.

Historic homes, older plumbing and septic

Coral Gables was planned in the 1920s, and its landmark buildings are known for the Mediterranean Revival style and native oolitic limestone, the coral rock that gave the city its name. Many neighborhoods mix those early homes with mid-century and newer houses, which means plumbing age varies a lot from street to street. Older galvanized or copper lines, past repairs and water heater condition can all change what you see at the tap, even though the city water feeding every home is the same.

The city also reports that about half of Coral Gables properties are on septic systems rather than central sewer. That matters for equipment that discharges water, such as a softener during regeneration, so Jorge asks about it during the visit.

Which systems fit Coral Gables homes

Not sure whether you need a softener, a filter or both? Read softener vs. filter in Coral Gables.

Specific concerns and costs

• PFAS water filters in Coral Gables: where to read WASD's PFAS results and which certifications matter.
• Dry, itchy skin after showering: hardness and chloramine as comfort factors.
• Home water testing in Coral Gables: what Jorge checks.
• What drives water filtration cost, reverse osmosis cost and water softener cost in Coral Gables.

Living Water offers financing through its financing partners; you apply with a credit application, and a co-applicant can apply with you.

How the free in-home test works

1. Book a visit. Call, text or WhatsApp Jorge at (305) 793-5974.
2. Test at your tap. Jorge tests the water where you actually use it.
3. Plain-language results. He explains what the numbers mean for taste, odor and scale in your home.
4. A fit, or nothing. If your water does not need a system, he tells you. No obligation.

Jorge also works in nearby Miami and across Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach. More on how it works.

Updated 2026-10-17 · Living Waters · Jorge Canela, Water Quality Specialist