City supply vs. your well
| City of Deerfield Beach | Private well | |
|---|---|---|
| Source | 14 wells, Biscayne and Floridan aquifers | Groundwater under your property |
| Treatment | Lime softening, nanofiltration, RO, blended | None unless you add it |
| Disinfection | Chloramine | None unless you add it |
| Testing | City, annual report | Owner's responsibility |
The difference is large. The city's water passes through processes that remove hardness, color and organic matter before disinfection. A well delivers groundwater as it comes from the ground, so anything dissolved in it reaches your sprinklers or your taps unless you treat it.
Permits
In Broward County, the Florida Department of Health in Broward County (DOH-Broward) permits wells 12 inches in diameter or smaller, including irrigation wells, before construction, repair, modification or abandonment. A licensed water well driller must do the work. To report suspected unpermitted drilling, DOH-Broward's number is 954-412-7334.
Testing a well
- Certified lab: total coliform, E. coli and nitrate, as the Department of Health recommends for drinking wells.
- In-home test: iron, hardness, pH and TDS to size equipment.
- Specific concerns: a lab panel for anything else, such as PFAS.
Retest after flooding near the wellhead, a pump change, or any change in taste, smell or color.
What a well system can include
Built from the test: sediment filtration, iron and sulfur treatment, softening and disinfection as needed, often with RO at the kitchen sink. Irrigation wells may need only iron treatment sized to the pump. Compare UV vs. RO for well water and see well water systems.
The Department of Health also links to lists of certified laboratories, so you can choose an approved lab for bacteria and nitrate testing.
Signs to test
- Orange stains on fixtures, laundry or walls.
- Rotten-egg smell from cold taps.
- Scale on fixtures and heater elements.
- No lab test in the past year.
These are signals to test, not verdicts. Only a lab test answers whether well water meets drinking water standards.
Book a well test
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://broward.floridahealth.gov/programs-and-services/environmental-public-health/water-well-construction/
https://www.floridahealth.gov/community-environmental-public-health/environmental-public-health/water-quality/drinking-water/private-wells/
https://www.deerfield-beach.com/DocumentCenter/View/18839/WQR-2022-Web-ADA-Final
Updated 2026-10-17 · Living Waters · Jorge Canela, Water Quality Specialist