Why test your own tap
The city's report summarizes the whole system. Your tap reflects the last stretch of city main, your service line and your home's plumbing. Delray's 2025 report shows chloramine results from 1.54 to 5.2 ppm across sampling points, which is a good example of how much a number can vary by location. A tap test tells you where your home sits.
What Jorge measures
| Test | Why it matters in Delray |
|---|---|
| Chloramine | The city's disinfectant; drives whole-home media choice |
| Hardness | Shows whether the plant's lime softening makes a home softener unnecessary |
| Total dissolved solids | Guides RO decisions and taste |
| pH | Taste and plumbing |
| Iron | Stains, especially with a private well |
Reading the city's 2025 report alongside
- Lead 90th percentile 3.7 ppb and copper 0.10 ppm (September 2025), no sites over the action level.
- Sodium 31.8 ppm, fluoride 0.54 ppm, arsenic 0.72 ppb.
- TTHM 33.1 ppb and HAA5 22.5 ppb.
The city's service line inventory found no lead service lines in its distribution system. The city-owned part of a service line runs from the main to the meter; from the meter into the house is private. If you know your private line's material, the city asks you to report it at 561-243-7312.
When to use a certified lab
- Lead: the report says to contact the Utilities Department at 561-243-7312 if you want your water tested for lead.
- Private well bacteria and nitrate: a certified lab; in Palm Beach County the Department of Health runs an environmental lab in West Palm Beach.
- PFAS: a certified lab using EPA methods.
See home screening vs. lab analysis.
Notes that make the test more useful
- Which taps bother you, and when: first thing in the morning, after vacation, only hot water.
- Whether your sprinklers use reclaimed water, city water or a well.
- The age of your water heater and any recent plumbing work.
- Whether anyone in the home has been told by a doctor to watch sodium or other substances; that guides drinking water choices.
What the visit looks like
Jorge comes to your home, tests at your kitchen tap and anywhere else you have a concern, explains each number, and answers questions. If nothing needs fixing, he says so. If something fits, you get an itemized quote. See what happens during a home water assessment. Call, text or WhatsApp (305) 793-5974.
https://www.delraybeachfl.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/15661/639117568552970000
https://www.delraybeachfl.gov/government/city-departments/utilities/drinking-water/consumer-confidence-report
https://www.delraybeachfl.gov/government/city-departments/water-utilities/water-service-line-inventory
https://palmbeach.floridahealth.gov/programs-and-services/environmental-health/water-lab/
Updated 2026-10-17 · Living Waters · Jorge Canela, Water Quality Specialist