City system vs. your own well
Hialeah Water & Sewer serves more than 230,000 residents across about 23 square miles, including parts of unincorporated Miami-Dade County. That water comes from county plants and the Hialeah Reverse Osmosis plant and is tested under state and federal rules. A well on your property is different: the Florida Department of Health is clear that private well owners are responsible for their own water quality.
A tale of two aquifers
The city's RO plant reaches about 1,400 feet down into the brackish Upper Floridan Aquifer and runs it through membranes. Private wells in the area typically tap the shallow Biscayne Aquifer instead, the same limestone source the county treats at its plants. Untreated, Biscayne water tends to be hard and can carry iron and hydrogen sulfide. That is why a backyard well and the city's tap water can behave so differently.
What the Florida DOH recommends
| Test | How often |
|---|---|
| Coliform bacteria and nitrate | At least once a year |
| After a change in taste, odor or color | Right away |
| After disinfecting the well | Retest afterward |
| Lead | About every three years |
The DOH's public health laboratory in Miami tests private well samples for coliforms and E. coli, and your county health department or a state-certified lab can help too. Jorge's in-home test focuses on what drives equipment choices, such as hardness, iron and odor.
Building a well system
There is no single well system. Based on the test, Living Water's well water systems combine stages such as iron and sulfur treatment, a softener for hardness and filtration. For drinking water, an under-sink RO system can be added at the kitchen sink. If bacteria are a concern, disinfection is a separate decision; see UV vs. reverse osmosis for well water.
Irrigation wells in Hialeah
Most of the well calls Jorge gets in Hialeah are about irrigation water: orange stains on the house and driveway, or a sulfur smell when the sprinklers run. Treating the irrigation line or adjusting the heads can solve it. Remember that Miami-Dade's outdoor watering restrictions cover private wells too. Call, text or WhatsApp (305) 793-5974 to have yours tested.
https://www.hialeahfl.gov/1040/Water-Sewer
https://www.hialeahfl.gov/Archive.aspx?ADID=534
https://www.floridahealth.gov/community-environmental-public-health/environmental-public-health/water-quality/drinking-water/private-wells/
https://www.floridahealth.gov/community-environmental-public-health/public-health-laboratories/laboratory-services/environmental-laboratory-services/well-water-testing/
https://www.miamidade.gov/global/water/conservation/outdoor-water-restrictions.page
Updated 2026-10-17 · Living Waters · Jorge Canela, Water Quality Specialist