Water Filtration & Treatment in Hollywood

Two aquifers, one city plant

Most of Broward relies on the Biscayne Aquifer alone. Hollywood is different. According to the City of Hollywood's 2025 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report, the city's wells tap both the Biscayne Aquifer, which it describes as high-quality water that is mainly rainwater filtered through sand and rock, and the Floridan Aquifer, a much deeper source that is brackish (salty) and needs more extensive treatment. The report says water is needed from both aquifers to provide an adequate supply.

All of it is treated at the city's Water Treatment Plant:

• Biscayne water: lime softening and membrane filtration.
• Floridan water: reverse osmosis, which is what it takes to turn brackish water into drinking water.

The Department of Public Utilities says it serves more than 140,000 permanent residents plus visitors, and the report says the city runs over 28,000 tests a year on its drinking water.

Chloramines, fluoride and what changed in 2025

After treatment, Hollywood disinfects with chloramines so the water stays protected through the pipes. The 2025 report lists an average of 2.42 parts per million, below the regulatory maximum of 4.0. Chloramine is the reason many people notice a pool-like taste or smell, and it is the main thing a whole-home city water system is chosen for here.

Fluoride is the other recent change. The city's fluoridation page says fluoride use ended as of July 1, 2025, after Florida's SB 700 took effect. If you compare an older report with the newest one, that explains the lower fluoride number. More on the fluoride page.

Where Hollywood homes differ

Hollywood runs from the Broadwalk and the beach condos east of the Intracoastal to Hollywood Lakes, Emerald Hills, Hollywood Hills and the neighborhoods out west. A few local details change what Jorge looks for:

• Condos and apartments near the beach: usually one kitchen tap matters most, so an under-sink alkaline RO system is the common fit.
• Single-family homes: a whole-home city water system treats chloramine at every shower and faucet.
• Older homes: interior plumbing can affect what comes out of the tap even when the city water is fine. The city certified its service line inventory as non-lead in October 2024, but your home's own pipes are a separate question, and a test at the tap is the honest starting point.
• Homes on septic: the city says roughly 44% of Hollywood is unsewered and relies on private septic systems. That does not change your tap water, but it matters if you also use a private well, because wells and septic fields should be kept apart.

Common questions Hollywood homeowners bring to Jorge

• A chemical or chlorine taste: chlorine and chloramine filters in Hollywood.
• White spots on shower glass and faucets: hard water spots and scale.
• Orange stains on walls, pavers or the pool deck from sprinklers: rust stains from irrigation water.
• A rotten-egg smell, often only from the hot water: sulfur smell causes.
• Tight, dry-feeling skin after a shower: water and shower comfort.
• Curiosity about PFAS results in the city report: PFAS filters in Hollywood.

What filtration is for, and what it is not

Hollywood's water is treated to meet federal and state standards, and home filtration does not replace that. It lets you choose how your water tastes and feels at home: removing chloramine everywhere, polishing drinking water at the kitchen sink, or protecting appliances where a test shows hardness. For any specific contaminant, a system must be certified for that contaminant under the relevant NSF/ANSI standard, so always check the exact model's listing.

Living Water installs Puronics equipment, made by a water treatment manufacturer since 1947. Its Clarius iGen and Goodspring whole-home systems are described by Living Water as removing chlorine and chloramine. Financing is available through Living Water's financing partners with a credit application, and a co-applicant can apply with you.

How the free in-home test works

1. Call, text or WhatsApp Jorge at (305) 793-5974.
2. He tests water from your tap at home.
3. He explains each result in plain words, including what the city already removes.
4. He recommends something only if it fits, with an itemized quote and no obligation.

Details on home water testing in Hollywood and how it works.

All Hollywood water pages

• Whole-home filtration · Water softeners · Under-sink reverse osmosis
• Best drinking water system · Softener vs. filter · Water testing
• Filtration cost drivers · Reverse osmosis cost · Water softener cost
• Chlorine and chloramine · PFAS · Fluoride
• Hard water spots · Dry skin after showering · Rotten-egg smell · Rust stains · Well water treatment

Nearby: Pembroke Pines, Fort Lauderdale and Aventura.

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