Two plants, one blended supply
According to the City of Lake Worth Beach 2025 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report, the water treatment plant at 301 College Street is really two facilities working together:
| Facility | Raw water | Design capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Lime Softening Plant | East Coast Surficial Aquifer and Biscayne Aquifer, 100 to 300 feet deep, from 12 production wells | Up to 12.9 million gallons per day |
| Reverse Osmosis Plant | Brackish (slightly salty) Floridan Aquifer water from 3 wells about 1,500 feet deep | Average of 5.1 million gallons per day |
All 15 wells sit within about half a mile of the plant. The treated water from both plants is blended, and the report describes the result as non-corrosive water that is good for washing and bathing. In 2025 the system averaged about 6 million gallons a day, with a peak day above 8 million.
Chloramines are the everyday disinfectant
The blended water is disinfected with chloramines, a combination of chlorine and ammonia, before distribution. The 2025 report lists a chloramine level of 3.74 parts per million, with individual results from 0.6 to 5.0, against a maximum residual disinfectant level of 4.0. That residual is what many residents notice as a pool-like taste or smell, especially at the kitchen tap.
Every so often the city switches temporarily to free chlorine to clean the distribution system. In 2025 it did so from August 24 to September 14 and then went back to chloramines. Customers may notice a stronger chlorine taste during those weeks. See chlorine and chloramine filters in Lake Worth Beach.
Who is on Lake Worth Beach water
The service area is bigger than the city. The report says it covers everyone within city limits plus areas outside the city, generally between Congress Avenue and Interstate 95, from 10th Avenue North south to Hypoluxo Road. The city's chlorination notice also names consecutive systems that buy its water: Hypoluxo Village, John Prince Park, Lantana Cascade and Palm Breezes Club.
So a Lake Worth or Lantana mailing address west of I-95 may well be on Lake Worth Beach water, and some addresses nearby are on other utilities. Your water bill settles it. Customer service is 561-533-7300; questions about the report go to the Water Treatment Plant at 561-586-1710.
Other numbers in the 2025 report
- Fluoride: 0.05 ppm in the April 2025 sample. See fluoride filters.
- Sodium: 53 ppm, which the report attributes to saltwater intrusion and leaching from soil.
- Iron: 0.038 ppm, under the secondary standard of 0.3.
- Disinfection byproducts: TTHM at 11.9 ppb and HAA5 at 17.5 ppb, under limits of 80 and 60.
- PFAS: an unregulated contaminants table from November 2025 sampling. See PFAS in Lake Worth Beach.
- Source water: a 2025 state assessment found ten potential sources of contamination near the wells, all with a low susceptibility level.
Wells, sprinklers and older plumbing
City water is only part of the picture. Some properties in and around Lake Worth Beach use a private well for irrigation, and a few for drinking. That water is untreated groundwater and can carry iron and hydrogen sulfide, which shows up as orange stains and rotten-egg smells. Florida does not require routine testing of private home wells, so the owner decides when to test. See well water in Lake Worth Beach and orange stains.
The city's 2026 capital plan includes replacing aging water mains. Inside the home, older plumbing and water heaters are their own source of taste, color and odor complaints, which is why Jorge tests at your tap rather than assuming.
What usually fits a Lake Worth Beach home
- Bungalow or single-family home: a whole-home city water system aimed at chloramine, often with under-sink alkaline RO for drinking water.
- Apartment or condo: under-sink RO, since whole-home equipment needs a main-line location.
- Restaurant, laundry, gym or hotel: an ion-exchange softening plant if testing shows hardness worth treating for the equipment. See water softeners.
- Private drinking well: a well water system built from the well's test.
Every Lake Worth Beach topic, and how to book
Systems: whole-home filtration, water softeners, under-sink RO, best drinking water system, softener vs. filter.
Problems: chlorine and chloramine, rotten-egg smell, orange stains, hard water spots, dry skin after showering, PFAS, fluoride, well water.
Costs: filtration, reverse osmosis, softener. Testing: home water testing.
Call, text or WhatsApp Jorge at (305) 793-5974. He tests at your tap, explains the results in plain words, and recommends a system only if it fits. Living Water offers financing through its financing partners; you apply with a credit application, and a co-applicant can apply with you.
https://utilities.lakeworthbeachfl.gov/water-utility
https://utilities.lakeworthbeachfl.gov/resources/water-sewer-and-storm-documents
https://colwb.box.com/s/3y4axsrzhucz69n8svudcwprl1lpeh4x
https://colwb.box.com/s/8frdbw7untt1zfypeu7fp5lz3meg02tp
https://www.floridahealth.gov/community-environmental-public-health/environmental-public-health/water-quality/drinking-water/private-wells/
Updated 2026-10-17 · Living Waters · Jorge Canela, Water Quality Specialist