What the screening checks
- Total and free chlorine: District 1 uses chloramines, listed at 3.8 ppm in the 2025 report. Total chlorine shows the chloramine level at your tap.
- Hardness: the county softens with lime; your tap shows the result.
- TDS: total dissolved minerals, a baseline for drinking water.
- pH: for comparing tap and filtered water.
Reading the county report
Broward County publishes one report for all its districts, in columns: 1A, 2A, 3A and 3BC. Lauderdale Lakes is in the District 1 service area, so read the 1A column. A few of its 2025 lines:
| Item | 1A result | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Chlorine (chloramine residual) | 3.8 ppm (1.2 to 4.8) | 4.0 running annual average |
| HAA5 | 56.1 ppb | 60 |
| TTHM | 54.1 ppb | 80 |
| Fluoride | 0.845 ppm | 4 |
| Lead, 90th percentile | 1.65 ppb | 15 action level |
The county says it performs about 14,734 tests a year in its certified drinking water laboratory.
When a lab is the right tool
- Lead in your home plumbing: the county reports lead tap sampling data on its lead information page.
- Private wells: bacteria and nitrate at a certified lab, as the Florida Department of Health recommends.
- PFAS: needs a specialized lab method.
See home screening vs. lab analysis.
Your tap vs. the county's numbers
The county's figures describe the whole District 1 system. Your tap can differ: chloramine is often higher close to the plant and lower at the far ends of the pipes, water that sits overnight in your plumbing tastes different from water that has run for a minute, and a water heater changes the hot side. That is why Jorge tests cold and hot, first-draw and flushed, and explains the difference. The goal is a clear picture of your house, not a sales number.
Test by symptom
- Pool smell: chlorine. See chloramine filters.
- Rotten-egg smell on hot water: the water heater. See sulfur smell.
- White crust: hardness. See hard water spots.
- Orange marks outdoors: irrigation iron. See orange stains.
What you get at the end
After the readings, Jorge walks you through each one in plain words, points out anything that differs from the county's report, and tells you whether any equipment makes sense. Sometimes the honest answer is that nothing is needed, or that a plumber should look at the water heater first. If a system does fit, you get an itemized quote to take your time with. There is no obligation either way.
Book it
Have a recent water bill handy so Jorge can confirm your provider. Call, text or WhatsApp (305) 793-5974. Read what happens during a home water assessment.
https://www.broward.org/waterservices/WaterQualityReport
https://www.broward.org/WaterServices/Pages/Default.aspx
https://www.floridahealth.gov/community-environmental-public-health/public-health-laboratories/laboratory-services/environmental-laboratory-services/well-water-testing/
Updated 2026-10-17 · Living Waters · Jorge Canela, Water Quality Specialist