Do Miami Shores homes use wells for drinking water?

Homes are served by WASD; private wells in the Village are typically for irrigation.

Is irrigation well water treated?

No. It is untreated groundwater and can carry iron and sulfur.

Do watering restrictions apply to my well?

Yes. Miami-Dade's restrictions apply to private wells too.

How often should a drinking well be tested?

Florida DOH recommends bacteria and nitrate testing at least yearly through a certified lab.

Can Jorge test my irrigation well?

Yes, for iron, pH, hardness and odor.

Can I connect my irrigation well to the house?

Any connection needs proper backflow protection and must follow local rules. Ask a licensed plumber.

Well Water Treatment in Miami Shores

Drinking water vs. irrigation wells

	WASD tap water	Private irrigation well
Source	Biscayne Aquifer, treated at WASD plants	Shallow groundwater on your lot
Treatment	Lime softening, filtration, air stripping, chloramine	None unless you add it
Tested by	WASD, reported yearly	You
Common issues	Chloramine taste, dissolved solids	Iron stains, sulfur smell, clogged heads

Checking what your property has

Miami-Dade publishes an open-data list of properties potentially served by septic or wells, a useful first check. Your water bill shows whether WASD serves your home. If a previous owner installed a well pump for sprinklers, look for a pump and pressure tank near the irrigation controller.

Neighboring homes can differ: one lot may have a working irrigation well while the next waters from WASD. If you just bought a home, ask the seller or check the irrigation system for a dedicated pump before assuming either.

Rules that apply

Miami-Dade's outdoor watering restrictions apply to any water source, including private wells, canals and lakes.
Odd-numbered addresses water Wednesdays and Saturdays; even-numbered, Thursdays and Sundays; before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m.
Any connection between a well and household plumbing needs proper backflow protection; ask a licensed plumber.

WASD's free landscape irrigation evaluation, listed on the same county page, is for systems with a working in-ground setup, including a pump; ask the county whether your property qualifies.

If you drink from a well

The Florida Department of Health says private well owners are responsible for their water. It recommends testing for bacteria and nitrate at least once a year, and for coliform bacteria, nitrate and lead when a home is bought or sold. Those are certified lab tests. Jorge adds the measurements needed to design equipment: iron, hardness, pH, odor and dissolved solids.

Building a treatment plan

Iron: iron filtration, often with oxidation.
Sulfur odor: aeration or oxidizing filtration.
Hardness: ion-exchange softening.
Drinking water: under-sink alkaline RO after upstream treatment.

See the well water system and UV vs. RO for well water.

For irrigation-only wells, the goal is usually narrower: stop stains on walls and walkways and keep sprinkler heads from clogging. That can mean a single iron-focused stage on the irrigation line, sized to the pump's flow, rather than a full household system.

Free assessment

Call, text or WhatsApp Jorge at (305) 793-5974. Cost factors: well water treatment cost in Florida.

Sources:
https://www.miamidade.gov/resources/water/documents/2025-water-quality-report.pdf
https://www.floridahealth.gov/community-environmental-public-health/environmental-public-health/water-quality/drinking-water/private-wells/
https://www.miamidade.gov/global/water/conservation/outdoor-water-restrictions.page
https://opendata.miamidade.gov/datasets/potential-properties-served-by-septic-or-well

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