Two agencies, one glass of water
| Role | Who |
|---|---|
| Pumps and treats the water | Miami-Dade WASD, from Biscayne Aquifer wells |
| Delivers it in Opa-locka and publishes the city's Water Quality Report | City of Opa-locka Department of Public Works, 12950 NW 42nd Ave, 305-953-2828 |
| After-hours water emergencies | City emergency line, 786-644-6890 |
The city's website also describes moving the billing side of utility service to WASD, so your bill may carry the county's name even though Opa-locka's Public Works handles the local system. The city's pipes reach a little beyond its borders: Miami Gardens' comprehensive plan notes that a small part of Miami Gardens near NW 151 Street is served through Opa-locka's distribution system, with the water supplied by Miami-Dade County.
How WASD treats the water
WASD's 2024 Water Quality Report says its three regional plants, Alexander Orr Jr., Hialeah and John E. Preston, feed a common distribution system, and that in general the Hialeah and Preston plants serve residents north of SW 8 Street up to the Broward line. Both draw solely from the Biscayne Aquifer.
- Hialeah plant: lime treatment to reduce hardness, filtration, disinfection, plus air stripping to remove volatile organic compounds.
- Preston plant: an enhanced softening process because its source water carries more natural organic material, then air stripping.
- Everywhere: chlorine plus ammonia to form chloramine, and a phosphorus compound to reduce corrosion in pipes and household plumbing.
What Opa-locka's own report shows
The city's 2024 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report, the latest full report on its Water Supply page, lists no violations and these results from 2024 sampling:
| Parameter | Result | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Total trihalomethanes | 25.55 ppb (range 12.60 to 27.41) | 80 ppb |
| Haloacetic acids | 40.68 ppb (range 20.99 to 41.91) | 60 ppb |
| Disinfectant residual (listed as chlorine) | 0.2 to 4.1 ppm | MRDL 4 ppm |
| Lead, 90th percentile at the tap | 0.9 ppb | Action level 15 ppb |
| Copper, 90th percentile at the tap | 0.0807 ppm | Action level 1.3 ppm |
Trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids are byproducts of disinfection. Both are within their limits. For the full list of what WASD detected at the plants, the city's report points to WASD's own annual report.
Chloramine, the yearly chlorine switch and fluoride
- Chloramine: the reason for the faint pool-like taste. Details on chloramine filters in Opa-locka.
- Annual chlorine conversion: each year WASD temporarily uses free chlorine instead of combined chlorine; in 2025 it ran October 13 to 26. Opa-locka posts the notice and fact sheet in English and Spanish.
- Fluoride: WASD stopped adding it on May 29, 2025; trace natural fluoride remains. See fluoride filters.
Lead, plumbing and older homes
Opa-locka's report notes that lead in drinking water comes mainly from service lines and home plumbing, which a utility cannot control. In 2024 the city's 90th-percentile lead result at the tap was 0.9 ppb, against an action level of 15. If your home has older plumbing, the city's advice is simple: when water has sat for several hours, run the tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before drinking or cooking, and consider a lab test if you are concerned. WASD's corrosion-control treatment, a phosphorus compound added at the plants, is designed to reduce corrosion in pipes and household plumbing. Miami-Dade publishes its service line inventory at miamidade.gov/knowyourpipes.
For a filter aimed at lead, choose a model certified for lead reduction and check the exact listing. Jorge's free screening does not measure lead; a certified laboratory does.
What fits an Opa-locka home or business
- House: a whole-home system for chloramine at every tap, often with under-sink alkaline RO in the kitchen.
- Apartment or rental: under-sink RO, with the owner's permission.
- Shop, restaurant, warehouse office or laundry: softening or filtration sized to the equipment, after testing. See water softeners.
- Well on the property: treatment configured from the well's own test. See well water.
All Opa-locka water topics, and how to book
Systems: whole-home filtration, softeners, under-sink RO, best drinking water system, softener vs. filter.
Problems: chloramine, rotten-egg smell, rust stains, hard water spots, dry skin after showering, PFAS, fluoride, well water.
Costs and testing: filtration cost, RO cost, softener cost, home water testing. Nearby: Miami Gardens and Hialeah.
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, with an itemized quote. Living Water offers financing through its financing partners; you apply with a credit application, and a co-applicant can apply with you.
https://www.opalockafl.gov/164/Water-Supply
https://www.opalockafl.gov/DocumentCenter/View/5199/2024-Water-Quality-Report
https://www.miamidade.gov/water/library/reports/water-quality-2024.pdf
https://www.opalockafl.gov/DocumentCenter/View/5381/Fact-Sheet-2025
https://www.miamidade.gov/global/water/water-supply-and-treatment.page
https://www.opalockafl.gov/297/Utility-Billing-Transition
https://www.miamigardens-fl.gov/DocumentCenter/View/8231/CDMP---Infrastructure-Element-DataInventory-Analysis
Updated 2026-10-17 · Living Waters · Jorge Canela, Water Quality Specialist