Two kinds of wells
| Drinking well | Irrigation well | |
|---|---|---|
| Feeds | Every tap and shower | Sprinklers |
| WASD water bill | Usually none | Yes, for the house |
| Typical issues | Odor, iron, hardness, taste | Orange stains, outdoor sulfur smell |
| Treatment | Whole-home well system | Iron treatment on the irrigation line |
Checking a Tamiami property
Because Tamiami is unincorporated, county tools are the authority. Miami-Dade publishes an open-data list of properties potentially served by septic systems or private wells, and a Connection Finder service with water and sewer connection information for a property. If you are buying, ask the seller whether a well serves the house, the yard or both.
If you have both a WASD connection and a sprinkler well, keep the two systems separate; county rules on backflow and cross-connections exist to protect the public water supply.
Florida Department of Health guidance
- Test for bacteria and nitrate at least once a year.
- When buying or selling, test for coliform bacteria, nitrate and lead.
- Ask the county health department about extra tests suited to nearby land use.
Those go to a certified lab. Jorge's visit adds the readings that size equipment: hardness, iron, sulfur odor, pH and dissolved solids.
Building a well system
Untreated Biscayne Aquifer water has not had the softening WASD applies at its plants, so hardness is often part of the design along with iron and sulfur. A system may combine sediment filtration, iron and sulfur treatment, softening and a drinking-water stage like under-sink RO. Bacteria control is a separate decision; read UV vs. reverse osmosis for well water.
The order of stages matters: iron and sulfur are usually handled before softening, and a drinking-water stage comes last. Getting that sequence wrong is a common reason well equipment underperforms.
Irrigation wells
Sprinkler wells cause most of the orange stains around Tamiami homes. Miami-Dade's watering restrictions apply to them: odd addresses Wednesday and Saturday, even addresses Thursday and Sunday, before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m. Treatment on the irrigation line, sized to the pump, is the lasting fix.
Start with the test
See the well water system page, then call, text or WhatsApp Jorge at (305) 793-5974.
Have any past lab reports ready; they help Jorge design around known results.
https://www.floridahealth.gov/community-environmental-public-health/environmental-public-health/water-quality/drinking-water/private-wells/
https://opendata.miamidade.gov/datasets/potential-properties-served-by-septic-or-well
https://www.miamidade.gov/global/service.page?Mduid_service=ser1536071310599328
https://www.miamidade.gov/global/water/conservation/outdoor-water-restrictions.page
https://www.miamidade.gov/resources/water/documents/2025-water-quality-report.pdf
Updated 2026-10-17 · Living Waters · Jorge Canela, Water Quality Specialist