What the city already watches
- More than 2,500 tests a month across treatment and distribution, according to the 2025 report.
- Biweekly algal toxin monitoring of source and finished water during algae season, with results on the city's Safe Water Dashboard.
- An annual Water Quality Report at wpb.org/WaterReport, with a Spanish edition.
The dashboard shows microcystin results at the plant intake and where treated water enters the distribution system, which is a useful look at how treatment handles lake water.
What a home screening covers
| Test | Why it matters in West Palm Beach |
|---|---|
| Total chlorine | Chloramine level at your tap; the city lists a highest annual average of 3.2 ppm |
| Hardness | The plant lime softens, but no hardness figure is published, so this is the number to know before a softener |
| Total dissolved solids | The report lists 243 ppm from January 2025; useful before and after RO |
| pH | A general water quality reading |
Lead and service lines
The city explains that lead in drinking water comes mainly from service lines and home plumbing. If you want your water tested for lead, its report directs you to City of West Palm Beach Laboratory Services at (561) 822-2269. The service line inventory is posted on the city's Water Service Line page. If you use a filter for lead, the report advises one certified to reduce lead by an ANSI-accredited certifier.
When a lab is the right tool
Home screening is not a certified lab analysis. For bacteria in a private well, the Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County runs its Environmental Laboratory right in West Palm Beach, testing for total coliform and E. coli; call 561-840-4500. See home screening vs. lab analysis.
Good times to test
- Before buying any filter or softener, so you size it to real numbers.
- If you notice a taste or odor change outside the summer chlorine switch.
- After moving from a groundwater city; lake-sourced water may taste different from what you are used to.
- If you have an existing filter and want to know whether chloramine is getting through.
- If you are not sure whether you are on city or county water.
How the visit goes
- Call, text or WhatsApp (305) 793-5974 to book.
- Jorge tests at your kitchen tap and anywhere else that matters to you.
- He explains each result in plain words.
- If a system fits, you get an itemized quote; if not, he says so.
More: what happens during a home water assessment.
https://www.wpb.org/files/assets/city/v/2/public-utilities/documents/water-quality-reports/2025westpalmbeach-webreport.pdf
https://www.wpb.org/Departments/Public-Utilities/Water-Quality-Reports
https://www.wpb.org/Departments/Public-Utilities/Safe-Water-Dashboard
https://palmbeach.floridahealth.gov/programs-and-services/environmental-health/water-lab/
Updated 2026-10-17 · Living Waters · Jorge Canela, Water Quality Specialist