Chromium-6 Contamination

Chromium-6 in Florida Drinking Water

Ranked by max chromium-6 detected (µg/L) · UCMR 3 data (2013–2015) · Data from EPA SDWIS & UCMR

165

Cities Tested

165

Detected

100%

% Detected

0.33 µg/L

State Avg

▼ 0% vs national

vs National

343

Health Violations

Analysis

Chromium-6 in Florida: what the data shows

Florida has 165 cities with chromium-6 data from the EPA's UCMR 3 program (2013–2015). Hexavalent chromium (Cr VI) was detected in 165 of those cities. There is currently no federal MCL for chromium-6 — California's 10 µg/L limit is used as a reference. The state average max detected level is 0.33 µg/L. Chromium-6 occurs naturally in some groundwater aquifers but also from industrial discharge, particularly from steel processing, chrome plating, and leather tanning. It is distinct from trivalent chromium (Cr III), which is an essential nutrient at low doses. The National Toxicology Program and IARC classify chromium-6 as a carcinogen via inhalation; the evidence for drinking water carcinogenicity is strong but regulatory action at the federal level remains pending as of 2026. Reverse osmosis systems effectively remove chromium-6 to near-undetectable levels.

Comparison

Cities exceeding No federal MCL (CA: 10 µg/L)

Florida

100%

165 of 165 cities

← = Exactly at national rate

National avg

100%

4005 of 4005 cities

City Map

Chromium-6 data across Florida

Each dot is a city with UCMR 3 chromium-6 data. Detected cities are shown; there is no federal MCL — California's 10 µg/L limit is used as a reference. Size reflects population served.

Worst Offenders

Top 10 cities by chromium-6 level in Florida

Highest Chromium-6 levels (µg/L)

All Cities

All Florida cities ranked by chromium-6 level

#	City	Level	Detected?	Violations	Grade
1	Pensacola	2.60 µg/L	Detected	5	C
2	Zephyrhills	2.40 µg/L	Detected	18	F
3	Ocala	2.23 µg/L	Detected	91	F
4	Quincy	2.10 µg/L	Detected	32	F
5	Brooksville	1.90 µg/L	Detected	41	F
6	Lady Lake	1.60 µg/L	Detected	18	F
7	Tallahassee	1.50 µg/L	Detected	12	F
8	Belleview	1.50 µg/L	Detected	18	F
9	Bonifay	1.32 µg/L	Detected	3	C-
10	The Villages	1.30 µg/L	Detected	1	B
11	Wildwood	1.30 µg/L	Detected	2	B-
12	Vero Beach	1.10 µg/L	Detected	7	D
13	Homosassa	0.80 µg/L	Detected	2	D
14	Century	0.72 µg/L	Detected	1	B-
15	Daytona Beach	0.69 µg/L	Detected	5	A-
16	Gainesville	0.68 µg/L	Detected	8	B
17	Cape Coral	0.68 µg/L	Detected	1	A
18	Dunnellon	0.68 µg/L	Detected	10	F
19	New Port Richey	0.67 µg/L	Detected	68	F
20	Silver Springs	0.64 µg/L	Detected	6	F
21	Eustis	0.63 µg/L	Detected	16	B-
22	Tarpon Springs	0.62 µg/L	Detected	3	B+
23	Coral Springs	0.61 µg/L	Detected	17	F
24	Palm Beach Gardens	0.55 µg/L	Detected	2	B
25	Dade City	0.55 µg/L	Detected	8	F
26	Palm Springs	0.54 µg/L	Detected	0	B
27	Minneola	0.53 µg/L	Detected	4	B-
28	Temple Terrace	0.51 µg/L	Detected	4	A-
29	Defuniak Springs	0.51 µg/L	Detected	10	B
30	Milton	0.49 µg/L	Detected	19	B-
31	Marco Island	0.48 µg/L	Detected	5	B-
32	South Daytona	0.48 µg/L	Detected	2	A
33	North Lauderdale	0.44 µg/L	Detected	1	F
34	Pace	0.43 µg/L	Detected	4	A
35	Lecanto	0.43 µg/L	Detected	2	F
36	Palm Coast	0.42 µg/L	Detected	6	B+
37	Edgewater	0.42 µg/L	Detected	50	B-
38	Clermont	0.40 µg/L	Detected	58	F
39	Bartow	0.38 µg/L	Detected	6	F
40	Alachua	0.37 µg/L	Detected	6	C+
41	Naples	0.37 µg/L	Detected	42	F
42	Chattahoochee	0.35 µg/L	Detected	1	B-
43	Lake Worth Beach	0.32 µg/L	Detected	0	B+
44	Lakeland	0.31 µg/L	Detected	27	D
45	Pompano Beach	0.29 µg/L	Detected	1	F
46	Riviera Beach	0.29 µg/L	Detected	32	F
47	Hudson	0.29 µg/L	Detected	4	D
48	Fort Myers	0.28 µg/L	Detected	5	C+
49	Deltona	0.28 µg/L	Detected	19	B+
50	Lauderhill	0.28 µg/L	Detected	6	F
51	Davie/Hollywood	0.27 µg/L	Detected	1	C
52	Tampa	0.26 µg/L	Detected	64	F
53	West Palm Beach	0.26 µg/L	Detected	23	C-
54	Lauderdale Lakes	0.26 µg/L	Detected	2	C
55	Navarre	0.26 µg/L	Detected	2	B-
56	Niceville	0.26 µg/L	Detected	5	A-
57	Stuart	0.26 µg/L	Detected	25	F
58	Port Orange	0.26 µg/L	Detected	2	B-
59	Wellington	0.24 µg/L	Detected	0	A-
60	Oakland Park	0.24 µg/L	Detected	0	C-
61	Safety Harbor	0.24 µg/L	Detected	1	A
62	Holly Hill	0.24 µg/L	Detected	0	B+
63	Cocoa	0.23 µg/L	Detected	1	A-
64	Coconut Creek	0.23 µg/L	Detected	0	C+
65	Lehigh Acres	0.23 µg/L	Detected	7	B
66	West Melbourne	0.23 µg/L	Detected	4	B+
67	High Springs	0.23 µg/L	Detected	18	B-
68	Ft Lauderdale	0.22 µg/L	Detected	12	F
69	Winter Park	0.22 µg/L	Detected	6	C+
70	North Miami	0.22 µg/L	Detected	1	B
71	Delray Beach	0.22 µg/L	Detected	7	C
72	Wilton Manors	0.22 µg/L	Detected	1	C+
73	Margate	0.21 µg/L	Detected	0	C-
74	Gulf Breeze	0.21 µg/L	Detected	5	B
75	Opa Locka	0.21 µg/L	Detected	1	B-
76	Florida City	0.20 µg/L	Detected	26	F
77	Boynton Beach	0.19 µg/L	Detected	42	F
78	New Smyrna Beach	0.19 µg/L	Detected	18	B+
79	Deerfield Beach	0.19 µg/L	Detected	0	C
80	Sunrise	0.18 µg/L	Detected	1	F
81	Palm Bay	0.18 µg/L	Detected	8	B
82	Crestview	0.18 µg/L	Detected	13	A-
83	Titusville	0.18 µg/L	Detected	1	C
84	Barefoot Bay	0.18 µg/L	Detected	3	A
85	Miami	0.17 µg/L	Detected	104	F
86	Orlando	0.17 µg/L	Detected	78	F
87	Groveland	0.17 µg/L	Detected	2	B
88	Ormond Beach	0.16 µg/L	Detected	43	D+
89	Springfield	0.16 µg/L	Detected	15	C
90	Sanford	0.15 µg/L	Detected	8	F
91	Miami Beach	0.15 µg/L	Detected	1	C+
92	Lithia	0.14 µg/L	Detected	12	B-
93	Lake Mary	0.14 µg/L	Detected	1	B
94	Cantonment	0.13 µg/L	Detected	5	B
95	Port Charlotte	0.13 µg/L	Detected	4	B-
96	Winter Pk/Casselbery	0.13 µg/L	Detected	0	A-
97	Dania Beach	0.13 µg/L	Detected	9	D
98	Clearwater	0.12 µg/L	Detected	14	F
99	North Miami Beach	0.12 µg/L	Detected	1	B
100	Bonita Springs	0.12 µg/L	Detected	8	B
101	Tamarac	0.12 µg/L	Detected	0	F
102	Immokalee	0.12 µg/L	Detected	15	B
103	Trenton	0.12 µg/L	Detected	8	B+
104	Pembroke Pines	0.11 µg/L	Detected	8	F
105	Melbourne	0.11 µg/L	Detected	0	A-
106	Miramar	0.11 µg/L	Detected	2	F
107	Fort Pierce	0.11 µg/L	Detected	85	F
108	Englewood	0.11 µg/L	Detected	1	B
109	Davenport	0.11 µg/L	Detected	14	F
110	Odessa	0.10 µg/L	Detected	8	C+
111	Port St Lucie	0.10 µg/L	Detected	2	D
112	Pinellas Park	0.10 µg/L	Detected	3	B
113	Jacksonville	0.10 µg/L	Detected	116	F
114	Homestead	0.10 µg/L	Detected	3	C
115	Gulfport	0.10 µg/L	Detected	1	A-
116	Jensen Beach	0.10 µg/L	Detected	75	D
117	Hialeah	0.09 µg/L	Detected	0	B-
118	Oviedo	0.09 µg/L	Detected	12	B-
119	Bradenton	0.09 µg/L	Detected	9	F
120	Kissimmee	0.09 µg/L	Detected	26	F
121	Hallandale Beach	0.09 µg/L	Detected	2	F
122	Okeechobee	0.08 µg/L	Detected	150	F
123	Casselberry	0.08 µg/L	Detected	10	B
124	Hobe Sound	0.08 µg/L	Detected	23	F
125	Live Oak	0.08 µg/L	Detected	23	D
126	Parker	0.08 µg/L	Detected	7	A-
127	Palmetto	0.08 µg/L	Detected	3	B-
128	Boca Raton	0.08 µg/L	Detected	14	B+
129	Sarasota	0.08 µg/L	Detected	9	C+
130	Lake City	0.07 µg/L	Detected	112	F
131	Winter Springs	0.07 µg/L	Detected	15	B
132	Maitland	0.07 µg/L	Detected	1	B+
133	Hialeah Gardens	0.07 µg/L	Detected	6	B+
134	Avon Park	0.07 µg/L	Detected	6	C-
135	Hollywood	0.06 µg/L	Detected	32	F
136	Orange City	0.06 µg/L	Detected	14	C+
137	Tequesta	0.06 µg/L	Detected	1	B-
138	Panama City	0.06 µg/L	Detected	6	B-
139	Winter Haven	0.06 µg/L	Detected	28	F
140	Fort Walton Beach	0.06 µg/L	Detected	4	A
141	St. Augustine	0.06 µg/L	Detected	39	F
142	Haines City	0.06 µg/L	Detected	17	F
143	Weston	0.06 µg/L	Detected	2	B-
144	Longwood	0.05 µg/L	Detected	9	F
145	Panama City Beach	0.05 µg/L	Detected	12	A-
146	Sebring	0.05 µg/L	Detected	43	F
147	Deland	0.05 µg/L	Detected	11	C-
148	Mount Dora	0.05 µg/L	Detected	6	A
149	Lake Buena Vista	0.05 µg/L	Detected	0	A
150	Leesburg	0.04 µg/L	Detected	49	F
151	Punta Gorda	0.04 µg/L	Detected	101	F
152	Jupiter	0.04 µg/L	Detected	1	B+
153	Altamonte Springs	0.04 µg/L	Detected	3	C+
154	Lynn Haven	0.04 µg/L	Detected	3	A-
155	Port St. Joe	0.04 µg/L	Detected	25	C-
156	Apopka	0.04 µg/L	Detected	14	F
157	North Port	0.04 µg/L	Detected	3	B
158	Auburndale	0.03 µg/L	Detected	5	F
159	Atlantic Beach	0.03 µg/L	Detected	6	A
160	Ocoee	0.03 µg/L	Detected	5	C-
161	Miramar Beach	0.03 µg/L	Detected	1	A-
162	Plant City	0.03 µg/L	Detected	85	D
163	Bushnell	0.03 µg/L	Detected	22	D+
164	Lake Wales	0.03 µg/L	Detected	56	F
165	Sanibel Island	0.03 µg/L	Detected	0	A-

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about chromium-6 in Florida

Is chromium-6 in Florida tap water dangerous?

Chromium-6 (hexavalent chromium) is a potential human carcinogen. There is currently no federal MCL — California's 10 µg/L limit is the most protective US standard. 165 cities in Florida had detectable chromium-6 in UCMR 3 testing (2013–2015). Reverse osmosis is the most effective removal method.

Where does chromium-6 come from in Florida water?

Chromium-6 enters water supplies from two main sources: natural weathering of chromium-containing rock formations (especially in the Southwest and parts of the Midwest) and industrial discharge from steel mills, chrome plating, and coal ash sites. Groundwater systems are more commonly affected by natural sources, while surface water systems near industrial areas face pollution-related risks.

How can I filter chromium-6 from my water in Florida?

Reverse osmosis (RO) systems are the most effective, removing over 95% of chromium-6. Some high-quality activated alumina or anion exchange filters also provide significant reduction. Standard carbon filters and pitcher filters are generally NOT effective against chromium-6. Look for filters certified by NSF International against NSF/ANSI 58 (for RO systems).

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