HAA5 Contamination

HAA5 in Florida Drinking Water

Ranked by average HAA5 concentration (µg/L) · UCMR 4 data (2018–2020) · Data from EPA SDWIS & UCMR

184

Cities Tested

Exceeds Limit

% Exceeds Limit

17.4 µg/L

State Avg

▼ 0% vs national

vs National

321

Health Violations

Analysis

HAA5 in Florida: what the data shows

Florida has 184 cities with HAA5 monitoring data from the EPA's UCMR 4 program (2018–2020). Haloacetic acids (HAA5) form when chlorine-based disinfectants react with natural organic matter in water. The state average is 17.4 µg/L — better than the 15.5 µg/L national average. 2 cities exceed the EPA MCL of 60 µg/L. HAA5 is a group of five chlorinated and brominated acetic acids. Long-term exposure above the MCL is associated with increased cancer risk and adverse reproductive outcomes. The EPA classifies total HAA5 as a probable human carcinogen at elevated concentrations. Activated carbon filtration (especially granular or block carbon) is effective at reducing HAA5. Running water through a refrigerator filter or letting it sit in an open pitcher for 30 minutes also helps, as some HAA5 species are volatile. Boiling does not remove disinfection byproducts and may concentrate them.

Comparison

Cities exceeding 60 µg/L EPA MCL

Florida

2 of 184 cities

← = Exactly at national rate

National avg

23 of 4342 cities

City Map

HAA5 data across Florida

Each dot is a city with UCMR 4 HAA5 testing data. Cities where average HAA5 exceeded the 60 µg/L EPA MCL are highlighted. Size reflects population served.

Worst Offenders

Top 10 cities by haa5 level in Florida

Highest HAA5 levels (µg/L)

All Cities

All Florida cities ranked by haa5 level

#	City	Level	Exceeds?	Violations	Grade
1	Holly Hill	154.1 µg/L	Yes	0	B+
2	Riviera Beach	86.3 µg/L	Yes	32	F
3	Lake Clarke Shores	56.9 µg/L	No	7	B
4	Perry	55.8 µg/L	No	31	F
5	Palm Springs	52.3 µg/L	No	0	B
6	Marco Island	49.7 µg/L	No	5	B-
7	Lauderhill	48.6 µg/L	No	6	F
8	Lauderdale Lakes	43.9 µg/L	No	2	C
9	Ft Lauderdale	42.0 µg/L	No	12	F
10	Deerfield Beach	41.4 µg/L	No	0	C
11	Port St. Joe	40.5 µg/L	No	25	C-
12	North Miami	37.0 µg/L	No	1	B
13	New Smyrna Beach	36.8 µg/L	No	18	B+
14	Hialeah Gardens	35.3 µg/L	No	6	B+
15	Jensen Beach	35.0 µg/L	No	75	D
16	Lake Helen	34.6 µg/L	No	1	A-
17	Winter Haven	33.4 µg/L	No	28	F
18	Stuart	33.0 µg/L	No	25	F
19	Bonita Springs	32.5 µg/L	No	8	B
20	Bradenton	32.3 µg/L	No	9	F
21	Sebring	31.8 µg/L	No	43	F
22	Davenport	31.5 µg/L	No	14	F
23	North Lauderdale	31.1 µg/L	No	1	F
24	Deland	31.1 µg/L	No	11	C-
25	Cocoa	30.9 µg/L	No	1	A-
26	Orange City	29.9 µg/L	No	14	C+
27	Mount Dora	29.7 µg/L	No	6	A
28	Hialeah	29.6 µg/L	No	0	B-
29	Wilton Manors	29.5 µg/L	No	1	C+
30	Plant City	29.5 µg/L	No	85	D
31	Opa Locka	29.2 µg/L	No	1	B-
32	Okeechobee	28.8 µg/L	No	150	F
33	Haines City	28.0 µg/L	No	17	F
34	Bartow	27.4 µg/L	No	6	F
35	Orlando	27.4 µg/L	No	78	F
36	South Daytona	27.2 µg/L	No	2	A
37	Kissimmee	27.1 µg/L	No	26	F
38	Wellington	26.9 µg/L	No	0	A-
39	Boca Raton	26.9 µg/L	No	14	B+
40	Miami Beach	26.4 µg/L	No	1	C+
41	Tamarac	26.4 µg/L	No	0	F
42	Maitland	26.2 µg/L	No	1	B+
43	North Port	26.2 µg/L	No	3	B
44	High Springs	26.2 µg/L	No	18	B-
45	Winter Park	24.9 µg/L	No	6	C+
46	Palmetto	24.5 µg/L	No	3	B-
47	Sarasota	24.5 µg/L	No	9	C+
48	Miami	24.3 µg/L	No	104	F
49	Wildwood	24.1 µg/L	No	2	B-
50	Oakland Park	23.4 µg/L	No	0	C-
51	Lakeland	23.2 µg/L	No	27	D
52	Clearwater	23.0 µg/L	No	14	F
53	Sunrise	22.6 µg/L	No	1	F
54	Titusville	22.6 µg/L	No	1	C
55	Daytona Beach	22.3 µg/L	No	5	A-
56	Altamonte Springs	21.6 µg/L	No	3	C+
57	Pompano Beach	21.4 µg/L	No	1	F
58	Pinellas Park	20.9 µg/L	No	3	B
59	Placida	20.8 µg/L	No	5	B+
60	Punta Gorda	20.8 µg/L	No	101	F
61	Ocoee	20.5 µg/L	No	5	C-
62	Lehigh Acres	20.5 µg/L	No	7	B
63	Fort Pierce	20.2 µg/L	No	85	F
64	Jacksonville	19.9 µg/L	No	6	A-
65	Safety Harbor	19.8 µg/L	No	1	A
66	Longwood	19.7 µg/L	No	9	F
67	Casselberry	19.7 µg/L	No	10	B
68	Callaway	19.6 µg/L	No	3	B+
69	Lake Buena Vista	19.1 µg/L	No	0	A
70	Panama City	19.1 µg/L	No	6	B-
71	Boynton Beach	18.6 µg/L	No	42	F
72	Naples	18.6 µg/L	No	42	F
73	Vero Beach	18.5 µg/L	No	7	D
74	Coral Springs	18.1 µg/L	No	17	F
75	Port Orange	18.1 µg/L	No	2	B-
76	Apopka	18.1 µg/L	No	14	F
77	Ft. Pierce	17.9 µg/L	No	16	F
78	Pembroke Pines	17.9 µg/L	No	8	F
79	Lynn Haven	17.8 µg/L	No	3	A-
80	Delray Beach	17.8 µg/L	No	7	C
81	Odessa	17.6 µg/L	No	8	C+
82	Winter Pk/Casselbery	17.5 µg/L	No	0	A-
83	Auburndale	17.5 µg/L	No	5	F
84	Panama City Beach	16.8 µg/L	No	12	A-
85	Deltona	16.8 µg/L	No	19	B+
86	Lake Worth Beach	16.8 µg/L	No	0	B+
87	Port Charlotte	16.4 µg/L	No	4	B-
88	Coconut Creek	16.3 µg/L	No	0	C+
89	Florida City	16.1 µg/L	No	26	F
90	Englewood	15.7 µg/L	No	1	B
91	Gulfport	15.6 µg/L	No	1	A-
92	Ormond Beach	15.5 µg/L	No	43	D+
93	Atlantic Beach	15.2 µg/L	No	6	A
94	West Palm Beach	14.8 µg/L	No	23	C-
95	Tampa	14.7 µg/L	No	64	F
96	Sanford	14.6 µg/L	No	8	F
97	Jacksonville	14.5 µg/L	No	116	F
98	Winter Springs	14.5 µg/L	No	15	B
99	Ponte Vedra Beach	13.7 µg/L	No	12	B
100	Homestead	13.3 µg/L	No	3	C
101	Groveland	12.9 µg/L	No	2	B
102	New Port Richey	12.6 µg/L	No	68	F
103	Palm Coast	12.3 µg/L	No	6	B+
104	Fernandina Beach	12.3 µg/L	No	16	B
105	Lake Wales	12.1 µg/L	No	56	F
106	Ponte Vedra	12.0 µg/L	No	7	B
107	Margate	11.9 µg/L	No	0	C-
108	Tequesta	11.9 µg/L	No	1	B-
109	Hobe Sound	11.8 µg/L	No	23	F
110	Hollywood	11.8 µg/L	No	32	F
111	Fort Myers	11.7 µg/L	No	5	C+
112	Edgewater	11.6 µg/L	No	50	B-
113	North Miami Beach	11.4 µg/L	No	1	B
114	Lake Mary	11.4 µg/L	No	1	B
115	Miramar	11.2 µg/L	No	2	F
116	Palatka	11.2 µg/L	No	119	F
117	Live Oak	11.0 µg/L	No	23	D
118	Clermont	10.8 µg/L	No	58	F
119	Gainesville	10.5 µg/L	No	8	B
120	Lake City	10.5 µg/L	No	112	F
121	West Melbourne	10.4 µg/L	No	4	B+
122	Port St Lucie	9.6 µg/L	No	2	D
123	Melbourne	9.6 µg/L	No	0	A-
124	Dunedin	9.5 µg/L	No	4	B-
125	Winter Garden	9.5 µg/L	No	4	B
126	St. Augustine	9.4 µg/L	No	39	F
127	Temple Terrace	9.2 µg/L	No	4	A-
128	Immokalee	9.0 µg/L	No	15	B
129	Dania Beach	7.7 µg/L	No	9	D
130	Palm Bay	7.5 µg/L	No	8	B
131	Middleburg	7.3 µg/L	No	1	A
132	The Villages	7.0 µg/L	No	1	B
133	Weston	6.8 µg/L	No	2	B-
134	Quincy	6.7 µg/L	No	32	F
135	Oviedo	6.6 µg/L	No	12	B-
136	Arcadia	6.4 µg/L	No	43	F
137	Tavares	5.7 µg/L	No	11	C+
138	Avon Park	5.7 µg/L	No	6	C-
139	Leesburg	5.5 µg/L	No	49	F
140	Eustis	5.3 µg/L	No	16	B-
141	Fort Walton Beach	5.3 µg/L	No	4	A
142	Hurlburt Field	4.8 µg/L	No	6	A-
143	Gulf Breeze	4.8 µg/L	No	5	B
144	Oldsmar	4.5 µg/L	No	0	A
145	Minneola	4.5 µg/L	No	4	B-
146	Hallandale Beach	4.4 µg/L	No	2	F
147	Fleming Island	4.1 µg/L	No	1	A
148	St James City	4.0 µg/L	No	0	A
149	Clewiston	3.8 µg/L	No	14	B+
150	N. Fort Myers	3.5 µg/L	No	0	B+
151	Cape Coral	3.4 µg/L	No	1	A
152	Tarpon Springs	3.3 µg/L	No	3	B+
153	Navarre	3.2 µg/L	No	2	B-
154	Ocala	2.7 µg/L	No	91	F
155	Brooksville	2.3 µg/L	No	41	F
156	Green Cove Springs	2.3 µg/L	No	8	A
157	Venice	2.0 µg/L	No	0	B+
158	Santa Rosa Beach	2.0 µg/L	No	5	A
159	Freeport	2.0 µg/L	No	12	B-
160	Crestview	1.8 µg/L	No	13	A-
161	Lady Lake	1.6 µg/L	No	18	F
162	Tallahassee	1.5 µg/L	No	12	F
163	Lecanto	1.3 µg/L	No	2	F
164	Palm Beach Gardens	1.3 µg/L	No	2	B
165	Dade City	1.3 µg/L	No	8	F
166	Destin	1.2 µg/L	No	0	A+
167	Plantation	1.1 µg/L	No	3	D+
168	Pensacola	1.1 µg/L	No	5	C
169	Jupiter	1.1 µg/L	No	1	B+
170	Belleview	1.1 µg/L	No	18	F
171	Cooper City	1.0 µg/L	No	1	C
172	Niceville	0.9 µg/L	No	5	A-
173	Yalaha	0.8 µg/L	No	1	A-
174	Grand Ridge	0.8 µg/L	No	4	A-
175	Bronson	0.7 µg/L	No	0	B+
176	Zephyrhills	0.6 µg/L	No	18	F
177	Sanibel Island	0.5 µg/L	No	0	A-
178	Pace	0.5 µg/L	No	4	A
179	Miramar Beach	0.4 µg/L	No	1	A-
180	Davie/Hollywood	0.4 µg/L	No	1	C
181	Milton	0.2 µg/L	No	19	B-
182	Homosassa	0.2 µg/L	No	2	D
183	Defuniak Springs	0.2 µg/L	No	10	B
184	Century	0.0 µg/L	No	1	B-

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about haa5 in Florida

What is HAA5 and why does it appear in Florida tap water?

HAA5 (haloacetic acids) are disinfection byproducts that form when chlorine reacts with naturally occurring organic matter in source water. They are a normal byproduct of the disinfection process that makes water safe to drink. 2 cities in Florida exceed the EPA MCL of 60 µg/L. The state average is 17.4 µg/L.

How can I reduce HAA5 exposure from Florida drinking water?

Activated carbon filters (granular or block) effectively reduce HAA5. Refrigerator filters and under-sink carbon systems are convenient options. Unlike lead or PFAS, HAA5 levels can also be reduced by letting water stand in an open container, as some species evaporate. Boiling does NOT remove HAA5 and can concentrate them by reducing water volume.

Which Florida cities have the highest HAA5 levels?

The cities with the highest average HAA5 concentrations in Florida are: Holly Hill (154.1 µg/L), Riviera Beach (86.3 µg/L), Lake Clarke Shores (56.9 µg/L), Perry (55.8 µg/L), Palm Springs (52.3 µg/L). Note: this data is from UCMR 4 testing (2018–2020) and may not reflect current levels.

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