Nitrate Contamination

Nitrate in Florida Drinking Water

Ranked by nitrate violation count · Data from EPA SDWIS & UCMR

283

Cities Tested

283

Has Violations

100%

% Has Violations

6.9 violations

State Avg

▼ 0% vs national

vs National

343

Health Violations

Analysis

Nitrate in Florida: what the data shows

Florida has 283 cities with nitrate-related violations. The EPA MCL for nitrate is 10 mg/L (measured as nitrogen). The state has 283 cities with at least one nitrate violation. Nitrate is the most common groundwater contaminant in the United States. It enters water supplies primarily through agricultural fertilizer runoff, septic system leaching, and animal feedlot operations. Rural and agricultural communities face the highest risk. The primary acute health concern is methemoglobinemia ("blue baby syndrome") in infants under six months. Emerging research also links chronic nitrate exposure to thyroid disease, certain cancers, and adverse birth outcomes. Reverse osmosis, ion exchange, and distillation can remove nitrate from drinking water — standard carbon filters do not.

Comparison

Cities exceeding 10 mg/L EPA MCL

Florida

100%

283 of 283 cities

← = Exactly at national rate

National avg

100%

8001 of 8001 cities

City Map

Nitrate data across Florida

Each dot is a city with nitrate violation data. Cities with at least one nitrate-related violation are highlighted. Size reflects population served.

Worst Offenders

Top 10 cities by nitrate level in Florida

Highest Nitrate levels (violations)

All Cities

All Florida cities ranked by nitrate level

#	City	Level	Violations?	Violations	Grade
1	Thonotosassa	102 violations	Yes	54	F
2	Plant City	75 violations	Yes	85	D
3	Ocala	74 violations	Yes	91	F
4	Tampa	62 violations	Yes	64	F
5	Fort Pierce	40 violations	Yes	85	F
6	Winter Haven	39 violations	Yes	28	F
7	Leesburg	36 violations	Yes	49	F
8	Seffner	33 violations	Yes	11	B-
9	Lutz	31 violations	Yes	30	F
10	Gainesville	30 violations	Yes	8	B
11	Orlando	29 violations	Yes	78	F
12	Bushnell	26 violations	Yes	22	D+
13	Crescent City	26 violations	Yes	62	D+
14	Lake City	24 violations	Yes	112	F
15	Holiday	24 violations	Yes	18	F
16	Lakeland	23 violations	Yes	27	D
17	Dade City	22 violations	Yes	8	F
18	Plantation	21 violations	Yes	3	D+
19	Zephyrhills	21 violations	Yes	18	F
20	Lake Wales	20 violations	Yes	56	F
21	Stuart	20 violations	Yes	25	F
22	New Port Richey	19 violations	Yes	68	F
23	Kissimmee	18 violations	Yes	26	F
24	St Cloud	17 violations	Yes	104	F
25	Davenport	17 violations	Yes	14	F
26	Haines City	17 violations	Yes	17	F
27	Greenville	17 violations	Yes	1	B-
28	Apopka	16 violations	Yes	14	F
29	Crystal River	16 violations	Yes	10	F
30	Okeechobee	15 violations	Yes	150	F
31	Clermont	14 violations	Yes	58	F
32	Deland	13 violations	Yes	11	C-
33	Satsuma	13 violations	Yes	17	D
34	Jacksonville	12 violations	Yes	116	F
35	St. Augustine	12 violations	Yes	39	F
36	Auburndale	12 violations	Yes	5	F
37	Madison	12 violations	Yes	8	D
38	Dundee	12 violations	Yes	16	D
39	Brooksville	11 violations	Yes	41	F
40	Dunnellon	11 violations	Yes	10	F
41	Fruitland Park	11 violations	Yes	15	F
42	Frostproof	11 violations	Yes	20	F
43	Polk City	11 violations	Yes	2	C-
44	Lake Alfred	11 violations	Yes	6	C-
45	Miami	10 violations	Yes	104	F
46	Ft Lauderdale	10 violations	Yes	12	F
47	Pompano Beach	10 violations	Yes	1	F
48	Jensen Beach	10 violations	Yes	75	D
49	Ormond Beach	10 violations	Yes	43	D+
50	Lake Placid	10 violations	Yes	39	F
51	Inverness	10 violations	Yes	40	F
52	Melbourne Beach	10 violations	Yes	14	D+
53	Montverde	10 violations	Yes	3	C+
54	Interlachen	10 violations	Yes	7	D+
55	Micco	10 violations	Yes	82	D
56	Clearwater	9 violations	Yes	14	F
57	Coral Springs	9 violations	Yes	17	F
58	Belleview	9 violations	Yes	18	F
59	Punta Gorda	9 violations	Yes	101	F
60	Hobe Sound	9 violations	Yes	23	F
61	Minneola	9 violations	Yes	4	B-
62	Jay	9 violations	Yes	24	B-
63	Inglis	9 violations	Yes	1	D+
64	Tallahassee	8 violations	Yes	12	F
65	Hollywood	8 violations	Yes	32	F
66	Sanford	8 violations	Yes	8	F
67	Longwood	8 violations	Yes	9	F
68	Palatka	8 violations	Yes	119	F
69	Starke	8 violations	Yes	24	C-
70	Labelle	8 violations	Yes	91	D
71	Hudson	8 violations	Yes	4	D
72	Mulberry	8 violations	Yes	17	F
73	Hilliard	8 violations	Yes	15	D+
74	Pierson	8 violations	Yes	4	B-
75	East Palatka	8 violations	Yes	16	D+
76	Altamonte Springs	7 violations	Yes	3	C+
77	Titusville	7 violations	Yes	1	C
78	Ocoee	7 violations	Yes	5	C-
79	Orange City	7 violations	Yes	14	C+
80	Lecanto	7 violations	Yes	2	F
81	Arcadia	7 violations	Yes	43	F
82	Live Oak	7 violations	Yes	23	D
83	Land O' Lakes	7 violations	Yes	6	F
84	Alachua	7 violations	Yes	6	C+
85	Oakland	7 violations	Yes	1	B+
86	Fort Meade	7 violations	Yes	3	D
87	Umatilla	7 violations	Yes	3	B+
88	Newberry	7 violations	Yes	2	A-
89	Malone	7 violations	Yes	5	B+
90	Waldo	7 violations	Yes	4	A-
91	Fanning Springs	7 violations	Yes	0	A
92	Sarasota	6 violations	Yes	9	C+
93	Homosassa	6 violations	Yes	2	D
94	Ft. Pierce	6 violations	Yes	16	F
95	St Leo	6 violations	Yes	1	C
96	Eatonville	6 violations	Yes	10	C-
97	Silver Springs	6 violations	Yes	6	F
98	Archer	6 violations	Yes	0	A
99	Webster	6 violations	Yes	18	B
100	Port St Lucie	5 violations	Yes	2	D
101	Lauderdale Lakes	5 violations	Yes	2	C
102	Margate	5 violations	Yes	0	C-
103	Venice	5 violations	Yes	0	B+
104	Lady Lake	5 violations	Yes	18	F
105	Tavares	5 violations	Yes	11	C+
106	Indiantown	5 violations	Yes	65	F
107	Bowling Green	5 violations	Yes	3	C
108	Pomona Park	5 violations	Yes	4	B
109	Chiefland	5 violations	Yes	32	D+
110	Grand Island	5 violations	Yes	4	B-
111	Astatula	5 violations	Yes	6	B+
112	Micanopy	5 violations	Yes	21	B+
113	North Miami Beach	4 violations	Yes	1	B
114	Sunrise	4 violations	Yes	1	F
115	Port Orange	4 violations	Yes	2	B-
116	Sebring	4 violations	Yes	43	F
117	Hallandale Beach	4 violations	Yes	2	F
118	Dania Beach	4 violations	Yes	9	D
119	Avon Park	4 violations	Yes	6	C-
120	Bartow	4 violations	Yes	6	F
121	Marianna	4 violations	Yes	4	C+
122	Mims	4 violations	Yes	55	F
123	Port Richey	4 violations	Yes	4	C-
124	Floral City	4 violations	Yes	40	D
125	Century	4 violations	Yes	1	B-
126	Keystone Heights	4 violations	Yes	2	B
127	Wauchula	4 violations	Yes	12	C
128	Apalachicola	4 violations	Yes	43	C-
129	Lake Panasoffkee	4 violations	Yes	2	B-
130	Eastpoint	4 violations	Yes	3	B
131	Geneva	4 violations	Yes	16	D+
132	Melrose	4 violations	Yes	0	A
133	Branford	4 violations	Yes	4	A-
134	Wimauma	4 violations	Yes	8	B+
135	Odessa	3 violations	Yes	8	C+
136	Naples	3 violations	Yes	42	F
137	Pembroke Pines	3 violations	Yes	8	F
138	Miramar	3 violations	Yes	2	F
139	Florida City	3 violations	Yes	26	F
140	Panama City	3 violations	Yes	6	B-
141	Riviera Beach	3 violations	Yes	32	F
142	Cooper City	3 violations	Yes	1	C
143	Davie/Hollywood	3 violations	Yes	1	C
144	Groveland	3 violations	Yes	2	B
145	Defuniak Springs	3 violations	Yes	10	B
146	Freeport	3 violations	Yes	12	B-
147	Neptune Beach	3 violations	Yes	2	A
148	Bunnell	3 violations	Yes	69	D
149	High Springs	3 violations	Yes	18	B-
150	Lowell	3 violations	Yes	38	C-
151	Moore Haven	3 violations	Yes	33	F
152	Havana	3 violations	Yes	2	B+
153	Zellwood	3 violations	Yes	2	B
154	North Fort Myers	3 violations	Yes	14	D+
155	San Antonio	3 violations	Yes	15	D
156	Lake Helen	3 violations	Yes	1	A-
157	Steinhatchee	3 violations	Yes	43	B
158	Howey In The Hills	3 violations	Yes	8	D+
159	Mayo	3 violations	Yes	40	C-
160	Babson Park	3 violations	Yes	7	C+
161	Zolfo Springs	3 violations	Yes	4	B-
162	Palm City	3 violations	Yes	1	C
163	Wellborn	3 violations	Yes	3	A-
164	West Palm Beach	2 violations	Yes	23	C-
165	Lithia	2 violations	Yes	12	B-
166	Pensacola	2 violations	Yes	5	C
167	Cocoa	2 violations	Yes	1	A-
168	Vero Beach	2 violations	Yes	7	D
169	Winter Park	2 violations	Yes	6	C+
170	North Miami	2 violations	Yes	1	B
171	Winter Garden	2 violations	Yes	4	B
172	New Smyrna Beach	2 violations	Yes	18	B+
173	Tamarac	2 violations	Yes	0	F
174	Milton	2 violations	Yes	19	B-
175	Quincy	2 violations	Yes	32	F
176	Navarre	2 violations	Yes	2	B-
177	Eustis	2 violations	Yes	16	B-
178	Lake Mary	2 violations	Yes	1	B
179	North Lauderdale	2 violations	Yes	1	F
180	Tarpon Springs	2 violations	Yes	3	B+
181	Wildwood	2 violations	Yes	2	B-
182	Cantonment	2 violations	Yes	5	B
183	Mascotte	2 violations	Yes	0	A
184	Fort Lauderdale	2 violations	Yes	2	C-
185	Perry	2 violations	Yes	31	F
186	Placida	2 violations	Yes	5	B+
187	Chipley	2 violations	Yes	16	F
188	Lake Butler	2 violations	Yes	18	B
189	Wewahitchka	2 violations	Yes	3	B+
190	Fellsmere	2 violations	Yes	18	C+
191	Palm Harbor	2 violations	Yes	2	C
192	Eagle Lake	2 violations	Yes	7	B-
193	Cross City	2 violations	Yes	81	C-
194	Lake Hamilton	2 violations	Yes	28	B
195	Old Town	2 violations	Yes	34	B
196	Baldwin	2 violations	Yes	2	A
197	Paxton	2 violations	Yes	1	A-
198	Brandon	2 violations	Yes	5	D
199	St. Petersburg	2 violations	Yes	14	C+
200	Grand Ridge	2 violations	Yes	4	A-
201	Penney Farms	2 violations	Yes	5	B
202	Jennings	2 violations	Yes	2	C+
203	Nokomis	2 violations	Yes	0	A-
204	Center Hill	2 violations	Yes	1	A
205	Yankeetown	2 violations	Yes	32	B
206	Greenwood	2 violations	Yes	0	A
207	Indian Lake Estates	2 violations	Yes	2	B+
208	Fruit Cove	2 violations	Yes	1	A-
209	Lorida	2 violations	Yes	46	D+
210	Seville	2 violations	Yes	4	A
211	Yalaha	2 violations	Yes	1	A-
212	Fort Myers	1 violations	Yes	5	C+
213	Cape Coral	1 violations	Yes	1	A
214	Melbourne	1 violations	Yes	0	A-
215	Palm Bay	1 violations	Yes	8	B
216	The Villages	1 violations	Yes	1	B
217	Daytona Beach	1 violations	Yes	5	A-
218	Homestead	1 violations	Yes	3	C
219	Bonita Springs	1 violations	Yes	8	B
220	Winter Pk/Casselbery	1 violations	Yes	0	A-
221	Deerfield Beach	1 violations	Yes	0	C
222	Wellington	1 violations	Yes	0	A-
223	Casselberry	1 violations	Yes	10	B
224	Lauderhill	1 violations	Yes	6	F
225	Oviedo	1 violations	Yes	12	B-
226	Dunedin	1 violations	Yes	4	B-
227	Englewood	1 violations	Yes	1	B
228	Green Cove Springs	1 violations	Yes	8	A
229	Winter Springs	1 violations	Yes	15	B
230	Edgewater	1 violations	Yes	50	B-
231	Marco Island	1 violations	Yes	5	B-
232	Temple Terrace	1 violations	Yes	4	A-
233	Immokalee	1 violations	Yes	15	B
234	Miramar Beach	1 violations	Yes	1	A-
235	Port St. Joe	1 violations	Yes	25	C-
236	Ponte Vedra Beach	1 violations	Yes	12	B
237	Tequesta	1 violations	Yes	1	B-
238	Holly Hill	1 violations	Yes	0	B+
239	Ponte Vedra	1 violations	Yes	7	B
240	Ave Maria	1 violations	Yes	1	B
241	Eglin Afb	1 violations	Yes	7	B+
242	Orange Park	1 violations	Yes	9	B
243	Ft. Walton Beach	1 violations	Yes	0	A
244	Bristol	1 violations	Yes	7	C+
245	Chattahoochee	1 violations	Yes	1	B-
246	Baker	1 violations	Yes	2	A-
247	Raiford	1 violations	Yes	10	A+
248	Carrabelle	1 violations	Yes	75	B
249	Belleair	1 violations	Yes	15	C
250	St George Island	1 violations	Yes	3	A-
251	Highland Beach	1 violations	Yes	2	A
252	Mcdavid	1 violations	Yes	0	A-
253	Mary Esther	1 violations	Yes	1	A
254	Crawfordville	1 violations	Yes	4	B-
255	Chuluota	1 violations	Yes	18	A-
256	Sneads	1 violations	Yes	1	A-
257	Sorrento	1 violations	Yes	10	C-
258	Golf	1 violations	Yes	10	A
259	Bonifay	1 violations	Yes	3	C-
260	Trenton	1 violations	Yes	8	B+
261	Astor	1 violations	Yes	9	B
262	Bowling Greeen	1 violations	Yes	0	B+
263	Copeland	1 violations	Yes	44	B+
264	Parkland	1 violations	Yes	0	C
265	Nalcrest	1 violations	Yes	3	B
266	Hawthorne	1 violations	Yes	2	B-
267	Mangonia Park	1 violations	Yes	2	B-
268	Williston	1 violations	Yes	2	A-
269	Callahan	1 violations	Yes	6	A+
270	Wesley Chapel	1 violations	Yes	1	B-
271	Sanderson	1 violations	Yes	2	A-
272	Beverly Beach	1 violations	Yes	19	A-
273	Bronson	1 violations	Yes	0	B+
274	Hastings	1 violations	Yes	2	A-
275	Tangerine	1 violations	Yes	1	B+
276	Cottondale	1 violations	Yes	1	A
277	Ponce De Leon	1 violations	Yes	1	A
278	Coleman	1 violations	Yes	19	B
279	White Springs	1 violations	Yes	8	A-
280	Altha	1 violations	Yes	1	A
281	Wahneta	1 violations	Yes	0	A
282	New Millford	1 violations	Yes	12	A-
283	New Millford	1 violations	Yes	12	A-

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about nitrate in Florida

Is nitrate in Florida tap water dangerous?

Yes — 283 cities in Florida have nitrate-related violations. The EPA MCL is 10 mg/L. Nitrate is especially dangerous for infants under six months, where it can cause methemoglobinemia ("blue baby syndrome"). Adults face lower acute risk, but chronic exposure is linked to thyroid disease and certain cancers.

How can I remove nitrate from my drinking water?

Reverse osmosis, ion exchange, and distillation are effective at removing nitrate. Standard carbon filters (including most pitcher and faucet-mount filters) do NOT remove nitrate. If you rely on a private well in an agricultural area, have your water tested annually for nitrate.

What causes high nitrate levels in Florida water?

Nitrate contamination comes primarily from agricultural fertilizer runoff, septic system leaching, and animal feedlot operations. Rural communities near intensive farming are most at risk. Shallow wells are particularly vulnerable. Heavy rainfall can spike nitrate levels as it washes fertilizer into groundwater and surface water supplies.

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