Fort Walton Beach, FL Water Quality Report

Is Fort Walton Beach tap water safe? See PFAS and lead contamination levels for Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Compare to EPA limits and get filter recommendations.

Quick Answers

Is Fort Walton Beach tap water safe to drink? Fort Walton Beach tap water meets most federal EPA limits, but PFAS compounds have been detected at an average of 17.4 ppt across 1 compound. A certified pitcher filter or reverse osmosis system is recommended for sensitive populations.

What contaminants are in Fort Walton Beach water? Top PFAS compounds detected in Fort Walton Beach water: lithium (24.6 ppt). See the full table for all monitored contaminants and comparison to EPA limits.

What filter should I use in Fort Walton Beach? Reverse osmosis removes 90%+ of PFAS, lead, and arsenic. NSF-53 certified pitcher and faucet filters (ZeroWater, Clearly Filtered, LifeStraw) work for smaller households. Skip standard Brita filters for PFAS removal.

Fort Walton Beach Water Quality Summary

EPA testing has detected PFAS "forever chemicals" in Fort Walton Beach drinking water. Recent monitoring found a peak level of 24.6 ppt across 3 water systems, representing an average of 17.4 ppt across 1 detected compound.

Contamination Level: MODERATE – Moderate contamination – PFAS detected at meaningful levels; filtration recommended.

Top Detected Compounds

  • lithium: 24.6 ppt (exceeds EPA 4 ppt limit for PFOA/PFOS)

Lead in Fort Walton Beach Water

EPA Lead and Copper Rule testing has recorded 15 lead samples for Fort Walton Beach water systems, with a 90th-percentile high of 0.02 mg/L (above the EPA 0.015 mg/L action level). There is no safe level of lead for children; if your home was built before 1986, a certified NSF/ANSI 53 lead-removal filter is recommended.

EPA Violations in Fort Walton Beach

Fort Walton Beach public water systems have 1 health-based EPA Safe Drinking Water Act violation on record, including Gross Alpha (excl. radon & uranium). Health-based violations mean a contaminant exceeded its federal limit or required treatment was not applied.

About the Data

These figures come from the EPA's Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule 5 (UCMR5) testing program, 2023-2025. UCMR5 is the most comprehensive national drinking water survey in US history, covering 66,000+ public water systems. Population of Fort Walton Beach: approximately 21,335.

ZIP Codes Served

32547, 32548, 32549

What Fort Walton Beach Residents Should Do

  1. Enter your exact ZIP code at knowyourexposure.com for address-level data
  2. Install an NSF/ANSI 58 reverse osmosis filter (removes 94-99% of PFAS)
  3. If you're in a high-exposure group (pregnant, young children), consider a PFAS home test kit
  4. Review your utility's Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) annually