Citrus County, Florida: drinking water report. Citrus County on Florida's Nature Coast has about 149,000 residents in Crystal River, Inverness, and…
Citrus County on Florida's Nature Coast has about 149,000 residents in Crystal River, Inverness, and surrounding communities. The county draws almost entirely from the Floridan Aquifer – the same vast limestone aquifer system that feeds many of Florida's famous springs. The karst geology that creates the springs also creates direct connections between the land surface and the drinking water supply.
Nitrate loading in the Floridan Aquifer has been increasing across Citrus County. According to the Southwest Florida Water Management District's 2024 springs monitoring report, nitrate concentrations in several Citrus County springs have risen from less than 0.5 mg/L in the 1970s to above 2.0 mg/L today. While still below the MCL, the trend reflects increasing fertilizer use, septic system density, and development over the aquifer recharge zone.
The former Inverness Airport has documented limited AFFF use. Florida DEP's 2024 investigation found PFAS at 4 ppt in one monitoring well near the facility – at the detection threshold. The more immediate concern for most residents is the aquifer's vulnerability to any surface contamination in this karst terrain.
Citrus County's spring-fed aquifer is a remarkable natural resource, but the same geology that makes it productive makes it vulnerable. What goes on the ground – fertilizer, septic effluent, chemical spills – reaches the aquifer with minimal filtering through the porous limestone.
Check your water for data at your address. For nitrate trending upward and the emerging contaminants entering the karst aquifer, reverse osmosis provides the broadest household protection. Our water filter guide covers systems suited to Florida groundwater. Pull your detailed report for trends, and visit our Florida page for statewide data.