Duval County, Florida: drinking water report. Duval County – Jacksonville – covers 840 square miles and serves about 1 million residents, making it…
Duval County – Jacksonville – covers 840 square miles and serves about 1 million residents, making it geographically one of the largest cities in the contiguous United States. JEA (formerly Jacksonville Electric Authority) provides water from over 130 groundwater wells tapping the Floridan Aquifer. The sheer number of wells spread across such a large area means water quality can vary significantly from one neighborhood to another, even within the same utility.
Jacksonville's Floridan Aquifer water is naturally hard and contains elevated levels of hydrogen sulfide in some wells, producing the "rotten egg" odor that many residents recognize. Treatment includes aeration to remove sulfide, softening in some plants, and disinfection. These are aesthetic and operational challenges rather than health hazards, but they affect the daily experience of drinking the water.
UCMR5 data shows PFAS detections in JEA's system. Naval Air Station Jacksonville and Naval Station Mayport are both confirmed PFAS sources from AFFF firefighting foam use. According to the Florida DEP's 2024 monitoring data, 12 sampling points in the JEA system showed PFAS above detection thresholds, with the highest readings near the naval installations.
With over 130 wells, JEA's system has more variability than most single-utility counties. Your water quality depends on which well or well cluster serves your neighborhood.
Check your water for data mapped to your ZIP code. For sulfide-related taste issues, an activated carbon filter helps. For PFAS near the naval bases, reverse osmosis provides stronger removal. Our water filter guide covers both. Pull your detailed report, and visit our Florida page for statewide patterns.
Drinking water is one exposure route. These federal datasets also cover Duval County, FL.
The EPA places Duval County, FL in Zone 3 - the EPA's lowest-risk category, with a predicted average indoor radon level below 2 pCi/L. Zone maps predict an area's radon potential from geology and existing indoor readings; they say nothing about a specific house. Testing is the only way to know your own level.
42% of homes in Duval County, FL were built before 1980, and 9% before 1950. Residential lead paint was banned in 1978, so housing age is the strongest available proxy for lead-paint exposure. This describes the county's housing stock, not any one home.
Modelled annual fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) in Duval County, FL averages 8.4 µg/m³, within the EPA's annual standard of 9 µg/m³. These are CDC modelled county estimates rather than readings from a specific monitor.
How radon zones work · Air quality by county · Lead exposure guide