Hillsborough County, Florida: drinking water report. Hillsborough County – Tampa and surrounding communities – serves about 1.5 million residents.
Hillsborough County – Tampa and surrounding communities – serves about 1.5 million residents. The county's water supply includes surface water from the Hillsborough River and Alafia River, groundwater from the Floridan Aquifer, and desalinated water from Tampa Bay Water's desalination plant in Apollo Beach. This diversified supply is relatively unusual for Florida, where most counties rely solely on groundwater.
Tampa Bay Water's regional system has invested significantly in supply diversification following the droughts of the early 2000s that strained groundwater sources. The desalination plant, which can produce up to 25 million gallons per day, uses reverse osmosis – which effectively removes PFAS. However, not all water in the system passes through this plant.
UCMR5 data shows PFAS detections in Hillsborough County systems. MacDill Air Force Base, located on a peninsula extending into Tampa Bay, is a known PFAS source from AFFF use. According to the Florida DEP's monitoring data, six public water systems in the county reported PFAS detections during the most recent sampling period. The Floridan Aquifer, while deep, is not immune – karst features create pathways for surface contamination to reach deeper formations.
Your water blend in Hillsborough County depends on where you live and which supply sources are active at the time. Communities near MacDill AFB face additional PFAS risk.
Check your water to see data for your ZIP code and provider. Reverse osmosis provides the broadest contaminant protection. Our water filter guide compares systems by performance. Pull your detailed report for trend data, and visit our Florida page for statewide patterns.