Protecting Water Quality—Source to Tap

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The health and safety of the community is our top priority. Our state-of-the-art treatment process and robust water quality monitoring program provide multiple layers of protection from source to tap to make sure our drinking water continues to be clean and safe.

In the news:
We convened a Cyanotoxin Expert Panel to consider source to tap opportunities to provide better protection against water quality concerns from potential cyanotoxin events.

Source Water

ASuarez_respect_Courtesy of Grassy Waters r1WEB

The Grassy Waters Preserve is a 23 square mile wetland ecosystem that feeds and sustains Lake Mangonia and Clear Lake, our main sources of drinking water supply.

A simple map drawing showing how rain falls and is collected into Grassy Waters Preserve where it reaches the M-canal and is carried to Control Structure 4 and then to Lake Mangonia and the water treatment plant. We carefully manage the preserve to balance the needs of the ecosystem while also ensuring our water supply. Reducing your water consumption can reduce the burden on this precious resource.

In times of drought, we can turn to other water facilities including Lake Okeechobee, the Renaissance Storm Water Project, an Aquifer Storage and Recovery well, the C-17 canal pump station, and other wellfields. We own and operate some of these water facilities while others are regional systems operated by the South Florida Water Management District and the United States Army Corps of Engineers.

Quick links:

Learn more about Our Watershed and the Grassy Waters Preserve. Try out the city’s water conservation Dropcountr app to see how you can save money and help protect our watershed.

Filtration and More

A view of the water plant filtration system

Our water treatment plant uses conventional filtration, lime softening, and then ultraviolet and chloramine disinfection to provide clean, safe drinking water to more than 120,000 customers including residents, businesses, and visitors in the City of West Palm Beach, Town of Palm Beach, and Town of South Palm Beach.

Quick links:

Learn more about our water treatment plant and ultraviolet disinfection system that destroys illness-causing pathogens: UV System and Water Plant

Storage and Water Mains

A view of a city water tank

We have about 16 million gallons of water storage at our water treatment plant and six storage and pumping stations around the city. Buried underground and out of sight are more than 570 miles of water mains that provide the essential links between our water source, water treatment plant, and customers. To keep this system working reliably 24/7, our staff take water quality samples, monitor water pressure, test fire hydrants, flush pipes to improve quality, and respond to water main breaks.

Your Tap Water

From source to tap, your water is protected, filtered, and monitored. Every day our staff is working to keep water safe to drink, now and into the future. If you have questions about your tap water, please contact us.

Quick links:

We prepare a Water Quality Report each year. The report presents and explains data from our water quality sampling results. Click here for more information from the Environmental Protection Agency or call the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791.