If you follow water quality news, you’ve likely heard the term PFAS — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly called “forever chemicals.” These synthetic compounds have been making headlines across Florida as testing reveals their presence in municipal drinking water supplies, private wells, and groundwater throughout the state. For South Florida homeowners, understanding PFAS and how to protect your family is increasingly urgent.
What Are PFAS and Why Are They Called “Forever Chemicals”?
PFAS are a family of over 12,000 man-made chemicals that have been manufactured since the 1940s. They’re used in products that resist heat, water, grease, and stains — including non-stick cookware (Teflon), food packaging, waterproof clothing, firefighting foam (AFFF), and industrial applications.
The “forever” nickname comes from their molecular structure: the carbon-fluorine bond in PFAS is one of the strongest in chemistry. These compounds don’t break down naturally in the environment — not in soil, not in water, not in your body. They accumulate over time, which is why even low-level exposure is concerning with decades of daily consumption.
Where Do PFAS Come From in South Florida?
South Florida has multiple PFAS contamination sources:
- Military bases: Homestead Air Reserve Base, Palm Beach Air National Guard Station, and former Naval facilities used AFFF firefighting foam extensively during training exercises. These bases are documented PFAS contamination sites.
- Airports: Commercial and private airports throughout Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade counties used AFFF in fire suppression systems and training.
- Landfills: Consumer products containing PFAS break down in landfills, leaching into groundwater. South Florida’s porous limestone geology allows rapid migration to the aquifer.
- Wastewater treatment: PFAS from household products (non-stick pans, stain-resistant fabrics, cosmetics) wash into wastewater systems. Treatment plants cannot remove PFAS, so they pass through into discharged water and biosolids used as fertilizer.
- Industrial sites: Manufacturing facilities, chrome plating shops, and chemical plants that used PFAS in their processes.
Because the Biscayne Aquifer is shallow and highly porous, PFAS from surface contamination can reach drinking water wells relatively quickly compared to deeper, protected aquifers in other parts of the country.
Health Risks Associated with PFAS Exposure
Research links PFAS exposure to a growing list of serious health concerns:
- Cancer: Kidney cancer, testicular cancer, and other cancers linked to PFOA and PFOS exposure
- Thyroid disease: PFAS interfere with thyroid hormone production and regulation
- Liver damage: Elevated liver enzymes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
- Immune system suppression: Reduced vaccine effectiveness and increased susceptibility to infection
- Reproductive issues: Reduced fertility, pregnancy-induced hypertension, low birth weight
- Cholesterol elevation: Even low PFAS levels associated with increased LDL cholesterol
- Developmental effects in children: Behavioral changes, delayed puberty, reduced growth
The EPA in April 2024 set legally enforceable maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for six PFAS compounds at 4 parts per trillion (ppt) for PFOA and PFOS individually — an extraordinarily low threshold that reflects how toxic these compounds are even in trace amounts.
Is Your South Florida Water Affected?
The honest answer: almost certainly yes, to some degree. The EPA’s new testing requirements have revealed PFAS in water supplies nationwide, and South Florida’s geology (shallow aquifer, porous limestone, dense development) makes it particularly vulnerable.
Your municipal water utility is now required to test for PFAS and report results publicly. However:
- Testing is still being phased in — not all utilities have reported yet
- Results reflect water leaving the treatment plant, not necessarily what reaches your tap
- Private wells are NOT tested unless you pay for it yourself
- There are over 12,000 PFAS compounds but only 6 are currently regulated
If you’re on a private well near a military base, airport, landfill, or industrial site, the risk of PFAS contamination is significantly elevated. Professional testing specifically for PFAS costs $200–$400 through a certified lab.
Which Water Filtration Systems Remove PFAS?
Not all water filters are equal when it comes to PFAS. Here’s what works and what doesn’t:
Reverse osmosis (most effective — 90–99% removal)
Under-sink reverse osmosis systems are the gold standard for PFAS removal in residential settings. The RO membrane’s 0.0001-micron pores reject PFAS molecules effectively, achieving 90–99% reduction depending on the specific PFAS compound and system quality. This is US Water Filtration Systems’ top recommendation for families concerned about PFAS. Learn about our RO systems →
Granular activated carbon (moderate — 60–90% removal)
High-quality whole-house carbon filters using coconut shell or bituminous coal-based GAC can reduce some PFAS compounds, particularly longer-chain variants like PFOA and PFOS. However, they’re less effective against shorter-chain PFAS (GenX, PFBS) that increasingly replace the older compounds. Carbon also has a limited adsorption capacity — once saturated, PFAS passes through unfiltered.
Ion exchange resins (effective — 85–95% removal)
Specialized anion exchange resins designed for PFAS can achieve high removal rates. These are less common in residential systems but increasingly available as PFAS awareness grows.
What does NOT remove PFAS
- Boiling water (concentrates PFAS, makes it worse)
- Standard pitcher filters (Brita, PUR — minimal PFAS reduction)
- Water softeners (ion exchange for hardness, not PFAS)
- UV disinfection (kills bacteria, doesn’t touch chemicals)
- Sediment filters (too large pore size)
Our Recommendation for South Florida Families
Given the prevalence of PFAS in South Florida’s groundwater and the severity of health risks associated with long-term exposure, we recommend at minimum an under-sink reverse osmosis system for drinking and cooking water. This ensures the water you actually ingest — the highest-risk exposure pathway — is filtered to near-zero PFAS levels.
For families who want whole-home protection (reducing PFAS exposure from shower steam inhalation and skin absorption), pairing a whole-house carbon filtration system with a point-of-use RO provides layered defense.
Get Your Water Tested
US Water Filtration Systems offers complimentary basic water quality testing throughout Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade Counties. For PFAS-specific testing, we can coordinate certified laboratory analysis and help you interpret results. If PFAS is detected, we’ll recommend the most effective and cost-efficient filtration solution for your specific situation.
Schedule your free water assessment today →
Related Reading
- Is Florida Tap Water Safe to Drink?
- Reverse Osmosis vs Whole House Filter
- Best Systems for Well Water
Remove PFAS from Your Water
Reverse osmosis is the most effective PFAS removal method. Pair with whole home filtration for complete protection. Test your water today.