{"id":59724,"date":"2025-12-06T20:42:28","date_gmt":"2025-12-07T01:42:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/?p=59724"},"modified":"2025-12-06T20:44:04","modified_gmt":"2025-12-07T01:44:04","slug":"does-lakeland-fl-water-contain-forever-chemicals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/2025\/12\/06\/does-lakeland-fl-water-contain-forever-chemicals\/","title":{"rendered":"Does Lakeland FL, water contain forever chemicals?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes, like much of Florida and the nation, Lakeland&#8217;s water likely contains&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=PFAS+%28forever+chemicals%29&amp;rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS914US914&amp;oq=does+Lakeland+fl+water+contain+Forever+chemicals&amp;gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqBwgBECEYoAEyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQIRigATIHCAIQIRigATIHCAMQIRigATIHCAQQIRigATIHCAUQIRigAdIBCTI2Mzk4ajBqN6gCCLACAfEFJDC2mxLzRhE&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8&amp;mstk=AUtExfCJ24DBZJ_ohAw8hp84CGNtwshl-twbWeXM8naylXwqxdOZUqSelbw6pGB_3YxJASnJlS-xcw6KDXpugp0TYhSWyRcRGZibXYmQIPD5obroqhjyMOrN3VGo5orf2nxsthOiXgJG39yXwguvSZczId-nvwZp9w3HQEoOh1KQl-JpEJA&amp;csui=3&amp;ved=2ahUKEwi694n7qaqRAxUBVTABHUMXJN4QgK4QegQIARAB\">PFAS (forever chemicals)<\/a>, as UF research shows them widespread in Florida springs, but the City provides reports that their water meets standards, though some independent tests show other contaminants like&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=trihalomethanes&amp;rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS914US914&amp;oq=does+Lakeland+fl+water+contain+Forever+chemicals&amp;gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqBwgBECEYoAEyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQIRigATIHCAIQIRigATIHCAMQIRigATIHCAQQIRigATIHCAUQIRigAdIBCTI2Mzk4ajBqN6gCCLACAfEFJDC2mxLzRhE&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8&amp;mstk=AUtExfCJ24DBZJ_ohAw8hp84CGNtwshl-twbWeXM8naylXwqxdOZUqSelbw6pGB_3YxJASnJlS-xcw6KDXpugp0TYhSWyRcRGZibXYmQIPD5obroqhjyMOrN3VGo5orf2nxsthOiXgJG39yXwguvSZczId-nvwZp9w3HQEoOh1KQl-JpEJA&amp;csui=3&amp;ved=2ahUKEwi694n7qaqRAxUBVTABHUMXJN4QgK4QegQIARAC\">trihalomethanes<\/a>&nbsp;exceeding health guidelines. You should check Lakeland&#8217;s annual water reports and contact the City or Florida Dept. of Health for specific PFAS testing data for your area.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"5e5b5b\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"168\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/images-1.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-59725 not-transparent\" style=\"--dominant-color: #5e5b5b; aspect-ratio:1.7858803832201655;width:463px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are thousands of types of PFAS chemicals, which are nearly indestructible because they were engineered to repel liquids and heat.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/dceg.cancer.gov\/research\/what-we-study\/pfas\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">High levels of PFAS<\/a>\u00a0have been linked to\u00a0kidney cancer, ulcerative colitis, breast cancer, diagnosed high cholesterol, thyroid disease, testicular cancer,\u00a0low birthweight babies, and pregnancy-induced hypertension, although studies are inconclusive and still ongoing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What the Research Shows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Widespread PFAS in Florida:\u00a0A 2025 UF study found PFAS in 63% of Florida spring vents and 68% of spring runs, with some springs having high concentrations, indicating broad environmental presence.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lakeland&#8217;s Standards:\u00a0The\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/lakelandgov.net\/media\/17185\/23waterreport_for2022.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">City of Lakeland<\/a>\u00a0states its water meets or exceeds quality standards in its annual reports.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Other Contaminants:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ewg.org\/tapwater\/system.php?pws=FL6531014\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Environmental Working Group (EWG)<\/a>\u00a0notes that Lakeland&#8217;s water contains trihalomethanes (THMs) above their health guidelines, which are linked to cancer.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What You Can Do:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Check the City&#8217;s Report:\u00a0Review the City of Lakeland&#8217;s Annual Drinking Water Quality Report (Consumer Confidence Report) for current testing data.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Contact the Utility:\u00a0Reach out to the City of Lakeland&#8217;s water department to ask specifically about their PFAS testing results, as the UF study focuses on springs, not necessarily treated tap water.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Consult Health Resources:\u00a0Visit the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.floridahealth.gov\/environmental-health\/private-well-testing\/_documents\/DrinkingWater-IsYoursSafe.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Florida Department of Health<\/a>\u00a0or EWG&#8217;s Tap Water Database for more context on Florida water quality.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Yes, like much of Florida and the nation, Lakeland&#8217;s water likely contains&nbsp;PFAS (forever chemicals), as UF research shows them widespread in Florida springs, but the City provides reports that their&hellip; 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