Community water supplies are regulated by the Department of Environmental Protection under the Florida Safe Drinking Water Act.

Limited Use Community/Commercial Water Systems
Limited Use Community/Commercial water supplies are regulated by the Orange County Health Department under Chapter 64E-8 Florida Administrative Code (PDF 169kb) . We monitor small community or commercial water systems usually serving less than 25 people. An annual operating permit is required for these systems. New systems must pass an initial 5 sample bacteriological survey and a lead and nitrate test. The annual renewal fee is $70.00. A bacteriological water sample test is included in the annual renewal fee.

Limited use commercial public water systems are defined as systems serving one or more non-residential establishments and providing piped potable water from a well. This includes:

• Businesses that have employees at the site;
• Businesses that have public access.

A Limited use community public water system is one that serves two or more rental residences or five or more non-rental homes. This could include:

• Two or more rental houses connected to a single well
• A rented duplex
• An owner occupied triplex with two rental units in it
• A mobile home park with two or more rental units
• Five or more private single family residential units on one well
• A home which rents two or more rooms or units

If your water system falls in one of the above categories, you must comply with these standards.

The following systems are exempt:

• Four (4) or less non-rental (owner occupied) residential units on the same well
• One owner occupied residential unit and one rental unit on the same well
• Family owned business with no hired employees and not open to the public

Well Permitting Program
Our office issues well drilling permits for all wells for domestic use (drinking & irrigation) and monitoring use which are less than 6 inches in diameter. In 1996 we issued over 400 well drilling permits. Permits cost $80.00 per well.  Anyone having a well installed should be sure to use a well driller licensed by one of the Dept. of Environmental Protection Water Management Districts of Florida. The well driller should also have a permit (PDF 118kb) issued by our office or the local water management district before well construction is started.

Most of Orange County is located in the  St. Johns Water Management District located at 975 Keller Rd., Altamonte Springs, FL  32714. Phone number is 407.659.4800.  Portions of southern Orange County are located in the South Florida Water Management District.

Water Testing
We provide testing services for private wells for the following problems;

• Bacteriological - where there is illness that might be attributed to the water supply. Homeowners who want routine testing of their well for bacteria must contact a private lab. On newly permitted wells, a bacteriological water sample is included as part of the inspection fee.
• EDB - Areas around old orange groves and golf courses sometimes have pesticide residues. Certain areas in north & west Orange County have been found with EDB contamination. You may call to see if your residence is located in one of the known areas and possible testing of your water supply.
• Petroleum - Areas around gas storage tanks are sometimes found with petroleum contamination. Many areas have already been checked and others are yet to be tested. If you suspect gasoline contamination, call us for information about your area.

Call 407.521.2630  to discuss any problems you may be having with your drinking water. The best time to call is between 8:00am and 10:00am in the morning.  We can advise on other problems such as odors and iron.

To learn more about Drinking Water, visit the following sites.  They're a Fun Site for Kids & great information for grown ups too!
Lehigh Valley Water
US EPA Office of Water
The Groundwater Foundation

Make all checks payable to: Orange County Health Department
For Orange County Facilities, all forms should be mailed to:
Orange County Health Department
Environmental Health
800 Mercy Drive., Orlando, FL 32808