Bottom line
PFAS is not one Tampa Bay number. It is a utility-by-utility question. Start with official UCMR5 data and local reports, then read any secondary summary as a pointer back to the official record.
Use official UCMR5 first
UCMR5 is the federal monitoring program that created much of the recent PFAS visibility for public water systems. For Tampa, the cleanest local source is the city's posted UCMR5 page [Tampa UCMR5]. For nearby utilities, use EPA's UCMR5 Data Finder and filter by system name or PWS ID [EPA UCMR5].
BaseWater treats public aggregators as internal discovery layers only. They can help find a lead, but high-stakes claims should be tied back to the utility report, EPA UCMR5, EPA SDWIS, EWG health-guideline context, or another primary source before publication.
Tampa's posted PFAS data is more nuanced than a single number
Tampa's posted UCMR5 results show PFOS from 0.0040 to 0.0069 ug/L at the David L. Tippin Water Treatment Facility in 2023, with Morris Bridge results reported as not detected to 0.0044 ug/L in the later posted set. PFOA is listed as not detected to 0.0046 ug/L [Tampa UCMR5].
That is why BaseWater now presents Tampa PFAS as an official-source range instead of an unqualified single secondary-source average. The homeowner takeaway is still real: Tampa has posted PFAS detections close to federal PFAS thresholds, but the exact claim needs the official sampling context.
Know which PFAS rule applies
EPA's drinking-water PFAS rule set federal limits for PFOA and PFOS at 0.004 ug/L. EPA is also implementing and reconsidering parts of the broader PFAS rule, including provisions for several other PFAS compounds and the hazard-index approach [EPA PFAS rule] [EPA update].
For site copy, that means PFOA and PFOS should be discussed most directly. PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA, and PFBS should be labeled with current EPA rule-status context instead of being written as static forever-rules.
Where to go next by city
For Tampa, start with the Tampa contaminant table. For Pinellas and Pasco, compare official UCMR5 rows with the Clearwater, Tarpon Springs, and New Port Richey contaminant pages. For expansion cities like Sarasota, Bradenton, Lakeland, and Inverness, use the same rule: discovery rows are not enough until an official UCMR5 or utility source is attached.
What to do
The useful next step is not guessing
A homeowner does not need to memorize a utility report. The useful move is to connect local water data to the home: ZIP code, utility, plumbing age, taste, shower feel, fixture scale, and whether the concern is one drinking tap or the whole house.
That is why BaseWater starts with a free audit. We use local utility data and your home answers to point you toward a practical next step instead of a generic filter pitch.
Run your free BaseWater audit
Enter your ZIP code, answer a few home questions, and get a simple water score with a filtration direction matched to your local context.
Sources
Sources used for this guide
Related local pages
Tampa contaminant table
Row-level Tampa contaminant data with official checks attached.
Clearwater contaminant table
Clearwater PFAS and local water-quality research rows.
Tarpon Springs contaminant table
Tarpon Springs PFAS research rows and source trail.
New Port Richey contaminant table
New Port Richey PFAS research rows and source trail.
Tampa legal limits vs health goals
How legal compliance differs from a stricter homeowner health goal.