City of Lake Wales
EPA ID: FL6532234 · 18,722 people served · 8 ZIP codes
Pulled from the federal compliance ledger, 37 violations at City of Lake Wales remain without resolution — the utility delivers drinking water to roughly 18,722 residents.
Data: EPA SDWIS Last verified: 2026-04-02
Compliance Trajectory
Worsening · Risk tier: High · 95% chance of violation in next 12 months
Violations went from 11 (2021) to 11 (2025). The pattern suggests growing compliance challenges.
Service Area Map
Coverage area for City of Lake Wales Source: EPA SDWIS service area boundaries.
Service area boundary — Grade C
Service Area Demographics
The City of Lake Wales serves a community with a median household income of $57,277 and an estimated 97,276 residents across its service area. Approximately 57% of housing stock was built before 1986, which increases the likelihood of lead service lines and older plumbing.
Environmental Justice Note: 55% of the population in this service area is classified as disadvantaged under EPA's EJScreen criteria. Communities with higher disadvantaged populations often face disproportionate environmental and health burdens, including aging water infrastructure and limited resources for remediation.
💧 Where Does Your Water Come From?
City of Lake Wales's water is pumped from underground aquifers. Groundwater is naturally filtered through rock and soil, but it can be vulnerable to PFAS contamination, nitrates from agriculture, and industrial chemicals that seep into the water table.
About 1% of homes in Polk County, Florida rely on private wells rather than public water systems. Private well owners are responsible for their own water testing and treatment.
Infrastructure Risk
Detected Contaminants
How City of Lake Wales compares to EPA limits
What This Means For You
Lead at 1 mg/L (action level) exceeds the EPA maximum of 0.015 mg/L (action level). Brain damage in children, kidney & blood pressure in adults. Consider reverse osmosis filtration.
Total Coliform at 39 presence exceeds the EPA maximum of presence.
Consumer Confidence Report Rule at 38 mg/L exceeds the EPA maximum of mg/L.
Stage 1 DBP Rule at 5 mg/L exceeds the EPA maximum of mg/L.
Stage 2 DBP Rule at 4 mg/L exceeds the EPA maximum of mg/L.
PFAS Detected in Service Area
PFAS ("forever chemicals") have been detected in water serving this system's area. 15 detections recorded. 6 exceed federal EPA limits (4 ppt for PFOA/PFOS). 6 exceed state limits.
Lead was detected in this water system. reverse osmosis filtration can reduce exposure.
Find a certified water filter →Comparable Water Systems
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Estimated Remediation Costs
Average estimated costs across ZIP codes served by this system
Based on national averages for common remediation projects. Actual costs vary by property. Only issues flagged by EPA, FEMA, or state data for each ZIP code are included.
System Overview
City of Lake Wales, (EPA ID: FL6532234) is a community water system in Florida that serves approximately 18,722 people from groundwater sources.
This system provides water to 8 ZIP codes across 6 communities.
Average Home Safety Score: C (67/100)
Based on water quality violations, lead levels, and radon risk across all ZIP codes served by this system.
Violation History
Recent Violations
| Date | Contaminant | Type | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 1, 2025 | Total Coliform | Monitoring | Unresolved |
| June 1, 2025 | Consumer Confidence Report Rule | Monitoring | Unresolved |
| June 1, 2025 | Total Coliform | Monitoring | Unresolved |
| February 1, 2025 | Stage 2 DBP Rule | Health-based | Unresolved |
| February 1, 2025 | Stage 2 DBP Rule | Monitoring | Unresolved |
| December 1, 2024 | Total Coliform | Monitoring | Resolved |
| December 1, 2024 | Consumer Confidence Report Rule | Monitoring | Resolved |
| September 1, 2024 | Consumer Confidence Report Rule | Monitoring | Resolved |
| September 1, 2024 | Total Coliform | Monitoring | Resolved |
| July 1, 2024 | Consumer Confidence Report Rule | Monitoring | Resolved |
| July 1, 2024 | Total Coliform | Monitoring | Resolved |
| June 1, 2024 | Consumer Confidence Report Rule | Monitoring | Resolved |
Contaminants Detected
The following contaminants have been flagged in EPA records for this water system:
| Contaminant | Category | Violations | Health-Based |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Coliform | Microbiological | 39 | No |
| Consumer Confidence Report Rule | Reporting Failure | 38 | No |
| Stage 1 DBP Rule | Treatment Failure | 5 | No |
| Stage 2 DBP Rule | Treatment Failure | 4 | Yes |
| Lead | Inorganic | 1 | No |
Lead & Copper
EPA Lead and Copper Rule sampling data for ZIP codes served by this system:
| ZIP Code | Lead Level | Exceeds Limit | Sample Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 33853 | 0.0009 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 33859 | 0.0009 mg/L | No | N/A |
| 33898 | 0.0009 mg/L | No | N/A |
Radon Risk in Service Area
Dominant radon zone for ZIP codes served by this system: Zone 2 (Moderate Risk)
The EPA recommends testing homes in Zone 1 and Zone 2 areas for radon.
Need help with your water quality?
Typical cost: Water test: typically $20–$50 (DIY kit) · Professional inspection: $150–$400
Find the Right Water FilterFree tip: Let cold water run for 2 minutes before drinking — this helps flush lead from your pipes.
ZIP Codes Served
Coverage: Service area ZIP codes sourced from EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3 (March 2026 release). These ZIPs reflect the actual deployment footprint recorded by FL or modeled from parcel and building-footprint data.
- 33827 — Babson Park
- 33838 — Dundee
- 33843 — Frostproof
- 33853 — Lake Wales
- 33859 — Lake Wales
- 33877 — Waverly
- 33884 — Winter Haven
- 33898 — Lake Wales
Data Sources
This report uses public data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS). View the full compliance record for City of Lake Wales (FL6532234) on EPA.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is City of Lake Wales water safe to drink?
City of Lake Wales has recorded 2 health-based violations in the past 5 years. While the system is required to treat water to meet federal standards, you may want to consider additional precautions such as a certified water filter.
How many people does City of Lake Wales serve?
City of Lake Wales serves approximately 18,722 people across 8 ZIP codes in Florida.
Where does City of Lake Wales get its water?
The primary water source is groundwater.
Contact Your Water Utility
Public-record contact information for the water utility serving this system. Use these channels to request water quality reports, ask about service, or report issues directly.
Contact information from City of Lake Wales Consumer Confidence Report.
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility, does not act as its agent, and does not provide customer support for it. Contact details shown are public-record information from CCR filings. For service issues, contact the utility directly using the information above.
Water Source & Treatment
Where this water originates and how it's treated before reaching your tap.
Source: City of Lake Wales Consumer Confidence Report.
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility. Treatment and source data are sourced from the utility's published CCR filings.
2016 FDEP Source Water Assessment. 16 petroleum storage tanks identified as potential sources with moderate susceptibility level.
Treatment regime
How this utility classifies its treatment process and what each reported treatment chemical does.
Treatment chemicals and what each one does
Chemical names are reported verbatim by the utility. Purpose categories are ZipCheckup annotations based on standard drinking-water treatment practice.
Watershed exposure sources reported
Land-use and natural conditions identified in the utility's source-water assessment as potential contamination sources upstream of treatment.
Treatment classification and chemical list sourced from City of Lake Wales Consumer Confidence Report.
Treatment intensity is a ZipCheckup-derived classification based on the chemicals and processes the utility reports. Chemicals and contamination sources are taken verbatim from the utility's CCR filing. Routine federal monitoring and contaminant testing shown elsewhere on this page determine whether the water meets safety standards, not the treatment classification.
Federal UCMR5 PFAS Monitoring: Detected
This water system was tested under the federal EPA Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR5). PFAS compounds were detected below the current state-enforceable MCL.
Current MCL reflects the lowest state-enforceable limit (NYS 10 ppt for PFOA/PFOS, effective August 2020). The federal final MCL of 4 ppt for PFOA/PFOS (EPA April 2024 rule) is not enforceable until April 2029. Detections above 4 ppt but below 10 ppt are below current MCL but above the future federal limit.
Source: U.S. EPA UCMR5 (Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, 5th cycle) — per-system federal sampling, 2023–2025. EPA UCMR5 monitoring program →
Lead Service Line Replacement Tracker
This water utility's lead service line (LSL) replacement program is tracked from public Consumer Confidence Report filings. Email signup notifies subscribers when the utility files an updated replacement plan or progress milestone.
City of Lake Wales
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with this water utility. LSL replacement-program data is sourced from public CCR filings published by the utility. Subscription notifications are based on automated parsing of subsequent CCR releases.
Learn more about Lead and Copper Rule replacement requirements →
Lead Service Line Inventory
Service line breakdown reported under the federal Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) inventory requirement:
This system reports zero confirmed lead service lines in its inventory. Unknown-material counts may still warrant verification.
Federal LCRI rule (effective October 2024) requires every public water system to inventory its service lines and complete lead-line replacement within 10 years.
Source: FDEP PWS Lead Service Line Inventories (LSLI) · Submitted 2024
ZipCheckup is not affiliated with the utility or state agency. Inventory figures render verbatim from the public LCRI submission cited above; ZipCheckup does not perform inspections or replacements.
Notable events and violations
This section summarizes events the utility chose to disclose in its most recent Consumer Confidence Report, plus any federal compliance violations the utility recorded against itself. Both lists are utility-authored — ZipCheckup does not audit, judge, or reorder them.
Notable events from the utility's CCR
These bullet entries are the utility's own narration of operational, regulatory, or infrastructure events during the reporting period.
- UCMR-4 sampling for PFAS performed in 2019; no UCMR-5 results noted in 2024 report.
- Report covers monitoring period Jan-Dec 2023 for most parameters.
ZipCheckup note: items above reflect what the utility published in its most recent CCR. Federal violation records are also tracked separately by the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) — the SDWIS record is the authoritative federal source for any specific regulatory action.
How Water Systems Appear in Rankings
Water systems are evaluated by violation history, contaminant detections, and service population. Larger systems with more service connections appear in more rankings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What You Can Do
Test your water
Home test kits can detect lead, bacteria, and other contaminants at your tap. Find the right filter →
Check your specific ZIP code
Water quality can vary within a system. View nearest ZIP report →
Contact your utility
City of Lake Wales (EPA ID: FL6532234) — request the latest Consumer Confidence Report or ask about specific contaminants.