Public water system · FL6531014
ActiveLakeland, City of
At a glance
City of Lakeland (PWSID FL6531014) is an active community water system in Polk County, Florida. It reports serving 193,297 people through 63,354 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 10 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in March 2026.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
193,297
Service connections
63,354
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does City of Lakeland compare with other water systems in Polk County?
By EPA's size categories, City of Lakeland is a very large system (more than 100,000 people). Polk County has 401 active public water systems, and City of Lakeland is the largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 115 times the county average of 1,677 people per system, and accounts for 29% of the 672,540 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across Florida, the 5,197 active systems average 4,345 people each. Nationally, the average active community water system reports serving 6,703 people, so City of Lakeland is about 29 times that figure.
What does “community water system” mean?
A community water system serves at least 15 connections used by year-round residents, or regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents. Homes, apartments and mobile-home parks are served by these. Florida has 1,640 active community water systems, 32% of the state's 5,197 active systems. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers. 4,996 Florida systems (96%) list groundwater as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates City of Lakeland?
EPA lists City of Lakeland as owned by a local government. The FL state drinking water program is its primacy agency, the regulator with primary enforcement responsibility for the system under the Safe Drinking Water Act. 46 of the 401 active systems in Polk County (11%) are also owned by a local government.
Does City of Lakeland have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 10 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in March 2026. The violations listed here began between September 1998 and March 2026. By type: 5 monitoring, 3 monitoring and reporting, 1 public notice, recordkeeping or other and 1 contaminant level above the legal limit. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Revised Total Coliform Rule (5 of them). EPA lists 7 as archived, 2 as resolved and 1 as unaddressed. Archived means the violation was not marked resolved but is more than five years past the end of the noncompliance period, so it no longer counts toward current compliance status. Resolved means at least one resolving action is on record: the system returned to compliance, the rule no longer applies, or no further action was needed. Unaddressed means the violation is not resolved or archived and is not yet covered by formal enforcement.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Archived |
| 2025-12-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2024-07-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Archived |
| 2024-06-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Archived |
| 2023-06-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Archived |
| 2021-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingFollow-up Or Routine LCR Tap M/R · code 52 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Unaddressed |
| 2017-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Inadequate Reporting · code 72 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2006-06-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Minor (TCR) · code 24 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
| 2003-09-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Archived |
| 1998-09-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Repeat Major (TCR) · code 25 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
All 10 violations in EPA's records, newest first.Labels and codes come from EPA's SDWIS reference tables. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found. "Health-based" marks violations of a legal limit or required treatment.
City of Lakeland: frequently asked questions
Who runs City of Lakeland?
City of Lakeland (PWSID FL6531014) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the FL state drinking water program.
How many people does City of Lakeland serve?
City of Lakeland reports serving 193,297 people through 63,354 service connections in Polk County, Florida.
Where does City of Lakeland get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as groundwater. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers.
Does City of Lakeland have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 10 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in March 2026. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found.
Is City of Lakeland's water safe to drink?
AquaCensus shows EPA compliance records, not current water test results, so it cannot say whether the water is safe at a given moment. EPA's records list 10 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in March 2026. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the FL state drinking water program.
Where can I find City of Lakeland's water quality report?
As a community water system, City of Lakeland must deliver an annual water quality report, called a Consumer Confidence Report, to its customers by July 1 each year, covering the previous calendar year. The system can provide a copy on request.
Other water systems in Polk County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Haven Water Department | Polk | 87,537 | Community | Groundwater |
| Northeast | Polk | 60,557 | Community | Groundwater |
| Southwest/Polk County Utility | Polk | 39,209 | Community | Groundwater |
| Auburndale, City of | Polk | 35,239 | Community | Groundwater |
| Haines City, City of | Polk | 30,545 | Community | Groundwater |
| Northwest | Polk | 28,082 | Community | Groundwater |
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About this data
Source: U.S. EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and SDWA violation records, via EPA ECHO, as published October 1, 2026 — AquaCensus refreshes it quarterly. See the methodology for how records are matched, cleaned and scored.
Cite as: AquaCensus, “Lakeland, City of, PWSID FL6531014, Florida”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/florida/lakeland-city-of-fl6531014 (data as of October 1, 2026).