Residents of Whitted, a historically Black community of 52 residents southeast of Orlando, Florida, still rely on private wells while a $2.3 million project to connect them to the local water system has yet to start construction, Inside Climate News reported. Testing the residents requested from the Florida Department of Health confirmed that at least some of the community's wells are contaminated with arsenic and PFAS/PFOS, according to the report, which was first published on October 10, 2026 and republished by WUSF on October 17, 2026.

We are the water experts. When a whole neighborhood depends on private wells, we want you to know what was tested, what the state recommended and what well owners anywhere can do.

What the report found

Brown water at the tap. Ann Jones, 81, told Inside Climate News that her kitchen water runs clear only some of the time and sometimes comes out brown; the report describes a pitcher of it as the color of iced tea. She estimates she and her husband spend about $150 a month on bottled water; another resident, Jessica Paul, estimates her family spends nearly $100 a month.
State well testing. In 2022, the Florida Department of Health collected water samples from 10 of 18 wells within a quarter mile of a former landfill site in the community and tested them for arsenic, metals and trace elements, PFAS and volatile organic compounds, according to the report.
What the state advised. The department's 2024 report recommended that residents install filters and avoid drinking the water, Inside Climate News reported. The department declined to comment to the publication.
A later all-clear. In a January 2026 email, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection told residents the water was safe to drink now that they had installed filters, and said future monitoring was planned to further define the boundaries of the groundwater plume, according to the report.
A former landfill nearby. Based on a lease agreement, the property is believed to have operated as a landfill from 1964 to 1975, according to the 2024 Department of Health report cited by Inside Climate News.

The water hookup timeline

Funding. In 2024, Whitted received $1.45 million from the state and $850,000 from the federal government to connect residents to the local water system, Inside Climate News reported. Osceola County also said at the time that the wells did not provide adequate water volumes for firefighting.
Still waiting. Two years later, construction has not begun, and the project is scheduled to be completed in 2028, according to the report.
The county's view. "Hearing from the residents, my position has been let's get them hooked up to city water," Osceola County Commissioner Ricky Booth, who represents Whitted, told Inside Climate News. He attributed the slow progress to government bureaucracy.

Read the report carefully

"Some" wells, not all. The report says at least some wells were contaminated; it does not give the measured levels or say how many wells exceeded a standard.
Which PFAS. The report names PFOS. EPA's 2024 rule sets a limit of 4.0 parts per trillion each for PFOA and PFOS in public water systems (EPA).
Arsenic has its own standard. EPA's drinking water standard for arsenic is 10 parts per billion, adopted in 2001 for community water systems (EPA).
Public systems vs. private wells. EPA's PFAS and arsenic drinking water standards set requirements for public water systems; Whitted residents rely on private wells.

What the water experts recommend

On a private well? EPA suggests testing a private well every year for total coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids and pH, and testing for other contaminants you suspect. Use a laboratory certified for drinking water testing; your local health department may offer private well testing for free (EPA).
Water looks brown or colored? EPA's private well guidance suggests testing for color if water appears cloudy, frothy or colored, and for iron, copper and manganese if plumbing fixtures or laundry are stained (EPA).
Weighing your drinking-water options? Wells, rivers and city systems all draw on ground or surface water. Atmospheric water generation, which we call vapor optimizing (VO), makes drinking water from humidity in the air instead, so it does not depend on a well. It uses electricity, and energy is the honest trade-off to weigh.

Sources

Amy Green, “In One Historically Black Florida Community, the Drinking Water Is Brown,” Inside Climate News, October 10, 2026: insideclimatenews.org; republished by WUSF, October 17, 2026: wusf.org
U.S. EPA, “Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)” (April 10, 2024 final rule; PFOA and PFOS limits): epa.gov
U.S. EPA, “Chemical Contaminant Rules” (arsenic standard): epa.gov
U.S. EPA, “Protect Your Home's Water” (private well testing): epa.gov

Photo: A glass being filled at a kitchen tap, by Shixart1985 via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0); cropped, headline added in the featured image. Illustrative; not Whitted water.