Phthalates in Orlando Florida Water

Unhealthy Levels of Phthalates in the Water Supply of Orlando Florida Homes

Phthalates are a group of chemicals commonly used as plasticizers to make plastics more flexible and longer lasting. They can find their way into water when plastic materials degrade or when trace organics travel through wastewater into surface and source waters. Because phthalates are used in many everyday items, they tend to appear as low-level, intermittent contaminants rather than continuous ones. In Orlando and the wider Orange County area, homeowners often first hear about them via water quality reports, local news, or simply a desire to reduce chemical exposure around the house.

Phthalates won’t give your tap water a clear smell or taste, so you can’t rely on your senses to detect them. Still, many Orlando families opt to address them because they’re associated with plastics and may be present alongside other synthetic organics. For homeowners seeking broad protection across bathing, cooking and laundry — especially in a humid subtropical place like Orlando where plumbing biofilm and source variability can be factors — treating dissolved organic chemicals with a whole-house system is more effective than just targeting sediment or chlorine tastes at a single faucet.