Regan Water

10/05/2026

If you were waiting for lawn watering restrictions to lift on October 1, they didn't — the Southwest Florida Water Management District just extended its Modified Phase III order through March 31, 2027, citing rainfall more than 15 inches below normal and regional reservoirs sitting around half capacity. It's a supply order, not a water quality notice: it governs how much water can be pulled from a strained regional system, and says nothing about whether your tap water is safe. If you're on a private well, sustained regional drought can sometimes show up as changes in color, smell, or pressure, so it's worth keeping an eye out. More on what the extension covers and what to check at home: https://www.reganwater.com/post/october-1-came-and-went-your-watering-restrictions-are-still-here 💧

If you were counting down to October 1 expecting your lawn watering limits to lift, they did not. On September 22, 2026, the Southwest Florida Water Management...

10/04/2026

Does `ND` on a water-test report mean zero?

Not always. It can mean the laboratory did not find the substance, or that any amount present was smaller than the lab could reliably report with that method.

Before drawing a conclusion, read these three things together:

1. The result, such as `ND` or `

10/04/2026

Moving into a home? Before you compare water tests or treatment, find out where the tap water comes from.

If the home uses public water, identify the utility and open its newest Consumer Confidence Report.

If the home uses a private well, find the date of the latest test and ask the local health department what should be checked where you live.

Why care? Public systems and private wells have different records and responsibilities. Starting with the source can keep you from comparing the wrong information or paying for a test that does not fit.

Add the water source and the newest report or test date to your home file.

10/04/2026

If your water smells like rotten eggs — especially from the hot tap — you're likely dealing with hydrogen sulfide gas, a common issue in Tampa Bay well water caused by naturally occurring sulfate-reducing bacteria. At low levels it's more of a nuisance than a health risk, but it's also notoriously hard on pipes and fixtures over time. Aeration systems (which inject air to oxidize the sulfide before filtering it out) and oxidizing media filters are the standard fix — though sometimes the real source is a water heater's anode rod rather than the well itself. If you're noticing sulfur at the tap, testing first can save you from installing treatment aimed at the wrong source. 💧

10/03/2026

With Tampa Bay still running hot and humid, it's easy to under-hydrate without noticing. One simple habit helps more than people expect: keep a pitcher or bottle of good-tasting, filtered water visible on the counter or in the fridge. People (and pets) naturally drink more when water is cold, clean, and doesn't carry a chlorine taste. If your tap water's flavor is what's sending you reaching for soda or bottled water instead, a basic carbon filter is usually a quick, affordable fix. 💧

10/02/2026

If a well water test comes back with a low pH (anything under 6.5), that acidity is quietly working on your plumbing — corroding pipes and fixtures and sometimes leaving a metallic taste, often well before it's noticeable. An acid neutralizer addresses it right at the source: water flows through a tank of calcite (crushed limestone) or a similar alkaline media that slowly dissolves and raises the water's pH as it passes through, no chemicals involved. For water on the more acidic end, that's sometimes paired with a small soda ash feed pump for finer control. Either way, it starts with knowing your actual pH — one of the basic readings included in most well water test panels.

09/30/2026

Starting tomorrow, Oct. 1, Hillsborough County Water Resources customers will see new rates take effect — a 5% increase plus a 2.91% price index adjustment, funding $2.44 billion in infrastructure work including a $1.5 billion "One Water" program. For an average household using 8,000 gallons a month, that's about $9.31 more on the monthly bill. It's a good reminder that a lot of investment goes into the water before it reaches your home — what happens after, like hardness, taste, or staining, is a separate question that only your own water test can really answer. Full details are in the county's Sept. 15 news release, "Hillsborough County Water Resources to Implement New Water and Wastewater Rates on Oct. 1, 2026."

09/29/2026

Not all water softeners regenerate the same way behind the scenes. Older timer-based softeners flush and recharge the resin tank on a fixed schedule, whether your household used enough water that week to need it or not. Newer demand-initiated (metered) softeners track your actual water use and only regenerate when necessary, which typically means real savings on salt and water over the life of the system. If you're not sure which type is running in your home, the control valve on the unit is usually the giveaway. 💧

09/28/2026

Florida's wet season is winding down, and if your tap has looked a little tea-colored lately or your well ran cloudy after last week's storms, you're not imagining it. That color is usually tannins — organic acids released as leaves and pine needles break down and get pushed into groundwater by heavy rain; it's a cosmetic issue, not a health one, and removing it takes an anion-exchange resin rather than a standard sediment filter. The one exception worth taking seriously is any color or clarity change tied to actual flooding or a submerged wellhead — that's when a bacteria test, not a wait-and-see, is the right move. When in doubt, test rather than guess; happy to help you figure out which one you're looking at.

09/27/2026

If you're on a private well, nobody mails you a water quality report the way city customers get a Consumer Confidence Report each year — testing is entirely up to you. The CDC recommends checking at least once a year for four basics: total coliform bacteria, nitrates, pH, and total dissolved solids, with a fresh nitrate check any time there's a new baby or pregnancy in the house. Our latest Water Note walks through what those four results actually mean and when it's worth testing for more: "Nobody Tests Your Well But You. Here's What to Test For and How Often."