Sebring is a town of two water supplies. Inside city limits, most homes get treated water from the City of Sebring utility. Step outside the city system, around the lakes, out toward Lorida or along the rural roads off US-27, and a private well is often the only source. Florida Water Management is based on Broadway Street in Sebring, and well water treatment is a large share of our work: we test the water at your tap, explain what the numbers mean, and match equipment to the problems your well actually has.
Book a free in-home water test or call (863) 658-1056, Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM.
The City of Sebring’s annual water quality report for 2025 says the city draws its drinking water from the Floridan Aquifer System through 14 wells. The water is pumped to storage, disinfected with chlorine, and treated with a phosphate blend that helps hold iron in solution and protect metal pipes from corrosion. The same report lists an average chlorine level of 1.34 ppm in 2025. State source water records from the Florida DEP Source Water Assessment program show the city’s listed wells reaching roughly 900 to 1,605 feet into the Floridan aquifer.
A private well near Sebring is usually far shallower and gets none of that treatment. The U.S. Geological Survey report Hydrogeology and Groundwater Quality of Highlands County describes a sandy surficial aquifer across the county, with the limestone Upper Floridan aquifer below it. The USGS found Upper Floridan water to be hard across most of the county, from 64 to 410 mg/L. A well that taps the limestone tends to bring up hardness and, often, sulfur. A well in the sand layer can carry iron, color and a lower pH. That is why two houses on the same road can need different equipment.
Most Sebring well owners call us about smell first. The Florida Department of Health’s well water fact sheet on odor and staining gives a simple way to narrow down where a sulfur smell starts. Run the hot tap and the cold tap separately, and note what you notice:
Each answer leads to a different fix, from a water heater adjustment to a whole-house system that oxidizes the gas and filters it out. Our post on sulfur smell in Sebring well water goes deeper into the treatment options. Bring your faucet notes to your water test and we will use them alongside the readings.
Orange rings in the toilet, rust streaks under sprinkler heads and laundry that slowly turns tan all point to iron. The same Department of Health fact sheet lists red stains in sinks, swampy or oily tastes and smells, and red, slimy growth in the toilet tank as signs of iron bacteria. Those bacteria are not known to cause disease, but they can foul pumps, pipes and treatment media. A softener can take out small amounts of iron, but heavier iron or iron bacteria need a dedicated filter ahead of it. Our guide on how to remove iron from water explains the main methods.
Hardness is the problem people notice last because it builds slowly: white crust on shower heads, cloudy glasses, soap that will not lather and water heaters that lose efficiency to scale. On a well, hardness usually arrives together with iron or sulfur, so we size the water softener to your measured hardness and protect it with filtration where the well calls for it.
The visit is free, takes place at your kitchen sink, and carries no pressure to buy. Here is what to expect:
Our post on how to test well water in Florida covers what home kits can and cannot tell you before the visit.
On city water, the usual goals are softer water and less chlorine taste instead. Our Sebring water filtration page covers that side. Neighbors further south can see our page on well water treatment in Lake Placid.
“I had a well pack put in a few weeks ago by Dusty, he was very knowledgeable and the system works great! No more smell or stains”
— Carla Stewart, Google review
“Real honest, upfront business. Florida Water Management offered an excellent product. They were very knowlegeable about the water characteristics of my recently drilled well.”
— Juscelino Leao, Google review
Our shop is at 32415 Broadway St in Sebring, so we are close to homes across town, from the neighborhoods around Lake Jackson and Sun ‘n Lake to rural properties toward Lorida and Avon Park. Homeowners also ask about financing and the lifetime warranty on our systems. We can go over both during your water test.
If your water smells, stains or leaves scale behind, start with the numbers. Request your free in-home water test or call (863) 658-1056.
Yes. According to the City of Sebring 2025 water quality report, the city pumps its water from the Floridan Aquifer System through 14 wells, then adds chlorine for disinfection and a phosphate blend to control iron and corrosion. A private well gets no treatment, so what comes out of the tap is whatever is in the ground.
Florida Department of Health guidance says that when only the hot tap smells, the problem is likely in the water heater, where chemical reactions can produce the odor. If both hot and cold taps smell strongly and the smell stays steady, hydrogen sulfide in the groundwater is the more likely cause.
When the odor shows up only in water that passed through the softener, sulfur bacteria may be growing inside the softener. Cleaning or sanitizing the unit and adding the right filtration ahead of it usually solves it. We check for this during the water test.
The Florida Department of Health says sulfur bacteria are not harmful and that the smell usually does not reflect how clean the well is. It also recommends testing private wells regularly for total coliform bacteria and E. coli, which is a separate test from the hardness, iron and sulfur readings we take.
Only when the iron level is low. Higher iron, and iron bacteria in particular, can clog a softener and shorten its life. We measure the iron first and add a dedicated iron filter ahead of the softener when the reading calls for it.
Test for bacteria through a certified lab, and check hardness, iron, hydrogen sulfide and pH before you choose any equipment. Knowing all of these numbers up front lets one system be designed for the whole well instead of adding equipment piece by piece.
We run the tests at your kitchen sink, show you each result as it comes up and explain what it means for your home. There is no charge for the test and no obligation to buy. Equipment is recommended only for the problems the readings show.
