Frostproof sits high on the Lake Wales Ridge, the sandy spine of Polk County lined with lakes and citrus groves. Homes inside town are on City of Frostproof water, but around Lake Reedy and Lake Clinch, out among the groves and south toward the Highlands County line, many houses still run on a private well. Florida Water Management handles well water treatment for these homes from our shop in Sebring. We start with a free in-home water test, show you what the readings mean, and recommend only the equipment your well needs.
Book a free in-home water test or call (863) 658-1056, Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM.
The ridge plays a large part in what comes out of a Frostproof tap. A U.S. Geological Survey study, Analysis and Simulation of Ground-Water Flow in Lake Wales Ridge and Adjacent Areas of Central Florida, describes the ridge as an upland recharge area with many sinkhole lakes. Rain soaks through the sand and moves down through three layers: the surficial aquifer near the top, the intermediate aquifer and its confining beds in the middle, and the limestone Upper Floridan aquifer at the bottom. The USGS puts the Upper Floridan at roughly 1,200 to 1,400 feet thick, and it is the main source of groundwater in the area.
The City of Frostproof utilities department says the town’s water comes from local wells drilled into the Floridan Aquifer System. State records from the Florida DEP Source Water Assessment program list the city’s active wells at 1,082 and 1,194 feet deep. The city disinfects and tests that water before it reaches homes. A private well gets none of that. It may reach the limestone or stop in the upper layers, and nobody tests it unless the owner does. That is why the first question we ask a Frostproof homeowner is how deep the well is and when it was last tested.
One topic most well water pages skip matters a lot on the ridge: nitrate. From 1999 to 2005 the USGS sampled 31 shallow monitoring wells next to citrus groves on the Lake Wales Ridge. Its report, Pesticides and Nitrate in Groundwater Underlying Citrus Croplands, found that nitrate rose above the 10 mg/L drinking water standard in at least one sample from 28 of those wells. Seventeen of the 44 citrus pesticides and breakdown products the USGS looked for were also detected.
Those were research wells placed close to the water table, not household wells, and they do not tell you what is in your water. They do show why a shallow well on sandy ground near groves deserves a lab test. The Florida Department of Health recommends that private well owners test for bacteria and nitrate at least once a year, and the county health department can explain how to collect the samples. Nitrate has no smell, taste or color, so a clear glass of water says nothing about it.
When a lab report shows nitrate, reverse osmosis at the kitchen sink is a common way to reduce it in drinking and cooking water. Our post on reverse osmosis for well water explains how a system works on a private well.
The problems that bring most Frostproof well owners to us are the ones you can see and smell:
Many wells have more than one of these at once. Our guide on how to remove sulfur from well water covers the main treatment methods.
The test happens at your kitchen sink, and there is no pressure to buy. Here is how the visit runs:
Want to know what home kits can and cannot show you first? Read our post on how to test well water in Florida.
If you are on city water and mainly want softer water, see our page on water softener installation in Frostproof. For a comparison of whole-house setups, see our whole house water filter guide for Frostproof.
“We’ve had our water system since 2020, and have had no issues with discoloration, smell or hard water stains. Thank you Dusty at Florida Water Management for making life a lot better!!”
— Janice Springfield, Google review
“Dusty was extremely helpful with our water system for our new home. He also helped us with other handy work. He is also very knowledgeable about Central Florida which was a big help to us.”
— Mike Tellman, Google review
We work in Frostproof and nearby ridge communities, including Babson Park, Crooked Lake Park, Highland Park and Lake Wales, as well as Avon Park and Sebring to the south. Many of our customers ask about financing and the lifetime warranty on our systems. We can go over both during your water test.
If your well smells, stains or leaves scale behind, or you simply have never had it tested, start with the numbers. Request your free in-home water test or call (863) 658-1056.
No. The City of Frostproof draws from wells drilled into the Floridan Aquifer System and disinfects the water before delivery. State records list the active city wells at 1,082 and 1,194 feet. A private well may be much shallower, gets no treatment and is tested only when the owner tests it.
It is worth testing. A USGS study of shallow monitoring wells next to Lake Wales Ridge citrus groves found nitrate above the 10 mg/L drinking water standard in at least one sample from 28 of 31 wells. Those were research wells, not household wells, so only a lab test can tell you about your own water.
The Florida Department of Health recommends testing private wells for bacteria and nitrate at least once a year. Test again after flooding, pump or plumbing repairs, or any change in the water’s taste, smell or color.
A standard water softener is built for hardness, not nitrate. Reverse osmosis at the kitchen sink is a common way to reduce nitrate in the water you drink and cook with. We size it from your lab results.
Hydrogen sulfide levels can change with water use, and sulfur bacteria in the well, the water heater or an old softener can make the smell come and go. Comparing the hot and cold taps helps us find where it starts.
Often, yes. Wells in the upper sandy layers tend to have different problems than wells that reach the limestone, such as iron, color and low pH versus hardness and sulfur. We base the system on your test results, not on the depth alone.
We test hardness, iron, hydrogen sulfide, pH and total dissolved solids at your kitchen sink and explain each result. There is no charge and no obligation. If you need bacteria or nitrate results, we explain how to get a certified lab test.
