LocalPro, a network of locally owned plumbing companies across Florida, is offering free water testing statewide as the state's worst drought since 2012 eases but its aquifers lag behind the returning rain. The company credits local utilities for keeping water treated and steady, and says the goal is simple: show homeowners what's actually in their water, then let them decide.
CLEARWATER, Fla., June 24, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Florida just came through its driest stretch in more than a decade. At the peak this spring, close to 80% of the state sat in drought, the most widespread and severe conditions since 2012, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Summer storms have since started to ease the worst categories, but as of mid-June most of the state was still in some level of drought, and water managers have kept conservation rules in place.
The strain showed up first on the Gulf Coast. Through the dry season, St. Petersburg had recorded just 7.7 inches of rain since September 1, against a normal of about 19 inches, which the National Weather Service called the driest such stretch on record for the city.
Water managers responded with some of the strictest measures in years, and several remain active. The Southwest Florida Water Management District, which covers the Tampa Bay region from Citrus County to Sarasota, declared a Modified Phase III "Extreme" Water Shortage on April 3, limiting lawn watering to one day a week through July 1. The district had not reached that level since 2017, and the rule applies even to homes on private wells. To the north, the St. Johns River Water Management District placed the Jacksonville and Orlando areas under a "Severe" shortage earlier this year. Farther south, recent rains have begun to refill the aquifers around Naples, though the region spent much of the spring under a water shortage warning.
The conversation nobody is having
Nearly all of the public discussion has focused on conservation: how much water Floridians use and when they can use it. LocalPro, a network of locally owned plumbing companies serving most major metro areas across Florida, says the quieter question is what a long dry spell changes in the water homeowners use every day, and why a few wet weeks do not undo it.
Florida's water is naturally hard. The Floridan Aquifer runs through limestone, which adds calcium and magnesium as groundwater moves through it. Local utilities treat that water to meet state and federal standards before it reaches a home, and they work hard to keep supplies steady through a drought. Hardness is not a safety issue. It is a comfort and equipment issue, and a long dry stretch can make it easier to notice: spotting on dishes, scale on fixtures, soap that will not lather, a different taste in the glass, appliances wearing earlier than they should.
"Our local utilities do a great job, and we work right alongside them," said Daniel Ritchie, founder of LocalPro. "This was never about safety. It's about what people feel at home. Harder water, more scale, a different taste in the glass. We test it for free, show folks the real numbers, and let them decide. Some homes benefit from softening or whole-house filtration. Others don't need anything at all. If their water is fine, we tell them it's fine. Nobody should ever feel pressured."
What the Free Florida Home Water Test covers
A LocalPro technician evaluates common household water-quality indicators, explains the results in plain language, and discusses treatment options only if the homeowner asks. Plumbers work inside home water systems every day, on the pipes, heaters, and fixtures where hard water leaves its evidence, which is why the test starts with what the water is actually doing in the house. Conditions vary by location, source water, plumbing, and local mineral content, so two homes in the same county can test differently.
"One of the biggest misconceptions we run into is that every home's water is the same," said Shayne Sallee, water filtration specialist at LocalPro. "Water can vary from one community to the next, even one neighborhood to the next. Some homes run harder. Others notice chlorine, iron, or total dissolved solvents that affect taste, fixtures, appliances, skin, and hair. The test just establishes a baseline so a homeowner knows what they're actually working with."
Depending on the home and the market, options may include water softening, drinking water filtration, or whole-house filtration. Some homes need nothing at all. There is no charge and no obligation. LocalPro says it would rather tell a homeowner their water is fine than recommend a system they do not need.
The Free Florida Home Water Test is available throughout much of the state. Water softening and filtration are offered in a growing number of LocalPro markets, and services vary by location. Homeowners can view service areas and request a test at Florida Free Water Quality Test.
Rain is not the same as recharge
Florida's rainy season has arrived, and recent storms have started to green up lawns and ease the surface drought. The aquifers are a slower story. Most of the rain that falls runs off or evaporates before it reaches the limestone, and only a fraction soaks down to recharge the aquifer each year. Satellite measurements from NASA's GRACE-FO mission showed groundwater across northern and central Florida well below normal this spring, and the Southwest Florida Water Management District has reported aquifer, river, and lake levels that remain abnormally low across its region. Surface rain reaches the lawn first and the limestone last. Until those underground supplies recover, LocalPro expects homeowners to keep noticing the difference at the tap, regardless of what the sky is doing.
About LocalPro
LocalPro is a network of locally owned home-services companies across Florida, unified under one brand and one standard. Each location is owned by someone who lives in the community it serves. The company offers plumbing, leak detection, water quality testing, water softening, and water filtration services, with water-damage restoration available in select markets. LocalPro is headquartered in Clearwater and provides 24/7 service. Learn more at https://local.pro
Media Contact
Alex DiGiuseppe, LocalPro, 1 (833) 247-POOP, [email protected], https://local.pro
SOURCE LocalPro
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