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Pensacola FL Water Quality: NAS Pensacola PFAS and Gulf Coast Groundwater Concerns

March 23, 2026
Pensacola Florida waterfront along Pensacola Bay

Pensacola sits at the western tip of Florida’s panhandle, where the Gulf Coast’s white sand beaches rest atop the same sandy geology that holds the region’s drinking water. The Sand-and-Gravel Aquifer that supplies Pensacola and Escambia County is relatively shallow and highly productive — but also highly vulnerable to surface contamination.

That vulnerability has become painfully clear as PFAS contamination from Naval Air Station Pensacola continues to spread through surrounding neighborhoods’ groundwater.

NAS Pensacola is one of the Navy’s oldest installations, dating back to 1825. For decades, the base used aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) for fire training and emergency response. AFFF contains PFAS compounds that are extraordinarily persistent in groundwater — earning them the name “forever chemicals.”

Department of Defense testing has revealed PFAS contamination in groundwater on and around the base. Key findings include:

NAS Pensacola isn’t alone. Across Escambia County, three military installations have been identified as PFAS sources: NAS Pensacola, Saufley Field, and Corry Station. Together, they’ve created a complex contamination picture that overlaps with residential areas relying on private wells.

ECUA’s Municipal System

The Emerald Coast Utilities Authority (ECUA) manages Pensacola’s municipal water supply. ECUA draws groundwater from over 50 wells tapping the Sand-and-Gravel Aquifer, treating it at multiple water treatment facilities.

ECUA’s treated water generally meets all EPA standards. The utility conducts regular testing for a broad range of contaminants including:

The concern isn’t ECUA’s treatment plants — it’s the thousands of residents on private wells in unincorporated Escambia County who don’t have the benefit of centralized treatment.

Private Well Vulnerability

Escambia County has a substantial population relying on private wells, particularly in areas north of Pensacola and in rural parts of the county. The Sand-and-Gravel Aquifer that feeds these wells has several characteristics that make it susceptible to contamination:

For private well owners near military installations, this means PFAS contamination from surface use can reach their drinking water relatively quickly. Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection has conducted some testing of private wells near known PFAS sources, but comprehensive testing of all at-risk wells hasn’t been completed.

Historical Industrial Contamination

Military bases aren’t Pensacola’s only contamination concern. The Escambia Treating Company Superfund site, located on the north side of Pensacola, operated as a wood-treating facility from the 1940s to 1982. The site contaminated surrounding soil and groundwater with:

EPA listed the site on the National Priorities List in 1983, and remediation has been ongoing for over 40 years. The contamination affected nearby residential wells, and a water line extension project connected affected homes to ECUA’s system.

The American Creosote Works site on the Pensacola bayfront is another legacy contamination area that required extensive remediation.

Saltwater Intrusion

As Pensacola and the broader Gulf Coast region continue to grow, increased pumping from the Sand-and-Gravel Aquifer creates another risk: saltwater intrusion. The aquifer sits near sea level along the coast, and heavy pumping can draw saltwater into freshwater zones.

ECUA and the Northwest Florida Water Management District monitor for saltwater intrusion through a network of sentinel wells along the coast. So far, intrusion has been manageable, but:

The 2020 hurricane season, which brought Hurricane Sally directly through Pensacola with catastrophic flooding, demonstrated how storm events can affect water quality and infrastructure.

Hurricane Impacts on Water Quality

Hurricane Sally made landfall near Gulf Shores, Alabama, in September 2020, but Pensacola bore the brunt of its flooding. The slow-moving storm dumped over 30 inches of rain in some areas, overwhelming stormwater systems and flooding water treatment infrastructure.

Impacts included:

For a region dependent on a shallow, permeable aquifer, hurricanes represent a recurring threat to water quality that goes beyond immediate infrastructure damage.

What Pensacola Residents Should Know

Whether you’re on ECUA’s municipal system or a private well, here’s what matters:

  1. If you’re on a private well near a military installation, get your water tested for PFAS. Florida DEP offers resources for testing, and the Navy has testing programs for properties near NAS Pensacola, Saufley Field, and Corry Station.
  2. Know your aquifer. The Sand-and-Gravel Aquifer is productive but vulnerable. If you’re on a private well, annual testing for bacteria, nitrates, and common contaminants is essential — not optional.
  3. After storms, test your water. If your well was in a flood zone during a hurricane or major storm, have it tested before resuming use. Bacteria, nitrate, and chemical contamination can all enter shallow wells through floodwater.
  4. Consider filtration. For PFAS removal, activated carbon or reverse osmosis systems are most effective. For general well water protection, a combination of sediment filtration, UV disinfection, and carbon filtration covers most common concerns.

If you’re concerned about your water quality, a certified water treatment professional can test your water and advise on the right system. Pensacola’s combination of military PFAS contamination, shallow aquifer vulnerability, and hurricane risk makes proactive testing particularly important.

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