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Kansas Tap Water Quality 2026

EPA drinking water data for 694 cities across Kansas — covering lead levels, violation history, and compliance status.

Systems tracked: 625 Cities covered: 694 Updated: 2026 Q2
A

Kansas earns an A for overall water quality

694 communities across 105 counties and 625 water systems. 98.7% have no open violations.

Median lead where detected: 2.30 ppb
29.5% of systems report lead as not detected — a state filing convention, not a water quality measure
PFAS tested at 14.8% of communities; 2 above the federal limit
Lead reported for 100.0% of communities
98.7% of communities have no open violations
Water Systems
625
Active community systems
Median Lead Level
2.3 ppb
15% of EPA action level
Fully Compliant
98.7%
of systems — no active violations
How we grade states Grades are based on actual EPA enforcement data — MCL violations and lead levels measured against the 15 ppb federal action level. We do not use MCLG-based detections, which are aspirational zero-tolerance goals that would make nearly every state look dangerous. Read our full methodology →

Best & Worst Cities in Kansas

✓ Cleanest Water
Bendena
Doniphan County
0.0 ppb A
Wichita
Sedgwick County
1.4 ppb A
Lawrence
Douglas County
3.0 ppb A
Manhattan
Riley County
1.9 ppb A
Salina
Saline County
1.4 ppb A
Leavenworth
Leavenworth County
0.0 ppb A
⚠ Needs Attention
Sylvia
Reno County
3.1 ppb F
Virgil
Greenwood County
1.1 ppb F
Cedar Point
Chase County
3.5 ppb F
Stafford
Stafford County
1.7 ppb D
Morland
Graham County
7.8 ppb D
Fort Riley
Riley County
1.2 ppb D

Water Quality by County

105 of 105
Sort:
CountySystemsLead LevelViolationsGrade
Sedgwick County 24 2.7 ppb 0 A
Johnson County 19 6.5 ppb 0 A
Crawford County 18 1.8 ppb 0 B
Butler County 15 2.8 ppb 0 A
Brown County 14 3.5 ppb 0 B
Reno County 13 3.1 ppb 0 B
Dickinson County 12 2.1 ppb 0 A
Marshall County 12 2.6 ppb 0 B
Cowley County 11 1.8 ppb 0 A
Pottawatomie County 11 1.3 ppb 0 A

About Kansas Drinking Water

Kansas is served by 625 community water systems covering 694 communities across 105 counties. 98.7% have no open violation on record.

Lead was detected in 489 communities, with a median of 2.30 ppb — 15% of the federal action level. A further 205 reported none detected. That share is a state reporting convention rather than a measure of water quality, so it is stated separately rather than averaged in.

PFAS has been tested at 14.8% of communities here, and 2 are above the limits EPA set in 2024. Coverage matters: states that test more find more, so this figure is not comparable with a state that has tested less.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Kansas tap water safe to drink? ▼
98.7% of communities have no open violation on record. 2 have PFAS above the federal limit set in 2024, which is the main open concern.
Does Kansas have a lead problem? ▼
2 water systems report a 90th-percentile lead result at or above the 15 ppb action level. The action level is a treatment trigger, not a legal maximum, and 205 communities report no detection at all.
How complete is the data for Kansas? ▼
Lead results are reported for 100.0% of communities and PFAS for 14.8%. Where a figure is missing it is shown as not reported rather than assumed safe.
How does Kansas compare with other states? ▼
We do not rank states against each other. Lead reporting completeness ranges from under 20% to 100% depending on the state, so a national ranking would compare filing practice rather than water quality.