States ›Kansas ›Thomas County ›Colby

Colby, KS Tap Water Quality 2026

Water quality report for Colby, KS — PFAS, lead and copper results, violation history and state inspection findings from EPA SDWIS.

A look at Colby's drinking water using EPA enforcement records: violations, lead and copper results, PFAS sampling and state inspection findings.

Main Utility: Colby, City Of PWSID: KS2019302 Updated: 2026 Q2
✅

No federal limits exceeded on record

Lead is 1.30 ppb, 9% of the action level and no violations are open. No PFAS was detected.

A

Colby earns an A for water quality

Graded on violations, lead, and PFAS, with state inspection findings.

Lead: 1.30 ppb — 9% of the federal action level
PFAS tested, none detected
25 violations since 2015, 0 health-based
No violations currently open
Colby's lead level vs. all Kansas community water systems
0 ppb5 ppb10 ppb15 ppb
Lead level: 1.30 ppb — 9% of the federal action level
✓ Lower lead than 80% of Kansas utilities
Population Served
5511
~2609 connections
Water Source
Groundwater
Drawn from wells — SDWIS source code GW
Active Violations
0
25 since 2015, all resolved

Lead & Copper Testing

Lead (Pb)
90th percentile of tap samples collected across the distribution system
9% of EPA action level
1.30 ppb
Action level: 15 ppb
Copper (Cu)
90th percentile of tap samples. SDWIS reports a copper figure only when a system exceeds the action level, so any value here is an exceedance.
210% of EPA action level
2,730 ppb
Action level: 1,300 ppb
The 90th-percentile lead result is 1.30 ppb, 9% of the 15 ppb federal action level. The action level is a treatment trigger, not a legal maximum, and it is measured across sampled taps rather than at any single home. Copper reached the action level here; a copper figure appears in SDWIS only when a system triggers it.

Contaminant Violations (2015–Present)

ContaminantTypeMeasuredLimitPeriodStatus
Public Notice OTHER — — 2019 Resolved
1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene MONITORING AND REPORTING — 0.07 mg/L 2018 Resolved
cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene MONITORING AND REPORTING — 0.07 mg/L 2018 Resolved
ETHYLENE DIBROMIDE MONITORING AND REPORTING — 0.00005 mg/L 2018 Resolved
Xylenes, Total MONITORING AND REPORTING — 10 mg/L 2018 Resolved
DICHLOROMETHANE MONITORING AND REPORTING — 0.005 mg/L 2018 Resolved
o-Dichlorobenzene MONITORING AND REPORTING — 0.6 mg/L 2018 Resolved
p-Dichlorobenzene MONITORING AND REPORTING — 0.075 mg/L 2018 Resolved
Vinyl chloride MONITORING AND REPORTING — 0.002 mg/L 2018 Resolved
1,1-Dichloroethylene MONITORING AND REPORTING — 0.007 mg/L 2018 Resolved
trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene MONITORING AND REPORTING — 0.1 mg/L 2018 Resolved
1,2-Dichloroethane MONITORING AND REPORTING — 0.005 mg/L 2018 Resolved
1,1,1-Trichloroethane MONITORING AND REPORTING — 0.2 mg/L 2018 Resolved
Carbon tetrachloride MONITORING AND REPORTING — 0.005 mg/L 2018 Resolved
1,2-Dichloropropane MONITORING AND REPORTING — 0.005 mg/L 2018 Resolved
Trichloroethylene MONITORING AND REPORTING — 0.005 mg/L 2018 Resolved
1,1,2-Trichloroethane MONITORING AND REPORTING — 0.005 mg/L 2018 Resolved
Tetrachloroethylene MONITORING AND REPORTING — 0.005 mg/L 2018 Resolved
CHLOROBENZENE MONITORING AND REPORTING — 0.1 mg/L 2018 Resolved
Benzene MONITORING AND REPORTING — 0.005 mg/L 2018 Resolved
Toluene MONITORING AND REPORTING — 1 mg/L 2018 Resolved
Ethylbenzene MONITORING AND REPORTING — 0.7 mg/L 2018 Resolved
Styrene MONITORING AND REPORTING — 0.1 mg/L 2018 Resolved
TTHM MONITORING AND REPORTING — 0.080 mg/L 2017–2018 Resolved
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MONITORING AND REPORTING — 0.060 mg/L 2017–2018 Resolved
Understanding violation types MCL violations mean a contaminant exceeded the federal maximum limit — the most serious type.
TT (Treatment Technique) violations mean required treatment procedures weren't followed, but don't necessarily mean contamination occurred.

Violation History

25 violations are on record since 2015, of which 0 were health-based. All have been resolved and none remain open.

About the Main Water System

Utility Colby, City Of
PWSID KS2019302
Water source Groundwater — Drawn from wells — SDWIS source code GW
Population served 5,511
Service connections 2,609
Systems serving this area 1
Regulator State primacy agency
Data through 2026 Q2 — EPA SDWIS

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Colby tap water safe to drink? ▼
No federal limit is exceeded on record. No violations are currently open. Lead is 1.30 ppb, 9% of the action level.
Does Colby water have PFAS? ▼
It was tested for the six regulated PFAS compounds and none were detected.
Who supplies water to Colby? ▼
Colby, City Of (PWSID KS2019302). Groundwater. Drawn from wells — SDWIS source code GW
When was this system last inspected? ▼
It was last inspected on 2025-09-23. No significant deficiencies were recorded.

What Should Colby Residents Do?

1
Read your annual water report
Your supplier publishes a Consumer Confidence Report each July covering the prior year.
2
Check for a lead service line
Lead reaches tap water mainly through service lines and household plumbing. Suppliers now publish an inventory identifying lead lines.
3
Flush before drinking
If water has sat in pipes more than six hours, run the cold tap for two minutes before drinking or cooking.

Nearby Cities in Kansas

Brewster, Ks Tap Water Quality 2026 Thomas Rexford, Ks Tap Water Quality 2026 Thomas