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Kentucky Tap Water Quality 2026

EPA drinking water data for 550 cities across Kentucky — covering lead levels, violation history, and compliance status.

Systems tracked: 284 Cities covered: 550 Updated: 2026 Q2
A

Kentucky earns an A for overall water quality

550 communities across 120 counties and 284 water systems. 99.3% have no open violations.

Median lead where detected: 2.00 ppb
53.2% of systems report lead as not detected — a state filing convention, not a water quality measure
PFAS tested at 75.1% of communities; 26 above the federal limit
Lead reported for 99.8% of communities
99.3% of communities have no open violations
Water Systems
284
Active community systems
Median Lead Level
2 ppb
13% of EPA action level
Fully Compliant
99.3%
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 Kentucky

✓ Cleanest Water
Louisville/Jefferson County metro government (balance)
Jefferson County
1.1 ppb A
Louisville
Jefferson County
1.1 ppb A
Owensboro
Daviess County
0.0 ppb A
Bowling Green
Warren County
0.0 ppb A
Covington
Kenton County
0.0 ppb A
Jeffersontown
Jefferson County
1.1 ppb A
⚠ Needs Attention
Berry
Harrison County
0.0 ppb D
Tompkinsville
Monroe County
7.0 ppb D
Ekron
Meade County
2.0 ppb D
Cynthiana
Harrison County
5.0 ppb C
Emlyn
Whitley County
0.0 ppb C
Pleasant View
Whitley County
0.0 ppb C

Water Quality by County

120 of 120
Sort:
CountySystemsLead LevelViolationsGrade
Jefferson County 84 1.1 ppb 0 A
Kenton County 18 No data 0 A
Daviess County 16 3.6 ppb 0 B
Campbell County 16 No data 0 A
Harlan County 14 2.0 ppb 0 A
Graves County 10 3.0 ppb 0 B
Boone County 10 1.0 ppb 0 A
Floyd County 10 3.0 ppb 0 B
Hopkins County 10 2.0 ppb 0 A
Hardin County 9 6.0 ppb 0 B

About Kentucky Drinking Water

Kentucky is served by 284 community water systems covering 550 communities across 120 counties. 99.3% have no open violation on record.

Lead was detected in 257 communities, with a median of 2.00 ppb — 13% of the federal action level. A further 292 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 75.1% of communities here, and 26 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 Kentucky tap water safe to drink? ▼
99.3% of communities have no open violation on record. 26 have PFAS above the federal limit set in 2024, which is the main open concern.
Does Kentucky have a lead problem? ▼
1 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 292 communities report no detection at all.
How complete is the data for Kentucky? ▼
Lead results are reported for 99.8% of communities and PFAS for 75.1%. Where a figure is missing it is shown as not reported rather than assumed safe.
How does Kentucky 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.