Is Lawrence, KS tap water safe?

Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it

No federal limits exceeded in EPA data for City of Lawrence. 2 PFAS were detected below the limits.

7 public water systems serve parts of Lawrence. The largest, City of Lawrence, serves 95,256 people. Your water bill names your system.

Largest system

City of Lawrence

95,256 people · Surface water · EPA ID KS2004503

PFAS	Highest average	Limit	Status
PFOA Not detected	–	4 ppt	Not detected
PFOS Not detected	–	4 ppt	Not detected
PFHxS Detected, below limit	3.73 ppt	10 ppt	Detected, below limit
PFNA Not detected	–	10 ppt	Not detected
HFPO-DA (GenX) Not detected	–	10 ppt	Not detected

ppt = parts per trillion. "Highest average" is the highest average at any of the system's entry points, the way EPA compares results with the limits.

Lead: 3 ppb at the 90th percentile (Dec 2023, and 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below it) Below action level
Health-based violations since 2016: 0

Full City of Lawrence results

Across Kansas, 3 of 102 water systems EPA tested had PFAS above a 2024 federal limit, and 3 systems were above the lead action level in results from the last five years. Kansas results.

Lawrence homes and lead pipes

39%

of homes built before 1980 (Kansas 56%, US 50%)

11%

built before 1950 (Kansas 21%)

56%

of households rent (Kansas 33%)

Lead service lines and lead solder were allowed until 1986, so homes from before then are the ones to check. Renting? Ask your landlord what the service line is made of, because it's their pipe to replace. How to check your own line.

Housing: Census American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for Lawrence city (tables B25034, B25003). Estimates for small places have a margin of error.

Which system serves your ZIP code

Based on the ZIP codes each system reported serving. Boundaries don't follow ZIP lines exactly, so your water bill is the final word.

System	ZIP codes in Lawrence
City of Lawrence 95,256 people	66049
University of Kansas Water System 35,000 people	66045

Other water systems serving Lawrence

University of Kansas Water System
35,000 people · Purchased surface water · Kansas · lists this city
Lithium above screening level
Douglas County Rural Water District 3
4,663 people · Surface water · Kansas · reported ZIPs here
Total trihalomethanes (TTHM) violationAlso: PFHxS detected
Douglas County Rural Water District 5
2,500 people · Purchased surface water · Kansas · lists this city
Not in EPA's PFAS sample
Jefferson County Rural Water District 13
2,115 people · Groundwater · Kansas · lists this city
Not in EPA's PFAS sample
Douglas County Rural Water District 1
1,400 people · Purchased surface water · Kansas · lists this city
Not in EPA's PFAS sample
Public Wholesale Water & Sewer District 25
Wholesale supplier (sells water to other systems) · Groundwater · Kansas · lists this city
Not in EPA's PFAS sample

How nearby cities compare

City	Main water system	PFAS	Lead (90th pct.)
Gardner 21 mi City of Gardner	City of Gardner	None above limits	3.1 ppb
Topeka 24 mi City of Topeka	City of Topeka	None above limits	1.4 ppb
Olathe 24 mi City of Olathe	City of Olathe	None above limits	11 ppb
Kansas City 30 mi Water District 1 of Johnson County	Water District 1 of Johnson County	None above limits	6.48 ppb
Leavenworth 31 mi Leavenworth Water Department	Leavenworth Water Department	None above limits	0 ppb
Manhattan 74 mi City of Manhattan	City of Manhattan	None above limits	0.8 ppb

Questions

Is Lawrence tap water safe to drink?

City of Lawrence has had no health-based violations since 2016. Utility data can't show lead from your own pipes: if your home was built before 1986, test your tap. Your utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report is the official summary.

Who supplies water in Lawrence, KS?

7 public water systems serve parts of Lawrence. The largest is City of Lawrence (95,256 people). Your water bill names your system. The EPA ID is also on your utility's Consumer Confidence Report.

Does Lawrence tap water have PFAS?

City of Lawrence had 2 PFAS detected at least once in EPA's 2023–2025 testing, all with averages below the federal limits.

Do Lawrence homes have lead pipes?

Census estimates put 39% of Lawrence homes as built before 1980 (Kansas: 56%). Lead service lines and lead solder were allowed until 1986, so older homes are more likely to have them. City of Lawrence's service line inventory says what your line is made of. The only way to know for your home is to check the line where it enters the house and test your tap.

Source: U.S. EPA drinking water records and PFAS testing (UCMR 5). How we read the data.