Kentucky tap water quality
372 community water systems serving 5.1 million people.
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
9
systems with PFAS above a federal limit
199,762
people served by them
230
systems EPA tested for PFAS
0
systems above the lead action level
PFAS: EPA's 2023–2025 testing. Lead: results from the last five years.
Water systems with PFAS above the federal limit
Based on EPA's UCMR 5 results (2023–2025) compared to the April 2024 limits, the way EPA compares them. Systems have until 2029 to comply. Largest first.
- Paducah Water Works65,004 people · Surface water · KentuckyPFOS above limitAlso: PFOA detected
- Georgetown Municipal Water Service44,608 people · Surface water · KentuckyPFOS above limitAlso: PFOA detected · PFHxS detected
- Daviess County Water District33,655 people · Purchased groundwater · KentuckyPFOA above limit
- Harrison County Water Association16,736 people · Purchased surface water · KentuckyPFOS above limitAlso: Haloacetic acids (HAA5) violations · PFHxS detected
- Corbin Utilities Commission16,065 people · Surface water · KentuckyPFOA above limit
- Whitley County Water District9,825 people · Purchased surface water · KentuckyPFOA above limitAlso: Haloacetic acids (HAA5) violations · Total trihalomethanes (TTHM) violation · PFOS detected
- Cynthiana Municipal Water Works7,263 people · Surface water · KentuckyPFOS above limitAlso: PFHxS detected
- Whitesville Water Works3,672 people · Purchased groundwater · KentuckyPFOA above limit
- North McLean County Water District2,934 people · Purchased surface water · KentuckyPFOA above limitAlso: Coliform bacteria violation
Kentucky PFAS report: chart, rankings and data to download →
Largest water systems in Kentucky
- Louisville Water Company806,997 people · Surface water · KentuckyPFOA detected
- Kentucky American Water669,042 people · Surface water · KentuckyLithium above screening level
- Northern Kentucky Water District259,949 people · Surface water · KentuckyNo PFAS above limits
- Warren County Water District91,118 people · Purchased surface water · KentuckyNo PFAS above limits
- Hardin County Water District #276,326 people · Surface water · KentuckyPFOA detectedAlso: PFOS detected · PFNA detected
- Boone County Water & Sewer District66,300 people · Purchased surface water · KentuckyNo PFAS above limits
- Paducah Water Works65,004 people · Surface water · KentuckyPFOS above limitAlso: PFOA detected
- Owensboro Municipal Utilities60,473 people · Groundwater · KentuckyPFOA detected
- Bowling Green Municipal Utilities53,601 people · Surface water · KentuckyNo PFAS above limits
- Frankfort Plant Board52,153 people · Surface water · KentuckyNo PFAS above limits
- Georgetown Municipal Water Service44,608 people · Surface water · KentuckyPFOS above limitAlso: PFOA detected · PFHxS detected
- Ashland Water Works44,402 people · Surface water · KentuckyTotal trihalomethanes (TTHM) violationsAlso: Haloacetic acids (HAA5) violations
- Mountain Water District44,057 people · Surface water · KentuckyTotal trihalomethanes (TTHM) violations
- Hopkinsville Water Environment Authority41,350 people · Surface water · KentuckyNo PFAS above limits
- Oldham County Water District38,409 people · Groundwater · KentuckyNo PFAS above limits
Kentucky cities and towns
- Bowling Green
- Covington
- Florence
- Frankfort
- Georgetown
- Independence
- Lexington
- Nicholasville
- Owensboro
- Paducah
- Richmond
Most health-based violations since 2016
- Providence Water Works4,538 people · Surface water · KentuckyHaloacetic acids (HAA5) violationsAlso: Total trihalomethanes (TTHM) violations
- Martin Water Department1,167 people · Purchased surface water · KentuckyTotal trihalomethanes (TTHM) violationsAlso: Haloacetic acids (HAA5) violations
- Mountain Water District44,057 people · Surface water · KentuckyTotal trihalomethanes (TTHM) violations
- Union County Water District6,117 people · Purchased surface water · KentuckyTotal trihalomethanes (TTHM) violationsAlso: Haloacetic acids (HAA5) violations · PFOA detected
- Big Sandy Water District13,044 people · Purchased surface water · KentuckyTotal trihalomethanes (TTHM) violationsAlso: Haloacetic acids (HAA5) violations · HFPO-DA detected · Lithium above screening level
- Calhoun Water Works966 people · Purchased surface water · KentuckyTotal trihalomethanes (TTHM) violationsAlso: Haloacetic acids (HAA5) violations
- Reid Village Water District2,545 people · Purchased surface water · KentuckyHaloacetic acids (HAA5) violationsAlso: Total trihalomethanes (TTHM) violations
- Sharpsburg Water District4,332 people · Purchased surface water · KentuckyHaloacetic acids (HAA5) violationsAlso: Total trihalomethanes (TTHM) violations
- Clay Water Works1,287 people · Purchased surface water · KentuckyHaloacetic acids (HAA5) violationsAlso: Total trihalomethanes (TTHM) violation · Lead near 2027 level
- Jessamine County Water District #16,831 people · Purchased surface water · KentuckyTotal trihalomethanes (TTHM) violationsAlso: Haloacetic acids (HAA5) violations
- Martin County Water District #19,003 people · Surface water · KentuckyHaloacetic acids (HAA5) violationsAlso: Total trihalomethanes (TTHM) violations · Lithium above screening level
- Uniontown Water & Sewer Dept1,496 people · Purchased surface water · KentuckyTotal trihalomethanes (TTHM) violations
- Southern Water & Sewer District15,110 people · Surface water · KentuckyTotal trihalomethanes (TTHM) violationsAlso: Lithium above screening level
- Smithland Water & Sewer989 people · Purchased surface water · KentuckyTotal trihalomethanes (TTHM) violationsAlso: Coliform bacteria violation
- Edmonson County Water District17,848 people · Surface water · KentuckyNo PFAS above limitsAlso: 13 health-based violations since 2016
All Kentucky utilities on this site
Every Kentucky system serving 50,000+ people or with PFAS above a federal limit, A to Z. Download all 372 systems as CSV.
- Boone County Water & Sewer District
- Bowling Green Municipal Utilities
- Corbin Utilities Commission
- Cynthiana Municipal Water Works
- Daviess County Water District
- Frankfort Plant Board
- Georgetown Municipal Water Service
- Hardin County Water District #2
- Harrison County Water Association
- Kentucky American Water
- Louisville Water Company
- North McLean County Water District
- Northern Kentucky Water District
- Owensboro Municipal Utilities
- Paducah Water Works
- Warren County Water District
- Whitesville Water Works
- Whitley County Water District
Questions
Does Kentucky tap water have PFAS?
EPA tested 230 community water systems in Kentucky for 29 PFAS between 2023 and 2025. 36 had at least one regulated PFAS detected, and 9 had an entry-point average above a 2024 federal limit. Those 9 systems serve about 199,762 people (4% of people on community water in Kentucky). Systems have until 2029 to meet the limits.
How many Kentucky water systems have violations?
181 systems in Kentucky had at least one health-based violation since 2016 (905 violations in total). 38 violations are currently listed as unaddressed.
Which Kentucky water systems are over the lead action level?
0 systems had a lead 90th percentile above the 15 ppb action level in their most recent results from the last five years. Lead depends on each home's pipes, so a test of your own tap is the only way to know your level.
Source: U.S. EPA drinking water records and PFAS testing (UCMR 5). How we read the data.