Is Wichita, KS tap water safe?
Supplied by City of Wichita · serves 395,699 people (143,709 connections) · Surface water · EPA ID KS2017308
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Most of Wichita gets its water from City of Wichita. Parts of the city are served by a smaller system: McConnell AFB (6,009 people). Your water bill names your system.
Buys water from City of Valley Center. Treated water bought from another system can carry that system's contaminants.
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Not detectedNone of 29 PFAS found above EPA's reporting limits in 4 samples (2023–2025).
- Lithium
- Above screening levelHighest result 21.1 ppb. EPA uses 10 ppb to decide what to study further. It is not a health limit, and there is no federal limit for lithium. About 1 in 4 systems tested were above it.
- Lead
- Below action level1.42 ppb (parts per billion) at the 90th percentile: 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below it. Action level 15 ppb, falling to 10 ppb in Nov 2027. Monitoring period ending Dec 2024. Your home's pipes can make yours higher.
- Violations
- None health-basedNo health-based violations since 2016.
- Built before 1986, or not sure what your service line is made of? Check your service line and test your tap. Utility data can't show your pipes.
- Tested your own tap? Compare your result with these numbers. Moving? Compare this system with another.
- Read City of Wichita's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report). It lists every regulated contaminant tested and is usually on the utility's website or mailed with your bill, and you can also request it at (316) 269-4786. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 1 entry point tested Feb 2023 to Nov 2023. "Average" is the highest entry-point average (non-detects counted as zero), the way EPA compares UCMR 5 results to the limits. ppt = parts per trillion. These results do not determine compliance.
| Contaminant | Highest average |
|---|---|
| PFOA Not detected Limit 4 ppt | – |
| PFOS Not detected Limit 4 ppt | – |
| PFHxS Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| PFNA Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| HFPO-DA (GenX) Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| Hazard Index (a combined score for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and PFBS, where above 1 is over the limit) Not detected Limit 1 | – |
| PFBS Not detected Guideline 2,000 ppt | – |
| PFBA Not detected Guideline 6,000 ppt | – |
| PFHxA Not detected Guideline 3,000 ppt | – |
29 PFAS tested, 0 detected at least once. "Not detected" means below EPA's reporting limit (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical), not proven zero. PFAS not listed were not detected. The limits for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and the Hazard Index were proposed for rescission in May 2026. That proposal is not final. Systems have until 2029 to meet the limits.
Lithium
Detected in 4 of 4 samples. Highest result 21.1 ppb. EPA's non-enforceable screening level is 10 ppb. Above screening level The screening level is how EPA decides what to study further, not a health limit. There is no federal limit for lithium and no filter is certified to remove it. About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 1.42 ppb lead (Jan 2022 – Dec 2024). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 8.39 ppb (Dec 2018).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2022 – Dec 2024 | 1.42 ppb |
| Jan 2019 – Dec 2021 | 3.21 ppb |
| Jan 2016 – Dec 2018 | 8.39 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2013 – Dec 2015 | 7.4 ppb |
| Jan 2012 – Dec 2012 | 8.2 ppb |
| Jan 2010 – Dec 2010 | 7.5 ppb |
| Jan 2009 – Dec 2009 | 10 ppb |
| Jan 2008 – Dec 2008 | 9 ppb |
| Jul 2007 – Dec 2007 | 10 ppb |
| Jan 2005 – Dec 2007 | 16 ppb |
| Jan 2007 – Jun 2007 | 7 ppb |
| Jan 2002 – Dec 2004 | 7 ppb |
Lead comes from pipes and fixtures, not the source water, so it varies home to home. The 90th percentile means 9 in 10 sampled homes were at or below it. More on lead.
Violations
Health-based violations mean a contaminant exceeded a limit or a required treatment step was missed. Monitoring and reporting violations mean required tests or reports were late or missing, so the water's quality during that time is unknown. The total includes every violation in EPA's records, most of them paperwork.
Earlier EPA testing (2013–2020)
| Contaminant | Highest | Guideline |
|---|---|---|
| Manganese | 0.8 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.058 ppb | – |
| Strontium | 0.33 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Molybdenum | 3.3 ppb | 40 ppb |
| Vanadium | 1.7 ppb | 21 ppb |
Where it serves
Wichita
27 ZIP codes the system reported serving
67002, 67202, 67203, 67204, 67205, 67206, 67207, 67208, 67209, 67210, 67211, 67212, 67213, 67214, 67215, 67216, 67217, 67218, 67219, 67220, 67223, 67226, 67227, 67228, 67230, 67232, 67235
Nearby utilities
- City of Great Bend Great Bend · 92 mi · PFAS above limit
- Frusi Water Treatment Plant Fort Riley · 102 mi · PFAS above limit
- City of Manhattan Manhattan · 111 mi
- City of Topeka Topeka · 129 mi
- City of Lawrence Lawrence · 144 mi
- City of Dodge City Dodge City · 146 mi · PFAS above limit
Questions
Is Wichita tap water safe to drink?
Most of Wichita gets its water from City of Wichita. City of Wichita has no health-based violations since 2016. EPA testing found no PFAS above the federal limits. Federal data can't tell you about your own pipes: lead comes from service lines and plumbing, so test your tap if your home was built before 1986. For the official word, read the utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report.
Does Wichita water have PFAS?
EPA tested City of Wichita for 29 PFAS between Feb 2023 and Nov 2023 and none were detected above the reporting limits (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical).
What is the lead level in Wichita water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for City of Wichita is 1.42 ppb, for the period ending Dec 2024. The federal action level is 15 ppb, falling to 10 ppb in November 2027. The 90th percentile means 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below this number. Individual homes can be higher.
Check these numbers yourself
Every figure on this page comes from public EPA records. You don't have to take our word for it:
- EPA's own report for KS2017308: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID KS2017308).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask City of Wichita at (316) 269-4786, or see EPA's guide to finding it.
- City of Wichita website
Found something that doesn't match? Tell us and we'll check it against EPA's records. How we check our data.
Source: U.S. EPA drinking water records and PFAS testing (UCMR 5). How we read the data.