Is Topeka, KS tap water safe?
Supplied by City of Topeka · serves 125,963 people (55,755 connections) · Surface water · EPA ID KS2017701
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Most of Topeka gets its water from City of Topeka. Parts of the city are served by 4 smaller systems: Shawnee County Rural Water District 4C (12,000 people), Shawnee County Rural Water District 3C (2,960 people), Shawnee County Rural Water District 2C (700 people), Metro Topeka Airport Authority (500 people). Your water bill names your system.
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Detected, below limit1 of 29 PFAS found at least once. All averages below the federal limits.
- Lithium
- Above screening levelHighest result 18.2 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 level1.4 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 Jan 2024 – now, still in progress (results reported so far). Your home's pipes can make yours higher.
- Violations
- Resolved1 health-based violation since 2016, most recently Jan 2018.
- 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.
- Want to reduce what was found? Filters for these results.
- Tested your own tap? Compare your result with these numbers. Moving? Compare this system with another.
- Read City of Topeka'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 (785) 368-2423. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 1 entry point tested Feb 2025 to Nov 2025. "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 Detected, below limit Guideline 6,000 ppt | 1.28 ppt |
| PFHxA Not detected Guideline 3,000 ppt | – |
29 PFAS tested, 1 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 18.2 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: 1.4 ppb lead (Jan 2024 – now (in progress)). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 2.5 ppb (Dec 2017).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2024 – now (in progress) | 1.4 ppb |
| Jan 2021 – Dec 2023 | 2.4 ppb |
| Jan 2018 – Dec 2020 | 2 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2015 – Dec 2017 | 2.5 ppb |
| Jan 2012 – Dec 2014 | 1.3 ppb |
| Jan 2009 – Dec 2011 | 2.8 ppb |
| Jan 2008 – Dec 2010 | 2.3 ppb |
| Jan 2005 – Dec 2007 | 4.1 ppb |
| Jan 2002 – Dec 2004 | 4.9 ppb |
| Jan 1999 – Dec 1999 | 4.4 ppb |
| Jan 1996 – Dec 1996 | 5.7 ppb |
| Jan 1995 – Dec 1995 | 5.6 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
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| Jan 2018 | The running annual average for Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) was above the legal limit. EPA record: Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) · Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · measured 0.061 mg/l (limit 0.060 mg/L) Resolved |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Chlorate | 28 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.12 ppb | – |
| Strontium | 0.53 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Vanadium | 6.5 ppb | 21 ppb |
| Molybdenum | 4.2 ppb | 40 ppb |
Where it serves
Topeka
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 66409, 66546, 66603, 66604, 66605, 66606, 66607, 66608, 66609, 66610, 66611, 66612, 66614, 66615, 66616, 66617, 66618, 66619, 66621, 66622
Nearby utilities
- City of Lawrence Lawrence · 24 mi
- City of Olathe Olathe · 48 mi
- City of Manhattan Manhattan · 50 mi
- Kansas City Board of Public Utilities Kansas City · 51 mi
- Water District 1 of Johnson County Kansas City · 51 mi
- Frusi Water Treatment Plant Fort Riley · 60 mi · PFAS above limit
Questions
Is Topeka tap water safe to drink?
Most of Topeka gets its water from City of Topeka. City of Topeka had 1 health-based violation since 2016, all since resolved. 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 Topeka water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of City of Topeka found 1 PFAS at least once. None of the averages were above the federal limits.
What is the lead level in Topeka water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for City of Topeka is 1.4 ppb, for the monitoring period that began Jan 2024 (still in progress). 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 KS2017701: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID KS2017701).
- 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 Topeka at (785) 368-2423, or see EPA's guide to finding it.
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.