Is Owensboro, KY tap water safe?
Supplied by Owensboro Municipal Utilities · serves 60,473 people (25,874 connections) · Groundwater · EPA ID KY0300336
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Buys water from Daviess County Water District. Treated water bought from another system can carry that system's contaminants.
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.
- Lead
- Below action level0 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 2023. 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.
- 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 Owensboro Municipal Utilities'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 (270) 691-4406. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 1 entry point tested Mar 2023 to Sep 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 One sample above limit Limit 4 ppt | 2.5 ppt 63% of the limit |
| 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, 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
Not detected in 2 samples (reporting limit 9 ppb). About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 0 ppb lead (Jan 2021 – Dec 2023). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 1.36 ppb (Dec 2017).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2021 – Dec 2023 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2018 – Dec 2020 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2015 – Dec 2017 | 1.36 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2012 – Dec 2014 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2009 – Dec 2011 | 4 ppb |
| Jan 2006 – Dec 2008 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2002 – Dec 2002 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 1997 – Dec 1999 | 0.1 ppb |
| Jan 1996 – Dec 1996 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 1995 – Dec 1995 | 0 ppb |
| Jul 1992 – Dec 1992 | 4 ppb |
| Jan 1992 – Jun 1992 | 2 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Vanadium | 0.98 ppb | 21 ppb |
| Chlorate | 26 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 1.4 ppb | – |
| Strontium | 0.11 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Molybdenum | 140 ppb | 40 ppb |
| 1,4-Dioxane | 0.27 ppb | 0.35 ppb |
Where it serves
Owensboro
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 42301, 42302, 42303
Nearby utilities
- Whitesville Water Works Whitesville · 14 mi · PFAS above limit
- Bowling Green Municipal Utilities Bowling Green · 66 mi
- Louisville Water Company Louisville · 82 mi
- Paducah Water Works Paducah · 96 mi · PFAS above limit
- Frankfort Plant Board Frankfort · 126 mi
- Georgetown Municipal Water Service Georgetown · 145 mi · PFAS above limit
Questions
Is Owensboro tap water safe to drink?
Most of Owensboro gets its water from Owensboro Municipal Utilities. Owensboro Municipal Utilities 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 Owensboro water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of Owensboro Municipal Utilities found 1 PFAS at least once. None of the averages were above the federal limits.
What is the lead level in Owensboro water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Owensboro Municipal Utilities is 0 ppb, for the period ending Dec 2023. 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 KY0300336: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID KY0300336).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Owensboro Municipal Utilities at (270) 691-4406, 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.