Northern Kentucky Water District water quality
Fort Thomas, KY · serves 259,949 people (90,310 connections) · Surface water · Local government · EPA ID KY0590220
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
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 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 Northern Kentucky Water District's 2026 water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report, from the utility). It lists every regulated contaminant tested, including ones not on this page. Questions: (859) 991-1655.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 3 entry points tested Apr 2023 to Jan 2024. "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 | – |
| PFPeA Detected, no limit | 1.13 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 12 samples (reporting limit 9 ppb). About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 0 ppb lead (Jan 2022 – Dec 2024). Below action level
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2022 – Dec 2024 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2019 – Dec 2021 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2013 – Dec 2015 | 0 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2010 – Dec 2012 | 2.1 ppb |
| Jan 2007 – Dec 2009 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 2004 – Dec 2006 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 2001 – Dec 2003 | 7.1 ppb |
| Jan 2001 – Dec 2001 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 1997 – Dec 1997 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 1996 – Dec 1996 | 0 ppb |
| Jul 1992 – Dec 1992 | 9.4 ppb |
| Jan 1992 – Jun 1992 | 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
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 | 12.4 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Molybdenum | 2.8 ppb | 40 ppb |
| Chlorate | 770 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Vanadium | 0.9 ppb | 21 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.19 ppb | – |
| Strontium | 0.29 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| 1,4-Dioxane | 0.64 ppb | 0.35 ppb |
Where it serves
Fort Thomas, Independence, Covington, Erlanger, Taylor Mill, Cold Spring, Newport, Dayton, Ludlow, Bellevue
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 41001, 41007, 41011, 41014, 41015, 41016, 41017, 41018, 41051, 41059, 41063, 41071, 41073, 41074, 41075, 41076, 41094
Nearby utilities
- Boone County Water & Sewer District Verona · 22 mi
- Cynthiana Municipal Water Works Cynthiana · 49 mi · PFAS above limit
- Georgetown Municipal Water Service Georgetown · 57 mi · PFAS above limit
- Frankfort Plant Board Frankfort · 65 mi
- Kentucky American Water Lexington · 72 mi
- Louisville Water Company Louisville · 91 mi
Questions
Is Northern Kentucky Water District water safe to drink?
Northern Kentucky Water District 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 Northern Kentucky Water District water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of Northern Kentucky Water District found 1 PFAS at least once. None of the averages were above the federal limits.
What is the lead level in Northern Kentucky Water District water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Northern Kentucky Water District is 0 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 KY0590220: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID KY0590220).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- Northern Kentucky Water District's 2026 water quality report: the utility's own annual report, including contaminants EPA's national database doesn't carry (link checked Nov 14, 2026). Phone: (859) 991-1655.
- Northern Kentucky Water District 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.