Is Joplin, MO tap water safe?
Supplied by Missouri American Water – Joplin · serves 73,728 people (26,709 connections) · Surface water · EPA ID MO5010413
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Most of Joplin gets its water from Missouri American Water – Joplin. Parts of the city are served by 4 smaller systems: Redings Mill Public Water System (163 people), Big Valley Park MHP (158 people), Timberlost MHP (150 people), Park Place MHP Joplin (62 people). Your water bill names your system.
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Not detectedNone of 29 PFAS found above EPA's reporting limits in 18 samples (2023–2025).
- Lithium
- Above screening levelHighest result 27.1 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 level4 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 2025. 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 Missouri American Water – Joplin'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 (417) 680-0314. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 8 entry points tested Mar 2024 to Dec 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 | – |
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 10 of 18 samples. Highest result 27.1 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: 4 ppb lead (Jan 2023 – Dec 2025). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 6 ppb (Dec 2022).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2023 – Dec 2025 | 4 ppb |
| Jan 2024 – Dec 2024 | 5 ppb |
| Jul 2022 – Dec 2022 | 6 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2020 – Dec 2022 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 2022 – Jun 2022 | 4 ppb |
| Jan 2018 – Dec 2020 | 2 ppb |
| Jan 2017 – Dec 2019 | 4 ppb |
| Jan 2015 – Dec 2017 | 4 ppb |
| Jan 2014 – Dec 2016 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 2011 – Dec 2013 | 4 ppb |
| Jan 2008 – Dec 2008 | 5 ppb |
| Jan 2005 – Dec 2005 | 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 | 4.7 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.25 ppb | – |
| Strontium | 0.1 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Chlorate | 180 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Vanadium | 1.1 ppb | 21 ppb |
| Molybdenum | 2.8 ppb | 40 ppb |
Where it serves
Joplin
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 64801, 64802, 64803, 64804, 64840, 64841, 64850, 64870, 66739
Nearby utilities
- City Utilities of Springfield Springfield · 67 mi
- Camdenton Public Water System Camdenton · 116 mi · PFAS above limit
- Lees Summit Public Water System Lee's Summit · 128 mi
- Blue Springs Public Water System Blue Springs · 134 mi
- Independence Public Water System Independence · 139 mi
- St Robert Public Water System St. Robert · 139 mi · PFAS above limit
Questions
Is Joplin tap water safe to drink?
Most of Joplin gets its water from Missouri American Water – Joplin. Missouri American Water – Joplin 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 Joplin water have PFAS?
EPA tested Missouri American Water – Joplin for 29 PFAS between Mar 2024 and Dec 2024 and none were detected above the reporting limits (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical).
What is the lead level in Joplin water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Missouri American Water – Joplin is 4 ppb, for the period ending Dec 2025. 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 MO5010413: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID MO5010413).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Missouri American Water – Joplin at (417) 680-0314, 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.