Is Springfield, MO tap water safe?
Supplied by City Utilities of Springfield · serves 210,898 people (87,809 connections) · Surface water · EPA ID MO5010754
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Most of Springfield gets its water from City Utilities of Springfield. Parts of the city are served by 9 smaller systems: James River Addition Water System (240 people), Colony Cove MHP (210 people), Country Squire Village Water System (90 people), Shady Oak MHP (65 people) and 5 more. Your water bill names your system.
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Detected, below limit2 of 29 PFAS found at least once. All averages below the federal limits.
- Lead
- Below action level5.1 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.
- 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 Utilities of Springfield's 2026 water quality report (PDF) (Consumer Confidence Report, from the utility). It lists every regulated contaminant tested, including ones not on this page. Questions: (417) 831-8881.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 3 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 One sample above limit Limit 4 ppt | 1.07 ppt 27% of the limit |
| 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) Detected, below limit Limit 1 | 0.00038 |
| PFBS Detected, below limit Guideline 2,000 ppt | 0.75 ppt |
| PFBA Not detected Guideline 6,000 ppt | – |
| PFHxA Not detected Guideline 3,000 ppt | – |
29 PFAS tested, 2 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 1 of 10 samples. Highest result 10.7 ppb. EPA's non-enforceable screening level is 10 ppb. Below 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: 5.1 ppb lead (Jan 2023 – Dec 2025). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 8.2 ppb (Dec 2019).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2023 – Dec 2025 | 5.1 ppb |
| Jul 2022 – Dec 2022 | 3.9 ppb |
| Jan 2020 – Dec 2022 | 4.9 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2022 – Jun 2022 | 4.9 ppb |
| Jan 2017 – Dec 2019 | 8.2 ppb |
| Jan 2014 – Dec 2016 | 5.3 ppb |
| Jan 2011 – Dec 2013 | 5.3 ppb |
| Jan 2008 – Dec 2010 | 2.1 ppb |
| Jan 2005 – Dec 2007 | 4 ppb |
| Jan 2004 – Dec 2004 | 5.1 ppb |
| Jan 2003 – Dec 2003 | 6 ppb |
| Jan 2002 – Dec 2002 | 4.6 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 | 0.53 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.068 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Vanadium | 0.43 ppb | 21 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.18 ppb | – |
| Chlorate | 590 ppb | 210 ppb |
Where it serves
Springfield
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 65619, 65721, 65738, 65742, 65757, 65765, 65781, 65801, 65802, 65803, 65804, 65805, 65806, 65807, 65808, 65809, 65810
Nearby utilities
- Camdenton Public Water System Camdenton · 64 mi · PFAS above limit
- Missouri American Water – Joplin Joplin · 67 mi
- St Robert Public Water System St. Robert · 76 mi · PFAS above limit
- St James Public Water System St. James · 108 mi · PFAS above limit
- City of Columbia Utilities Columbia · 132 mi
- Lees Summit Public Water System Lee's Summit · 133 mi
Questions
Is Springfield tap water safe to drink?
Most of Springfield gets its water from City Utilities of Springfield. City Utilities of Springfield 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 Springfield water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of City Utilities of Springfield found 2 PFAS at least once. None of the averages were above the federal limits.
What is the lead level in Springfield water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for City Utilities of Springfield is 5.1 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 MO5010754: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID MO5010754).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- City Utilities of Springfield's 2026 water quality report (PDF): the utility's own annual report, including contaminants EPA's national database doesn't carry (link checked Nov 14, 2026). Phone: (417) 831-8881.
- City Utilities of Springfield 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.