Kay County Rural Water District #5 (Dale Water Corp) water quality
Newkirk, OK · serves 765 people (390 connections) · Purchased groundwater · Local government · EPA ID OK3003603
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Buys water from Newkirk Water System. Treated water bought from another system can carry that system's contaminants.
Summary
PFAS above the 2024 federal limits. Systems have until 2029 to meet the PFAS limits.
Is it an emergency? No: PFAS limits are about years of exposure, not a glass of water, and nothing in EPA's data calls for you to stop drinking the water today. If your utility ever issues a boil-water or do-not-drink notice, follow it.
- PFAS
- Above limitPFOS above the federal limit in EPA's 2023–2025 testing (PFOS 20.5 ppt vs a limit of 4 ppt, where ppt = parts per trillion).
- Lithium
- Above screening levelHighest result 18 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
- Out of dateEPA's national database has no lead results for this system since 2020 (then 0 ppb, 90th percentile). Systems this size normally test every one to three years, so this most likely means newer results were not reported to EPA, not that testing stopped. Ask the utility for its latest results.
- Violations
- Resolved23 health-based violations since 2016, most recently Oct 2024.
- Pregnant, or mixing baby formula with tap water? Babies drink more water for their size, so PFAS exposure matters more for them. Consider bottled water or a filter certified for PFAS for formula, and ask your doctor. Health effects.
- To lower your PFAS exposure now, a home filter certified for PFAS reduction works (reverse osmosis, or activated carbon certified to NSF/ANSI 53 or 58). Filters for these results.
- 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 Kay County Rural Water District #5 (Dale Water Corp)'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 (580) 362-3542. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 1 entry point tested May 2025 to Dec 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 Above limit Limit 4 ppt | 20.5 ppt 5.13× the limit |
| PFHxS Detected, below limit Limit 10 ppt | 9.75 ppt 98% of the limit |
| 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 | 0.98 |
| PFBS Detected, below limit Guideline 2,000 ppt | 4.2 ppt |
| PFBA Detected, below limit Guideline 6,000 ppt | 5.6 ppt |
| PFHxA Not detected Guideline 3,000 ppt | – |
For context: the PFOS average is higher than at 99% of the Oklahoma systems EPA tested.
29 PFAS tested, 4 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 2 samples. Highest result 18 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: 0 ppb lead (Jan 2018 – Dec 2020). No results since 2020
This is the newest lead result in EPA's national database. Utilities report lead results to their state, and states pass them to EPA. Gaps like this usually mean the newer results did not reach EPA's database, not that the utility stopped testing. Results this old may not reflect the water today. Ask the utility or your state drinking water program for the latest lead monitoring.
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2018 – Dec 2020 | 0 ppb |
| Jul 2014 – Dec 2014 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2014 – Jun 2014 | 0 ppb |
Earlier results (5)
| Jan 2000 – Dec 2002 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 1996 – Dec 1996 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 1995 – Dec 1995 | 14 ppb |
| Jan 1994 – Jun 1994 | 12 ppb |
| Jul 1993 – Dec 1993 | 10 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 |
|---|---|
| Oct 2024 | The system did not publish the required inventory of lead service lines (due October 2024). It says nothing about lead levels in the water. EPA record: Lead and copper rule revisions · LSL Inventory Resolved |
| Jul 2017 – Jul 2024 19 times | The running annual average for TTHM was above the legal limit. EPA record: TTHM · Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · measured 0.082 mg/l (limit 0.080 mg/L) Resolved |
| Apr 2017 – Oct 2017 3 times | 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 0.071 mg/l (limit 0.060 mg/L) Resolved |
1 unresolved monitoring or reporting violation: Lead and Copper Rule.
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.
Where it serves
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 74601
Questions
Is Kay County Rural Water District #5 (Dale Water Corp) water safe to drink?
Kay County Rural Water District #5 (Dale Water Corp) had 23 health-based violations since 2016, all since resolved. EPA testing found PFAS above the 2024 federal limits, which systems must meet by 2029. 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 Kay County Rural Water District #5 (Dale Water Corp) water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of Kay County Rural Water District #5 (Dale Water Corp) found 4 PFAS at least once. The highest entry-point averages were above the federal limit for PFOS: PFOS 20.5 ppt (limit 4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS, 10 ppt for the others).
What is the lead level in Kay County Rural Water District #5 (Dale Water Corp) water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Kay County Rural Water District #5 (Dale Water Corp) is 0 ppb, for the period ending Dec 2020, which is more than five years old. 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 OK3003603: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID OK3003603).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Kay County Rural Water District #5 (Dale Water Corp) at (580) 362-3542, 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.