KS / Columbus
KS · Tap water records
Columbus tap water, in plain English
Here is what the EPA's own data shows about tap water in Columbus. According to EPA SDWIS data retrieved June 2026, Columbus is served by 3 active community water systems, together reported to serve about 4,383 people.
As of June 2026, EPA records show 101 violations across the community water system(s) serving Columbus, going back to the earliest EPA record. 5 of these are classified by the EPA as health-based (a contaminant recorded above the limit the EPA tracks); the rest are monitoring or reporting violations. Each is listed by system below, with its status.
What the EPA has on record, by system
Columbus, City Of
2,882 served · surface water · PWSID KS2002110 - Monitoring Lead and Copper Rule: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 4 times between July 1993 and October 2022. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
- Monitoring Consumer Confidence Rule: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 5 times between July 2000 and July 2019. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
Cherokee Co Rwd 4
1,500 served · groundwater · PWSID KS2002102 - Monitoring LEAD AND COPPER RULE REVISIONS: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded once in July 2025. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded once in April 2008. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
- Monitoring Consumer Confidence Rule: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 2 times between October 1999 and July 2005. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
Public Wholesale Wsd 19
1 served · surface water · PWSID KS2002123 - Health-based Chlorite: a health-based violation (a contaminant recorded above the limit the EPA tracks), recorded 5 times between May 2016 and October 2021. The EPA record lists a level of 1.18 MG/L; the limit (MCL) is 1 MG/L. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
- Monitoring Surface Water Treatment Rule: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 26 times between May 2020 and August 2025. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring Chlorite: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 12 times between October 2017 and November 2021. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
- Monitoring Public Notice: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 5 times between January 2020 and August 2021. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
- Monitoring Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 8 times between May 2020 and October 2020. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
- Monitoring Consumer Confidence Rule: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded once in July 2019. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
- Monitoring CARBON, TOTAL: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded 30 times between July 2014 and January 2018. All have since returned to compliance, per EPA records.
- Monitoring Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule: a monitoring or reporting violation (a required test or report was late or missed — not a measured exceedance), recorded once in October 2017. EPA records do not show all of these as returned to compliance.
What this means
A health-based violation means a contaminant was recorded above the limit the EPA tracks for it. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was late or missed — not that a contaminant was measured above a limit. “Returned to compliance” means the EPA recorded the issue as resolved.
This page summarizes the EPA's own records and does not assess whether your water is safe to drink. For the most current details, you can verify every record directly with the EPA, and contact your water system with questions.
Source: U.S. EPA Envirofacts SDWIS, retrieved June 2026. Records cover the EPA's full reporting history for these systems. Verify at EPA ECHO.