Table of Contents
Can You Drink Tap Water in Wichita?
Yes, Wichita's tap water is generally considered safe to drink as Wichita has no active health based violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) that we are aware of. Other factors such as lead piping in a home, or low levels of pollutants on immunocompromised individuals, should also be considered, however. To find more recent info we might have, you can check out our boil water notice page, the city's water provider website, or Wichita's local Twitter account.
According the EPA’s ECHO database, from April 30, 2019 to June 30, 2022, Wichita's water utility, City of Wichita, had 0 violations of the Safe Drinking Water Act. For more details on the violations, please see our violation history section below. This assessment is based on the City of Wichita water system, other water systems in the city may have different results.
While tap water that meets the EPA health guidelines generally won’t make you sick to your stomach, it can still contain regulated and unregulated contaminants present in trace amounts that could potentially cause health issues over the long-run. These trace contaminants may also impact immunocompromised and vulnerable individuals.
The EPA is reviewing if it’s current regulations around pollutant levels in tap water are strict enough, and the health dangers posed by unregulated pollutants, like PFAS.
Water Quality Report for Wichita Tap Water
The most recent publicly available numbers for measured contaminant levels in Wichita tap water are in its 2020 Water Quality Report. As you can see, there are levels which the EPA considers to be acceptable, but being below the maximum allowable level doesn’t necessarily mean the water is healthy.
Lead in tap water, for example, is currently allowed at up to 15ppb by the EPA, but it has set the ideal goal for lead at zero. This highlights how meeting EPA standards doesn’t necessarily mean local tap water is healthy.
EPA regulations continue to change as it evaluates the long term impacts of chemicals and updates drinking water acceptable levels. The rules around arsenic, as well as, lead and copper are currently being re-evaluated.
There are also a number of "emerging" contaminants that are not currently. For example, PFAS (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), for which the EPA has issued a health advisory. PFAS are called "forever chemicals" since they tend not to break down in the environment or the human body and can accumulate over time.
We recommend looking at the contaminants present in Wichita's water quality reports, or getting your home's tap water tested to see if you should be filtering your water.
Wichita Tap Water Safe Drinking Water Act Violation History - Prior 10 Years
Below is a ten year history of violations for the water system named City of Wichita for Wichita in Kansas. For more details please see the "What do these Violations Mean?" section below.
For the compliance period beginning July 1, 2016, Wichita had 1 non-health based Safe Drinking Water Act violation with the violation category being Other Violation, more specifically, the violation code was Consumer Confidence Report Inadequate Reporting which falls into the Other rule code group, and the Consumer Confidence Rule rule code family for the following contaminant code: Consumer Confidence Rule.
Is there Lead in Wichita Water?
Based on the EPA’s ECHO Database, 90% of the samples taken from the Wichita water system, City of Wichita, between sample start date and sample end date, were at or below, 0.00321 mg/L of lead in Wichita water. This is 21.4% of the 0.015 mg/L action level. This means 10% of the samples taken from Wichita contained more lead.
While Wichita water testing may have found 0.00321 mg/L of lead in its water, that does not mean your water source has the same amount. The amount of lead in water in a city can vary greatly from neighborhood to neighborhood, or even building to building. Many buildings, particularly older ones, have lead pipes or service lines which can be a source of contamination. To find out if your home has lead, we recommend getting you water tested.
No amount of lead in water is healthy, only less dangerous. As lead accumulates in our bodies over time, even exposure to relatively small amounts can have negative health effects. For more information, please check out our Lead FAQ page.
Are there PFAS in Wichita Tap Water?
Currently, testing tap water for PFAS isn’t mandated on a national level. We do have a list of military bases where there have been suspected or confirmed leaks. There appears to be at least one military base - McConnell AFB - near Wichita with suspected leaks.
With many potential sources of PFAS in tap water across the US, the best information we currently have about which cities have PFAS in their water is this ewg map, which you can check to see if Wichita has been evaluated for yet.
Our stance is better safe than sorry, and that it makes sense to try to purify the tap water just in case.
Wichita SDWA Violation History Table - Prior 10 Years
| Compliance Period | Status | Health-Based? | Category Code | Code | Rule Code | Contaminant Code | Rule Group Code | Rule Family Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07/01/2016 - | Resolved | No | Other Violation (Other) | Consumer Confidence Report Inadequate Reporting (72) | Consumer Confidence Rule (420) | Consumer Confidence Rule (7000) | Other (400) | Consumer Confidence Rule (420) |
What do these Violations Mean?
Safe Drinking Water Act Violations categories split into two groups, health based, and non-health based. Generally, health based violations are more serious, though non-health based violations can also be cause for concern.
Health Based Violations
- Maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) - maximum allowed contaminant level was exceeded.
- Maximum residual disinfectant levels (MRDLs) - maximum allowed disinfectant level was exceeded.
- Other violations (Other) - the exact required process to reduce the amounts of contaminants in drinking water was not followed.
Non-Health Based Violations
- Monitoring and reporting violations (MR, MON) - failure to conduct the required regular monitoring of drinking water quality, and/or to submit monitoring results on time.
- Public notice violations (Other) - failure to immediately alert consumers if there is a serious problem with their drinking water that may pose a risk to public health.
- Other violations (Other) - miscellaneous violations, such as failure to issue annual consumer confidence reports or maintain required records.
SDWA Table Key
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Compliance Period | Dates of the compliance period. |
| Status |
Current status of the violation.
|
| Health-Based? | Whether the violation is health based. |
| Category Code |
The category of violation that is reported.
|
| Code | A full description of violation codes can be accessed in the SDWA_REF_CODE_VALUES (CSV) table. |
| Contaminant Code | A code value that represents a contaminant for which a public water system has incurred a violation of a primary drinking water regulation. |
| Rule Code |
Code for a National Drinking Water rule.
|
| Rule Group Code |
Code that uniquely identifies a rule group.
|
| Rule Family Code |
Code for rule family.
|
For more clarification please visit the EPA's data dictionary.
Wichita Water - Frequently Asked Questions
| By Mail: | 1815 W PINE ST WICHITA, KS, 67203 |
Existing customers can login to their City of Wichita account to pay their Wichita water bill by clicking here.
If you want to pay your City of Wichita bill online and haven't made an account yet, you can create an account online. Please click here to create your account to pay your Wichita water bill.
If you don't want to make an account, or can't remember your account, you can make a one-time payment towards your Wichita water bill without creating an account using a one time payment portal with your account number and credit or debit card. Click here to make a one time payment.
Moving to a new house or apartment in Wichita means you will often need to put the water in your name with City of Wichita. In order to put the water in your name, please click the link to the start service form below. Start service requests for water bills typically take two business days.
Leaving your house or apartment in Wichita means you will likely need to take your name off of the water bill with City of Wichita. In order to take your name off the water bill, please click the link to the stop service form below. Stop service for water bills requests typically take two business days.
The estimated price of bottled water
$1.76 in USD (1.5-liter)
USER SUBMITTED RATINGS
- Drinking Water Pollution and Inaccessibility
- Water Pollution
- Drinking Water Quality and Accessibility
- Water Quality
The above data is comprised of subjective, user submitted opinions about the water quality and pollution in Wichita, measured on a scale from 0% (lowest) to 100% (highest).
Related FAQS
Contaminants
City of Wichita
EWG's drinking water quality report shows results of tests conducted by the water utility and provided to the Environmental Working Group by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, as well as information from the U.S. EPA Enforcement and Compliance History database (ECHO). For the latest quarter assessed by the U.S. EPA (January 2019 - March 2019), tap water provided by this water utility was in compliance with federal health-based drinking water standards.
Utility details
- Serves: 388413
- Data available: 2012-2017
- Data Source: Surface water
- Total: 24
Contaminants That Exceed Guidelines
- Arsenic
- Atrazine
- Bromate
- Bromodichloromethane
- Bromoform
- Chloroform
- Chromium (hexavalent)
- Dibromochloromethane
- Dichloroacetic acid
- Nitrate
- Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
- Trichloroacetic acid
Other Detected Contaminants
- Aluminum
- Barium
- Chromium (total)
- Dibromoacetic acid
- Fluoride
- Haloacetic acids (HAA5)
- Molybdenum
- Monobromoacetic acid
- Monochloroacetic acid
- Selenium
- Strontium
- Vanadium
Reminder
Always take extra precautions, the water may be safe to drink when it leaves the sewage treatment plant but it may pick up pollutants during its way to your tap. We advise that you ask locals or hotel staff about the water quality. Also, note that different cities have different water mineral contents.
Sources and Resources
Sources Cited
Additional Resources
Wichita Tap Water
Wichita Tap Water is safe to drink, but not exactly the safest. The Wichita wastewater treatment facility uses both granular carbon and multi-media block to remove sediment and harmful chemicals from the water. Removing chemical contaminants is vitally important because the vapors these chemicals produce during normal use have been known to cause irritations and allergies to people who live or work nearby. While the treatment does a pretty good job of reducing most of the smells and vapors, the Wichita tap water does not always meet this standard. Recently, a study by the American Society of Home Inspectors found that there may be several thousands of dollars of damages that have been caused by poor treatment of the sewerage, septic, and storm drainage systems.
In addition to the Sediment and Chemicals, the Wichita Tap Water Association has also determined that a high percentage of the Wichita water contains lead. This can be especially troubling to small children and the elderly because their bodies are more easily influenced by the toxins in tap water. Lead can be found in all types of tap water, so it is especially important that children and the elderly are especially careful when it comes to the quality of their drinking water. Luckily, this problem has already been resolved with the installation of new home filtration systems that are designed to clean and purify your water in order to make it completely safe to drink.
Even if the Wichita Tap Water Treatment does a good job of cleaning and filtering the water, there may be times when it is not enough. Over time, a buildup of sludge and bacteria can build up in the pipes of the treatment plant, creating a potential health threat to anyone who regularly consumes the treated water. You can have your drinking water tested and have the system cleaned by a professional, but sometimes you don’t have the time to do this or are simply unable to see what is going on inside your house. Fortunately, there is another option. By taking advantage of a system that will remove the unwanted particles from your water without the use of chemicals, you will have completely clean, healthy water that will be safe to drink all year long.
Wichita Drinking Water
There have been many people that have questioned the quality of our drinking water in Wichita, Kansas since the late 1970s. In fact, that was the beginning of the chlorination controversy. Chlorine was being used by most water treatment facilities as a disinfectant, removing any organic materials or microorganisms that might be in the water. While chlorine is indeed highly effective at this task, it also has the unfortunate effect of stripping the minerals from the water, and the result is generally called bad taste or odor. Today, a growing number of people are turning towards other sources for their drinking water, and one such alternative is to use water purifiers, which remove both the harmful effects of chlorine and its byproducts.
Wichita drinking water purifiers work by removing all these harmful substances from the water, so that you get pure, clean drinking water that tastes great and has no unpleasant aftertaste. Many people who have switched to these types of purifiers are very satisfied with the results. The quality of drinking water from Wichita is probably better than most cities in the United States, even though the quality of drinking water in other US cities is often less than stellar. Water is often delivered through large water pipelines running through huge expanses of the country. This means that the water is constantly running through smaller pipes that are prone to become clogged with organic material and bacteria over time.
A water purifier works by removing this organic material from the water and leaves the good stuff in. Unlike reverse osmosis, where the water is filtered through a membrane that is porous and allows only the molecules of water to pass through, a water purifier uses an ion exchange process that ensures that the water is purified. By eliminating chlorine and by-products such as trihalomethanes (THMs), a purifier is able to reduce the overall amount of cancer-causing chemicals found in tap water. It is important to note, however, that the science of this type of purification is not fully understood, and the precise effects it may have on human health are not well understood. If you choose to install a purifier in your home, make sure that the model you purchase is certified by the Environmental Protection Agency to filter down to at least one micron.
Wichita Water Safe to Drink
Wichita is one of the cities located in Kansas. It is a very rich industrial city. The cost of living in this place is quite high and most of the people work in industries or in offices. This is a city where you will not find any major rivers, streams or lakes, but the Wichita River runs through this city and it is a major source of fresh drinking water. There is a slight difference between this water and tap water. Wichita water is not so pure but it has the necessary minerals which help in purifying the drinking water.
There are many places where you can get purified water and one of them is the Wichita Water Safe to Drink Program. The City of Wichita is conducting this program to ensure that the residents of the city have filtered and purified the water they use every day. Water from different sources can be contaminated with different kinds of contaminants which can cause various kinds of diseases. Drinking untreated water can also result in serious problems like skin irritation and even cancer. The Wichita Water Safe to Drink Program offers you various options to choose from and all you need to do is to give them a call and your drinking water will be delivered to your doorstep.
It is not only the Wichita Water Safe to Drink Program that gives you water purified but also the water purifier systems which are used at homes and business. The water purifiers ensure purified and safe water and make sure that the water does not contain traces of harmful bacteria and viruses which can cause different kinds of diseases. All the equipment used for purification and filtering has been approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). Purified water has become extremely important to us and there is no other option than to use this kind of water.
Wichita Water Utility
The prices that Wichita water utility companies charge for your water may be very high. Even if you have a well that pumps and filters the water, you still need to pay for it in some way or another. In fact, there is usually some amount of money tied up in a water meter in this city.
If you have a meter installed, you should call the water utility company to find out the cost of your water every month. You can ask for an estimate or ask them for a monthly rate. The rate will vary, but it will mostly be based on how much water you use and how many people you use it to serve. You can also find out if you can get discounts for having more than one meter. This could be very beneficial if you live in a part of town that is very competitive.
Kansas City, Wichita, and Kansas City area water utility companies have rates that are relatively high. They must cover some costs, such as the actual cost of mains and the cost of the meters. If they raise rates, the customers end up paying more. But some customers don’t like to pay more, so they switch to somewhere else. And, the place they go might not be the most expensive place to live.
Wichita Water Treatment Plant
If you are looking for a city water treatment plant in Kansas City, look no further than the Wichita Water Treatment Plant. Located on the west side of the city, just south of downtown Kansas City, the Wichita Water Treatment Plant is one of the largest and busiest plants in the area. It serves approximately 2 million customers a day, with treated stormwater running into the sewer system and the city’s water supply as well. The operation of this treatment plant requires a lot of equipment including water treatment servers, water softeners, an ion exchange machine, a two-stage water treatment system, and a chlorination facility.
The main part of the operation of the treatment plant consists of two-stage selective filtration. This is done through two pipes, the Central Catchment Unit (CCU) and the Sub-division Unit (SUD). In the former, it divides the treated stormwater into two streams, the East Creek and the West Creek. The latter, which is to the west of downtown Kansas City, divides the treated stormwater into four streams: Southwest Division, Northside Division, Southwest Division, and Downtown Division. The entire process is then completed by converting the treated stormwater into potable water. Several treatment plants in different parts of the country use similar technology; however, each of these plants differs because of various variables such as size and equipment availability.
The ion exchange machine is the most important equipment of the treatment plant. It processes negatively charged ions such as chloride, bromide, and carbonic acid through an electrochemical reaction. After this, the treated water is purified by passing it over negatively charged beads which produce hydrogen ions. Finally, the remaining water is filtered, cleaned, and re-cycled to provide safe drinking water.
Wichita Water Source
If you are looking for a great source of water for your home, you should consider installing a system to heat your tap water in Wichita. Wichita is a rapidly growing city and is one that is taking advantage of the fact that there is a plentiful supply of clean and safe water close by. Although it is fortunate that there are so many nearby rivers and lakes that make it easy to get water, some communities have long been frustrated with the lack of accessibility to clean, fresh drinking water. Today, that problem has been addressed in the form of a water source for the city of Wichita.
By far, the most popular type of water source for a household is a swimming pool. The availability of a public swimming pool can make this tempting, but it may not be the best idea if you live in an area where the water quality is not ideal. In many cases, the water will contain a variety of chemicals that can be harmful to your skin, if you are not careful. If you are concerned about the quality of the water in your backyard or surrounding areas, you can install a private water source so that you can enjoy your backyard and garden with the reassurance that the water is clean and pure.
Regardless, of which type of water source you choose, you will be happy with the convenience of having this great resource right on your doorstep. Water is never far away from your home, and if you ever need a refreshing drink, you can simply turn on your tap and get access to a safe, clean source of water. This is just one more great thing about living in Wichita. You don’t have to leave the city to take advantage of all the amazing things this city has to offer.
Kansas Department of Health
The Kansas Department of Health and Wichita Falls offers a large range of benefits, including a number of long-term care and skilled nursing care programs. The Kansas Health Care Division is responsible for the regulation and financing of private, public, and critical need medical care in Kansas. Health insurance is offered through state agencies and through many private insurance companies and self-employed health insurance is available as well. The division additionally administers the Medicaid program, providing coverage to qualified persons with low-income who have applied for welfare assistance.
Kansas has a number of hospitals and other health care facilities, including five acute care hospitals, five rehabilitation centers, two long-term care hospitals, and two community health care facilities. In addition, the Kansas Department of Health and Wichita Falls provides financial and medical support for local voluntary organizations, such as hospitals, nursing homes, and hospices. It is the responsibility of the health department to ensure that residents of the communities within the jurisdiction are able to afford the services they need. As well, the health department is responsible for regulating the use of immunization programs and other measures necessary to protect the health and safety of the public in the communities.
If you are interested in working for the Kansas Department of Health and the Wichita Falls area, you can apply at their offices or contact the Human Resources division. You will be asked to fill out an application, including a resume or a cover letter, and then send it to the Human Resources department. Although there is no formal requirement for this certification, some employers may require it for positions that involve working with people on a regular basis, especially those who assist those with disabilities and the elderly.
Main Source of Drinking Water
How good is Wichita’s drinking water? Well, actually, it’s pretty great. It’s free from chlorine, fluoride, prescription drugs, and other harmful substances found in tap water from other cities, and the treatment that the city has put in place protects you against parasites, bacteria, dirt, rust, ultraviolet, and other contaminants from entering your body through your skin or drinking your water. The main reason the city takes out all of these things in order to provide a healthy water supply is that they don’t want your consumption of water to increase and have the population to become overweight, sick with cancer, or any of a number of other terrible things. Also, there are several other benefits to taking out all the chemicals from your water.
Now, we all know that there is chlorine in the water. This is to kill the germs in your water and keep them from making you sick, but it also destroys the healthy bacteria in your water so you won’t be getting vitamins and minerals. This is why you see people in the city that have had stomach problems or headaches and other diseases connected to drinking chlorinated water. So, while the Main Source of Drinking Water does a good job of killing the germs in your water, it also destroys the good bacteria that you need in your body.
If you live in Kansas, and you want a great water supply, the best thing that you can do is go to the city of Wichita and buy a home filtration system for your home. This will make sure that you get a clean source of water that you can use in your laundry, dishwashing, and just about every other activity that you do with water. There are several different kinds of systems that you can choose from so be sure that you take a look at the ones that are available and then find the one that’s right for you. Remember, not only will a home filtration system filter out harmful germs in your water, but it will also filter out things like dirt and debris that could clog your shower head. You’ll be amazed at the difference that it makes.