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Water Quality Report · Updated October 07, 2026

MANHATTAN, CITY OF

Serving 54,763 residents in MANHATTAN, Kansas .

National rank 40th percentile
Kansas rank 12th percentile
Data confidence Medium
Quick answer

MANHATTAN, CITY OF delivers tap water graded C (67/100) by TapWaterSafety.org. The utility serves approximately 54,763 residents in MANHATTAN, Kansas using groundwater. The most significant water quality concerns are: Arsenic significantly above health guideline; Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline; Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) significantly above health guideline. For questions, the utility can be reached at 785-587-4559.

Data sources for this grade: utilities.csv EWG Tap Water Database ⓘ How did we get this rating?
54,763
People served
1
City served
23
Contaminants detected
12
Above health guidelines

Is MANHATTAN tap water safe to drink?

MANHATTAN, CITY OF delivers tap water that earns a grade of C (67/100) from TapWaterSafety.org — an average rating, with several contaminants above health guidelines but generally compliant with US legal limits.

The utility serves 54,763 residents in MANHATTAN, drawing from groundwater.

Public testing data identifies 12 contaminants in this water above EWG's health-based guidelines, including: Arsenic, Haloacetic acids (HAA9), Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs), Bromodichloromethane, Haloacetic acids (HAA5), Dibromoacetic acid, Dibromochloromethane, Chromium (hexavalent), Dichloroacetic acid, Chloroform, Trichloroacetic acid, Bromoform. For most residents, a properly certified home filter at the kitchen tap is the most cost-effective way to reduce exposure to whatever's in your water. See our filter recommendations below, matched specifically to this utility's contaminant profile.

EPA compliance record

Official U.S. EPA records for MANHATTAN, CITY OF (system ID KS2016112) for the last 3 years. Checked 2026-10-07.

No EPA violations in the last 3 years.
0 of 12quarters with a violation
Nolead above EPA action level
11/19/2025last state inspection

Source: U.S. EPA Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO), from the Safe Drinking Water Information System. See EPA's full report.

Top concerns in this water

Based on the most recent EPA and EWG data, these are the most significant water quality issues for MANHATTAN, CITY OF.

Arsenic significantly above health guideline

Moderate concern

Arsenic detected at 2.2 ppb, 550x above the EWG health guideline of 0.004 ppb.

Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline

Moderate concern

Haloacetic acids (HAA9) detected at 16.9 ppb, 281x above the EWG health guideline of 0.06 ppb.

Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) significantly above health guideline

Moderate concern

Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) detected at 27.8 ppb, 186x above the EWG health guideline of 0.15 ppb.

Contact MANHATTAN, CITY OF

Reach the utility directly for service issues, water quality concerns, or to request your Consumer Confidence Report.

Recommended water filters for MANHATTAN

Filters matched to the specific contaminants in this water supply.

Reverse osmosis certified for arsenic (NSF/ANSI 58)

$429-$599

Reverse osmosis certified under NSF/ANSI 58 for arsenic is the most reliable home option.

AquaTru Countertop Reverse Osmosis
$449-$599 NSF 42, 53, 58, 401, 372
Editorial pick · affiliate link coming soon
Aquasana OptimH2O Reverse Osmosis + Claryum
$429-$549 NSF 42, 53, 58, 401
Editorial pick · affiliate link coming soon

Carbon filter certified for VOCs (NSF/ANSI 53)

$180-$599

Activated carbon is effective for disinfection byproducts. Look for NSF/ANSI 53 VOC reduction.

Aquasana AQ-5300 Under-Sink Filter
$180-$240 NSF 42, 53, 401, 372
Editorial pick · affiliate link coming soon
AquaTru Countertop Reverse Osmosis
$449-$599 NSF 42, 53, 58, 401, 372
Editorial pick · affiliate link coming soon
Aquasana OptimH2O Reverse Osmosis + Claryum
$429-$549 NSF 42, 53, 58, 401
Editorial pick · affiliate link coming soon

Disclosure: TapWaterSafety earns a commission from purchases made through these links. This does not influence our scoring methodology or filter selection.

Score breakdown

This utility's overall score of 67/100 breaks down across five weighted components. Read the full methodology →

Health Guideline Performance
14 / 40
Legal Compliance
20 / 20
High-Risk Contaminants
15 / 20
Compliance History
10 / 10
Source Water Vulnerability
8 / 10

Contaminants detected — international standards comparison

Every contaminant detected, compared side-by-side against US EPA legal limits, the EU Drinking Water Directive (2020/2184), WHO Guidelines, and California's Public Health Goal (the strictest US benchmark). Why we show multiple standards →

Contaminant Detected EWG
US health-based
EPA
US legal
EU DWD
Europe
WHO
global
CA PHG
strictest US
Tested
sample year
Status
Arsenic
Heavy metal
2.2 ppb 0.004 10.0 10 10 0.004 — 550× over
Haloacetic acids (HAA9)
Disinfection byproduct
16.9 ppb 0.06 — — — — — 281× over
Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
Disinfection byproduct
27.8 ppb 0.15 80.0 100 — — — 186× over
Bromodichloromethane
Disinfection byproduct
9.37 ppb 0.06 — — — — — 156× over
Haloacetic acids (HAA5)
Disinfection byproduct
13.5 ppb 0.1 60.0 60 — — — 135× over
Dibromoacetic acid
Disinfection byproduct
3.3 ppb 0.03 — — — — — 110× over
Dibromochloromethane
Disinfection byproduct
7.45 ppb 0.1 — — — — — 75× over
Chromium (hexavalent)
Heavy metal
1.48 ppb 0.02 — — — — — 74× over
Dichloroacetic acid
Disinfection byproduct
7.08 ppb 0.2 — — — — — 35× over
Chloroform
Disinfection byproduct
9.18 ppb 0.4 — — — — — 23× over
Trichloroacetic acid
Disinfection byproduct
1.85 ppb 0.1 — — — — — 19× over
Bromoform
Disinfection byproduct
2.0 ppb 0.5 — — — — — 4.0× over
Chlorate
Disinfection byproduct
197.5 ppb 210.0 — — — — — Below guideline
Molybdenum
Other
3.78 ppb 40.0 — — — — — Below guideline
Vanadium
Other
1.75 ppb 21.0 — — — — — Below guideline
Barium
Heavy metal
43.0 ppb 700.0 2000.0 — 1300 2000 — Below guideline
Selenium
Heavy metal
1.6 ppb 30.0 50.0 20 40 30 — Below guideline
Monobromoacetic acid
Disinfection byproduct
1.2 ppb 25.0 — — — — — Below guideline
Manganese
Heavy metal
1.29 ppb 100.0 — 50 80 — — Below guideline
Strontium
Radiological
0.243 ppb 1500.0 — — — — — Below guideline
Chromium (total)
Heavy metal
1.7 ppb — 100.0 — — — — Below guideline
cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene
Volatile organic compound
1.03 ppb — 70.0 — — — — Below guideline
Fluoride
Inorganic
0.803 ppm — 4.0 1.5 1.5 — — Below guideline

All values in the unit of the detected level. Red cells indicate the detected level exceeds that standard. Some contaminants have limits in some jurisdictions but not others (shown as —). The "Tested" column shows the year each contaminant sample was collected.

Sources: US EPA, EU Drinking Water Directive 2020/2184, WHO Guidelines (4th ed.), California OEHHA PHGs, EWG Tap Water Database.

MANHATTAN, CITY OF service area

This water system serves 1 community in Riley County, Kansas. Click any city for its dedicated tap water quality page.

About this water system

Public Water System ID
KS2016112
Owner type
Local government
Source water
Groundwater
Service connections
16,428
Service area
MANHATTAN, Riley County, Kansas