Water Quality Report · Updated May 12, 2026

WICHITA, CITY OF

Serving 395,699 residents in WICHITA, Kansas .

National rank 43th percentile
Kansas rank 38th percentile
Data confidence Medium
D
62/100
Below Average
ⓘ How did we get this rating?
Quick answer

WICHITA, CITY OF delivers tap water graded D (62/100) by TapWaterSafety.org. The utility serves approximately 395,699 residents in WICHITA, Kansas using surface water. 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 316-269-4786.

Data sources for this grade: utilities.csv EWG Tap Water Database ⓘ How did we get this rating?
395,699
People served
1
City served
24
Contaminants detected
14
Above health guidelines
0
EPA violations (5 yr)

Is WICHITA tap water safe to drink?

WICHITA, CITY OF delivers tap water that earns a grade of D (62/100) from TapWaterSafety.org — a below-average rating, with multiple concerns including arsenic significantly above health guideline.

The utility serves 395,699 residents in WICHITA, drawing from surface water.

Public testing data identifies 14 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, Bromate, Dichloroacetic acid, Chloroform, Trichloroacetic acid, Nitrate, Bromoform, Chromium (hexavalent). 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.

Top concerns in this water

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

Arsenic significantly above health guideline

Moderate concern

Arsenic detected at 1.37 ppb, 342x above the EWG health guideline of 0.004 ppb.

Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline

Moderate concern

Haloacetic acids (HAA9) detected at 16.2 ppb, 270x above the EWG health guideline of 0.06 ppb.

Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) significantly above health guideline

Moderate concern

Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) detected at 24.9 ppb, 166x above the EWG health guideline of 0.15 ppb.

Contact WICHITA, CITY OF

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

Recommended water filters for WICHITA

Filters matched to the specific contaminants in this water supply.

Reverse Osmosis

$249-$750

Arsenic is most effectively removed by reverse osmosis. Some specialized adsorptive filters also work.

AquaTru Countertop Reverse Osmosis
$449-$599 NSF 42, 53, 58, 401, P473
Editorial pick · affiliate link coming soon
Aquasana OptimH2O Reverse Osmosis + Claryum
$429-$549 NSF 42, 53, 58, 401, P473
Editorial pick · affiliate link coming soon
Waterdrop G3P800 Tankless RO
$600-$750 NSF 58, 372
View on retailer →
Waterdrop N1 Countertop RO
$249-$329 NSF 58, 372
View on retailer →

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 62/100 breaks down across five weighted components. Read the full methodology →

Health Guideline Performance
10 / 40
Legal Compliance
20 / 20
High-Risk Contaminants
15 / 20
Compliance History
10 / 10
Source Water Vulnerability
7 / 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
1.37 ppb 0.004 10.0 10 10 0.004 342× over
Haloacetic acids (HAA9)
Disinfection byproduct
16.2 ppb 0.06 270× over
Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
Disinfection byproduct
24.9 ppb 0.15 80.0 100 166× over
Bromodichloromethane
Disinfection byproduct
7.73 ppb 0.06 129× over
Haloacetic acids (HAA5)
Disinfection byproduct
11.3 ppb 0.1 60.0 60 113× over
Dibromoacetic acid
Disinfection byproduct
2.94 ppb 0.03 98× over
Dibromochloromethane
Disinfection byproduct
8.71 ppb 0.1 87× over
Bromate
Disinfection byproduct
5.17 ppb 0.1 10.0 10 10 0.1 52× over
Dichloroacetic acid
Disinfection byproduct
5.03 ppb 0.2 25× over
Chloroform
Disinfection byproduct
5.57 ppb 0.4 14× over
Trichloroacetic acid
Disinfection byproduct
1.22 ppb 0.1 12× over
Nitrate
Inorganic
0.873 ppm 0.14 10.0 11.3 11.3 10 6.2× over
Bromoform
Disinfection byproduct
2.81 ppb 0.5 5.6× over
Chromium (hexavalent)
Heavy metal
0.0462 ppb 0.02 2.3× over
Selenium
Heavy metal
3.13 ppb 30.0 50.0 20 40 30 Below guideline
Barium
Heavy metal
59.0 ppb 700.0 2000.0 1300 2000 Below guideline
Molybdenum
Other
2.02 ppb 40.0 Below guideline
Vanadium
Other
0.927 ppb 21.0 Below guideline
Monobromoacetic acid
Disinfection byproduct
0.809 ppb 25.0 Below guideline
Monochloroacetic acid
Disinfection byproduct
1.37 ppb 53.0 Below guideline
Manganese
Heavy metal
0.703 ppb 100.0 50 80 Below guideline
Strontium
Radiological
0.223 ppb 1500.0 Below guideline
Fluoride
Inorganic
0.303 ppm 4.0 1.5 1.5 Below guideline
Lithium
Other
18.7 ppb 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.

WICHITA, CITY OF service area

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

About this water system

Public Water System ID
KS2017308
Owner type
Local government
Source water
Surface water
Service connections
143,709
Service area
WICHITA, Sedgwick County, Kansas