Tap Water Quality Report
Tap water quality in OWENSBORO, Kentucky
Tap water in OWENSBORO, Kentucky receives a grade of F (49/100) from TapWaterSafety.org. It's served by OWENSBORO MUNICIPAL UTILITIES. The most significant water quality concerns are: PFAS contamination; Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) significantly above health guideline; Arsenic significantly above health guideline; Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline. Data sources: EPA SDWIS, EPA ECHO, EWG Tap Water Database.
What's in OWENSBORO's tap water
Top water quality concerns identified by the EPA and Environmental Working Group across the utility serving OWENSBORO.
PFAS contamination
Severe concernPerfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) detected. PFAS are persistent chemicals linked to cancer and immune effects with no known safe exposure threshold.
Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernTotal trihalomethanes (TTHMs) detected at 42.2 ppb, 281x above the EWG health guideline of 0.15 ppb.
Arsenic significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernArsenic detected at 1.06 ppb, 265x above the EWG health guideline of 0.004 ppb.
Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernHaloacetic acids (HAA9) detected at 15.2 ppb, 254x above the EWG health guideline of 0.06 ppb.
Recommended filters for OWENSBORO
Filters matched to the specific contaminants in OWENSBORO's water supply.
Reverse Osmosis or NSF P473 certified carbon
$80-$750Activated carbon and RO are the only technologies proven to remove PFAS at certified levels.
Carbon block (NSF/ANSI 42 + 53)
$40-$750Activated carbon is highly effective for disinfection byproducts like TTHM and HAA5.
Reverse Osmosis
$249-$750Arsenic is most effectively removed by reverse osmosis. Some specialized adsorptive filters also work.
Disclosure: TapWaterSafety earns a commission from purchases made through these links. This does not influence our scoring methodology or filter selection.
All contaminants detected in OWENSBORO's tap water
Every contaminant identified, compared side-by-side against US EPA legal limits, the EU Drinking Water Directive (2020/2184), WHO Guidelines, and California's Public Health Goal. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Disinfection byproduct |
42.2 ppb | 0.15 | 80.0 | 100 | — | — | — | 281× over |
| Arsenic Heavy metal |
1.06 ppb | 0.004 | 10.0 | 10 | 10 | 0.004 | — | 265× over |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA9) Disinfection byproduct |
15.2 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 254× over |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA5) Disinfection byproduct |
8.84 ppb | 0.1 | 60.0 | 60 | — | — | — | 88× over |
| Chromium (hexavalent) Heavy metal |
1.04 ppb | 0.02 | — | — | — | — | — | 52× over |
| Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) PFAS |
3.04 ppt | 0.09 | 4.0 | 100 | 100 | 0.007 | — | 34× over |
| Radium, combined (-226 and -228) Radiological |
0.5 pCi/L | 0.05 | 5.0 | — | — | — | — | 10× over |
| Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) PFAS |
0.463 ppt | 0.3 | 4.0 | 100 | 100 | 1 | — | 1.5× over |
| Molybdenum Other |
54.6 ppb | 40.0 | — | — | — | — | — | 1.4× over |
| Nitrate Inorganic |
0.077 ppm | 0.14 | 10.0 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 10 | — | Below guideline |
| Nitrate and nitrite Inorganic |
0.077 ppm | 0.14 | 10.0 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 10 | — | Below guideline |
| 1,4-Dioxane Semi-volatile organic compound |
0.145 ppb | 0.35 | — | — | 50 | 1 | — | Below guideline |
| Vanadium Other |
0.683 ppb | 21.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Barium Heavy metal |
20.1 ppb | 700.0 | 2000.0 | — | 1300 | 2000 | — | Below guideline |
| Chlorate Disinfection byproduct |
4.33 ppb | 210.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Manganese Heavy metal |
1.43 ppb | 100.0 | — | 50 | 80 | — | — | Below guideline |
| Strontium Radiological |
0.0948 ppb | 1500.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Fluoride Inorganic |
0.674 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, California OEHHA PHGs, EWG Tap Water Database.
Treatment plant contact info
For service issues, water quality concerns, or to request a Consumer Confidence Report from OWENSBORO MUNICIPAL UTILITIES.