Water Quality Report · Updated May 12, 2026
OWENSBORO MUNICIPAL UTILITIES
OWENSBORO MUNICIPAL UTILITIES delivers tap water graded F (49/100) by TapWaterSafety.org. The utility serves approximately 60,473 residents in OWENSBORO, Kentucky using groundwater. 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. For questions, the utility can be reached at 270-691-4406.
Is OWENSBORO tap water safe to drink?
OWENSBORO MUNICIPAL UTILITIES delivers tap water that earns a grade of F (49/100) from TapWaterSafety.org — a poor rating, with significant contamination concerns and/or recent violations.
The utility serves 60,473 residents in OWENSBORO, drawing from groundwater.
Public testing data identifies 9 contaminants in this water above EWG's health-based guidelines, including: Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs), Arsenic, Haloacetic acids (HAA9), Haloacetic acids (HAA5), Chromium (hexavalent), Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), Radium, combined (-226 and -228), Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), Molybdenum. 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.
Quick actions for OWENSBORO residents
Top concerns in this water
Based on the most recent EPA and EWG data, these are the most significant water quality issues for OWENSBORO MUNICIPAL UTILITIES.
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.
Contact OWENSBORO MUNICIPAL UTILITIES
Reach the utility directly for service issues, water quality concerns, or to request your Consumer Confidence Report.
General Contact
Treatment Plant
Recommended water filters for OWENSBORO
Filters matched to the specific contaminants in this 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.
Score breakdown
This utility's overall score of 49/100 breaks down across five weighted components. Read the full methodology →
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 (4th ed.), California OEHHA PHGs, EWG Tap Water Database.
OWENSBORO MUNICIPAL UTILITIES service area
This water system serves 1 community in Daviess County, Kentucky. Click any city for its dedicated tap water quality page.
Find the right filter for OWENSBORO water
Browse filter categories by water-quality concern. Each option below is NSF-certified for the matched contaminant type.