Drinking water quality · 2024
· Verified
What's in Topeka, KS tap water
26 contaminants were measured in the Topeka, KS water system's 2024 annual report. Each is shown below against its federal limit.
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Contaminants measured
- 26
- Over federal limit
- 0
- Approaching the limit
- 0
- Service area
- KS
PFAS — EPA UCMR5 (2023–2025)
2 PFAS compounds detected in Topeka, KS
The EPA finalized the first-ever federal drinking-water limits for six PFAS compounds in April 2024. These numbers come straight from EPA's UCMR5 lab dataset — every U.S. system serving more than 3,300 people tested every PFAS sample at an entry point to its distribution system. PFAS not listed below were either tested and not detected, or not yet sampled.
Lithium
● Detected (no federal limit)below national p90 (76.59999999999991 mg/L across detecting U.S. systems)
PFBA
● Detected (no federal limit)below national p90 (18 ng/L across detecting U.S. systems)
Where your water comes from · EPA SDWIS
Topeka, KS's drinking water comes from surface water, drawn from 2 sources.
Source
- INTAKE · 2
Treatment
- TP001
Distribution
Historical readings · EPA Six-Year Review (2012–2019)
3 contaminants historically over EPA limits in Topeka, KS
Every U.S. public water system reports compliance-monitoring data to EPA. The Six-Year Review releases the 2012–2019 window as a single dataset — here's what your system reported, year by year. Values shown are the highest detection per analyte per year, compared to the federal MCL.
| Contaminant | Worst detection | EPA limit | Years (2012–2019) |
|---|---|---|---|
HAA5 worst: 2015 | 0.09670000000000001 mg/L 1.6× | 0.06 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
ATRAZINE worst: 2017 | 0.0031000000000000003 mg/L 1.0× 3.1× the national p90 | 0.003 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
TTHM worst: 2012 | 0.0805 mg/L 1.0× | 0.08 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
FLUORIDE worst: 2012 | 1.4000000000000001 mg/L within | 4 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
NITRATE worst: 2017 | 1.8 mg/L within | 10 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
ARSENIC worst: 2012 | 0.0017 mg/L within below national p90 | 0.01 mg/L | '12'13'18'19 |
SELENIUM worst: 2019 | 0.0079 mg/L within | 0.05 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
BARIUM worst: 2014 | 0.053 mg/L within below national p90 | 2 mg/L | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
CHROMIUM worst: 2017 | 0.0012 mg/L within below national p90 | 0.1 mg/L | '12'13'17 |
COPPER worst: 2012 | 0.0016 mg/L below national p90 | — | '12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19 |
LEAD worst: 2014 | 0.0088 mg/L | — | '14'17 |
BROMODICHLOROMETHANE worst: 2012 | 0.015 mg/L | — | '12 |
CHLOROFORM worst: 2012 | 0.025 mg/L | — | '12 |
DIBROMOCHLOROMETHANE worst: 2012 | 0.0057 mg/L | — | '12 |
Disinfectants
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChloramineA longer-lasting disinfectant made by combining chlorine with ammonia. | 3.3 mg/LReported levelSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
Inorganic chemicals
Metals
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| AluminumA common element sometimes used as a treatment coagulant. | 0.051 mg/LReported levelSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| CalciumA naturally occurring mineral that contributes to water hardness. | 42 mg/LReported levelSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| MagnesiumA naturally occurring mineral that contributes to water hardness. | 5 mg/LReported levelSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| PotassiumA naturally occurring mineral from rock and soil. | 6.9 mg/LReported levelSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| SilicaA naturally occurring compound from sand and rock. | 3.6 mg/LReported levelSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| SodiumA naturally occurring salt component. | 39 mg/LReported levelSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
Microbial
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total ColiformA group of bacteria used as an indicator of overall water-system sanitation. | 0.97–0.97 %Reported levelSystem-wide | 0 %MCLG | Detected — no federal limit |
Physical & aggregate
| Contaminant | Measured | Federal limit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| AlkalinityA measure of the water's capacity to neutralize acids. | 62–125 mg/LRangeSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| HardnessA measure of dissolved calcium and magnesium minerals. | 116–208 mg/LRangeSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| pHA measure of how acidic or basic the water is. | 9.2–9.8RangeSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| Specific ConductanceA measure of how well water conducts electricity, which tracks dissolved mineral content. | 330–842 uS/cmRangeSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| TOCTotal organic carbon — a measure of organic material dissolved in the water. | 1.74–2.22Reported levelSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| Total Dissolved SolidsTotal dissolved solids — the combined content of all dissolved minerals and salts. | 250 mg/LReported levelSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
| TurbidityA measure of cloudiness from suspended particles in the water. | 100–0.29 NTUReported levelSystem-wide | None set | Detected — no federal limit |
People also ask about Topeka, KS's water
+Is Topeka, KS tap water safe to drink in 2024?
Every one of the 26 contaminants measured in Topeka, KS's 2024 Consumer Confidence Report is below its federal limit. "Safe" under the EPA's drinking-water standards is health-based, not aesthetic — but by those standards, no measured contaminant in this report exceeds its enforceable threshold. Individual health concerns (e.g. immunocompromised, infant, pregnancy) may warrant additional filtering regardless of compliance.
+What contaminants are in Topeka, KS tap water?
26 contaminants were measured in Topeka, KS's 2024 Consumer Confidence Report, spanning metals, physical & aggregate, and inorganic chemicals. 8 have an enforceable federal limit; the rest are detected but unregulated. Every measured value, in the utility's own units, is on this page.
+Where does the data on this page come from?
Every value is transcribed from Topeka, KS's 2024 Consumer Confidence Report — the annual drinking-water report every U.S. public water utility is required by federal law to publish. The original source document is archived and viewable on this site. A water-quality report covers an entire service area, not a single address.
+How often is Topeka, KS's water quality data updated?
Each U.S. public water utility publishes one Consumer Confidence Report per year, covering the prior calendar year's measurements. This page reflects the 2024 report; a new report will replace it once the utility publishes its next annual update.