PlainWater

OBERLIN, CITY OF

PWS ID: KS2003903 · OBERLIN, Kansas 67749

OBERLIN, CITY OF serves 1,639 people in OBERLIN, Kansas using Groundwater water sources. It has 346 recorded EPA violations, including 317 health-based violations. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing.

Water Quality Snapshot: OBERLIN, CITY OF

OBERLIN, CITY OF is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 1,639 residents in OBERLIN, Kansas (Decatur County) through 970 service connections. Its water is drawn from groundwater sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 346 total violations for this system , of which 317 (92%) are health-based — meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 12 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2025.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Combined Uranium, recorded in 159 violations (MCL, health-based). This system has not yet been sampled under EPA's UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program, so no PFAS detection data is available here.

Across Kansas, EPA tracks 957 public water systems serving 2,894,673 people, with 84,344 cumulative violations and 33,424 health-based violations on record. About 99% of systems in the state carry at least one violation, and state-wide the average per system is 88.1 violations. OBERLIN, CITY OF's 346 violations sit above the Kansas average. Statewide, 89 of 103 UCMR5-tested systems have reported PFAS detections (86.4%). All figures above are sourced directly from EPA SDWIS and UCMR5 public data releases and are updated as EPA publishes new reporting cycles.

Population Served
1,639
Total Violations
346
Health-Based Violations
317
Water Source
Groundwater

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
970
County
Decatur
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
317
Monitoring Violations
12
Treatment Tech Violations
0

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Combined Uranium MCL 159 2014
Arsenic MCL 122 2014
Nitrate MCL 17 1997
Public Notice Other 14 2014
Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon and U MCL 11 2012
Nitrite MCL 6 1994
TTHM MR 4 2023
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 4 2023
Lead and Copper Rule MR 4 2018
Selenium MCL 2 1985
LEAD AND COPPER RULE REVISIONS RPT 1 2025
Consumer Confidence Rule Other 1 2001

Verify This Water System

The figures above are aggregated from EPA's public databases. To verify the underlying records — or to file a complaint, request a Consumer Confidence Report, or check current monitoring status — go directly to the federal and state regulators that enforce the Safe Drinking Water Act for OBERLIN, CITY OF.

Federal Source of Truth

EPA SDWIS — Federal Reports

EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) holds the federal compliance record for every regulated public water system. Open the system-level report by PWS ID:

View PWS ID KS2003903 on SDWIS

Source: EPA SDWIS Federal Reports Search

State Regulator

Kansas Drinking Water Authority

Kansas's primacy agency administers the Safe Drinking Water Act locally. Search EPA SDWIS for the current state contact, or use the state's public health or environment department portal.

Find KS regulator via EPA SDWIS

Violation Timeline

Each row links to the EPA SDWIS public record for verification. Cross-reference the contaminant code on EPA's federal report to see violation dates, return-to-compliance status, and enforcement actions.

Year (latest) Contaminant Category Count EPA Record
2025 LEAD AND COPPER RULE REVISIONS RPT 1 SDWIS / KS2003903 / 5200
2023 TTHM MR 4 SDWIS / KS2003903 / 2950
2023 Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 4 SDWIS / KS2003903 / 2456
2018 Lead and Copper Rule MR 4 SDWIS / KS2003903 / 5000
2014 Combined Uranium MCL 159 SDWIS / KS2003903 / 4006
2014 Arsenic MCL 122 SDWIS / KS2003903 / 1005
2014 Public Notice Other 14 SDWIS / KS2003903 / 7500
2012 Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon and U MCL 11 SDWIS / KS2003903 / 4000
2001 Consumer Confidence Rule Other 1 SDWIS / KS2003903 / 7000
1997 Nitrate MCL 17 SDWIS / KS2003903 / 1040
1994 Nitrite MCL 6 SDWIS / KS2003903 / 1041
1985 Selenium MCL 2 SDWIS / KS2003903 / 1045

How OBERLIN, CITY OF Compares

Cross-reference this system's record against state averages and the federal MCL framework for context.

Metric OBERLIN, CITY OF Kansas avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 346 88.1 SDWA compliance — any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 317 34.9 Indicates a contaminant exceeded a federal MCL
PFAS detection None 86.4% EPA final rule (2024): PFOA/PFOS MCL = 4.0 ppt
Population served 1,639 3,025 Sizing context for compliance burden

Sources: EPA SDWIS and EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (40 CFR Part 141). State averages computed across 957 regulated public water systems in Kansas.

Federal MCL reference — Safe Drinking Water Act thresholds
Contaminant Federal MCL / Action Level Note
Lead 0 mg/L (Action Level: 0.015 mg/L) Lead and Copper Rule treatment technique
Arsenic 0.010 mg/L (10 ppb) Health-based MCL since 2006
Total Coliform Treatment technique (RTCR) Indicator organism, monitoring trigger
PFOA / PFOS (PFAS) 4.0 ppt each (final 2024 rule) Compliance deadline 2029
Nitrate (as N) 10 mg/L Acute health risk for infants

Frequently Asked Questions

Is OBERLIN, CITY OF water safe to drink?
OBERLIN, CITY OF (PWS ID: KS2003903) has 346 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 1,639 people using Groundwater sources.
How many people does OBERLIN, CITY OF serve?
OBERLIN, CITY OF serves 1,639 people in OBERLIN, Kansas. It is a Local-owned system using Groundwater water sources with 970 service connections.
What type of violations does OBERLIN, CITY OF have?
OBERLIN, CITY OF has 346 total violations: 317 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 12 monitoring/reporting violations, and 0 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in OBERLIN, CITY OF water?
No PFAS testing data is available for OBERLIN, CITY OF under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does OBERLIN, CITY OF use?
OBERLIN, CITY OF uses Groundwater as its primary water source. It is classified as a Community Water System (CWS), serving residential populations year-round.
Where does this data come from?
All data comes from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and the UCMR5 PFAS monitoring program. SDWIS tracks compliance for all public water systems regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act.

Explore PlainWater

Data Sources: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), Q4 2025. This data is provided for informational purposes only.

Related

Data sourced from $official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by Kiznis Studio Editorial