PlainWater

BUFFALO, CITY OF

PWS ID: KS2020511 · BUFFALO, Kansas 66717

BUFFALO, CITY OF serves 218 people in BUFFALO, Kansas using Surface Water water sources. It has 181 recorded EPA violations, including 125 health-based violations. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing.

Water Quality Snapshot: BUFFALO, CITY OF

BUFFALO, CITY OF is a local-owned community water system that delivers drinking water to 218 residents in BUFFALO, Kansas (Wilson County) through 121 service connections. Its water is drawn from surface water sources. EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System records 181 total violations for this system , of which 125 (69%) are health-based — meaning a contaminant exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique failed. A further 47 monitoring and reporting violations are on file. The most recent violation on record dates to 2023.

The most frequently cited contaminant at this system is Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5), recorded in 46 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. BUFFALO, CITY OF's 181 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
218
Total Violations
181
Health-Based Violations
125
Water Source
Surface Water

System Details

System Type
Community
Owner Type
Local
Connections
121
County
Wilson
School/Daycare
No
MCL Violations
104
Monitoring Violations
47
Treatment Tech Violations
21

Violation History

Contaminant violations recorded by EPA.

Contaminant Category Count Latest
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MCL 46 2009
TTHM MCL 44 2018
Surface Water Treatment Rule TT 21 2003
Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule MR 18 2006
Coliform (TCR) MCL 14 2012
Coliform (TCR) MR 13 2014
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 4 2019
Chlorine MR 4 2023
Revised Total Coliform Rule MON 4 2023
TTHM MR 4 2019
Consumer Confidence Rule Other 2 2000

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 BUFFALO, 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 KS2020511 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
2023 Chlorine MR 4 SDWIS / KS2020511 / 0999
2023 Revised Total Coliform Rule MON 4 SDWIS / KS2020511 / 8000
2019 Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MR 4 SDWIS / KS2020511 / 2456
2019 TTHM MR 4 SDWIS / KS2020511 / 2950
2018 TTHM MCL 44 SDWIS / KS2020511 / 2950
2014 Coliform (TCR) MR 13 SDWIS / KS2020511 / 3100
2012 Coliform (TCR) MCL 14 SDWIS / KS2020511 / 3100
2009 Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) MCL 46 SDWIS / KS2020511 / 2456
2006 Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule MR 18 SDWIS / KS2020511 / 0300
2003 Surface Water Treatment Rule TT 21 SDWIS / KS2020511 / 0200
2000 Consumer Confidence Rule Other 2 SDWIS / KS2020511 / 7000

How BUFFALO, CITY OF Compares

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

Metric BUFFALO, CITY OF Kansas avg Federal benchmark
Total violations 181 88.1 SDWA compliance — any non-zero count is a recorded breach
Health-based violations 125 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 218 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 BUFFALO, CITY OF water safe to drink?
BUFFALO, CITY OF (PWS ID: KS2020511) has 181 recorded violations in the EPA SDWIS database. No PFAS contamination was detected in UCMR5 testing. This system serves 218 people using Surface Water sources.
How many people does BUFFALO, CITY OF serve?
BUFFALO, CITY OF serves 218 people in BUFFALO, Kansas. It is a Local-owned system using Surface Water water sources with 121 service connections.
What type of violations does BUFFALO, CITY OF have?
BUFFALO, CITY OF has 181 total violations: 125 health-based violations (MCL exceedances or treatment failures), 47 monitoring/reporting violations, and 21 treatment technique violations. Health-based violations indicate contaminant levels exceeded EPA safe limits.
Has PFAS been detected in BUFFALO, CITY OF water?
No PFAS testing data is available for BUFFALO, CITY OF under the EPA's UCMR5 monitoring program.
What water source does BUFFALO, CITY OF use?
BUFFALO, CITY OF uses Surface Water 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