waterbycounty

County water report

Ford County Water Report

Drinking-water compliance, watershed health, monitoring records, and river conditions for Ford County, Kansas.

Water grade

F

Water score

21.4

State rank

#66

of 105

Health violations

34

EPA SDWIS, 5-year lookback

Watershed impaired

Not reported

EPA ATTAINS coverage varies by state

Monitoring sites

N/A

EPA Water Quality Portal

Live streamflow

No gauge

ARKANSAS R AT DODGE CITY, KS

Water at a glance

Key Water Indicators for Ford County

EPA SDWIS

Safety Grade

F

Score: 21.4 / 100

EPA SDWIS

Active Violations

34

5-year health-based lookback

EPA ATTAINS

Watershed Health

Not reported

Coverage varies by state

USGS NWIS

Streamflow Snapshot

No gauge

ARKANSAS R AT DODGE CITY, KS

EPA WQP

Monitoring Sites

N/A

Rolling 5-year window

Source: EPA SDWIS · Safe Drinking Water Information System

Drinking Water Compliance

Compliance grade

F

Based on EPA SDWIS compliance history.

Water score

Higher scores indicate cleaner recent compliance records.

21.4/100

Health violations

34

Health-based violations

Violations per 100K served

117.2

Population-normalized SDWIS rate

Data center water stress

Ford County has 1 facility in the DCWSI dataset.

ByCounty's DCWSI ranks this county #2415 nationally by combining its water score with mapped data center density.

DCWSIThe Data Center Water Stress Index: 60% the county's water-system stress plus 40% how concentrated data centers already are, scored 0-100. Higher means data-center density and water pressure overlap more here.

12.8

0-100 index

Facility count

1

0.0 density percentile

Discharge estimate

Not reported

EPA CWA fields where available

Water vs median

-28.6

Compared with US county median

Mapped facilities

  • SFP 241 242 LLC

    SPEARVILLE

    EPA ECHO

Data Center Water Budget Calculator

Estimate daily water use for a hypothetical facility in Ford County.

1 MW1,000 MW
40%100%
799K gallons/dayLow Impact

Your facility would use 1.2% of this county's existing industrial water baseline — well within sustainable range.

1.2% of county industrial baseline66.15 Mgal/day remaining headroom

Based on USGS 2020 water-use data and EPA-standard cooling intensity constants. Not a substitute for site-specific water rights analysis.

Editorial analysis

Understanding Ford County’s Water

Drinking Water Quality Overview

EPA SDWIS

Ford County's water systems carry a failing grade, scoring 21.4 out of 100. Over the past five years, EPA SDWIS records 34 health-based violations — a pattern that public water utilities are required to disclose and correct.

Editorial advisory

What the data suggests for Ford County

Water Verdict

Ford County receives a poor water quality assessment with a grade of F and a score of 21.4 out of 100. The water supply has documented quality issues. Residents are strongly encouraged to use filtered or bottled water for drinking and to stay informed about utility improvement plans.

Violation Context

Ford County has recorded 34 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 117.2 violations per 100,000 people served, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Ford County has a Grade F compliance record with 34 health-based violations — among the highest levels in the country. Ford County's drinking-water compliance score is 21.4 out of 100. Residents are strongly advised to use a certified NSF 58 reverse-osmosis filter or bottled water for all drinking and cooking until violations are corrected. Contacting the Kansas Department of Environmental Quality or Health can expedite utility compliance action. A pipeline streamflow snapshot from the ARKANSAS R gauge is also available on this page.

Regional Context

Ford County has poorer water quality than the average county in Kansas. Its water score is 21.2 points lower than the state average, suggesting more challenges with contamination control or infrastructure than neighboring counties.

Advisory text summarizes county-level public records and is not a replacement for your utility's current Consumer Confidence Report or direct local notices.

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Annual Total

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Monthly

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Water Bill

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Filter Cost

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Safety Grade for Ford County:FFailing

High violation count or severe watershed conditions.

Estimates use the national average residential water rate ($0.0068/gal, EPA/AWWA 2023) and EPA WaterSense per-person consumption baseline (75 gal/person/day). Actual bills vary by utility, usage tier, and local infrastructure fees. For informational purposes only.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the water quality in Ford County, Kansas?
Ford County, Kansas has a drinking-water quality grade of F with a score of 21.4/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 34 health-based drinking water violations over the past 5 years. Watershed health, monitoring records, and streamflow snapshots are reported separately on this page.
Are there any water violations in Ford County?
Ford County has 34 health-based drinking water violations recorded by the EPA over the past 5 years. Health-based violations indicate instances where contaminant levels exceeded EPA Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs). Violations may have been resolved — check with your local water utility for current status.
How does Ford County water compare to the Kansas average?
Ford County's SDWIS water quality score of 21.4/100 is lower than the Kansas state average of 42.6. The average water quality grade across Kansas is D, based on data from 105 counties with available SDWIS data.
Is tap water safe to drink in Ford County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Ford County has a water quality grade of F (21.4/100). This indicates below-average compliance with significant violations. Residents may want to consider home water filtration or independent testing. The grade speaks to the public water system, not the watershed — for watershed-level concerns, see the Watershed Health zone. For the most up-to-date information, contact your local water utility or review your Consumer Confidence Report (CCR).
Why does Ford County have so many water violations?
Ford County has 34 health-based drinking water violations on record from the EPA SDWIS database. A higher violation count can result from aging infrastructure, underfunded water utilities, agricultural runoff contamination, or industrial pollution. Counties with more water systems may also see more violations simply due to scale. Residents concerned about water quality should consider independent water testing and home filtration systems.
How does Ford County rank for water quality in Kansas?
Ford County ranks #66 out of 105 counties in Kansas by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 21.4/100, it falls in the middle third of counties statewide. The ranking reflects EPA SDWIS compliance only — not watershed impairment, monitoring density, or streamflow, which are tracked separately on this page.

Data Sources

Drinking-water compliance data from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) via the ECHO enforcement database. Scores reflect compliance history and health-based violation counts.

Disclaimer: This data is informational only. It is not health, legal, or professional advice. For concerns about your specific water supply, contact your local water utility.

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor