waterbycounty
EPA SDWIS

Osborne County Water Quality

Osborne County, Kansas

Water Grade

F

Water Score

1.6

Violations

58

State Rank

#103

of 105 (1 = best)

EPA SDWIS Compliance

Drinking Water Quality

Water Quality Grade

F

Based on EPA compliance history and violation data

Water Score

1.6/100

Higher = better quality

Health Violations

58

Health-based violations

Violation Rate

2105.3%

Systems with violations

Water Advisory: Osborne County

Water Verdict

Osborne County receives a poor water quality assessment with a grade of F and a score of 1.6 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

Osborne County has recorded 58 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 2105.3 violations per 1,000 residents, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Residents of Osborne County are advised to use filtered or bottled water for drinking and cooking until water quality improves. A reverse-osmosis or activated-carbon filter certified to remove the contaminants listed in the utility's Consumer Confidence Report is recommended. With 58 recorded health violations, staying informed about utility communications and boil-water notices is especially important. For long-term peace of mind, request your utility's latest Consumer Confidence Report and consider independent water testing if you have specific health concerns.

Regional Context

Osborne County has poorer water quality than the average county in Kansas. Its water score is 41 points lower than the state average, suggesting more challenges with contamination control or infrastructure than neighboring counties.

Past 5 years

Water Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Sites

2

Active in the past 5 years

Measurements Recorded

198

198 total readings

Most Measured

  • Physical
  • Sediment
  • Inorganics, Major, Non-metals

Categories measured most frequently

Data from the EPA Water Quality Portal (WQP), aggregating monitoring records from federal, state, and tribal sources. Each measurement represents a single sample analyzed for a specific characteristic (e.g., E. coli, pH, dissolved oxygen, nitrogen).

Live USGS Streamgage

River & Stream Conditions

Current Discharge

17.0cfs

May 14, 6:30 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

15%

Well below typical

Primary Streamgage

NF SOLOMON R AT PORTIS, KS

USGS site
06872500
Drainage area
2,315 sq mi
Long-term mean
113 cfs

One representative streamgage (the one with the largest drainage area in the county). Many counties have multiple gauges — this view summarizes the primary one. The long-term mean is the full-record annual average; "% of typical" compares the latest reading against that average.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the water quality in Osborne County, Kansas?
Osborne County, Kansas has a drinking-water quality grade of F with a score of 1.6/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 58 health-based drinking water violations over the past 5 years. Watershed health, monitoring records, and live streamflow are reported separately on this page.
Are there any water violations in Osborne County?
Osborne County has 58 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 much water-quality monitoring happens in Osborne County?
EPA's Water Quality Portal records 198 measurements from 2 monitoring sites in Osborne County over the past five years. The most frequently measured characteristic groups are Physical, Sediment, Inorganics, Major, Non-metals. Each measurement is a single sample analyzed for one characteristic (E. coli, pH, dissolved oxygen, etc.). High monitoring density means more scientific evidence behind any reported signal — it does not by itself indicate water quality.
What's happening with rivers in Osborne County right now?
Osborne County's primary USGS streamgage on the NF SOLOMON R is currently reading 17 cubic feet per second — 15% of the long-term mean of 113.21 cfs. This is well below typical — often a signal of drought stress on source water. For genuine real-time data, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does Osborne County water compare to the Kansas average?
Osborne County's SDWIS water quality score of 1.6/100 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 Osborne County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Osborne County has a water quality grade of F (1.6/100). 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 Osborne County have so many water violations?
Osborne County has 58 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 Osborne County rank for water quality in Kansas?
Osborne County ranks #103 out of 105 counties in Kansas by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 1.6/100, it falls in the bottom 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.

Counties with Similar Water Quality

Mitchell County

Kansas

F

1.7

Water score

Greeley County

Kansas

F

1.8

Water score

Lincoln County

Kansas

F

1.1

Water score

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.

Water-quality monitoring counts from the EPA Water Quality Portal (WQP) — federated USGS, EPA, and state agency sampling records over a rolling 5-year window.

Live streamflow from the USGS National Water Information System (NWIS) — continuous discharge measurements from the largest-drainage gauge in each county, compared against the full-record long-term annual mean.

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 Logan Johnson, Founder & Data EditorUpdated Reviewed by Logan Johnson, Founder & Data Editor

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