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Federal water data

County water report

Rice County Water Report

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

Water grade

F

Water score

14.4

State rank

#77

of 105

Health violations

17

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

4%

COW C NR LYONS, KS

Water at a glance

Key Water Indicators for Rice County

EPA SDWIS

Safety Grade

F

Score: 14.4 / 100

EPA SDWIS

Active Violations

17

5-year health-based lookback

EPA ATTAINS

Watershed Health

Not reported

Coverage varies by state

USGS NWIS

Streamflow Snapshot

4% of mean

COW C NR LYONS, 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.

14.4/100

Health violations

17

Health-based violations

Violations per 100K served

208.5

Population-normalized SDWIS rate

Editorial analysis

Understanding Rice County’s Water

Drinking Water Quality Overview

EPA SDWIS

Rice County's water systems carry a failing grade, scoring 14.4 out of 100. Over the past five years, EPA SDWIS records 17 health-based violations — a pattern that public water utilities are required to disclose and correct.

River & Streamflow Status

USGS NWIS

USGS NWIS gauge data (as of 2026-05-14T13:30:00.000-05:00) puts COW C at 3.4 cfs — well below its long-term average at 4% of mean — low-flow conditions worth noting for water-dependent ecosystems. Streamflow is a leading indicator of drought stress, sediment load, and dilution capacity: low flows concentrate pollutants and warm water temperatures, stressing aquatic life and, in surface-water-dependent systems, the source water quality for treatment plants.

Editorial advisory

What the data suggests for Rice County

Water Verdict

Rice County receives a poor water quality assessment with a grade of F and a score of 14.4 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

Rice County has recorded 17 health-based violations, indicating multiple instances where federal contaminant limits or treatment requirements were not met. At 208.5 violations per 100,000 people served, this rate is high and signals significant water quality management issues.

Consumer Guidance

Drinking-water compliance in Rice County is rated Grade F, reflecting significant health-based violations in the recent reporting period. Rice County's drinking-water compliance score is 14.4 out of 100. An NSF 53 or NSF 58-certified filter is recommended for drinking and cooking water. Check the Consumer Confidence Report from your utility to identify the specific contaminants and required corrective actions — utilities are legally required to notify customers of violations. A pipeline streamflow snapshot from the COW C gauge is also available on this page.

Regional Context

Rice County has poorer water quality than the average county in Kansas. Its water score is 28.2 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.

Contaminants & Resources

Key issues flagged in Rice County's water environment

Official EPA Resources for Rice County

EPA How's My Waterway

Interactive watershed health data for Rice County

EPA ECHO: Drinking Water Systems

Search water utilities and violation records for Rice County

Consumer Confidence Reports (KS)

Annual water quality reports from utilities in Kansas

Live USGS Streamgage

River & Stream Conditions

Current Discharge

3.42cfs

May 14, 6:30 PM UTC

vs Long-Term Average

4%

Well below typical

Primary Streamgage

COW C NR LYONS, KS

USGS site
07143300
Drainage area
728 sq mi
Long-term mean
78.0 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; the percent-of-typical value compares the latest reading against that average.

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Water Cost Estimate

3

3 people  ·  ~225 gal/day

Annual Total

$558

Monthly

$47

Water Bill

$558/yr

Filter Cost

$0/yr

Safety Grade for Rice County:F — Failing

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 Rice County, Kansas?
Rice County, Kansas has a drinking-water quality grade of F with a score of 14.4/100, based on EPA SDWIS compliance data. The county has 17 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 Rice County?
Rice County has 17 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.
What's happening with rivers in Rice County right now?
Rice County's primary USGS streamgage on the COW C has a pipeline snapshot of 3.42 cubic feet per second — 4% of the long-term mean of 78.01 cfs. This is well below typical — often a signal of drought stress on source water. For the latest gauge feed, visit waterdata.usgs.gov.
How does Rice County water compare to the Kansas average?
Rice County's SDWIS water quality score of 14.4/100 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 Rice County?
Based on EPA SDWIS data, Rice County has a water quality grade of F (14.4/100). 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 Rice County have so many water violations?
Rice County has 17 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 Rice County rank for water quality in Kansas?
Rice County ranks #77 out of 105 counties in Kansas by SDWIS water quality score (1 = best). With a score of 14.4/100, 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

Comanche County

Kansas

F

14.3

Water score

Labette County

Kansas

F

14.9

Water score

Dickinson County

Kansas

F

13.8

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.

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

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