City of Russell water quality report, rewritten
- Serves
- 4,388
- Connections
- 2,462
- Water source
- Surface water
- Based in
- Russell, KS
- County
- Russell
- Owner
- Local government
The ZIP code it serves
PWSID KS2016703 · EPA data
Read this first
- Lithium (above EPA’s health benchmark) was found in four of 4 samples, highest 45.7 ppb. Above EPA’s health reference level of 10 ppb, a screening level rather than an enforceable limit.
9 health-based violations since 2016. Details are below.
What was found
Highlighted: above the health goal, or EPA’s health benchmark where there is no goal. Circled: above the legal limit in at least one sample, or the action level. Every scale puts that line at its middle.
PFAS and lithium: EPA UCMR 5, samples taken from Feb. 22, 2023 to Jan. 29, 2024. Each blue tick on a scale is one sample where it was found.
Lithium (above EPA’s health benchmark)
Comes from the source
45.7ppb
Highest of 4 samples; found in four
Above EPA’s health reference level of 10 ppb, a screening level rather than an enforceable limit.
What handles it
No certification claim covers this compound yet.
Tested and not found
Below EPA’s minimum reporting level in every sample taken from Feb. 22, 2023 to Jan. 29, 2024. Not found means not measured above that level, which is not the same as zero.
All 30 compounds tested and not found
- 11Cl-PF3OUdS
- 4:2 FTS
- 6:2 FTS
- 8:2 FTS
- 9Cl-PF3ONS
- ADONA
- HFPO-DA (GenX)
- Lead
- NEtFOSAA
- NFDHA
- NMeFOSAA
- PFBA
- PFBS
- PFDA
- PFDoA
- PFEESA
- PFHpA
- PFHpS
- PFHxA
- PFHxS
- PFMBA
- PFMPA
- PFNA
- PFOA
- PFOS
- PFPeA
- PFPeS
- PFTA
- PFTrDA
- PFUnA
Violations since 2016
| Contaminant or rule | Type | Period | Measured | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule | Too many readings in a month showed cloudiness above the filtration standard.EPA: Monthly Turbidity Exceed (Enhanced SWTR) | April 1, 2022 to April 30, 2022 | — | Resolved |
| TTHM | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | April 1, 2020 to June 30, 2020 | 0.085 MG/L | Resolved |
| TTHM | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Jan. 1, 2020 to March 31, 2020 | 0.09 MG/L | Resolved |
| TTHM | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | Oct. 1, 2019 to Dec. 31, 2019 | 0.091 MG/L | Resolved |
| TTHM | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | July 1, 2019 to Sept. 30, 2019 | 0.096 MG/L | Resolved |
| TTHM | The running average was above the legal limit.EPA: Maximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average | April 1, 2019 to June 30, 2019 | 0.096 MG/L | Resolved |
| Chlorine dioxide | The disinfectant was above its maximum allowed level.EPA: Acute Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level | April 1, 2018 to April 30, 2018 | 0.92 MG/L | Resolved |
| Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule | Too many readings in a month showed cloudiness above the filtration standard.EPA: Monthly Turbidity Exceed (Enhanced SWTR) | May 1, 2017 to May 31, 2017 | — | Resolved |
| Chlorine dioxide | The disinfectant was above its maximum allowed level.EPA: Acute Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level | Aug. 1, 2016 to Aug. 31, 2016 | — | Resolved |
| Health-based violations only. Resolved and archived mean the utility returned to compliance or the state closed the record. 18 monitoring or reporting violations not shown. | ||||
What this report cannot tell you
- Levels of everything else. Federal bulk data carries results for PFAS, lithium, lead and copper, and violations for the rest. Nitrate, arsenic, disinfection byproducts and other levels are in City of Russell’s own annual report, which it must send you every year.
- Your own plumbing. Lead results are the 90th percentile across homes the utility samples. Your home’s service line, solder and fixtures decide yours. A certified lab test is the only way to know.
- Anything after the latest data. SDWIS data is from 2026 Q2; UCMR 5 samples are from Feb. 22, 2023 to Jan. 29, 2024.
Other Kansas utilities
- Water District 1 of Johnson Co490,000
- City of Wichita395,699
- Kansas City Board of Public Utilities152,960
- City of Olathe143,014
- City of Topeka125,963
- City of Lawrence95,256
- City of Manhattan54,763
- City of Salina46,481
- City of Hutchinson39,712
- Leavenworth Water Department38,757
- Frusi Water Treatment Plant35,784
- City of Garden City35,126
Sources
- EPA UCMR 5 occurrence data, file of Aug. 27, 2026
- EPA SDWA bulk download (SDWIS federal data), 2026 Q2
- Limits and goals: each contaminant’s page, with its EPA source.
- How this page is built: methodology.
What to do next
Read up on Lithium
What each one does to health, where it comes from, and the certification claim that addresses it.
About LithiumGet the utility’s own report
City of Russell must send you a water quality report every year. It lists nitrate, arsenic and byproduct levels this page cannot.
How to read itTest your own tap for lead
Your service line, solder and fixtures decide the lead at your faucet, not the utility’s average.
Lead in your water: what to doDecide if you want a filter at all
A filter for taste or chlorine is a preference, not a need. The standards say what each kind can do.
NSF/ANSI standards, decoded