Is Elwood, KS tap water safe?
The short answer
Neither of the 2 utilities serving Elwood has a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s and Kansas’s records.
City of Elwood, which serves the most people here, has 1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 1.0 ppb, above the health goal. Health goals are stricter than legal limits and are not enforced.
A town can be served by more than one utility, and some homes are on private wells. The name on your water bill tells you which is yours, and your ZIP code narrows it down. They are listed by how many people each serves in Elwood’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
City of Elwood
Kansas · serves 1,114 people · about 490 in Elwood
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 1.0 ppb, above the health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
City of Wathena
Kansas · serves 1,242 people · under 100 in Elwood
1 result above the health goal and 1 result above EPA’s health benchmark. The worst: Lithium at 51.5 ppb, above EPA’s health benchmark.
No health-based violations since 2016
What handles it
Each of these is certified, on a certifier’s listing, for a result above a line in City of Elwood’s water, which serves the most people here. Another utility’s report names what handles its own results.
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Brita Tahoe Pitcher with Elite Filter (OB60, OB06)
Pitcher
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 13, 2026
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 53checked Oct. 13, 2026
Certified for: Lead
Brita Everyday Pitcher with Elite Filter (OB46, OB06)
Pitcher
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 13, 2026
Certified for: Lead
PUR PLUS 11-Cup Pitcher (PPT111W)
Pitcher
- NSF listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
- WQA listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
- IAPMO listing:NSF/ANSI 42NSF/ANSI 53NSF/ANSI 401checked Oct. 4, 2026
Certified for: Lead
Water testing near Elwood
The 3 labs Kansas certifies closest to Elwood, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
KC Water Services Laboratory
Kansas City, MO · about 46 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, lead and copper, metals, minerals and other inorganics, organic chemicals
Water District No 1 of Johnson County-WaterOne
Kansas City, KS · about 49 miles
Certified for bacteria, nitrate, lead and copper, metals, minerals and other inorganics
Eurofins Kansas City
Lenexa, KS · about 56 miles
Certified for bacteria
Which ZIP codes are in Elwood: Census 2020 relationship files. Which utilities serve them, and how many people: EPA SDWIS and EPA’s service area map. Each utility’s results: EPA UCMR 5, EPA SDWIS, and EPA’s and the state’s compliance monitoring, as its report lists them. How they are measured: methodology. Certified labs: Kansas Department of Health and Environment, drinking water labs, as listed in TNI LAMS; distances from the Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation area gazetteer.
Near Elwood
Towns nearby with a page of their own.
What to do next
- Read City of Elwood’s full reportEvery result with its dates, the violations, and the certification claim that handles each finding.Open the report
- Filters for LeadRanked by certification and what they cost over five years.The best water filters for lead, ranked
- On a private well?No utility tests a well. A certified lab test is the first step.How to test well water