Is Independence, KS tap water safe?
The short answer
1 of the 5 utilities serving Independence has a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s and Kansas’s records: Montgomery Co RWD 1.
City of Independence, which serves the most people here, has 1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 1.9 ppb, above the health goal. Health goals are stricter than legal limits and are not enforced.
The water from City of Independence is hard, 160 mg/L (9.4 grains per gallon). How Kansas’s water compares.
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 Independence’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
City of Independence
Kansas · serves 8,464 people · about 310 in Independence
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 1.9 ppb, above the health goal. Hardness: hard, 160 mg/L (9.4 grains per gallon).
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Montgomery Co RWD 2
Kansas · serves 800 people · under 100 in Independence
Nothing in its records is above a health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Montgomery Co RWD 6
Kansas · serves 1,092 people · under 100 in Independence
Nothing in its records is above a health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Montgomery Co RWD 8
Kansas · serves 340 people · under 100 in Independence
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 7.0 ppb, above the health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Montgomery Co RWD 1
Kansas · serves 175 people · under 100 in Independence
Nothing in its records is above a health goal. Hardness: hard, 130 mg/L (7.6 grains per gallon).
1 health-based violation since 2016
What handles it
Each of these is certified, on a certifier’s listing, for a result above a line in City of Independence’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 Independence
The lab Kansas certifies closest to Independence, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
Pace Analytical Services, Inc - Frontenac
Frontenac, KS · about 61 miles
Certified for bacteria
ZIP codes in Independence
Which ZIP codes are in Independence: 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 Independence
Other towns in Montgomery County with a page of their own.
What to do next
- Read City of Independence’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