Is Exeter, MO tap water safe?
The short answer
Neither of the 2 utilities serving Exeter has a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s and CDC’s records.
Southwest Rural Water District 1, which serves the most people here, has 1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 1.8 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 Exeter’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
Southwest Rural Water District 1
Missouri · serves 2,700 people · under 100 in Exeter
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 1.8 ppb, above the health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Exeter PWS
Missouri · serves 800 people · under 100 in Exeter
Nothing in its records is above a health goal.
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 Southwest Rural Water District 1’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 Exeter
The 3 labs Missouri certifies closest to Exeter, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
Monett City Water Plant
Monett, MO · about 15 miles
Certified for bacteria
Newton County Health Department Laboratory
Neosho, MO · about 25 miles
Certified for bacteria
The Truman Laboratory
Neosho, MO · about 25 miles
Certified for bacteria
Missouri State Public Health Laboratory: Coliform and E. coli testing for private wells and other private drinking water sources, in kits from your local public health agency. A free state courier can carry the sample to the lab overnight. The handling fee is $10, by check or money order. Private Drinking Water Bacteriological Testing, Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.
All 64 certified labs for MissouriZIP codes in Exeter
Which ZIP codes are in Exeter: 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: Missouri DNR, certified microbiological and chemical laboratories; distances from the Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation area gazetteer.
Near Exeter
Towns nearby with a page of their own.
What to do next
- Read Southwest Rural Water District 1’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