Is Independence, MO tap water safe?
The short answer
None of the 6 utilities serving Independence has a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s and CDC’s records.
Independence PWS, which serves the most people here, has 1 result above the health goal and 1 result above EPA’s health benchmark. The worst: Lithium at 40.1 ppb, above EPA’s health benchmark. 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 Independence’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
Independence PWS
Missouri · serves 120,000 people · about 107,300 in Independence
1 result above the health goal and 1 result above EPA’s health benchmark. The worst: Lithium at 40.1 ppb, above EPA’s health benchmark.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Blue Springs PWS
Missouri · serves 61,084 people · about 6,800 in Independence
1 result above the health goal and 1 result above EPA’s health benchmark. The worst: Lithium at 53.6 ppb, above EPA’s health benchmark.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Buckner PWS
Missouri · serves 3,076 people · about 910 in Independence
Nothing in its records is above a health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Jackson County PWSD 16
Missouri · serves 4,075 people · about 800 in Independence
1 result above EPA’s health benchmark. The worst: Lithium at 43 ppb, above EPA’s health benchmark.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Highland Manor
Missouri · serves 895 people · about 700 in Independence
Nothing in its records is above a health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Tri County Water Authority
Missouri · serves 25 people · based in Independence
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Arsenic at 1.9 ppb, above the 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 Independence PWS’s water, which serves the most people here. Another utility’s report names what handles its own results.
Disclosure: TapBuff earns a commission if you buy through some links on this page. It does not change which standard or filter we name. As an Amazon Associate, TapBuff earns from qualifying purchases. How TapBuff makes money
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 3 labs Missouri certifies closest to Independence, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
City of Independence Water Department
Sugar Creek, MO · about 7 miles
Certified for bacteria
Tri-County Water Authority
Independence, MO · about 7 miles
Certified for bacteria
Blue Valley Laboratories Inc.
Kansas City, MO · about 12 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 MissouriWhich 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: Missouri DNR, certified microbiological and chemical laboratories; distances from the Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation area gazetteer.
Near Independence
Other towns in Jackson County with a page of their own.
What to do next
- Read Independence PWS’s full reportEvery result with its dates, the violations, and the certification claim that handles each finding.Open the report
- About LithiumWhat it does to health, where it comes from, and the certification claim that addresses it.About Lithium
- On a private well?No utility tests a well. A certified lab test is the first step.How to test well water