Is West Plains, MO tap water safe?
The short answer
1 of the 4 utilities serving West Plains has a result above a legal limit or action level, or a health-based violation since 2016, in EPA’s and CDC’s records: West Plains PWS.
West Plains PWS, which serves the most people here, has 1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 1.3 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 West Plains’s ZIP codes, from EPA’s estimates.
- Open report
West Plains PWS
Missouri · serves 12,864 people · about 360 in West Plains
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 1.3 ppb, above the health goal.
3 health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Henrys MHP
Missouri · serves 100 people · under 100 in West Plains
1 result above the health goal. The worst: Lead at 1.2 ppb, above the health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Howell Oregon County PWSD 2 North
Missouri · serves 1,768 people · under 100 in West Plains
Nothing in its records is above a health goal.
No health-based violations since 2016
- Open report
Howell Oregon 2 West
Missouri · serves 1,210 people · under 100 in West Plains
2 results above the health goal. The worst: Arsenic at 6.2 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 West Plains PWS’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 West Plains
The 2 labs Missouri certifies closest to West Plains, in a straight line. Call first: certification is test by test, and not every lab takes samples from homeowners.
Perfect Water Testing
Salem, MO · about 65 miles
Certified for bacteria
Fort Leonard Wood Department of Public Health-U.S. Army
Fort Leonard Wood, MO · about 71 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 West Plains
Which ZIP codes are in West Plains: 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.
What to do next
- Read West Plains PWS’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