Cowley County, KS
drinking water quality
34,186 residents · 16 public water systems · 9 ZIP codes
EPA sampled 2 of 16 public water systems here, together serving about 23,655 people. The highest reading was PFOS at 4.4 ng/L at City of Arkansas City. 1 of the sampled system was above a federal limit. Last sampled 9/6/2023.
What was found
| Compound | Highest result | Federal limit | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| PFOS | 4.4 ng/L | 4 ng/L | 1.1× |
| PFHxS | 3.4 ng/L | 10 ng/L | 0.3× |
Also detected, with no federal limit set: lithium (9100 ng/L).
What this means
PFAS are industrial chemicals that EPA describes as breaking down only very slowly in the environment. In April 2024 EPA set the first enforceable national limits: 4 ng/L for PFOA and PFOS, 10 ng/L for PFHxS, PFNA and GenX.
These figures are county-level and come from EPA’s sampling of public water systems. They describe the worst result found in the county, not what comes out of any particular tap — that depends on which system serves the address, and on the plumbing in the building. A private well is not covered by this programme at all.
ZIP codes in Cowley County
67005 · 67008 · 67019 · 67023 · 67038 · 67102 · 67131 · 67146 · 67156
Readings are county-level, so every ZIP here shares the figure above. Search your ZIP on the map to see it in context.