Public water system · KS2002109
ActiveBaxter Springs, City of
At a glance
City of Baxter Springs (PWSID KS2002109) is an active community water system in Cherokee County, Kansas. It reports serving 3,852 people through 1,977 service connections. Its primary water source is surface water, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 9 are health-based, and the most recent began in April 2025.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
3,852
Service connections
1,977
Primary source
SW
Surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does City of Baxter Springs compare with other water systems in Cherokee County?
By EPA's size categories, City of Baxter Springs is a medium system (3,301 to 10,000 people). Cherokee County has 18 active public water systems, and City of Baxter Springs is the largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 3.6 times the county average of 1,063 people per system, and accounts for 20% of the 19,138 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across Kansas, the 1,041 active systems average 2,800 people each. Nationally, the average active community water system reports serving 6,703 people, so City of Baxter Springs is about 43% below that figure.
What does “community water system” mean?
A community water system serves at least 15 connections used by year-round residents, or regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents. Homes, apartments and mobile-home parks are served by these. Kansas has 863 active community water systems, 83% of the state's 1,041 active systems. Surface water means the system draws its water from rivers, lakes, streams or reservoirs. 75 Kansas systems (7.2%) list surface water as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates City of Baxter Springs?
EPA lists City of Baxter Springs as owned by a local government. The KS state drinking water program is its primacy agency, the regulator with primary enforcement responsibility for the system under the Safe Drinking Water Act. 17 of the 18 active systems in Cherokee County (94%) are also owned by a local government.
Does City of Baxter Springs have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 9 are health-based, and the most recent began in April 2025. The violations listed here began between January 2020 and April 2025. By type: 9 contaminant level above the legal limit and 3 monitoring and reporting. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium) (5 of them). EPA lists 12 as resolved. Resolved means at least one resolving action is on record: the system returned to compliance, the rule no longer applies, or no further action was needed.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2025-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2024-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2024-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2022-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium)code 4000 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2021-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium)code 4000 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2021-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium)code 4000 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2020-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium)code 4000 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2020-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Turbidity (Enhanced SWTR) · code 38 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0300 | No | Resolved |
| 2020-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Gross alpha (excluding radon and uranium)code 4000 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2020-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring of Treatment (SWTR-Filter) · code 36 | Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0200 | No | Resolved |
| 2020-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Combined Radium (-226 and -228)code 4010 | No | Resolved |
The 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, newest first.Labels and codes come from EPA's SDWIS reference tables. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found. "Health-based" marks violations of a legal limit or required treatment.
City of Baxter Springs: frequently asked questions
Who runs City of Baxter Springs?
City of Baxter Springs (PWSID KS2002109) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the KS state drinking water program.
How many people does City of Baxter Springs serve?
City of Baxter Springs reports serving 3,852 people through 1,977 service connections in Cherokee County, Kansas.
Where does City of Baxter Springs get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as surface water. Surface water means the system draws its water from rivers, lakes, streams or reservoirs.
Does City of Baxter Springs have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 9 are health-based, and the most recent began in April 2025. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found.
Is City of Baxter Springs' water safe to drink?
AquaCensus shows EPA compliance records, not current water test results, so it cannot say whether the water is safe at a given moment. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 9 are health-based, and the most recent began in April 2025. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the KS state drinking water program.
Where can I find City of Baxter Springs' water quality report?
As a community water system, City of Baxter Springs must deliver an annual water quality report, called a Consumer Confidence Report, to its customers by July 1 each year, covering the previous calendar year. The system can provide a copy on request.
Other water systems in Cherokee County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus, City of | Cherokee | 2,882 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Galena, City of | Cherokee | 2,743 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Cherokee Co Rwd 3 | Cherokee | 1,900 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Cherokee Co Rwd 4 | Cherokee | 1,500 | Community | Groundwater |
| Cherokee Co Rwd 8 | Cherokee | 1,235 | Community | Groundwater |
| Cherokee Co Rwd 2 | Cherokee | 943 | Community | Groundwater |
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About this data
Source: U.S. EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and SDWA violation records, via EPA ECHO, as published October 1, 2026 — AquaCensus refreshes it quarterly. See the methodology for how records are matched, cleaned and scored.
Cite as: AquaCensus, “Baxter Springs, City of, PWSID KS2002109, Kansas”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/kansas/baxter-springs-city-of-ks2002109 (data as of October 1, 2026).