Public water system · KS2002110
ActiveColumbus, City of
At a glance
City of Columbus (PWSID KS2002110) is an active community water system in Cherokee County, Kansas. It reports serving 2,882 people through 1,519 service connections. Its primary water source is purchased surface water, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2022.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
2,882
Service connections
1,519
Primary source
SWP
Purchased surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does City of Columbus compare with other water systems in Cherokee County?
By EPA's size categories, City of Columbus is a small system (501 to 3,300 people). Cherokee County has 18 active public water systems, and City of Columbus is the 2nd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 171% above the county average of 1,063 people per system, and accounts for 15% 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 Columbus is about 57% 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. Purchased surface water means the system buys surface water from another public water system rather than drawing its own. 278 Kansas systems (27%) list purchased surface water as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates City of Columbus?
EPA lists City of Columbus 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 Columbus have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2022. The violations listed here began between April 1997 and October 2022. By type: 5 public notice, recordkeeping or other, 4 monitoring and reporting and 3 contaminant level above the legal limit. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Consumer Confidence Rule (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-10-31 | Monitoring and reportingLead Consumer Notice · code 66 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2019-12-30 | Monitoring and reportingLead Consumer Notice · code 66 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2019-07-02 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Inadequate Reporting · code 72 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2013-09-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Minor (TCR) · code 24 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2006-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Inadequate Reporting · code 72 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2005-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Inadequate Reporting · code 72 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2003-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample · code 01 | Combined Radium (-226 and -228)code 4010 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2001-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2001-03-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Minor (TCR) · code 24 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2000-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 1998-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Combined Radium (-226 and -228)code 4010 | Yes | Resolved |
| 1997-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Combined Radium (-226 and -228)code 4010 | Yes | 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 Columbus: frequently asked questions
Who runs City of Columbus?
City of Columbus (PWSID KS2002110) 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 Columbus serve?
City of Columbus reports serving 2,882 people through 1,519 service connections in Cherokee County, Kansas.
Where does City of Columbus get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as purchased surface water. Purchased surface water means the system buys surface water from another public water system rather than drawing its own.
Does City of Columbus have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2022. 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 Columbus' 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, 3 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2022. 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 Columbus' water quality report?
As a community water system, City of Columbus 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baxter Springs, City of | Cherokee | 3,852 | Community | 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, “Columbus, City of, PWSID KS2002110, Kansas”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/kansas/columbus-city-of-ks2002110 (data as of October 1, 2026).