Douglas County, Kansas — public water systems
At a glance
13 active public water systems are filed under Douglas County, Kansas in EPA's SDWIS records, together reporting 155,291 people served. The largest is City of Lawrence, which reports serving 95,256 people. 12 are community water systems serving people where they live; the other 1 are non-community systems, such as schools, workplaces, campgrounds and gas stations with their own supply.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO, refreshed quarterly.
Active systems
13
Population served
155.3K
Community systems
12
Groundwater share
15.4%
How does Douglas County compare with other Kansas counties?
Douglas County has the 27th-most active public water systems among the 136 counties listed for active Kansas systems in EPA records; among the 101 with 3 or more systems, the median has 9. Its systems report 155,291 people served in total, the 4th-largest county figure in the state and 5.3% of the statewide total. The average system here reports serving 11,946 people, about 4.3 times the Kansas average of 2,800. Population figures are what each system reports; people served by more than one system, such as a wholesaler and the town that buys from it, are counted by each.
Where does Douglas County's drinking water come from?
By primary water source, Douglas County's active systems draw on purchased surface water (9, 69%), surface water (2, 15%) and groundwater (2, 15%). Overall, 15% rely mainly on groundwater (including purchased groundwater) and 85% on surface water, compared with 66% and 34% across Kansas. Purchased surface water means the system buys surface water from another public water system rather than drawing its own. The county's largest system, City of Lawrence, draws primarily on surface water.
What kinds of water systems operate in Douglas County?
Douglas County's active systems break down as 12 community systems (92%) and 1 transient non-community systems (7.7%). 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. A transient non-community water system serves places where people do not stay long, such as gas stations and campgrounds, and regularly serves at least 25 people a day for at least 60 days a year. EPA lists their owner types as local government (85%), state government (7.7%) and public/private partnership (7.7%).
Water systems in Douglas County
🔒 Create a free account to export CSV| # | Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lawrence, City of | Douglas | 95,256 | Community | Surface water |
| 2 | University of Kansas | Douglas | 35,000 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 3 | Eudora, City of | Douglas | 6,449 | Community | Groundwater |
| 4 | Baldwin City, City of | Douglas | 4,882 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 5 | Douglas Co Rwd 3 | Douglas | 4,663 | Community | Surface water |
| 6 | Douglas Co Rwd 4 | Douglas | 3,000 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 7 | Douglas Co Rwd 5 | Douglas | 2,500 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 8 | Douglas Co Rwd 1 | Douglas | 1,400 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 9 | Douglas Co Rwd 2 | Douglas | 1,163 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 10 | Lecompton, City of | Douglas | 592 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 11 | Douglas Co Rwd 6 | Douglas | 360 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| 12 | Clinton Reservoir | Douglas | 25 | Transient non-community | Purchased surface water |
| 13 | Public Wholesale Wsd 25 | Douglas | 1 | Community | Groundwater |
Douglas County water systems: frequently asked questions
How many public water systems are in Douglas County, Kansas?
EPA's SDWIS records file 13 active public water systems under Douglas County, Kansas: 12 community systems (92%) and 1 transient non-community systems (7.7%).
Who supplies drinking water in Douglas County, KS?
The largest community water systems filed under Douglas County are City of Lawrence (95,256 people served), University of Kansas (35,000 people served) and City of Eudora (6,449 people served). Which system serves a particular address depends on its service area, which EPA's SDWIS records do not include; a water bill or the local utility can confirm it.
Does Douglas County's drinking water come from groundwater or surface water?
Of the 13 active public water systems in Douglas County, 15% draw mainly on groundwater and 85% on surface water, counting purchased supplies. The largest system, City of Lawrence, uses surface water.
Where can I find a water quality report for Douglas County?
Each community water system must deliver an annual water quality report, called a Consumer Confidence Report, to its customers by July 1, covering the previous calendar year. 12 community systems are filed under Douglas County, so the report to look for is the one from the system that supplies your address.
How can I check violations for a water system in Douglas County?
Open the system's profile from the list on this page. Each profile shows the most recent Safe Drinking Water Act violations in EPA's records, with plain-English labels and whether each one is resolved. For current compliance status, EPA ECHO is the primary source.
More Kansas water systems
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, “Public water systems in Douglas County, Kansas”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/kansas/douglas (data as of October 1, 2026).