Public water system · KS2017504
ActiveLiberal, City of
At a glance
City of Liberal (PWSID KS2017504) is an active community water system in Seward County, Kansas. It reports serving 19,640 people through 7,364 service connections. Its primary water source is groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2026.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
19,640
Service connections
7,364
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does City of Liberal compare with other water systems in Seward County?
By EPA's size categories, City of Liberal is a large system (10,001 to 100,000 people). Seward County has 9 active public water systems, and City of Liberal is the largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 7.5 times the county average of 2,627 people per system, and accounts for 83% of the 23,643 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 Liberal is about 193% above 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. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers. 587 Kansas systems (56%) list groundwater as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates City of Liberal?
EPA lists City of Liberal 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. 4 of the 9 active systems in Seward County (44%) are also owned by a local government.
Does City of Liberal have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2026. The violations listed here began between February 1996 and January 2026. By type: 6 monitoring and reporting, 4 contaminant level above the legal limit and 2 public notice, recordkeeping or other. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (5 of them). EPA lists 11 as resolved and 1 as unaddressed. 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. Unaddressed means the violation is not resolved or archived and is not yet covered by formal enforcement.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingLead Consumer Notice · code 66 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2021-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
| 2021-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Nitratecode 1040 | No | Resolved |
| 2019-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingFollow-up Or Routine LCR Tap M/R · code 52 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Unaddressed |
| 2016-12-30 | Monitoring and reportingLead Consumer Notice · code 66 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2015-08-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2009-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Minor (TCR) · code 24 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2005-02-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Acute (TCR) · code 21 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2005-02-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2001-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2000-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 1996-02-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | 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 Liberal: frequently asked questions
Who runs City of Liberal?
City of Liberal (PWSID KS2017504) 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 Liberal serve?
City of Liberal reports serving 19,640 people through 7,364 service connections in Seward County, Kansas.
Where does City of Liberal get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as groundwater. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers.
Does City of Liberal have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2026. 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 Liberal's 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, 4 are health-based, and the most recent began in January 2026. 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 Liberal's water quality report?
As a community water system, City of Liberal 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 Seward County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Beef Packing Co LLC Liberal | Seward | 3,086 | Non-transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Southwestern Heights High School | Seward | 350 | Non-transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Kismet, City of | Seward | 337 | Community | Groundwater |
| Rolling Hills Landowners Assn | Seward | 130 | Community | Groundwater |
| Seven Winds Rv Park | Seward | 25 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Western Star Rv Ranch | Seward | 25 | Transient non-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, “Liberal, City of, PWSID KS2017504, Kansas”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/kansas/liberal-city-of-ks2017504 (data as of October 1, 2026).