Public water system · KS2003903
ActiveOberlin, City of
At a glance
City of Oberlin (PWSID KS2003903) is an active community water system in Decatur County, Kansas. It reports serving 1,639 people through 970 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, 6 are health-based, and the most recent began in July 2025.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
1,639
Service connections
970
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does City of Oberlin compare with other water systems in Decatur County?
By EPA's size categories, City of Oberlin is a small system (501 to 3,300 people). Decatur County has 3 active public water systems, and City of Oberlin is the largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 162% above the county average of 626 people per system, and accounts for 87% of the 1,878 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 Oberlin is well 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. 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 Oberlin?
EPA lists City of Oberlin 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. 3 of the 3 active systems in Decatur County (100%) are also owned by a local government.
Does City of Oberlin have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 6 are health-based, and the most recent began in July 2025. The violations listed here began between October 2013 and July 2025. By type: 6 contaminant level above the legal limit, 3 monitoring and reporting, 2 public notice, recordkeeping or other and 1 reporting. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Combined Uranium (3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-07-02 | ReportingNotification, Known or Potential LSL · code 4H | Lead and Copper Rule Revisionscode 5200 | No | Unaddressed |
| 2023-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | No | Resolved |
| 2023-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | No | Resolved |
| 2018-12-30 | Monitoring and reportingLead Consumer Notice · code 66 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2014-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Combined Uraniumcode 4006 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2014-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Arseniccode 1005 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2014-01-24 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2014-01-24 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherPublic Notification Violation for NPDWR Violation · code 75 | Public Noticecode 7500 | No | Resolved |
| 2014-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Arseniccode 1005 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2014-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Combined Uraniumcode 4006 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2013-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Combined Uraniumcode 4006 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2013-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Arseniccode 1005 | 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 Oberlin: frequently asked questions
Who runs City of Oberlin?
City of Oberlin (PWSID KS2003903) 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 Oberlin serve?
City of Oberlin reports serving 1,639 people through 970 service connections in Decatur County, Kansas.
Where does City of Oberlin 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 Oberlin have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 6 are health-based, and the most recent began in July 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 Oberlin'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, 6 are health-based, and the most recent began in July 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 Oberlin's water quality report?
As a community water system, City of Oberlin 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 Decatur County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norcatur, City of | Decatur | 159 | Community | Groundwater |
| Jennings, City of | Decatur | 80 | 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, “Oberlin, City of, PWSID KS2003903, Kansas”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/kansas/oberlin-city-of-ks2003903 (data as of October 1, 2026).