Public water system · KS2011903
ActivePlains, City of
At a glance
City of Plains (PWSID KS2011903) is an active community water system in Meade County, Kansas. It reports serving 1,023 people through 455 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, 5 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2025.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
1,023
Service connections
455
Primary source
GW
Groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does City of Plains compare with other water systems in Meade County?
By EPA's size categories, City of Plains is a small system (501 to 3,300 people). Meade County has 5 active public water systems, and City of Plains is the 2nd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 58% above the county average of 647 people per system, and accounts for 32% of the 3,236 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 Plains 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 Plains?
EPA lists City of Plains 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 5 active systems in Meade County (60%) are also owned by a local government.
Does City of Plains have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 5 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 2025. The violations listed here began between January 1994 and October 2025. By type: 4 monitoring and reporting, 4 contaminant level above the legal limit, 2 public notice, recordkeeping or other, 1 monitoring and 1 required treatment not met. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Nitrate (4 of them). EPA lists 11 as resolved and 1 as archived. 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. Archived means the violation was not marked resolved but is more than five years past the end of the noncompliance period, so it no longer counts toward current compliance status.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-10-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2025-10-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chlorinecode 0999 | No | Resolved |
| 2020-01-01 | Required treatment not metPublic Education · code 65 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2016-12-30 | Monitoring and reportingLead Consumer Notice · code 66 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2007-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Inadequate Reporting · code 72 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2004-04-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample · code 01 | Nitratecode 1040 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2004-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample · code 01 | Nitratecode 1040 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2003-10-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample · code 01 | Nitratecode 1040 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2003-07-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Single Sample · code 01 | Nitratecode 1040 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2001-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 2000-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Minor (TCR) · code 24 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Archived |
| 1994-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingInitial Tap Sampling for Pb and Cu · code 51 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | 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 Plains: frequently asked questions
Who runs City of Plains?
City of Plains (PWSID KS2011903) 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 Plains serve?
City of Plains reports serving 1,023 people through 455 service connections in Meade County, Kansas.
Where does City of Plains 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 Plains have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, 5 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 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 Plains' 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, 5 are health-based, and the most recent began in October 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 Plains' water quality report?
As a community water system, City of Plains 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 Meade County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meade, City of | Meade | 1,506 | Community | Groundwater |
| Fowler, City of | Meade | 532 | Community | Groundwater |
| Meade State Park Water Supply 1 | Meade | 150 | Transient non-community | Groundwater |
| Meade State Park Water Supply 2 | Meade | 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, “Plains, City of, PWSID KS2011903, Kansas”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/kansas/plains-city-of-ks2011903 (data as of October 1, 2026).