Rice County, Kansas — public water systems
At a glance
8 active public water systems are filed under Rice County, Kansas in EPA's SDWIS records, together reporting 8,153 people served. The largest is City of Lyons, which reports serving 3,556 people. All 8 are community water systems serving people where they live.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO, refreshed quarterly.
Active systems
8
Population served
8.2K
Community systems
8
Groundwater share
100%
How does Rice County compare with other Kansas counties?
Rice County has the 60th-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 8,153 people served in total, the 42nd-largest county figure in the state and 0.3% of the statewide total. The average system here reports serving 1,019 people, about 64% below 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 Rice County's drinking water come from?
By primary water source, Rice County's active systems draw on groundwater (7, 88%) and purchased groundwater (1, 13%). Overall, all rely mainly on groundwater (including purchased groundwater) and none on surface water, compared with 66% and 34% across Kansas. Groundwater means the system draws its water from wells or springs fed by underground aquifers. The county's largest system, City of Lyons, draws primarily on groundwater.
What kinds of water systems operate in Rice County?
Rice County's active systems break down as 8 community systems (100%). 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. EPA lists their owner types as local government (100%).
Water systems in Rice County
🔒 Create a free account to export CSV| # | Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lyons, City of | Rice | 3,556 | Community | Groundwater |
| 2 | Sterling, City of | Rice | 2,318 | Community | Groundwater |
| 3 | Rice Co Rwd 1 | Rice | 900 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| 4 | Little River, City of | Rice | 474 | Community | Groundwater |
| 5 | Chase, City of | Rice | 390 | Community | Groundwater |
| 6 | Geneseo, City of | Rice | 231 | Community | Groundwater |
| 7 | Bushton, City of | Rice | 199 | Community | Groundwater |
| 8 | Raymond, City of | Rice | 85 | Community | Groundwater |
Rice County water systems: frequently asked questions
How many public water systems are in Rice County, Kansas?
EPA's SDWIS records file 8 active public water systems under Rice County, Kansas: 8 community systems (100%).
Who supplies drinking water in Rice County, KS?
The largest community water systems filed under Rice County are City of Lyons (3,556 people served), City of Sterling (2,318 people served) and Rice Co Rwd 1 (900 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 Rice County's drinking water come from groundwater or surface water?
Of the 8 active public water systems in Rice County, all draw mainly on groundwater and none on surface water, counting purchased supplies. The largest system, City of Lyons, uses groundwater.
Where can I find a water quality report for Rice 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. 8 community systems are filed under Rice 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 Rice 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 Rice County, Kansas”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/kansas/rice (data as of October 1, 2026).