Public water system · KS2017701
ActiveTopeka, City of
At a glance
City of Topeka (PWSID KS2017701) is an active community water system in Shawnee County, Kansas. It reports serving 125,963 people through 55,755 service connections. Its primary water source is surface water, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 5 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in March 2022.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
125,963
Service connections
55,755
Primary source
SW
Surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does City of Topeka compare with other water systems in Shawnee County?
By EPA's size categories, City of Topeka is a very large system (more than 100,000 people). Shawnee County has 9 active public water systems, and City of Topeka is the largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 7.3 times the county average of 17,167 people per system, and accounts for 82% of the 154,507 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 Topeka is about 19 times 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. Surface water means the system draws its water from rivers, lakes, streams or reservoirs. 75 Kansas systems (7.2%) list surface water as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates City of Topeka?
EPA lists City of Topeka 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. 8 of the 9 active systems in Shawnee County (89%) are also owned by a local government.
Does City of Topeka have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 5 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in March 2022. The violations listed here began between October 1999 and March 2022. By type: 2 monitoring and reporting, 2 public notice, recordkeeping or other and 1 contaminant level above the legal limit. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Surface Water Treatment Rule (2 of them). EPA lists 5 as resolved. 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.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-03-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring of Treatment (SWTR-Filter) · code 36 | Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0200 | No | Resolved |
| 2021-08-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring of Treatment (SWTR-Filter) · code 36 | Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0200 | No | Resolved |
| 2018-01-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Average · code 02 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2000-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
| 1999-10-19 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
All 5 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 Topeka: frequently asked questions
Who runs City of Topeka?
City of Topeka (PWSID KS2017701) 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 Topeka serve?
City of Topeka reports serving 125,963 people through 55,755 service connections in Shawnee County, Kansas.
Where does City of Topeka get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as surface water. Surface water means the system draws its water from rivers, lakes, streams or reservoirs.
Does City of Topeka have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 5 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in March 2022. 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 Topeka'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. EPA's records list 5 violations for this system; 1 is health-based, and the most recent began in March 2022. 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 Topeka's water quality report?
As a community water system, City of Topeka 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 Shawnee County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shawnee Co Rwd 4c | Shawnee | 12,000 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Shawnee Co Rwd 8 | Shawnee | 6,073 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Shawnee Co Rwd 1c | Shawnee | 4,160 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Shawnee Co Rwd 3c | Shawnee | 2,675 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Silver Lake, City of | Shawnee | 1,337 | Community | Groundwater |
| Rossville, City of | Shawnee | 1,099 | 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, “Topeka, City of, PWSID KS2017701, Kansas”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/kansas/topeka-city-of-ks2017701 (data as of October 1, 2026).