Public water system · KS2004308
ActiveWathena, City of
At a glance
City of Wathena (PWSID KS2004308) is an active community water system in Doniphan County, Kansas. It reports serving 1,242 people through 539 service connections. Its primary water source is purchased groundwater, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. EPA's records list 10 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in July 2025.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
1,242
Service connections
539
Primary source
GWP
Purchased groundwater
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does City of Wathena compare with other water systems in Doniphan County?
By EPA's size categories, City of Wathena is a small system (501 to 3,300 people). Doniphan County has 8 active public water systems, and City of Wathena is the 2nd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 49% above the county average of 833 people per system, and accounts for 19% of the 6,664 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 Wathena 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. Purchased groundwater means the system buys groundwater from another public water system rather than drawing its own. 90 Kansas systems (8.6%) list purchased groundwater as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates City of Wathena?
EPA lists City of Wathena 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 8 active systems in Doniphan County (100%) are also owned by a local government.
Does City of Wathena have drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 10 violations for this system; 2 are health-based, and the most recent began in July 2025. The violations listed here began between July 2000 and July 2025. By type: 4 monitoring and reporting, 2 monitoring, 2 contaminant level above the legal limit, 1 reporting and 1 public notice, recordkeeping or other. The contaminant or rule involved most often is Total coliform bacteria (TCR) (3 of them). EPA lists 9 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 |
| 2023-04-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2023-04-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Chlorinecode 0999 | No | Resolved |
| 2020-12-30 | Monitoring and reportingLead Consumer Notice · code 66 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2019-08-01 | MonitoringMonitoring, Routine (RTCR) · code 3A | Revised Total Coliform Rulecode 8000 | No | Resolved |
| 2017-12-30 | Monitoring and reportingLead Consumer Notice · code 66 | Lead and Copper Rulecode 5000 | No | Resolved |
| 2007-08-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Monthly (TCR) · code 22 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2007-08-01 | Contaminant level above the legal limitMaximum Contaminant Level Violation, Acute (TCR) · code 21 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | Yes | Resolved |
| 2005-08-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Routine Minor (TCR) · code 24 | Total coliform bacteria (TCR)code 3100 | No | Resolved |
| 2000-07-01 | Public notice, recordkeeping or otherConsumer Confidence Report Complete Failure to Report · code 71 | Consumer Confidence Rulecode 7000 | No | Resolved |
All 10 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 Wathena: frequently asked questions
Who runs City of Wathena?
City of Wathena (PWSID KS2004308) 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 Wathena serve?
City of Wathena reports serving 1,242 people through 539 service connections in Doniphan County, Kansas.
Where does City of Wathena get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as purchased groundwater. Purchased groundwater means the system buys groundwater from another public water system rather than drawing its own.
Does City of Wathena have any drinking water violations?
EPA's records list 10 violations for this system; 2 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 Wathena'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 10 violations for this system; 2 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 Wathena's water quality report?
As a community water system, City of Wathena 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 Doniphan County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doniphan Co Rwd 5 | Doniphan | 1,457 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Elwood, City of | Doniphan | 1,114 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
| Troy, City of | Doniphan | 954 | Community | Groundwater |
| Highland, City of | Doniphan | 917 | Community | Groundwater |
| Doniphan Co Rwd 3 | Doniphan | 437 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Doniphan Co Rwd 6 | Doniphan | 428 | Community | Purchased groundwater |
Related pages
Working with water-system records? Pro adds alerts, change history and CSV export ($49/mo); Enterprise adds full national files, the API and an MCP server for AI tools.
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, “Wathena, City of, PWSID KS2004308, Kansas”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/kansas/wathena-city-of-ks2004308 (data as of October 1, 2026).