Is Owensboro, KY Tap Water Safe? Quality & Contaminants

What was found in Owensboro's water

The level at the city's main supplier, the highest level anywhere in the city, the EPA limit for each, and where every figure comes from.

Contaminant	Level vs EPA limit	Suppliers	Source
Fluoride	881.6 µg/L 22% of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L Main supplier: OWENSBORO MUNICIPAL UTILITIES · 60,473 people · 2019	1/2	SYR4
Nitrate	328 µg/L 3.3% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Main supplier: OWENSBORO MUNICIPAL UTILITIES · 60,473 people · 2019	1/2	SYR4
Nitrate-Nitrite	328 µg/L 3.3% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Main supplier: OWENSBORO MUNICIPAL UTILITIES · 60,473 people · 2019	1/2	SYR4
Copper	76.645 µg/L 5.9% of the EPA limit 1300 µg/L Main supplier: OWENSBORO MUNICIPAL UTILITIES · 60,473 people · 2019	1/2	SYR4
TTHM	59.55 µg/L 74% of the EPA limit 80 µg/L Main supplier: OWENSBORO MUNICIPAL UTILITIES · 60,473 people · 2019 Highest in the city: 67.355 µg/L — DAVIESS CO WATER DISTRICT · 33,655 people · 2019	2/2	SYR4
Barium	23.265 µg/L 1.2% of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L Main supplier: OWENSBORO MUNICIPAL UTILITIES · 60,473 people · 2017	1/2	SYR4
Lead	4.3 µg/L 29% of the EPA limit 15 µg/L Main supplier: OWENSBORO MUNICIPAL UTILITIES · 60,473 people · 2017 Highest in the city: 13 µg/L — DAVIESS CO WATER DISTRICT · 33,655 people · 2018	2/2	SYR4
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)	11.75 µg/L 20% of the EPA limit 60 µg/L Main supplier: OWENSBORO MUNICIPAL UTILITIES · 60,473 people · 2019	2/2	SYR4
Selenium	10.575 µg/L 21% of the EPA limit 50 µg/L Main supplier: OWENSBORO MUNICIPAL UTILITIES · 60,473 people · 2017	1/2	SYR4
Arsenic	3.6 µg/L 36% of the EPA limit 10 µg/L Main supplier: OWENSBORO MUNICIPAL UTILITIES · 60,473 people · 2017	1/2	SYR4
PFOA	0.0050 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: OWENSBORO MUNICIPAL UTILITIES · 60,473 people · 2023	2/2	UCMR-5
Lead	0.0 mg/L 0% of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L Main supplier: OWENSBORO MUNICIPAL UTILITIES · 60,473 people · 2023	2/2	LCR

Each bar shows the measured level as a share of the EPA limit: green is well under, amber is close to it, red is over. For lead and copper the limit applies to exactly the 90th-percentile figure shown, so red there means a real exceedance. For everything else the limit applies to a running annual average while the figure is the 95th percentile of the system's samples — over 100% is worth reading, but is not by itself a violation. Formal violations are listed separately. These are the utilities' own EPA-reported results, not a city-wide average. A detection means the lab measured the substance — it isn't the same as exceeding a legal limit. Hover a source tag to see the EPA program and years behind each figure.

Water suppliers serving Owensboro

Supplier	Population served
OWENSBORO MUNICIPAL UTILITIES	60,473
DAVIESS CO WATER DISTRICT	33,655

Frequently asked questions about Owensboro tap water

Is Owensboro tap water safe to drink?

EPA testing detected 12 contaminants in the water serving Owensboro. A detection isn't the same as a violation — most detected levels are within federal limits. Check the level and source for each contaminant above, and your utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report for the official compliance status.

How many water suppliers serve Owensboro?

2 public water suppliers report drinking-water monitoring for Owensboro, Kentucky to the EPA. Each is listed above with its population served.

What contaminants are in Owensboro's water?

The contaminants EPA monitoring detected in Owensboro include Fluoride, Nitrate, Nitrate-Nitrite, Copper, TTHM. The full list, with the level at the main supplier and the data source, is in the table above.

Where does this data come from?

Every figure is official EPA drinking-water monitoring — the Lead & Copper Rule, the UCMR-5 nationwide testing program, and the EPA Six-Year Review — not our own testing. Each number is labelled with its source and period.