Is Dekalb, MO Tap Water Safe? Quality & Contaminants

What was found in Dekalb'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	730 µg/L 18% of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L Main supplier: MO AMERICAN ST JOSEPH · 89,171 people · 2019	1/2	SYR4
Nitrate	680 µg/L 6.8% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Main supplier: MO AMERICAN ST JOSEPH · 89,171 people · 2019	1/2	SYR4
Nitrate-Nitrite	627.5 µg/L 6.3% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L Main supplier: MO AMERICAN ST JOSEPH · 89,171 people · 2019	1/2	SYR4
Copper	144 µg/L 11% of the EPA limit 1300 µg/L Main supplier: MO AMERICAN ST JOSEPH · 89,171 people · 2019 Highest in the city: 165.93 µg/L — DEKALB PWS · 250 people · 2018	2/2	SYR4
Lithium	114 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: MO AMERICAN ST JOSEPH · 89,171 people · 2024	1/2	UCMR-5
Barium	100 µg/L 5% of the EPA limit 2000 µg/L Main supplier: MO AMERICAN ST JOSEPH · 89,171 people · 2017	1/2	SYR4
TTHM	21.225 µg/L 27% of the EPA limit 80 µg/L Main supplier: MO AMERICAN ST JOSEPH · 89,171 people · 2019	2/2	SYR4
Lead	4 µg/L 27% of the EPA limit 15 µg/L Main supplier: MO AMERICAN ST JOSEPH · 89,171 people · 2019 Highest in the city: 14.2575 µg/L — DEKALB PWS · 250 people · 2018	2/2	SYR4
Chloroform	12.495 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: MO AMERICAN ST JOSEPH · 89,171 people · 2019	2/2	SYR4
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)	11.48 µg/L 19% of the EPA limit 60 µg/L Main supplier: MO AMERICAN ST JOSEPH · 89,171 people · 2019	1/2	SYR4
Dichloroacetic Acid	8.935 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: MO AMERICAN ST JOSEPH · 89,171 people · 2019	2/2	SYR4
Bromodichloromethane	6.9 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: MO AMERICAN ST JOSEPH · 89,171 people · 2019	2/2	SYR4
Dibromochloromethane	6.775 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: MO AMERICAN ST JOSEPH · 89,171 people · 2019	2/2	SYR4
Trichloroacetic Acid	5.74 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: MO AMERICAN ST JOSEPH · 89,171 people · 2019	2/2	SYR4
Monobromoacetic Acid	2.49 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: MO AMERICAN ST JOSEPH · 89,171 people · 2019	1/2	SYR4
Dibromoacetic Acid	2.095 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: MO AMERICAN ST JOSEPH · 89,171 people · 2019	1/2	SYR4
Chromium	1.1 µg/L 1.1% of the EPA limit 100 µg/L Main supplier: MO AMERICAN ST JOSEPH · 89,171 people · 2017	1/2	SYR4
Bromoform	0.6900 µg/L No EPA limit set Main supplier: MO AMERICAN ST JOSEPH · 89,171 people · 2019	1/2	SYR4
Lead	0.0030 mg/L 20% of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L Main supplier: MO AMERICAN ST JOSEPH · 89,171 people · 2025 Highest in the city: 0.0066 mg/L — DEKALB PWS · 250 people · 2024	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 Dekalb

Supplier	Population served
MO AMERICAN ST JOSEPH	89,171
DEKALB PWS	250

Frequently asked questions about Dekalb tap water

Is Dekalb tap water safe to drink?

EPA testing detected 19 contaminants in the water serving Dekalb. 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 Dekalb?

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

What contaminants are in Dekalb's water?

The contaminants EPA monitoring detected in Dekalb include Fluoride, Nitrate, Nitrate-Nitrite, Copper, Lithium. 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.