Compared to top-scoring cities in KS, Kansas City lands in the middle tier - some water systems meet standards cleanly, others carry documented violations, and performance can vary significantly across service areas.

Data: EPA SDWIS

Water Quality Map: Kansas City, KS

Each dot represents a ZIP code. Color indicates water quality grade. Tap a dot for details.

A B C D F

Overview

We track home safety data for 15 ZIP codes in Kansas City, Kansas, covering 3 community water systems serving approximately 159,505 people. The EPA snapshots used for this build directly map water systems to 10 of 15 ZIP codes.

10 of 10 ZIP codes with a reported violation count in the available EPA record (100%) have recorded EPA violations. The available record reports no health-based violations for this measured scope.

Home Safety Score

Average Home Safety Score for Kansas City: C (66/100)

Model 4.0.0 uses four measured components across three equally weighted domains. If a required domain is unavailable, no score is published:

Factor	What It Measures
Water Quality	EPA violations and compliance history
PFAS MCL Screen	UCMR 5 testing against the covered federal MCLs
Radon Risk	EPA radon zone classification
Annual AQI	EPA AirData county-year median with at least 90 observed days

Water Sources

Kansas City water systems draw from: Surface water.

Lead & Copper

• Average lead level (90th percentile): 0.0075 mg/L (EPA action level: 0.015 mg/L)
• 0 of 10 ZIP codes with known status exceed the EPA lead action level

Radon Risk

Dominant radon zone: Zone 1 (High Risk)

• Zone 1 (High): 15 ZIP codes
• Zone 2 (Moderate): 0 ZIP codes
• Zone 3 (Low): 0 ZIP codes

The EPA recommends testing homes in Zone 1 and Zone 2 areas for radon.

Top Contaminants

Areas with Most Violations

All ZIP Codes in Kansas City

• 66101 [C] - 2 violations
• 66102 [C] - 2 violations
• 66103 [C] - 2 violations
• 66104 [C] - 2 violations
• 66105 [C] - 2 violations
• 66106 [C] - 2 violations
• 66109 [C] - 3 violations
• 66110
• 66111 [C] - 2 violations
• 66112 [C] - 2 violations
• 66115
• 66117
• 66118
• 66119
• 66160 [C] - 2 violations

Data Sources

• Water quality: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS)
• Lead/copper: EPA Lead and Copper Rule sampling data
• Radon: EPA Map of Radon Zones

Reporting periods vary by source. Missing data is shown as unavailable, not as zero.

Housing Age Profile

Reading the housing age data for Kansas City - median build year 1962 - the overriding implication is that the plumbing materials inside a typical home here reflect pre-1986 construction standards. In practical terms, that means lead-soldered copper joints are common across much of the housing stock. Where those materials are present, water can leach lead as it moves through joints - a pathway that corrosion control treatment under federal rules is designed to reduce, though it cannot eliminate lead risk where the plumbing materials themselves contain lead.

1962

Median Year Built

80%

Pre-1986 (Lead Paint Risk)

48%

Pre-1970 (Lead Pipes Risk)

Pre-1970 (48%) 1970–1986 (32%) Post-1986 (20%)

Over half of homes in Kansas City were built before 1986, when lead solder was banned. Older plumbing may leach lead into drinking water, especially with corrosive water chemistry.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS B25034.

Kansas City: Remediation Cost in Perspective

Given current Kansas City property values, the remediation share falls in the moderate tier - an indicator that the household financial perspective here calls for advance planning rather than dismissal, with most homeowners positioned to address documented issues through deliberate budgeting rather than needing to treat remediation as a significant equity event or financial emergency.

Median Home Value

$119,400

Est. Remediation

$2,320

Remediation as % of home value 1.9%

Remediation costs are moderate relative to home values in Kansas City. The estimated $1,553–$3,160 range is manageable for most homeowners but still worth budgeting for. Home values are 21% below the Kansas average.

Protecting Children from Lead in Kansas City

80%

Homes Built Before 1986

0.0075

mg/L Avg Lead (Limit: 0.015)

Why children are most at risk: The CDC states there is no safe level of lead exposure for children. Children under 6 absorb lead more readily than adults, and even low levels can cause developmental delays, learning difficulties, and behavioral problems.

Before the federal solder ban, lead solder was a routine plumbing material, and 80% of the Kansas City inventory was built in that earlier era - a share large enough to move household-level reads onto the standard list.

Sources: EPA Lead and Copper Rule, U.S. Census Bureau ACS, CDC childhood lead poisoning prevention guidelines.

Historical Flood-Claim Evidence for Kansas City

368

Total FEMA Flood Claims

$34,097

Avg Reported Sum With Payment Data

36%

A/V Share of Claim-Record ZIPs

Historical NFIP data for Kansas City contains 368 flood insurance claims. Among claims with payment data, the average reported building, contents, and ICC component sum is $34,097. Among ZIP codes with claim records, 36% have an A- or V-family dominant rated zone recorded in those historical claims. This is not a complete current FEMA property-map inventory.

How flooding affects water quality: Flood events can introduce sewage, agricultural runoff, and industrial chemicals into water supplies. Even after floodwaters recede, contamination can persist in wells and aging infrastructure. The <strong>$2,320</strong> remediation estimate shown here excludes flood insurance and is not derived from NFIP claim count.

Claim count does not establish current property risk. Check the exact address in FEMA's current map and obtain a property-specific insurance quote when relevant.

Source: historical FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claim records. No current FEMA property-map designation is asserted.