Kansas Water Systems Serving the Most Disadvantaged Populations — 2026
Kansas community water utilities serving populations with the highest combined percent of non-white residents and households below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (Census ACS 2019-2023, aggregated via EPA CWS Service Area Boundaries v3).
ranked
with demographic data
vintage
boundaries (March 2026)
These 50 Kansas water utilities serve populations with the highest combined percent of non-white residents and households below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level. Within-size-class percentile rankings neutralize the confound of system size; no geographic cap is applied at the state level because all utilities are within a single state.
| Rank | Water System | State | Pop served | Equity score | % PoC served | % Below 200% FPL | Unresolved violations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frusi Water Treatment Plant | Kansas | 7,095 | 86.4 | 45% | 53% | — |
| 2 | City of Dodge City | Kansas | 23,676 | 85.6 | 67% | 39% | — |
| 3 | Kansas City Board of Public Utilities | Kansas | 137,122 | 83.8 | 68% | 42% | — |
| 4 | City of Liberal | Kansas | 15,300 | 79 | 76% | 33% | — |
| 5 | City of Coffeyville | Kansas | 5,748 | 77.1 | 32% | 48% | — |
| 6 | City of Junction City | Kansas | 16,149 | 75.9 | 47% | 37% | — |
| 7 | City of Arkansas City | Kansas | 10,884 | 71.8 | 31% | 41% | — |
| 8 | City of Ulysses | Kansas | 5,132 | 71 | 56% | 31% | — |
| 9 | City of Emporia | Kansas | 22,874 | 70.4 | 35% | 37% | — |
| 10 | City of Garden City | Kansas | 24,847 | 69.5 | 64% | 28% | — |
| 11 | Pittsburg, City of | Kansas | 14,961 | 66.5 | 20% | 48% | — |
| 12 | Mcconnell Afb | Kansas | 4,908 | 65.3 | 39% | 32% | — |
| 13 | City of Great Bend | Kansas | 12,940 | 65 | 26% | 39% | — |
| 14 | City of Manhattan | Kansas | 43,307 | 64.2 | 23% | 40% | — |
| 15 | City of Wellington | Kansas | 5,229 | 61.6 | 18% | 43% | — |
| 16 | City of Lawrence | Kansas | 83,705 | 60.6 | 26% | 36% | — |
| 17 | Parsons, City of | Kansas | 8,612 | 57.8 | 19% | 38% | 2 |
| 18 | City of Newton | Kansas | 14,318 | 56.4 | 24% | 34% | — |
| 19 | Wichita, City of | Kansas | 333,201 | 56.2 | 41% | 37% | — |
| 20 | City of Goodland | Kansas | 3,880 | 54.8 | 19% | 36% | — |
| 21 | City of Independence | Kansas | 7,795 | 54.6 | 19% | 35% | — |
| 22 | City of Hutchinson | Kansas | 36,407 | 54.2 | 20% | 35% | — |
| 23 | City of Atchison | Kansas | 7,153 | 51.4 | 15% | 36% | — |
| 24 | City of Concordia | Kansas | 4,385 | 51 | 14% | 38% | — |
| 25 | City of Salina | Kansas | 43,560 | 50.9 | 22% | 31% | — |
| 26 | City of El Dorado | Kansas | 10,079 | 49.4 | 15% | 35% | — |
| 27 | Leavenworth Water Department | Kansas | 24,175 | 48.7 | 26% | 27% | — |
| 28 | City of Chanute | Kansas | 7,923 | 48.6 | 12% | 38% | — |
| 29 | Bourbon Company RWD 2c | Kansas | 3,645 | 47.5 | 11% | 38% | — |
| 30 | City of Pratt | Kansas | 5,838 | 46.8 | 16% | 32% | 5 |
| 31 | City of Fort Scott | Kansas | 5,595 | 46.2 | 11% | 37% | — |
| 32 | City of Winfield | Kansas | 10,152 | 46.2 | 18% | 31% | — |
| 33 | Pottawatomie Company RWD 1 | Kansas | 9,295 | 46.2 | 15% | 33% | — |
| 34 | City of Hays | Kansas | 17,590 | 45.6 | 13% | 35% | — |
| 35 | Lan Del Water District | Kansas | 5,099 | 44.4 | 30% | 21% | — |
| 36 | Leavenworth Company RWD 8 | Kansas | 4,787 | 43.2 | 24% | 24% | — |
| 37 | City of Russell | Kansas | 3,793 | 43.2 | 11% | 35% | — |
| 38 | Trego Company RWD 2 | Kansas | 4,184 | 43.1 | 12% | 33% | — |
| 39 | Topeka, City of | Kansas | 118,778 | 42 | 31% | 33% | — |
| 40 | City of Osawatomie | Kansas | 3,357 | 41.5 | 15% | 30% | — |
| 41 | City of Larned | Kansas | 3,717 | 40.5 | 20% | 25% | — |
| 42 | Ellsworth Company RWD 1 | Kansas | 3,449 | 40.3 | 14% | 30% | — |
| 43 | City of Gardner | Kansas | 14,906 | 39.4 | 22% | 23% | — |
| 44 | Douglas Company RWD 1 | Kansas | 5,824 | 39.2 | 23% | 22% | — |
| 45 | Sedgwick Company RWD 3 | Kansas | 7,185 | 38.2 | 23% | 21% | — |
| 46 | City of Ottawa | Kansas | 11,388 | 37.7 | 11% | 31% | — |
| 47 | City of Olathe | Kansas | 93,601 | 34.5 | 26% | 16% | — |
| 48 | City of Augusta | Kansas | 7,193 | 34 | 10% | 29% | — |
| 49 | Johnson Company RWD 7 | Kansas | 17,018 | 33.6 | 20% | 20% | — |
| 50 | City of Haysville | Kansas | 7,515 | 32.3 | 17% | 22% | — |
How to read this ranking
Each row links to a full utility profile with violation history, lead testing results, and service-area ZIPs. The demographic context columns are from independent data sources (ACS, not EJScreen) and are provided for readers who want to examine equity patterns alongside the operational data.
See the full methodology for calculation details, data vintages, and known limitations.
Frequently asked questions
What does the "equity score" mean?
A 0-100 composite that combines two within-size-class percentile ranks: (1) percent of population served that is non-white (Census ACS B03002), and (2) percent below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (Census ACS C17002). Within-size-class comparison (small, medium, large) is used because small rural systems and large urban systems have structurally different demographic profiles; mixing them in a single ranking produces a methodologically weak list dominated by size rather than disparity.
Why is the list capped at 5 systems per state?
Without a cap, the list concentrates in states with large numbers of historically disadvantaged small-to-medium systems (Texas, California). A geographic diversity cap produces a more nationally-representative snapshot. Per-state rankings, if available, show the full within-state comparison without a cap.
Does this claim discrimination?
No. It reports a demographic fact: these water utilities serve populations that are more non-white and lower-income than the national median, after controlling for system size. Causation — why that pattern exists — is a separate research question requiring different data and methods.
ZipCheckup is an independent public-data tool. We are a referral service and do not provide water testing, remediation, or utility services. Rankings reflect publicly-available federal data and are provided for informational purposes. For issues with your specific water system, contact your local water utility or state drinking water program.