Johnson County tap water: hardness, PFAS and lead

Johnson County, Kansas has about 632,276 residents (Census 2024 estimate) and 7 community water systems in EPA records. The largest local system is Water District 1 of Johnson Co, serving about 490,000 people from surface water.

! 1 of 6 largest systems with health-based violationsPFAS detected at 4 of 5 sampled systemsHardness 7.9 gpg (high confidence)

Public-record figures, not a test of your tap. Not 100% accurate or guaranteed. Confirm with a water test, your utility or a qualified pro before you buy or act.

How hard is Johnson County water?

Water District 1 of Johnson Co Measured (utility report, 2025) · High confidence

7.9 gpg (135 mg/L), hard · range 110–157 mg/L

Source: WATER DISTRICT 1 OF JOHNSON CO water quality report, 2025

Public-record figures, not a test of your tap. Not 100% accurate or guaranteed. Confirm with a water test, your utility or a qualified pro before you buy or act.

Softener size at 7.9 gpg

For a 3-person home using 57 gallons per person per day and regenerating weekly, you'd remove about 9,456 grains between regenerations. Suggested size: 24,000 grain.

Estimate only. Not 100% accurate or guaranteed. Confirm with a water test, your utility or a qualified pro before you buy or act.

Open the softener calculator with 7.9 gpg

Largest water systems in Johnson County

The 6 biggest of 7 community water systems on EPA records for this county. Service areas don't follow county lines; your water bill names your provider.

Water District 1 of Johnson Co

KS2009110 · serves about 490,000 people · Surface water

✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below action levelPFAS detected (1 type)

Lead 90th percentile: 6.5 ppb (period starting 2021-01-01) Older result. Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).

  • PFBA: highest sample 5.3 ppt (2 of 12 samples); no federal limit

EPA ECHO record

Olathe, City of

KS2009115 · serves about 143,014 people · Surface water

✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below action level✓ No PFAS detected

Lead 90th percentile: 11 ppb (period starting 2021-01-01) Older result. Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).

EPA ECHO record

Gardner, City of

KS2009106 · serves about 23,942 people · Surface water

✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below action levelPFAS detected (1 type)

Lead 90th percentile: 3.1 ppb (period starting 2021-01-01) Older result. Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).

  • PFPeA: highest sample 3.4 ppt (2 of 4 samples); no federal limit

EPA ECHO record

Johnson Co Rwd 7

KS2009104 · serves about 6,457 people · Surface water

✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below action levelPFAS detected (1 type)

Lead 90th percentile: 2 ppb (period starting 2021-01-01) Older result. Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).

  • PFBA: highest sample 7.1 ppt (1 of 12 samples); no federal limit

EPA ECHO record

Desoto, City of

KS2009102 · serves about 4,645 people · Groundwater

! 3 health-based violations✓ Lead below detectionPFAS detected (1 type)

Lead 90th percentile: <DL (below the lab detection/reporting limit; reported as 0) (period starting 2024-01-01). Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).

  • PFBS: highest sample 3.1 ppt (1 of 2 samples); no individual limit; counted in EPA's PFAS mixture (hazard index) limit

EPA ECHO record

Edgerton, City of

KS2009103 · serves about 1,741 people · Surface water

✓ No health-based violations✓ Lead below action levelPFAS: not sampled

Lead 90th percentile: 5.2 ppb (period starting 2021-01-01) Older result. Action level: 15 ppb (drops to 10 ppb on Nov 1, 2027).

EPA ECHO record

Public-record figures, not a test of your tap. Not 100% accurate or guaranteed. Confirm with a water test, your utility or a qualified pro before you buy or act.

A PFAS detection is not a violation. Federal limits (4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS) apply to running annual averages, with compliance required by 2029. In May 2026 EPA proposed extending the PFOA/PFOS deadline to 2031 and removing other PFAS limits; not final as of 2026-10-21.

Test your own tap

These are public records for whole systems. Your home's pipes, fixtures and any private well can change what you drink. A certified lab test or a hardness test strip gives you your own numbers. Then use our PFAS and lead filter selector to see which certifications to look for.

Common questions about Johnson County water

Is tap water in Johnson County safe to drink?

1 of the 6 largest systems here have at least one health-based violation in EPA records since October 2021 (see each system below for status). Water District 1 of Johnson Co's most recent lead 90th percentile was 6.5 ppb (2021), below the 15 ppb action level. Public records can't guarantee what comes out of your tap, especially with older plumbing, so a home test is the surest check.

How hard is the water in Johnson County?

Water District 1 of Johnson Co reports about 7.9 grains per gallon (135 mg/L), which is hard. For a 3-person home at 7.9 gpg, our softener calculator suggests a 24,000 grain unit as a starting point.

Is there PFAS in Johnson County water?

4 of the 5 sampled systems listed here detected at least one PFAS in EPA's UCMR 5 testing. A detection isn't a violation: federal PFAS limits apply to running annual averages starting in 2029.

Which water system serves my address in Johnson County?

Most homes are served by Water District 1 of Johnson Co or one of the other systems listed on this page, but service areas don't follow county lines. Your water bill names your provider, and its annual Consumer Confidence Report has the full test results.

More Kansas counties

Sources for this page

Data as of October 21, 2026. Figures are copied from public records and combined with our own calculations; they can be out of date or wrong. Tapped Out isn't affiliated with any utility or the EPA. Written and reviewed by the Tapped Out team. How we calculate · All sources.