PFAS Contamination

PFAS in Missouri Drinking Water

Ranked by number of PFAS compounds detected · Data from EPA SDWIS & UCMR

181

Cities Tested

Exceeds Limit

% Exceeds Limit

1.1 compounds

State Avg

▼ 15% vs national

vs National

405

Health Violations

Analysis

PFAS in Missouri: what the data shows

Missouri has 181 cities with PFAS monitoring data from the EPA's UCMR 5 program. PFAS ("forever chemicals") were detected in 134 of those cities (74%), with some cities exceeding the EPA's 2024 maximum contaminant levels of 4 ppt. The state average is better than the national average. 11 cities exceed the EPA MCL for at least one PFAS compound. PFAS are linked to cancer, immune system disruption, and developmental issues. The 2024 EPA rule requires water systems exceeding the MCL to notify customers and reduce levels by 2029. PFAS data comes from the EPA's Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule 5 (UCMR 5), which required large water systems to test for 29 PFAS compounds between 2023–2025. Not all systems have completed testing — cities without data may still have PFAS present.

Comparison

Cities exceeding EPA MCL (4 ppt each)

Missouri

11 of 181 cities

← ▼ 15% below national rate (better)

National avg

21%

1636 of 7745 cities

City Map

PFAS data across Missouri

Each dot is a city, colored by overall water quality grade. PFAS-tested cities are shown; those exceeding the 4 ppt EPA MCL appear in red. Size reflects population served.

Worst Offenders

Top 10 cities by pfas level in Missouri

Highest PFAS levels (compounds)

All Cities

All Missouri cities ranked by pfas level

#	City	Level	Exceeds?	Violations	Grade
1	St. James	7 compounds	Yes	24	B-
2	Ocala	6 compounds	Yes	9	F
3	St. Peters	5 compounds	Yes	0	B+
4	Hannibal	4 compounds	Yes	34	C+
5	Platte City	4 compounds	No	9	B
6	N. Kansas City	4 compounds	No	0	B+
7	Springfield	3 compounds	Yes	59	F
8	O Fallon	3 compounds	No	10	F
9	Jefferson City	3 compounds	Yes	19	B+
10	Bowling Green	3 compounds	No	7	B+
11	Boonville	3 compounds	No	46	C
12	Chesterfield	2 compounds	No	11	B-
13	Kansas City	2 compounds	No	1	B
14	Lees Summit	2 compounds	No	1	B+
15	Cape Girardeau	2 compounds	No	127	D
16	Belton	2 compounds	No	5	B-
17	Farmington	2 compounds	No	251	D
18	Sikeston	2 compounds	No	5	B
19	Kearney	2 compounds	No	3	B+
20	Festus	2 compounds	No	20	C
21	Lamar	2 compounds	Yes	27	B
22	Higginsville	2 compounds	No	17	B+
23	Pleasant Hill	2 compounds	No	4	B+
24	Camdenton	2 compounds	Yes	73	F
25	Peculiar	2 compounds	No	2	A-
26	House Springs	2 compounds	No	7	B+
27	Waldron	2 compounds	No	0	A-
28	Greenwood	2 compounds	No	4	A-
29	Philadelphia	2 compounds	No	0	A-
30	Crystal City	2 compounds	No	6	A
31	Scott City	2 compounds	No	0	A-
32	Herculaneum	2 compounds	No	7	A
33	Knox City	2 compounds	No	1	B+
34	Mercer	2 compounds	No	18	D+
35	Columbia	1 compounds	No	52	C
36	Des Peres	1 compounds	No	2149	F
37	Independence	1 compounds	No	0	B
38	Andrew	1 compounds	No	0	A-
39	Elwood, Ks	1 compounds	No	0	A-
40	St. Joseph	1 compounds	No	0	A-
41	Wathena, Ks	1 compounds	No	0	A-
42	Joplin	1 compounds	No	53	F
43	St. Charles	1 compounds	No	0	B+
44	Blue Springs	1 compounds	No	0	B+
45	Wentzville	1 compounds	No	9	A-
46	Fort Leonard Wood	1 compounds	No	0	A+
47	Raytown	1 compounds	No	2	B+
48	Liberty	1 compounds	No	8	C+
49	Kirkwood	1 compounds	No	0	A+
50	Gladstone	1 compounds	No	0	B+
51	Fulton	1 compounds	No	13	B+
52	Kirksville	1 compounds	No	15	A-
53	Moberly	1 compounds	No	14	A-
54	Grandview	1 compounds	No	0	A-
55	Jackson	1 compounds	No	72	C+
56	Ozark	1 compounds	No	65	F
57	Sedalia	1 compounds	No	60	F
58	Raymoor	1 compounds	No	4	A
59	Parkville	1 compounds	No	0	B+
60	Grain Valley	1 compounds	No	1	A
61	Macon	1 compounds	No	11	A-
62	Harrisonville	1 compounds	No	14	A-
63	Nevada	1 compounds	No	12	A-
64	Maryville	1 compounds	No	21	C+
65	Marshall	1 compounds	No	33	B-
66	Republic	1 compounds	No	5	A-
67	West Plains	1 compounds	No	15	B+
68	Webb City	1 compounds	No	8	A-
69	Cameron	1 compounds	No	10	A
70	Winfield	1 compounds	No	35	B-
71	Holden	1 compounds	No	8	A
72	Richmond	1 compounds	No	3	B+
73	Waynesville	1 compounds	No	6	C+
74	Carthage	1 compounds	No	21	D+
75	Chillicothe	1 compounds	No	2	A-
76	Troy	1 compounds	No	87	F
77	Odessa	1 compounds	No	14	A
78	Carl Junction	1 compounds	No	5	A-
79	Smithville	1 compounds	No	16	A
80	Dexter	1 compounds	No	3	A-
81	Hillsboro	1 compounds	No	37	D+
82	Warrenton	1 compounds	No	25	D+
83	Perryville	1 compounds	No	51	F
84	Lake Ozark	1 compounds	No	14	D
85	Clinton	1 compounds	No	8	C+
86	Savannah	1 compounds	No	1	A
87	Excelsior Spgs.	1 compounds	No	3	B+
88	Kennett	1 compounds	No	1	B
89	Whiteman Afb	1 compounds	No	2	A
90	Brookfield	1 compounds	No	20	A-
91	Holts Summit	1 compounds	No	17	B
92	Hayti	1 compounds	No	2	C+
93	De Soto	1 compounds	No	22	B-
94	Battlefield	1 compounds	No	11	A-
95	Monett	1 compounds	No	6	B
96	Centralia	1 compounds	No	2	A-
97	Lake Lotawana	1 compounds	No	0	A
98	Warrensburg	1 compounds	No	0	B+
99	Oak Grove	1 compounds	No	1	A
100	Clarksdale	1 compounds	No	1	A-
101	Hallsville	1 compounds	No	2	A
102	Perry	1 compounds	No	0	B+
103	Bethany	1 compounds	No	22	B-
104	Carrollton	1 compounds	No	1	A-
105	Butler	1 compounds	No	4	B
106	Rives	1 compounds	No	2	A+
107	Bunn	1 compounds	Yes	17	C+
108	Bunn	1 compounds	Yes	38	F
109	Campbell	1 compounds	No	9	B
110	Pevely	1 compounds	No	0	A-
111	Caruthersville	1 compounds	No	1	B+
112	St. Robert	1 compounds	Yes	19	D
113	Memphis	1 compounds	No	16	C
114	Lexington	1 compounds	No	19	B+
115	St. Clair	1 compounds	No	11	A-
116	Freeman	1 compounds	No	3	B+
117	Sibley	1 compounds	No	1	A-
118	Mexico	1 compounds	No	0	A-
119	Ashland	1 compounds	No	12	A-
120	Malden	1 compounds	No	9	A-
121	El Dorado Spgs.	1 compounds	No	13	A
122	Cosby	1 compounds	No	0	A+
123	Queen City	1 compounds	No	3	A
124	Holt	1 compounds	No	4	A
125	Shelbyville	1 compounds	No	0	A+
126	Polo	1 compounds	No	1	A
127	Monroe City	1 compounds	No	35	D+
128	Glasgow	1 compounds	No	3	B
129	Anderson	1 compounds	No	0	A-
130	Paris	1 compounds	No	1	A-
131	Mound City	1 compounds	No	0	A-
132	Pilot Grove	1 compounds	No	2	A+
133	Ste. Genevieve	1 compounds	No	20	B
134	Yuma	1 compounds	No	99	F
135	Arnold	0 compounds	No	0	B
136	Barnhart	0 compounds	No	1	A-
137	Lebanon	0 compounds	No	16	B
138	Poplar Bluff	0 compounds	No	47	C
139	Nixa	0 compounds	No	33	C
140	Rolla	0 compounds	No	32	D
141	Branson	0 compounds	No	70	D
142	Washington	0 compounds	No	31	C+
143	Murphy	0 compounds	No	1	A
144	Parkdale	0 compounds	No	1	A
145	Aurora	0 compounds	No	90	D
146	Union	0 compounds	No	56	D
147	Neosho	0 compounds	No	21	C-
148	Beverly Hills	0 compounds	No	3	B+
149	Imperial	0 compounds	No	1	B+
150	Villa Ridge	0 compounds	No	9	A-
151	Park Hills	0 compounds	No	50	D+
152	Trenton	0 compounds	No	30	B+
153	Sullivan	0 compounds	No	40	D
154	Lathrop	0 compounds	No	3	B
155	Willard	0 compounds	No	16	A-
156	Gray Summit	0 compounds	No	3	A
157	Pacific	0 compounds	No	47	D
158	Marshfield	0 compounds	No	27	D+
159	Williamstown	0 compounds	No	0	A
160	Bonne Terre	0 compounds	No	111	C+
161	Powersite	0 compounds	No	2	A-
162	Charleston	0 compounds	No	1	A-
163	Salem	0 compounds	No	9	A-
164	California	0 compounds	No	5	A-
165	Hollister	0 compounds	No	46	D
166	Cedar Hill	0 compounds	No	11	C+
167	Eldon	0 compounds	No	18	C
168	Desloge	0 compounds	No	0	B+
169	Mountain Grove	0 compounds	No	20	C+
170	Mount Vernon	0 compounds	No	15	D
171	Buckhorn	0 compounds	No	6	A
172	Laquey	0 compounds	No	6	A
173	Palmyra	0 compounds	No	0	A-
174	Cuba	0 compounds	No	11	A-
175	Louisiana	0 compounds	No	30	C-
176	Tipton	0 compounds	No	7	A+
177	Fredericktown	0 compounds	No	26	B-
178	Cole Camp	0 compounds	No	7	A
179	Ellington	0 compounds	No	2	B+
180	Gainsville	0 compounds	No	9	A-
181	Bolivar	0 compounds	No	31	B

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about pfas in Missouri

Does Missouri tap water contain PFAS?

PFAS were detected in 134 of 181 Missouri cities tested under EPA's UCMR 5 program. 11 cities exceed the 2024 EPA MCL of 4 ppt for individual PFAS compounds.

How can I remove PFAS from my drinking water in Missouri?

Reverse osmosis (RO) systems are the most effective at removing PFAS, typically removing 90%+ of compounds. High-quality activated carbon block filters (NSF 58-certified for RO, or NSF 53 for solid carbon) also provide significant reduction. Standard pitcher filters vary widely in PFAS removal.

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