PFAS Contamination

PFAS in Missouri Drinking Water

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

189

Cities Tested

Exceeds Limit

% Exceeds Limit

1.0 compounds

State Avg

▼ 15% vs national

vs National

426

Health Violations

Analysis

PFAS in Missouri: what the data shows

Missouri has 189 cities with PFAS monitoring data from the EPA's UCMR 5 program. PFAS ("forever chemicals") were detected in 137 of those cities (72%), 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 189 cities

← ▼ 15% below national rate (better)

National avg

21%

1662 of 7853 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	Kearney	2 compounds	No	3	B+
19	Sikeston	2 compounds	No	5	B
20	Festus	2 compounds	No	20	C
21	Lamar	2 compounds	Yes	27	B
22	Pleasant Hill	2 compounds	No	4	B+
23	Higginsville	2 compounds	No	17	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	St. Louis	1 compounds	No	28	F
36	Columbia	1 compounds	No	52	C
37	Des Peres	1 compounds	No	2149	F
38	Independence	1 compounds	No	0	B
39	St. Joseph	1 compounds	No	1	A-
40	St. Joseph	1 compounds	No	0	A-
41	St. Joseph	1 compounds	No	0	A-
42	St. Joseph	1 compounds	No	0	A-
43	St. Joseph	1 compounds	No	0	A-
44	Joplin	1 compounds	No	53	F
45	St. Charles	1 compounds	No	0	B+
46	Blue Springs	1 compounds	No	0	B+
47	Wentzville	1 compounds	No	9	A-
48	Liberty	1 compounds	No	8	C+
49	Fort Leonard Wood	1 compounds	No	0	A+
50	Raytown	1 compounds	No	2	B+
51	Kirkwood	1 compounds	No	0	A+
52	Gladstone	1 compounds	No	0	B+
53	Warrensburg	1 compounds	No	0	B+
54	Fulton	1 compounds	No	13	B+
55	Kirksville	1 compounds	No	15	A-
56	Moberly	1 compounds	No	14	A-
57	Grandview	1 compounds	No	0	A-
58	Jackson	1 compounds	No	72	C+
59	Sedalia	1 compounds	No	60	F
60	Ozark	1 compounds	No	65	F
61	Raymoor	1 compounds	No	4	A
62	Parkville	1 compounds	No	0	B+
63	Grain Valley	1 compounds	No	1	A
64	Macon	1 compounds	No	11	A-
65	Harrisonville	1 compounds	No	14	A-
66	Nevada	1 compounds	No	12	A-
67	Maryville	1 compounds	No	21	C+
68	Mexico	1 compounds	No	0	A-
69	Republic	1 compounds	No	5	A-
70	Marshall	1 compounds	No	33	B-
71	Chillicothe	1 compounds	No	2	A-
72	West Plains	1 compounds	No	15	B+
73	Webb City	1 compounds	No	8	A-
74	Cameron	1 compounds	No	10	A
75	Winfield	1 compounds	No	35	B-
76	Holden	1 compounds	No	8	A
77	Polo	1 compounds	No	3	B+
78	Waynesville	1 compounds	No	6	C+
79	Carthage	1 compounds	No	21	D+
80	Troy	1 compounds	No	87	F
81	Clinton	1 compounds	No	8	C+
82	Odessa	1 compounds	No	14	A
83	Dexter	1 compounds	No	3	A-
84	Carl Junction	1 compounds	No	5	A-
85	Smithville	1 compounds	No	16	A
86	Hillsboro	1 compounds	No	37	D+
87	Warrenton	1 compounds	No	25	D+
88	Perryville	1 compounds	No	51	F
89	Lake Ozark	1 compounds	No	14	D
90	Polo	1 compounds	No	1	A
91	Excelsior Spgs.	1 compounds	No	3	B+
92	Savannah	1 compounds	No	1	A
93	Ste. Genevieve	1 compounds	No	20	B
94	Kennett	1 compounds	No	1	B
95	Whiteman Afb	1 compounds	No	2	A
96	Brookfield	1 compounds	No	20	A-
97	Holts Summit	1 compounds	No	17	B
98	Hayti	1 compounds	No	2	C+
99	De Soto	1 compounds	No	22	B-
100	Monett	1 compounds	No	6	B
101	Battlefield	1 compounds	No	11	A-
102	Centralia	1 compounds	No	2	A-
103	Lake Lotawana	1 compounds	No	0	A
104	Oak Grove	1 compounds	No	1	A
105	Clarksdale	1 compounds	No	1	A-
106	Hallsville	1 compounds	No	2	A
107	Paris	1 compounds	No	1	A-
108	Bunn	1 compounds	Yes	38	F
109	Perry	1 compounds	No	0	B+
110	Bethany	1 compounds	No	22	B-
111	Carrollton	1 compounds	No	1	A-
112	Butler	1 compounds	No	4	B
113	Hayti	1 compounds	No	2	A+
114	Bunn	1 compounds	Yes	17	C+
115	Campbell	1 compounds	No	9	B
116	Pevely	1 compounds	No	0	A-
117	Caruthersville	1 compounds	No	1	B+
118	St. Robert	1 compounds	Yes	19	D
119	Memphis	1 compounds	No	16	C
120	St. Clair	1 compounds	No	11	A-
121	Lexington	1 compounds	No	19	B+
122	Freeman	1 compounds	No	3	B+
123	Sibley	1 compounds	No	1	A-
124	Wright City	1 compounds	No	14	C
125	Shelbyville	1 compounds	No	0	A+
126	Ashland	1 compounds	No	12	A-
127	Malden	1 compounds	No	9	A-
128	El Dorado Spgs.	1 compounds	No	13	A
129	Cosby	1 compounds	No	0	A+
130	Queen City	1 compounds	No	3	A
131	Holt	1 compounds	No	4	A
132	Monroe City	1 compounds	No	35	D+
133	Glasgow	1 compounds	No	3	B
134	Anderson	1 compounds	No	0	A-
135	Yuma	1 compounds	No	99	F
136	Mound City	1 compounds	No	0	A-
137	Pilot Grove	1 compounds	No	2	A+
138	Arnold	0 compounds	No	0	B
139	Barnhart	0 compounds	No	1	A-
140	Lebanon	0 compounds	No	16	B
141	Branson	0 compounds	No	70	D
142	Poplar Bluff	0 compounds	No	47	C
143	Nixa	0 compounds	No	33	C
144	Rolla	0 compounds	No	32	D
145	Washington	0 compounds	No	31	C+
146	High Ridge	0 compounds	No	15	B-
147	High Ridge	0 compounds	No	1	A
148	High Ridge	0 compounds	No	1	A
149	Aurora	0 compounds	No	90	D
150	Union	0 compounds	No	56	D
151	Neosho	0 compounds	No	21	C-
152	Bolivar	0 compounds	No	31	B
153	Beverly Hills	0 compounds	No	4	B-
154	Beverly Hills	0 compounds	No	3	B+
155	Imperial	0 compounds	No	1	B+
156	Labadie	0 compounds	No	9	A-
157	Park Hills	0 compounds	No	50	D+
158	Trenton	0 compounds	No	30	B+
159	Sullivan	0 compounds	No	40	D
160	Lathrop	0 compounds	No	3	B
161	Willard	0 compounds	No	16	A-
162	Labadie	0 compounds	No	9	A-
163	Labadie	0 compounds	No	3	A
164	Pacific	0 compounds	No	47	D
165	Marshfield	0 compounds	No	27	D+
166	Williamstown	0 compounds	No	0	A
167	Bonne Terre	0 compounds	No	111	C+
168	Desoto	0 compounds	No	11	B+
169	Powersite	0 compounds	No	2	A-
170	Fredericktown	0 compounds	No	26	B-
171	Charleston	0 compounds	No	1	A-
172	Salem	0 compounds	No	9	A-
173	California	0 compounds	No	5	A-
174	Hollister	0 compounds	No	46	D
175	Eldon	0 compounds	No	18	C
176	Cedar Hill	0 compounds	No	11	C+
177	Desloge	0 compounds	No	0	B+
178	Mountain Grove	0 compounds	No	20	C+
179	Mount Vernon	0 compounds	No	15	D
180	Browning	0 compounds	No	1	B+
181	Buckhorn	0 compounds	No	6	A
182	Buckhorn	0 compounds	No	6	A
183	Palmyra	0 compounds	No	0	A-
184	Cuba	0 compounds	No	11	A-
185	Louisiana	0 compounds	No	30	C-
186	Tipton	0 compounds	No	7	A+
187	Cole Camp	0 compounds	No	7	A
188	Ellington	0 compounds	No	2	B+
189	Gainsville	0 compounds	No	9	A-

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about pfas in Missouri

Does Missouri tap water contain PFAS?

PFAS were detected in 137 of 189 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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