Topeka
Topeka, KS water profile — supply sources, drought status, wastewater reuse, and the key water issues facing the city.
topeka, city of
surface water (rivers/reservoirs) · local government · PWSID KS2017701
Below EPA's 15 ppb lead action level at last testing.
Source: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) · 2026 Q1
Topeka, KS is a mid-sized city, with a population near 127,265 and the 5th-largest community in Kansas. Like much of Kansas, Topeka draws its water primarily from Ogallala/High Plains aquifer, Kansas River, and Arkansas River.
Topeka's water outlook is shaped most by groundwater depletion — the issue that dominates planning across Kansas. Western Kansas is on the front line of Ogallala Aquifer depletion, with some areas already pumped to exhaustion.
Topeka sits in a state that reuses roughly 7% of treated wastewater (developing programs) and currently experiences moderate to severe drought.
For the bigger picture, see the Kansas state water profile and the related issues below.
Shawnee County water quality
Source: EPA SDWIS · 2026 Q1
At a glance
- Population ~127,265 (5th-largest in Kansas)
- Primary sources: Ogallala/High Plains aquifer, Kansas River, and Arkansas River
- Drought: moderate to severe conditions
- State reuse rate: ~7% of wastewater
Statewide drought history
% of Kansas in severe+ drought (Severe (D2) now).
Source: U.S. Drought Monitor
Common questions
Is tap water safe in Topeka?
Topeka's largest water system, TOPEKA, CITY OF, serves about 125,963 people. EPA records show 1 health-based violation(s) since 2016 and a most-recent 90th-percentile lead level of 2.4 ppb (EPA action level is 15 ppb). Always check your own provider's annual Consumer Confidence Report.
Where does Topeka get its water?
TOPEKA, CITY OF draws primarily from surface water (rivers/reservoirs), part of Kansas's supply from Ogallala/High Plains aquifer, Kansas River, Arkansas River.
Related water issues
Groundwater Depletion
Aquifers from the Central Valley to the Ogallala are being pumped faster than they recharge, causing land subsidence and threatening long-term supply.
ExploreAgricultural Demand
Agriculture accounts for the majority of consumptive water use in the West, making farm efficiency and water markets central to any supply solution.
ExploreDrought
Much of the American West is in a multi-decade dry period that researchers describe as the most severe in over a millennium, reshaping how communities plan for water.
Explore