Water Service Outages in Missouri by City
85% of Missouri's 1,432 community water systems serve 3,300 people or fewer, so many outages and boil water notices affect a single small town or subdivision.
Missouri drinking water record
Busiest year: 2016 (287 violations). Counted by the year the violation period began. Source: EPA SDWIS.
- Community water systems: 1,432 active systems serve about 5,707,087 people. 1,220 of them (85%) serve 3,300 people or fewer; 1,203 draw mainly on groundwater and 224 on surface water.
- Health-based violations since 2015: 1,478, at 418 systems (29% of all systems). That share is 22nd of 50 states (1 = lowest).
- Most common problems: contaminant averages over the limit (865); uncorrected Ground Water Rule deficiencies (119); E. coli (59). Source: EPA SDWIS
- Largest system: Mo American St Louis St Charles Counties, about 1,111,000 people, with 0 health-based violations since 2015. Source: EPA SDWIS
- Housing age: the median Missouri home was built in 1978 (US 1980). Source: US Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024 (table B25035)
- Storm damage to water service: NOAA storm narratives mention water mains, boil water notices or lost water service in 6 episodes in Missouri since 2015. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database
- August 13, 2024, Greene (heavy rain): “The Mesonet station NWTM7 located at the Water Treatment Plant in northwest Springfield measured 2.45 inches of storm total rainfall.” Source: NOAA Storm Events Database
- February 14, 2021, Greene (extreme cold/wind chill): “The cold caused 18 water main breaks in the city of Springfield.” Source: NOAA Storm Events Database
| System | People served | Main source | Health violations since 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mo American St Louis St Charles Counties | 1,111,000 | Surface water | 0 |
| Kansas City Pws | 553,295 | Surface water | 1 |
| St Louis City Pws | 304,709 | Surface water | 0 |
| City Utilities of Springfield | 210,898 | Surface water | 0 |
| City of Columbia Utilities | 126,254 | Groundwater | 0 |
| Independence Pws | 120,000 | Groundwater | 0 |
Source: EPA SDWIS.
Missouri is 4th of 9 (1 = lowest share). Source: EPA SDWIS.
Checked September 2026.
Who to call in Missouri, city by city
5 Missouri cities on this site and the water utility for each. What to do while you wait is in our water service outage guide.
- Kansas City KC Water
- St. Louis City of St. Louis Water Division
- Springfield City Utilities of Springfield
- Columbia Columbia Water & Light
- Independence City of Independence Water Department
Frequently asked questions
Is there a water service outage in Missouri right now?
Not on this site: no reports from Missouri in the last 24 hours.
How many public water systems are in Missouri?
EPA records list 1,432 active community water systems in Missouri, serving about 5,707,087 people. 85% serve 3,300 people or fewer.
How common are drinking water violations in Missouri?
Since 2015, 418 of 1,432 community water systems in Missouri (29%) have had at least one health-based violation, 1,478 in total.
What is the largest water system in Missouri?
Mo American St Louis St Charles Counties, which EPA records list as serving about 1,111,000 people.
Report counts are user-submitted; other figures name their official source. How our data works
Cities in Missouri with Water Service Outages Information
Columbia
no reports in the last 24 hours · pop. 126,254
Columbia Water & Light
Independence
no reports in the last 24 hours · pop. 123,011
City of Independence Water Department
Springfield
no reports in the last 24 hours · pop. 169,176
City Utilities of Springfield
St. Louis
no reports in the last 24 hours · pop. 301,578
City of St. Louis Water Division