Franklin County, Missouri: drinking water report. Franklin County sits along the Missouri River west of St.
Franklin County sits along the Missouri River west of St. Louis, encompassing cities like Washington, Union, and Pacific. Most residents rely on municipal systems drawing from the Missouri River or local groundwater wells, though a significant portion of the rural population uses private wells. The county's mix of small-town utilities and scattered residential development creates varying oversight levels across its 930 square miles.
Missouri's location in the agricultural Midwest means Franklin County faces contamination pressures common to the region. Nitrate levels from fertilizer runoff periodically approach or exceed the 10 mg/L federal standard in shallow private wells, particularly in areas with row crop agriculture. The Missouri River itself carries agricultural runoff from upstream states, requiring municipal treatment plants to address seasonal spikes in turbidity and agricultural chemicals.
Lead remains a concern in older neighborhoods where service lines installed before the 1986 ban still connect homes to water mains. Washington and other towns established before 1950 likely have legacy lead infrastructure in their downtown cores. Missouri's lead and copper rule sampling has identified elevated readings in multiple small systems statewide, and Franklin County's smaller utilities face the same infrastructure challenges without the budgets of larger metropolitan areas.
PFAS contamination patterns in Missouri suggest potential exposure risks in Franklin County. The state's 2023 testing under EPA's UCMR5 program detected PFAS in multiple public water systems, with firefighting foam from training sites and industrial discharge as probable sources. While comprehensive county-level PFAS data remains limited, the presence of manufacturing operations and the Missouri River's role as a drainage basin for upstream contamination means residents should consider the possibility of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in their water supply.
Private well owners should test annually for nitrate, bacteria, and consider PFAS screening given regional patterns. Municipal customers can request their utility's latest consumer confidence report to understand what contaminants have been detected and at what levels. Check your water for current contamination data in your area, review our water filter guide to find treatment options that address specific contaminants, read the detailed report for complete water quality information, or visit the Missouri state page for statewide context on drinking water issues.