Greene County, Missouri: drinking water report. Greene County in southwest Missouri has about 295,000 residents, with Springfield as the county seat.
Greene County in southwest Missouri has about 295,000 residents, with Springfield as the county seat. City Utilities of Springfield draws from Fellows Lake, McDaniel Lake, and a network of groundwater wells. The county sits atop the Springfield Plateau, underlain by karst limestone that creates direct connections between the surface and the aquifer through sinkholes and fractured rock.
Karst geology makes Greene County's groundwater exceptionally vulnerable to surface contamination. According to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources' 2024 groundwater assessment, dye tracing studies have documented contamination travel times of less than 24 hours from surface sinkholes to drinking water wells in the Springfield area. The speed leaves almost no time for natural attenuation of contaminants.
The former Springfield-Branson National Airport has documented AFFF use. Missouri DNR's 2024 PFAS investigation found PFOS at 9 ppt in monitoring wells near the airport. Agricultural nitrate from the surrounding dairy and cattle operations adds to the groundwater burden – 16% of private wells tested in the county in 2024 showed nitrate above 5 mg/L.
Karst terrain means that what happens on the surface shows up in your water quickly. In Greene County, a spill or runoff event can reach wells in hours rather than the years it takes in other geologic settings. Private well owners should test more frequently than the typical annual recommendation.
Check your water for available data. For the combination of agricultural and military contamination common in karst areas, reverse osmosis at the tap handles the broadest range of contaminants. Our water filter guide covers systems suited to carbonate aquifer water. Pull your detailed report for local data, and visit our Missouri page for statewide context.