The City of Winfield, Kansas, draws its drinking water from Winfield City Lake and a series of well fields. Local water officials routinely treat this supply to meet EPA standards, while investing millions in infrastructure upgrades, such as replacing aging ozone disinfection systems.



Winfield Water Supply Complications

The local water supply deals with naturally occurring minerals, agricultural runoff, and industrial byproducts that complicate treatment processes:

• Natural Minerals & Salinity: Historically, the region's groundwater is known to be very hard. Local well fields have struggled with natural saltwater intrusion and elevated sulfate levels, which impact taste and increase treatment difficulty.
• Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs): When chlorine used for water purification interacts with natural organic matter, it creates DBPs. To combat this, the city upgraded its water treatment infrastructure, including ozone disinfection.
• Trace Heavy Metals: Testing has detected trace amounts of heavy metals like arsenic, which can increase cancer risks with prolonged exposure.
• Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS): Like many municipal systems across the United States, Winfield’s water is susceptible to PFAS (often called "forever chemicals") stemming from environmental and commercial sources.
• Microbial & Stormwater Contaminants: Surface water and shallow groundwater are exposed to runoff from farms, parking lots, and residential areas. This non-point source pollution brings agricultural pesticides, herbicides, and bacteria that require rigorous filtration and disinfection.