COLUMBIA/ADAIR UTILITIES DISTRICT vs LOUISVILLE WATER COMPANY
Water quality comparison — risk levels, violations, PFAS records, and contaminants
Quick Answer
LOUISVILLE WATER COMPANY has a lower risk classification (safe). COLUMBIA/ADAIR UTILITIES DISTRICT has 1 open health-based violation and 348 PFAS records. LOUISVILLE WATER COMPANY has 0 open health-based violations and 174 PFAS records.
Kentucky · KY0011016
Moderate Concern
Contaminants detected within limits but elevated. Consider filtration.
1
Open violations
348
PFAS records
Kentucky · KY0560258
No Concerns Detected
Water meets all safety standards with no detected exceedances.
0
Open violations
174
PFAS records
Head-to-Head Comparison
| Metric | COLUMBIA/ADAIR UTILITIES DISTRICT | LOUISVILLE WATER COMPANY |
|---|---|---|
| State | Kentucky | Kentucky |
| Risk Level | Moderate Concern | No Concerns Detected |
| Population Served | 22,113 | 764,769 |
| Open Health Violations | 1 | 0 |
| Total Violations | 12 | 1 |
| PFAS Records | 348 | 174 |
| Ownership | Local | Private |
| Service Type | Surface water | Surface water |
| City Served | — | — |
Contaminants in Violation Records
COLUMBIA/ADAIR UTILITIES DISTRICT
- Coliform (TCR)
- Nitrate
- Turbidity
- Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)
- Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
LOUISVILLE WATER COMPANY
- Nitrate
Key Differences
COLUMBIA/ADAIR UTILITIES DISTRICT has a moderate risk rating vs. safe for LOUISVILLE WATER COMPANY.
COLUMBIA/ADAIR UTILITIES DISTRICT has 1 open health-based violation vs. 0 for LOUISVILLE WATER COMPANY.
COLUMBIA/ADAIR UTILITIES DISTRICT has 348 PFAS records vs. 174 for LOUISVILLE WATER COMPANY.
What Should I Do?
If either utility shows open violations or elevated PFAS records, consider:
- Installing a reverse osmosis filter — removes PFAS, lead, arsenic, nitrates, and most heavy metals.
- Requesting your utility’s annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) for the most current test results.
- Ordering a certified lab water test if you want contaminant-specific data for your address.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is safer — COLUMBIA/ADAIR UTILITIES DISTRICT or LOUISVILLE WATER COMPANY?
LOUISVILLE WATER COMPANY has a lower risk classification (safe). LOUISVILLE WATER COMPANY has 0 open health-based violations compared to 1 for the other system.
What does "open health-based violation" mean?
An open health-based violation means a water system has exceeded an EPA Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) or failed to meet a treatment technique — and the violation has not yet been resolved. These are the most serious type of water quality violations.
How current is this data?
Violation data comes from EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS), which is updated as utilities report. PFAS data comes from EPA's UCMR 5 monitoring (2023–2025). Risk levels are recalculated daily.
What does PWSID mean?
PWSID stands for Public Water System ID — a unique federal identifier assigned to each community water system. You can use it to look up a system in EPA's ECHO database.