Derby, KS tap water
Supplied mostly by City of Derby, plus 1 other utility. Here's what the water means for your fish.
Disinfectant
Chloramine
Your water is treated with chloramine. Unlike chlorine, it doesn't gas off when water sits out, and many pitcher and fridge filters aren't rated to remove it. Conditioners that list chloramine on the label break it apart, which frees a little ammonia. Some utilities switch to plain chlorine for a few weeks a year.
Safety for fish and shrimp
Nitrate (NO₃)
Supplier's figure2.3–3.6 ppm (Low)
Typical 3 ppm
Low, so water changes lower your tank's nitrate well.
From the utility that supplies yours: City of Wichita, which supplies City of Derby; City of Wichita, which supplies Sedgwick Co RWD 3 (2025).
Water chemistry
General hardness
Supplier's figure130 ppm
Moderately soft to medium. Suits most community fish and plants.
From the utility that supplies yours: City of Wichita, which supplies City of Derby; City of Wichita, which supplies Sedgwick Co RWD 3 (2025).
Carbonate hardness (alkalinity)
Supplier's figure3–83 ppm
Typical 41 ppm
Moderate buffering. pH should stay fairly steady.
From the utility that supplies yours: City of Wichita, which supplies City of Derby; EPA monitoring data (2016–2025).
pH
Supplier's figure8–8.5
Typical 8.5
Alkaline. Many utilities raise pH to protect pipes. Stability matters more than the exact number.
From the utility that supplies yours: City of Wichita, which supplies City of Derby; EPA monitoring data (2016–2025).
Total dissolved solids
Supplier's figure540 ppm
A rough measure of everything dissolved in the water. RO water reads near 0, so TDS is a quick way to compare waters.
From the utility that supplies yours: City of Wichita, which supplies City of Derby; City of Wichita, which supplies Sedgwick Co RWD 3 (2025).
Who supplies Derby, KS
City of Derby
Serves 91% of residents · Buys water from City of Wichita · Chloramine
Sedgwick Co RWD 3
Serves 5% of residents · Buys water from City of Wichita · Chloramine
Our data comes from public records and is still incomplete. Many utilities don't publish every number, so we're adding more all the time. Your city's range is a starting point: testing your own tap is the only way to know exactly what's in it.
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Compiled by Shoal & Stem from public records. Free to cite with a link.