Water Service Outages in Iowa by City
Only 11% of Iowa's 1,080 community water systems have had a health-based EPA violation since 2015, one of the lowest shares of any state.
Iowa drinking water record
Busiest year: 2016 (62 violations). Counted by the year the violation period began. Source: EPA SDWIS.
- Community water systems: 1,080 active systems serve about 3,017,414 people. 941 of them (87%) serve 3,300 people or fewer; 913 draw mainly on groundwater and 140 on surface water.
- Health-based violations since 2015: 375, at 115 systems (11% of all systems). That share is 5th lowest of 50 states.
- Most common problems: contaminant averages over the limit (180); contaminant readings over the limit (82); surface water treatment (69). Source: EPA SDWIS
- Largest system: Des Moines Water Works, about 246,055 people, with 1 health-based violation since 2015. Source: EPA SDWIS
- Housing age: the median Iowa home was built in 1972 (US 1980). Older housing stock means more lead service lines left to replace. Source: US Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024 (table B25035)
- Storm damage to water service: NOAA storm narratives mention water mains, boil water notices or lost water service in 9 episodes in Iowa since 2015. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database
- June 22, 2024, Woodbury (flood): “The Smithland sewage lift station failed and the Sioux City Wastewater Treatment Plant was damaged.” Source: NOAA Storm Events Database
- May 20, 2024, Kossuth (heavy rain): “Algona Wastewater Plant reported 3.4 inches of heavy rain with rain still ongoing at the time of the report.” Source: NOAA Storm Events Database
| System | People served | Main source | Health violations since 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines Water Works | 246,055 | Bought surface water | 1 |
| Iowa-American Wtr Co-Davenport | 147,720 | Surface water | 0 |
| Cedar Rapids Water Department | 142,364 | Mixed | 0 |
| Sioux City Water Supply | 85,791 | Mixed | 5 |
| Ankeny, City Of | 76,207 | Bought surface water | 0 |
| West Des Moines Water Works | 73,959 | Bought surface water | 0 |
Source: EPA SDWIS.
Iowa is 1st of 7 (1 = lowest share). Source: EPA SDWIS.
Checked September 2026.
Who to call in Iowa, city by city
5 Iowa cities on this site and the water utility for each. What to do while you wait is in our water service outage guide.
- Des Moines Des Moines Water Works
- Cedar Rapids Cedar Rapids Utilities
- Davenport Iowa American Water
- Sioux City City of Sioux City Utilities
- Iowa City City of Iowa City Water Division
Frequently asked questions
Is there a water service outage in Iowa right now?
Not on this site: no reports from Iowa in the last 24 hours.
How many public water systems are in Iowa?
EPA records list 1,080 active community water systems in Iowa, serving about 3,017,414 people. 87% serve 3,300 people or fewer.
How common are drinking water violations in Iowa?
Since 2015, 115 of 1,080 community water systems in Iowa (11%) have had at least one health-based violation, 375 in total.
What is the largest water system in Iowa?
Des Moines Water Works, which EPA records list as serving about 246,055 people.
Report counts are user-submitted; other figures name their official source. How our data works
Cities in Iowa with Water Service Outages Information
Cedar Rapids
no reports in the last 24 hours · pop. 133,562
Cedar Rapids Utilities
Davenport
no reports in the last 24 hours · pop. 101,724
Iowa American Water
Des Moines
no reports in the last 24 hours · pop. 214,237
Des Moines Water Works
Iowa City
no reports in the last 24 hours · pop. 74,398
City of Iowa City Water Division
Sioux City
no reports in the last 24 hours · pop. 85,128
City of Sioux City Utilities