Tap Water Quality Report
Tap water quality in DUBUQUE, Iowa
Tap water in DUBUQUE, Iowa receives a grade of F (54/100) from TapWaterSafety.org. It's served by DUBUQUE WATER WORKS. The most significant water quality concerns are: PFAS contamination; Total PFOS and PFOA significantly above health guideline; Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) significantly above health guideline; Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline. Data sources: EPA SDWIS, EPA ECHO, EWG Tap Water Database.
What's in DUBUQUE's tap water
Top water quality concerns identified by the EPA and Environmental Working Group across the utility serving DUBUQUE.
PFAS contamination
Severe concernPerfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) detected. PFAS are persistent chemicals linked to cancer and immune effects with no known safe exposure threshold.
Total PFOS and PFOA significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernTotal PFOS and PFOA detected at 6.63 ppt, 946x above the EWG health guideline of 0.007 ppt.
Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernTotal trihalomethanes (TTHMs) detected at 47.8 ppb, 319x above the EWG health guideline of 0.15 ppb.
Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernHaloacetic acids (HAA9) detected at 14.4 ppb, 240x above the EWG health guideline of 0.06 ppb.
Recommended filters for DUBUQUE
Filters matched to the specific contaminants in DUBUQUE's water supply.
Reverse Osmosis or NSF P473 certified carbon
$80-$750Activated carbon and RO are the only technologies proven to remove PFAS at certified levels.
Carbon block (NSF/ANSI 42 + 53)
$40-$750Activated carbon is highly effective for disinfection byproducts like TTHM and HAA5.
Disclosure: TapWaterSafety earns a commission from purchases made through these links. This does not influence our scoring methodology or filter selection.
All contaminants detected in DUBUQUE's tap water
Every contaminant identified, compared side-by-side against US EPA legal limits, the EU Drinking Water Directive (2020/2184), WHO Guidelines, and California's Public Health Goal. Why we show multiple standards →
| Contaminant | Detected | EWG US health-based |
EPA US legal |
EU DWD Europe |
WHO global |
CA PHG strictest US |
Tested sample year |
Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total PFOS and PFOA PFAS |
6.63 ppt | 0.007 | — | 100 | 100 | 0.007 | — | 946× over |
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Disinfection byproduct |
47.8 ppb | 0.15 | 80.0 | 100 | — | — | — | 319× over |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA9) Disinfection byproduct |
14.4 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 240× over |
| Bromodichloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
10.5 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 176× over |
| Chloroform Disinfection byproduct |
32.5 ppb | 0.4 | — | — | — | — | — | 81× over |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA5) Disinfection byproduct |
7.65 ppb | 0.1 | 60.0 | 60 | — | — | — | 77× over |
| Dibromochloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
4.59 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 46× over |
| Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) PFAS |
3.07 ppt | 0.09 | 4.0 | 100 | 100 | 0.007 | — | 34× over |
| Dichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
5.71 ppb | 0.2 | — | — | — | — | — | 29× over |
| Trichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
2.13 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 21× over |
| Chromium (hexavalent) Heavy metal |
0.349 ppb | 0.02 | — | — | — | — | — | 17× over |
| Dibromoacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
0.346 ppb | 0.03 | — | — | — | — | — | 12× over |
| Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) PFAS |
2.82 ppt | 0.3 | 4.0 | 100 | 100 | 1 | — | 9.4× over |
| Nitrate Inorganic |
0.653 ppm | 0.14 | 10.0 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 10 | — | 4.7× over |
| Chlorate Disinfection byproduct |
113.3 ppb | 210.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| 1,4-Dioxane Semi-volatile organic compound |
0.164 ppb | 0.35 | — | — | 50 | 1 | — | Below guideline |
| Bromoform Disinfection byproduct |
0.223 ppb | 0.5 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Manganese Heavy metal |
1.5 ppb | 100.0 | — | 50 | 80 | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluorobutanoic Acid (PFBA) PFAS |
10.6 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Vanadium Other |
0.15 ppb | 21.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Strontium Radiological |
0.0394 ppb | 1500.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| 4-Androstene-3,17-dione Other |
0.26 ppt | — | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Fluoride Inorganic |
0.62 ppm | — | 4.0 | 1.5 | 1.5 | — | — | Below guideline |
All values in the unit of the detected level. Red cells indicate the detected level exceeds that standard. Some contaminants have limits in some jurisdictions but not others (shown as —). The "Tested" column shows the year each contaminant sample was collected.
Sources: US EPA, EU Drinking Water Directive 2020/2184, WHO Guidelines, California OEHHA PHGs, EWG Tap Water Database.
Treatment plant contact info
For service issues, water quality concerns, or to request a Consumer Confidence Report from DUBUQUE WATER WORKS.