Water Quality Report · Updated October 07, 2026
IOWA CITY WATER DEPARTMENT
IOWA CITY WATER DEPARTMENT delivers tap water graded C (74/100) by TapWaterSafety.org. The utility serves approximately 68,753 residents in IOWA CITY, Iowa using surface water. The most significant water quality concerns are: Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline; Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) significantly above health guideline; Bromodichloromethane significantly above health guideline. For questions, the utility can be reached at 319-356-5169.
Is IOWA CITY tap water safe to drink?
IOWA CITY WATER DEPARTMENT delivers tap water that earns a grade of C (74/100) from TapWaterSafety.org — an average rating, with several contaminants above health guidelines but generally compliant with US legal limits.
The utility serves 68,753 residents in IOWA CITY, drawing from surface water.
Public testing data identifies 12 contaminants in this water above EWG's health-based guidelines, including: Haloacetic acids (HAA9), Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs), Bromodichloromethane, Dibromochloromethane, Dibromoacetic acid, Haloacetic acids (HAA5), Chloroform, Dichloroacetic acid, Chromium (hexavalent), Nitrate, Trichloroacetic acid, Bromoform. For most residents, a properly certified home filter at the kitchen tap is the most cost-effective way to reduce exposure to whatever's in your water. See our filter recommendations below, matched specifically to this utility's contaminant profile.
EPA compliance record
Official U.S. EPA records for IOWA CITY WATER DEPARTMENT (system ID IA5225079) for the last 3 years. Checked 2026-10-07.
Source: U.S. EPA Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO), from the Safe Drinking Water Information System. See EPA's full report.
Quick actions for IOWA CITY residents
Top concerns in this water
Based on the most recent EPA and EWG data, these are the most significant water quality issues for IOWA CITY WATER DEPARTMENT.
Haloacetic acids (HAA9) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernHaloacetic acids (HAA9) detected at 18.4 ppb, 307x above the EWG health guideline of 0.06 ppb.
Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernTotal trihalomethanes (TTHMs) detected at 41.4 ppb, 276x above the EWG health guideline of 0.15 ppb.
Bromodichloromethane significantly above health guideline
Moderate concernBromodichloromethane detected at 11.8 ppb, 197x above the EWG health guideline of 0.06 ppb.
Contact IOWA CITY WATER DEPARTMENT
Reach the utility directly for service issues, water quality concerns, or to request your Consumer Confidence Report.
General Contact
Treatment Plant
Recommended water filters for IOWA CITY
Filters matched to the specific contaminants in this water supply.
Carbon filter certified for VOCs (NSF/ANSI 53)
$180-$599Activated carbon is effective for disinfection byproducts. Look for NSF/ANSI 53 VOC reduction.
Disclosure: TapWaterSafety earns a commission from purchases made through these links. This does not influence our scoring methodology or filter selection.
Score breakdown
This utility's overall score of 74/100 breaks down across five weighted components. Read the full methodology →
Contaminants detected — international standards comparison
Every contaminant detected, compared side-by-side against US EPA legal limits, the EU Drinking Water Directive (2020/2184), WHO Guidelines, and California's Public Health Goal (the strictest US benchmark). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haloacetic acids (HAA9) Disinfection byproduct |
18.4 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 307× over |
| Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Disinfection byproduct |
41.4 ppb | 0.15 | 80.0 | 100 | — | — | — | 276× over |
| Bromodichloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
11.8 ppb | 0.06 | — | — | — | — | — | 197× over |
| Dibromochloromethane Disinfection byproduct |
8.2 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 82× over |
| Dibromoacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
2.36 ppb | 0.03 | — | — | — | — | — | 79× over |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA5) Disinfection byproduct |
7.75 ppb | 0.1 | 60.0 | 60 | — | — | — | 78× over |
| Chloroform Disinfection byproduct |
19.6 ppb | 0.4 | — | — | — | — | — | 49× over |
| Dichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
5.38 ppb | 0.2 | — | — | — | — | — | 27× over |
| Chromium (hexavalent) Heavy metal |
0.429 ppb | 0.02 | — | — | — | — | — | 21× over |
| Nitrate Inorganic |
1.93 ppm | 0.14 | 10.0 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 10 | — | 14× over |
| Trichloroacetic acid Disinfection byproduct |
0.896 ppb | 0.1 | — | — | — | — | — | 9.0× over |
| Bromoform Disinfection byproduct |
1.8 ppb | 0.5 | — | — | — | — | — | 3.6× over |
| Vanadium Other |
2.26 ppb | 21.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Molybdenum Other |
0.8 ppb | 40.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| 2,4-D Pesticide/Herbicide |
0.167 ppb | 20.0 | 70.0 | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Manganese Heavy metal |
0.4 ppb | 100.0 | — | 50 | 80 | — | — | Below guideline |
| Perfluorobutanoic Acid (PFBA) PFAS |
0.557 ppt | 1000.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Strontium Radiological |
0.0701 ppb | 1500.0 | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| 1-Butanol Other |
3.75 ppb | — | — | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Dalapon Pesticide/Herbicide |
0.2 ppb | — | 200.0 | — | — | — | — | Below guideline |
| Fluoride Inorganic |
0.706 ppm | — | 4.0 | 1.5 | 1.5 | — | — | Below guideline |
| Lithium Other |
18.0 ppb | — | — | — | — | — | — | 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 (4th ed.), California OEHHA PHGs, EWG Tap Water Database.
IOWA CITY WATER DEPARTMENT service area
This water system serves 1 community in Johnson County, Iowa. Click any city for its dedicated tap water quality page.
Find the right filter for IOWA CITY water
Browse filter categories by water-quality concern. Each option below is NSF-certified for the matched contaminant type.