Is Waterloo, IA tap water safe?
Supplied by Waterloo Water Works · serves 69,504 people (27,430 connections) · Groundwater · EPA ID IA0790074
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Detected, below limit4 of 29 PFAS found at least once. All averages below the federal limits.
- Lithium
- Above screening levelHighest result 20 ppb. EPA uses 10 ppb to decide what to study further. It is not a health limit, and there is no federal limit for lithium. About 1 in 4 systems tested were above it.
- Lead
- Below action level1.8 ppb (parts per billion) at the 90th percentile: 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below it. Action level 15 ppb, falling to 10 ppb in Nov 2027. Monitoring period ending Dec 2025. Your home's pipes can make yours higher.
- Violations
- None health-basedNo health-based violations since 2016.
- Built before 1986, or not sure what your service line is made of? Check your service line and test your tap. Utility data can't show your pipes.
- Want to reduce what was found? Filters for these results.
- Tested your own tap? Compare your result with these numbers. Moving? Compare this system with another.
- Read Waterloo Water Works's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report). It lists every regulated contaminant tested and is usually on the utility's website or mailed with your bill, and you can also request it at (319) 232-6280. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 9 entry points tested Feb 2023 to Sep 2024. "Average" is the highest entry-point average (non-detects counted as zero), the way EPA compares UCMR 5 results to the limits. ppt = parts per trillion. These results do not determine compliance.
| Contaminant | Highest average |
|---|---|
| PFOA Not detected Limit 4 ppt | – |
| PFOS Not detected Limit 4 ppt | – |
| PFHxS Rounds to the limit Limit 10 ppt | 11.4 ppt 1.14× the limit |
| PFNA Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| HFPO-DA (GenX) Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| Hazard Index (a combined score for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and PFBS, where above 1 is over the limit) Rounds to the limit Limit 1 | 1.14 |
| PFBS Detected, below limit Guideline 2,000 ppt | 3.2 ppt |
| PFBA Not detected Guideline 6,000 ppt | – |
| PFHxA Detected, below limit Guideline 3,000 ppt | 1.55 ppt |
| PFPeA Detected, no limit | 4.5 ppt |
Why "rounds to the limit"? the PFHxS average (11.4 ppt) and the Hazard Index (1.14) are slightly above the number on paper, but EPA compares results after rounding to the limit's precision (4.4 ppt rounds to 4), so they meet the limit as EPA applies it. Close enough to the limit to be worth watching.
29 PFAS tested, 4 detected at least once. "Not detected" means below EPA's reporting limit (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical), not proven zero. PFAS not listed were not detected. The limits for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX and the Hazard Index were proposed for rescission in May 2026. That proposal is not final. Systems have until 2029 to meet the limits.
Lithium
Detected in 10 of 18 samples. Highest result 20 ppb. EPA's non-enforceable screening level is 10 ppb. Above screening level The screening level is how EPA decides what to study further, not a health limit. There is no federal limit for lithium and no filter is certified to remove it. About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 1.8 ppb lead (Jan 2025 – Dec 2025). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 7.9 ppb (Dec 2017).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2025 – Dec 2025 | 1.8 ppb |
| Jan 2024 – Dec 2024 | 2 ppb |
| Jul 2023 – Dec 2023 | 1.2 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2023 – Jun 2023 | 1.4 ppb |
| Jan 2021 – Dec 2021 | 3 ppb |
| Jan 2020 – Dec 2020 | 5.4 ppb |
| Jan 2019 – Jun 2019 | 2.5 ppb |
| Jul 2018 – Dec 2018 | 5 ppb |
| Jan 2015 – Dec 2017 | 7.9 ppb |
| Jan 2012 – Dec 2014 | 4.6 ppb |
| Jan 2009 – Dec 2011 | 14.8 ppb |
| Jan 2006 – Dec 2008 | 6 ppb |
Lead comes from pipes and fixtures, not the source water, so it varies home to home. The 90th percentile means 9 in 10 sampled homes were at or below it. More on lead.
Violations
Health-based violations mean a contaminant exceeded a limit or a required treatment step was missed. Monitoring and reporting violations mean required tests or reports were late or missing, so the water's quality during that time is unknown. The total includes every violation in EPA's records, most of them paperwork.
Earlier EPA testing (2013–2020)
| Contaminant | Highest | Guideline |
|---|---|---|
| Manganese | 24.7 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Molybdenum | 1.62 ppb | 40 ppb |
| Strontium | 1.17 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Chromium-6 | 1.75 ppb | – |
| Chlorate | 671 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Vanadium | 0.64 ppb | 21 ppb |
| 1,4-Dioxane | 0.14 ppb | 0.35 ppb |
Where it serves
Waterloo
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 50701, 50702, 50703, 50704, 50705, 50706, 50707
Nearby utilities
- Cedar Rapids Water Department Cedar Rapids · 50 mi
- Iowa City Water Department Iowa City · 71 mi
- Ames Water Treatment Plant Ames · 72 mi
- City of Ankeny Ankeny · 83 mi
- Dubuque Water Works Dubuque · 84 mi
- Des Moines Water Works Des Moines · 90 mi
Questions
Is Waterloo tap water safe to drink?
Most of Waterloo gets its water from Waterloo Water Works. Waterloo Water Works has no health-based violations since 2016. EPA testing found no PFAS above the federal limits. Federal data can't tell you about your own pipes: lead comes from service lines and plumbing, so test your tap if your home was built before 1986. For the official word, read the utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report.
Does Waterloo water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of Waterloo Water Works found 4 PFAS at least once. None of the averages were above the federal limits.
What is the lead level in Waterloo water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Waterloo Water Works is 1.8 ppb, for the period ending Dec 2025. The federal action level is 15 ppb, falling to 10 ppb in November 2027. The 90th percentile means 9 in 10 homes sampled were at or below this number. Individual homes can be higher.
Check these numbers yourself
Every figure on this page comes from public EPA records. You don't have to take our word for it:
- EPA's own report for IA0790074: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID IA0790074).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Waterloo Water Works at (319) 232-6280, or see EPA's guide to finding it.
Found something that doesn't match? Tell us and we'll check it against EPA's records. How we check our data.
Source: U.S. EPA drinking water records and PFAS testing (UCMR 5). How we read the data.