Is Dubuque, IA tap water safe?
Supplied by Dubuque Water Works · serves 59,667 people (23,954 connections) · Groundwater · EPA ID IA3126052
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Most of Dubuque gets its water from Dubuque Water Works. Parts of the city are served by 15 smaller systems: Alpine Park Water System (932 people), Terrace Heights Water System (548 people), Table Mound Park Water System (455 people), Super 20 Mobile Home Court Water System (236 people) and 11 more. Your water bill names your system.
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Detected, below limit2 of 29 PFAS found at least once. All averages below the federal limits.
- Lead
- Below action level5 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 2023. 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 Dubuque 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 (563) 589-4291. EPA: how to find it.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 1 entry point tested Jul 2023 to Feb 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 One sample above limit Limit 4 ppt | 2.55 ppt 64% of the limit |
| PFOS Not detected Limit 4 ppt | – |
| PFHxS Not detected Limit 10 ppt | – |
| 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) Not detected Limit 1 | – |
| PFBS Not detected Guideline 2,000 ppt | – |
| PFBA Detected, below limit Guideline 6,000 ppt | 10.5 ppt |
| PFHxA Not detected Guideline 3,000 ppt | – |
29 PFAS tested, 2 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
Not detected in 2 samples (reporting limit 9 ppb). About lithium.
Lead and copper
Latest 90th percentile: 5 ppb lead (Jan 2021 – Dec 2023). Below action level
Highest since 2016: 7 ppb (Dec 2020).
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2021 – Dec 2023 | 5 ppb |
| Jan 2020 – Dec 2020 | 7 ppb |
| Jan 2019 – Dec 2019 | 3 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2018 – Jun 2018 | 3 ppb |
| Jul 2017 – Dec 2017 | 4 ppb |
| Jan 2015 – Dec 2015 | 1 ppb |
| Jan 2014 – Dec 2014 | 4 ppb |
| Jan 2013 – Jun 2013 | 3.9 ppb |
| Jul 2012 – Dec 2012 | 8.7 ppb |
| Jan 2009 – Dec 2009 | 4.4 ppb |
| Jan 2008 – Dec 2008 | 11.8 ppb |
| Jul 2007 – Dec 2007 | 12.5 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 | 2 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Vanadium | 0.3 ppb | 21 ppb |
| 1,4-Dioxane | 0.21 ppb | 0.35 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 0.37 ppb | – |
| Chlorate | 205 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Strontium | 0.041 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
Where it serves
Dubuque
ZIP codes the system reported serving: 52001, 52002, 52003, 52068
Nearby utilities
- Cedar Rapids Water Department Cedar Rapids · 62 mi
- Iowa American Water – Davenport Davenport · 65 mi
- Iowa City Water Department Iowa City · 72 mi
- Waterloo Water Works Waterloo · 84 mi
- Ames Water Treatment Plant Ames · 152 mi
- City of Ankeny Ankeny · 157 mi
Questions
Is Dubuque tap water safe to drink?
Most of Dubuque gets its water from Dubuque Water Works. Dubuque 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 Dubuque water have PFAS?
Yes. EPA's 2023–2025 testing of Dubuque Water Works found 2 PFAS at least once. None of the averages were above the federal limits.
What is the lead level in Dubuque water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Dubuque Water Works is 5 ppb, for the period ending Dec 2023. 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 IA3126052: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID IA3126052).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- The utility's annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report): ask Dubuque Water Works at (563) 589-4291, 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.