Is Des Moines, IA tap water safe?
Supplied by Des Moines Water Works · serves 246,055 people (94,000 connections) · Purchased surface water · EPA ID IA7727031
Data: U.S. EPA · How we read the data · How we check it
Most of Des Moines gets its water from Des Moines Water Works. Parts of the city are served by 9 smaller systems: Yes Regency Manor LLC (710 people), The Meadows Water System (702 people), Southridge Estate Water System (648 people), Val Vista Estates Water System (553 people) and 5 more. Your water bill names your system.
Buys water from Ciww (DMWW). Treated water bought from another system can carry that system's contaminants.
Summary
No federal limits exceeded in EPA data.
- PFAS
- Not detectedNone of 29 PFAS found above EPA's reporting limits in 12 samples (2023–2025).
- Lithium
- Above screening levelHighest result 28 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 level0 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 2024. Your home's pipes can make yours higher.
- Violations
- Resolved1 health-based violation since 2016, most recently May 2017.
- 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.
- Tested your own tap? Compare your result with these numbers. Moving? Compare this system with another.
- Read Des Moines Water Works's 2026 water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report, from the utility). It lists every regulated contaminant tested, including ones not on this page. Questions: (515) 283-8751.
PFAS (“forever chemicals”)
EPA UCMR 5: 3 entry points tested Feb 2023 to Nov 2023. "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 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 Not detected Guideline 6,000 ppt | – |
| PFHxA Not detected Guideline 3,000 ppt | – |
29 PFAS tested, 0 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 9 of 12 samples. Highest result 28 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: 0 ppb lead (Jan 2022 – Dec 2024). Below action level
| Monitoring period | Lead (90th pct.) |
|---|---|
| Jan 2022 – Dec 2024 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2021 – Dec 2021 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2020 – Dec 2020 | 0 ppb |
Earlier results (9)
| Jan 2019 – Dec 2019 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2018 – Jun 2018 | 0 ppb |
| Jul 2017 – Dec 2017 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2012 – Dec 2014 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2009 – Dec 2011 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2006 – Dec 2008 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2003 – Dec 2005 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 2000 – Dec 2002 | 0 ppb |
| Jan 1999 – Dec 1999 | 10 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
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| May 2017 | A required step to remove or kill germs (filtration, disinfection or fixing a contaminated well) was not done properly. EPA record: Surface Water Treatment Rule · Treatment Technique (SWTR and GWR) (limit ) Resolved |
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 | 2.14 ppb | 300 ppb |
| Molybdenum | 6 ppb | 40 ppb |
| Chlorate | 313 ppb | 210 ppb |
| Chromium-6 | 2.62 ppb | – |
| Strontium | 0.22 ppm | 1.5 ppm |
| Vanadium | 2.8 ppb | 21 ppb |
Where it serves
Des Moines
37 ZIP codes the system reported serving
50007, 50009, 50021, 50023, 50032, 50035, 50046, 50047, 50061, 50073, 50124, 50131, 50169, 50211, 50226, 50244, 50263, 50265, 50302, 50306, 50309, 50310, 50311, 50312, 50313, 50314, 50315, 50316, 50317, 50318, 50319, 50320, 50321, 50322, 50324, 50327, 50392
Nearby utilities
- West Des Moines Water Works West Des Moines · 9 mi
- City of Ankeny Ankeny · 11 mi
- Ames Water Treatment Plant Ames · 31 mi
- Waterloo Water Works Waterloo · 91 mi
- Cedar Rapids Water Department Cedar Rapids · 103 mi
- Iowa City Water Department Iowa City · 107 mi
Questions
Is Des Moines tap water safe to drink?
Most of Des Moines gets its water from Des Moines Water Works. Des Moines Water Works had 1 health-based violation since 2016, all since resolved. 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 Des Moines water have PFAS?
EPA tested Des Moines Water Works for 29 PFAS between Feb 2023 and Nov 2023 and none were detected above the reporting limits (about 2 to 20 ppt depending on the chemical).
What is the lead level in Des Moines water?
The most recent 90th-percentile lead result for Des Moines Water Works is 0 ppb, for the period ending Dec 2024. 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 IA7727031: violations, enforcement and inspections, straight from EPA.
- EPA UCMR 5 data: the PFAS and lithium results (search the file for PWSID IA7727031).
- EPA SDWIS download: the lead results, population and violation records we use.
- Des Moines Water Works's 2026 water quality report: the utility's own annual report, including contaminants EPA's national database doesn't carry (link checked Nov 14, 2026). Phone: (515) 283-8751.
- Des Moines Water Works website
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.