Is Des Moines Water Works Tap Water Safe? Quality Report

Water source: SWP
Ownership: Local government
Counties served: Polk

Compliance record

Formal violations the EPA has on file for this supplier. A health-based violation means a contaminant limit or a required treatment was breached; the rest are monitoring or reporting failures — still violations, but not a measured health risk.

health-based violations

violations on file

still open

Violation	Type	Status	Period
TT	Health-based	Resolved	2017-05-01 → 2017-05-31
TT	Health-based	Resolved	2017-05-01 → 2017-05-31
TT	Health-based	Resolved	2017-05-01 → 2017-05-31
TT	Health-based	Resolved	2017-05-01 → 2017-05-31
MCL	Health-based	Resolved	2014-10-01 → 2014-12-31
MCL	Health-based	Resolved	2014-10-01 → 2014-12-31
MCL	Health-based	Resolved	2014-10-01 → 2014-12-31
MCL	Health-based	Resolved	2014-10-01 → 2014-12-31
MCL	Health-based	Resolved	2014-07-01 → 2014-09-30
MCL	Health-based	Resolved	2014-07-01 → 2014-09-30

Other contaminants detected

Each bar shows the measured level as a share of the EPA limit: green is well under, amber is close to it, red is over. For lead and copper the limit applies to exactly the 90th-percentile figure shown, so red there means a real exceedance. For everything else the limit applies to a running annual average while the figure is the 95th percentile of this system's samples — over 100% is worth reading, but is not by itself a violation. Where a single sample came in higher than that percentile, it is noted under the bar. Formal violations are listed separately.

Contaminant	Level vs EPA limit	Detection rate	Source	Period
Nitrate	8500 µg/L 85% of the EPA limit 10000 µg/L worst single sample: 9350 µg/L	556/568	SYR4	2012–2019
Dichloroacetic Acid	15 µg/L No EPA limit set worst single sample: 31 µg/L	257/257	SYR4	2012–2019
Bromodichloromethane	20.275 µg/L No EPA limit set worst single sample: 55.1 µg/L	256/256	SYR4	2012–2019
Chloroform	52.575 µg/L No EPA limit set worst single sample: 96.2 µg/L	256/256	SYR4	2012–2019
Dibromochloromethane	11.725 µg/L No EPA limit set worst single sample: 32.8 µg/L	256/256	SYR4	2012–2019
TTHM	82.3 µg/L 103% of the EPA limit, at the 95th percentile of samples — 80 µg/L worst single sample: 171.7 µg/L	256/256	SYR4	2012–2019
Dibromoacetic Acid	3 µg/L No EPA limit set worst single sample: 4 µg/L	235/257	SYR4	2012–2019
Total Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)	21.9 µg/L 37% of the EPA limit 60 µg/L worst single sample: 42 µg/L	212/257	SYR4	2012–2019
Trichloroacetic Acid	4 µg/L No EPA limit set worst single sample: 11 µg/L	160/257	SYR4	2012–2019
Bromoform	4.15 µg/L No EPA limit set worst single sample: 7.5 µg/L	111/256	SYR4	2012–2019
Copper	55.5 µg/L 4.3% of the EPA limit 1300 µg/L worst single sample: 130 µg/L	30/325	SYR4	2012–2019
Lead	0.0 mg/L 0% of the EPA limit 0.0150 mg/L	18/18	LCR	2024
cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene	1.19 µg/L 1.7% of the EPA limit 70 µg/L worst single sample: 1.4 µg/L	15/54	SYR4	2012–2019
Monochloroacetic Acid	3 µg/L No EPA limit set	11/257	SYR4	2012–2019
Lead	10 µg/L 67% of the EPA limit 15 µg/L	10/325	SYR4	2012–2019
Lithium	28 µg/L No EPA limit set	9/12	UCMR-5	2023
Atrazine	0.2750 µg/L 9.2% of the EPA limit 3 µg/L worst single sample: 0.3000 µg/L	6/34	SYR4	2012–2019
Arsenic	3.85 µg/L 39% of the EPA limit 10 µg/L worst single sample: 4 µg/L	4/11	SYR4	2012–2019
Fluoride	849.5 µg/L 21% of the EPA limit 4000 µg/L worst single sample: 860 µg/L	4/4	SYR4	2012–2018
Tetrachloroethylene	0.9800 µg/L 20% of the EPA limit 5 µg/L worst single sample: 1 µg/L	2/18	SYR4	2012–2019
Antimony, Total	5 µg/L 83% of the EPA limit 6 µg/L	1/6	SYR4	2012–2019
Combined Radium (-226 And -228)	2.2 pCi/L 44% of the EPA limit 5 pCi/L	1/6	SYR4	2012–2019
Combined Uranium	1.9 µg/L 6.3% of the EPA limit 30 µg/L	1/1	SYR4	2018
Dichloromethane	1.9 µg/L 38% of the EPA limit 5 µg/L	1/16	SYR4	2012–2019
Gross Alpha, Excl. Radon And U	9.8 pCi/L 65% of the EPA limit 15 pCi/L	1/1	SYR4	2018
Monobromoacetic Acid	1 µg/L No EPA limit set	1/257	SYR4	2012–2019
Toluene	0.5000 µg/L 0.1% of the EPA limit 1000 µg/L	1/17	SYR4	2012–2019

69 contaminants tested, none detected

1,1,1-Trichloroethane1,1,2-Trichloroethane1,1-Dichloroethylene1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene1,2-Dichloroethane1,2-Dichloropropane11Cl-PF3OUdS2,4,5-TP2,4-D4:2 Fts6:2 Fts8:2 Fts9Cl-PF3ONSAdonaAsbestosBariumBenzeneBenzo(A)PyreneBeryllium, TotalChlorobenzeneCyanideCadmiumCarbon TetrachlorideChromiumDalaponDi(2-ethylhexyl) AdipateDi(2-ethylhexyl) PhthalateDinosebDiquatEthylbenzeneGlyphosateHfpo-DaLassoMercuryNetfosaaNfdhaNmefosaaNitritePfbaPFBSPfdaPfdoaPfeesaPfhpaPfhpsPfhxaPFHXSPfmbaPfmpaPFNAPFOAPFOSPfpeaPfpesPftaPftrdaPfunaPentachlorophenolPicloramSeleniumSimazineStyreneThallium, TotalTrichloroethyleneVinyl ChlorideXylenes, TotalO-DichlorobenzeneP-Dichlorobenzenetrans-1,2-Dichloroethylene

Utility contact

Contact: DES MOINES WATER WORKS
Phone: 515-283-8751
Email: [email protected]

Frequently asked questions about Des Moines Water Works

Is Des Moines Water Works tap water safe to drink?

EPA monitoring detected 27 contaminants in Des Moines Water Works's water. A detection isn't the same as a violation — most levels are within federal limits. See each level and source above, and the utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report for its official compliance status.

What contaminants were detected in Des Moines Water Works's water?

EPA monitoring detected Nitrate, Dichloroacetic Acid, Bromodichloromethane, Chloroform, Dibromochloromethane, and others. The full list with the level and data source for each is above.

How many people does Des Moines Water Works serve?

Des Moines Water Works reports serving 246,055 people in Iowa, per its EPA record.

Has Des Moines Water Works had any water quality violations?

The EPA has 43 violations on file for Des Moines Water Works, of which 23 are health-based (a contaminant limit or required treatment was breached) and 0 remain open. The rest are monitoring or reporting failures.

Where does this data come from?

Every figure is official EPA drinking-water monitoring — the Lead & Copper Rule, the UCMR-5 nationwide testing program, and the EPA Six-Year Review — not our own testing. Each number is labelled with its source and period.